SHSelfHostIndex

Appsmith vs ToolJet

A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted automation & workflows options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.

Not the right match-up?
AP Appsmith Open-source low-code platform for building internal apps VS ToolJet Low-code platform for building and automating business tools
FeatureAppsmithToolJet
Deploy effortUnder-an-hour setupUnder-an-hour setup
Health score99 · Excellent99 · Excellent
CategoryAutomation & WorkflowsAutomation & Workflows
LicenseApache-2.0AGPL-3.0
LanguageTypeScriptJavaScript
Setup difficultyMediumMedium
Min. RAM2,048 MB2,048 MB
Deploymentdocker, kubernetes, helmdocker, kubernetes, helm
GitHub stars★ 40,931★ 40,984
First released20202021
ReplacesRetool, Microsoft Power AppsRetool, Microsoft Power Apps

What are Appsmith and ToolJet?

Appsmith

Appsmith is an open-source framework for quickly building admin panels, dashboards and internal tools. It includes workflow logic and scheduled jobs to automate business processes.

  • Drag-and-drop UI builder
  • Connects to databases and APIs
  • JavaScript-powered logic
  • Self-hosted with role-based access

Read the full Appsmith guide →

ToolJet

ToolJet is an open-source low-code framework to build and deploy internal tools and workflows. It offers a visual app builder, a workflow engine and many data source connectors.

  • Visual app and tool builder
  • Workflow automation engine
  • 50+ data source connectors
  • Granular access control

Read the full ToolJet guide →

Appsmith vs ToolJet: key differences

Appsmith is written in TypeScript, while ToolJet is built with JavaScript. Licensing differs — Apache-2.0 for Appsmith versus AGPL-3.0 for ToolJet.

Why pick each one

Choose Appsmith if…

  • Mature low-code tooling
  • Large community

Watch out for

  • Memory hungry
Appsmith details

Choose ToolJet if…

  • Rich connector library
  • Active development

Watch out for

  • Heavy resource requirements
ToolJet details

Frequently asked questions

Is Appsmith or ToolJet better?

Neither is universally better. ToolJet has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.

Are Appsmith and ToolJet free and open-source?

Yes. Appsmith is licensed under Apache-2.0 and ToolJet under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run Appsmith and ToolJet with Docker?

Appsmith: yes. ToolJet: yes.

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