Lowdefy vs Refine
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted developer tools & git options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Lowdefy
Build internal tools and web apps from YAML config
VS
Refine
React framework for building internal tools and admin panels
| Feature | Lowdefy | Refine |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Developer Tools & Git | Developer Tools & Git |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Language | JavaScript | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, source | source, docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 2,996 | ★ 35,481 |
| First released | 2020 | 2021 |
| Replaces | Retool, Appsmith | Retool |
Why pick each one
Choose Lowdefy if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (3k GitHub stars)
Choose Refine if…
- Released under the MIT license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 35.5k GitHub stars
- Written in TypeScript
Frequently asked questions
Is Lowdefy or Refine better?
Neither is universally better. Refine has the larger community, while Lowdefy is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Lowdefy and Refine free and open-source?
Yes. Lowdefy is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Refine under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Lowdefy and Refine with Docker?
Lowdefy: yes. Refine: yes.