Refine 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 | Refine | Reflex |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 96 · Excellent | 98 · Excellent |
| Category | Developer Tools & Git | Developer Tools & Git |
| License | MIT | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | source, docker | docker, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 35,717 | ★ 28,909 |
| First released | 2021 | 2022 |
| Replaces | Retool | Streamlit, Retool |
What are Refine and Reflex?
Refine
Refine is an open-source React-based framework for rapidly building CRUD-heavy applications such as admin panels, dashboards and internal tools. The resulting apps are self-hosted on your own infrastructure.
- Headless React framework
- CRUD scaffolding
- Many backend connectors
- Auth and access control
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
Refine vs Reflex: key differences
Refine is written in TypeScript, while Reflex is built with Python. Licensing differs — MIT for Refine versus Apache-2.0 for Reflex. Refine is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Reflex.
Why pick each one
Choose Refine if…
- Rapid CRUD scaffolding
- Backend-agnostic data providers
- Works with any UI kit
Watch out for
- React knowledge required
- Abstraction learning curve
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 Refine or Reflex better?
Neither is universally better. Refine has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Refine and Reflex free and open-source?
Yes. Refine is licensed under MIT and Reflex under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Refine and Reflex with Docker?
Refine: yes. Reflex: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Refine or Reflex?
Refine has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Reflex. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.