Anvil App Server vs Reflex
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted developer tools & git options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Anvil App Server | Reflex |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 71 · Good | 98 · Excellent |
| Category | Developer Tools & Git | Developer Tools & Git |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | source, bare-metal | docker, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,025 | ★ 28,909 |
| First released | 2020 | 2022 |
| Replaces | Anvil Cloud, Retool | Streamlit, Retool |
What are Anvil App Server and Reflex?
Anvil App Server
The Anvil App Server is the open-source runtime that lets you host web applications built with Anvil's drag-and-drop Python builder on your own infrastructure. It includes a database and server-side Python execution.
- Host Anvil apps locally
- Server-side Python
- Bundled database
- Full-stack runtime
Reflex
Reflex is an open-source framework for building and deploying full-stack web applications entirely in Python without writing JavaScript. The compiled apps can be self-hosted on your own infrastructure.
- Pure Python web apps
- No JavaScript needed
- Built-in components
- Self-hostable deploys
Anvil App Server vs Reflex: key differences
Anvil App Server is written in TypeScript, while Reflex is built with Python. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for Anvil App Server versus Apache-2.0 for Reflex. Reflex is the lighter option, starting around 512 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Anvil App Server. Anvil App Server is the more established project (first released 2020), while Reflex arrived in 2022. Reflex has the considerably larger community, at 28,909 GitHub stars versus 1,025. Reflex lists first-class Docker deployment; Anvil App Server does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Anvil App Server if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- Active community (1k GitHub stars)
- Written in TypeScript
Choose Reflex if…
- Pure Python full stack
- No JavaScript needed
- Compiles to React
Watch out for
- Node.js build dependency
- API still evolving
Frequently asked questions
Is Anvil App Server or Reflex better?
Neither is universally better. Reflex has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Anvil App Server and Reflex free and open-source?
Yes. Anvil App Server is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Reflex under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Anvil App Server and Reflex with Docker?
Anvil App Server: check the project docs for container support. Reflex: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Anvil App Server or Reflex?
Reflex has the smaller minimum footprint at 512 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for Anvil App Server. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.