Refine vs ToolJet
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted apps from related categories — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Refine
React framework for building internal tools and admin panels
VS
ToolJet
Low-code platform for building and automating business tools
| Feature | Refine | ToolJet |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Developer Tools & Git | Automation & Workflows |
| License | MIT | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 2,048 MB |
| Deployment | source, docker | docker, kubernetes, helm |
| GitHub stars | ★ 35,481 | ★ 38,306 |
| First released | 2021 | 2021 |
| Replaces | Retool | Retool, Microsoft Power Apps |
Why pick each one
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 Refine 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 Refine and ToolJet free and open-source?
Yes. Refine is licensed under MIT and ToolJet under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Refine and ToolJet with Docker?
Refine: yes. ToolJet: yes.