Top pick · highest health
ToolJet
Low-code framework to build & deploy internal tools with minimal engineering effort (alternative to Retool and Mendix).
DockerNodejsK8S
Software Development - Low Code
Open source alternatives to Retool
We track 5 open-source Retool alternatives, of which 5 currently score 70 or above on Repoly's GitHub health scale and 4 ship a Docker image. ToolJet leads on health at 98/100 with 2011 commits in the last 90 days; across all 5 projects you are choosing between Apache-2.0, GPL-3.0, MIT and 1 other licences.
updated Oct 2026 5 alternatives best health 98 ★ 115k combined 5,326 commits / 90d 4 with Docker
Top picks to replace Retool
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Healthiest
Health 98/100: 2,011 commits in 90 days, latest release v3.20.252-lts, Docker image available.
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Most active
2,560 commits in the last 90 days, more than any other option here.
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Permissive licence
Apache-2.0, so you can fork or embed it without publishing changes; health 98/100.
Showing 5 of 5 tools
All 5 Retool alternatives, ranked by health
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Appsmith
Build admin panels, CRUD apps and workflows. Build everything you need, 10x faster.
DockerJavaK8S -
Budibase
Build and automate internal tools, admin panels, dashboards, CRUD apps, and more, in minutes (alternative to Outsystems, Retool, Mendix, Appian).
DockerNodejsK8S -
Baserow
Create your own database without technical experience (alternative to Airtable).
Docker -
Corteza
CRM including a unified workspace, enterprise messaging and a low code environment for rapidly and securely delivering records-based management solutions.
Go
Retool alternatives compared
ToolJet and Appsmith tie at 98/100. ToolJet also has the largest following, at 41k stars.
The most recent release is ToolJet v3.20.252-lts, published today. None of the measured options scores under 40. By stack, Nodejs (2), Go (1) and Java (1) are the most common. Appsmith, Baserow and Corteza are permissively licensed; ToolJet is copyleft. Budibase is source-available rather than open source, which limits commercial reuse.
4 of these 5 also appear among the Mendix alternatives; Baserow is specific to Retool.
| Tool | Health | Stars | Licence | Last commit | Docker |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ToolJet Steady at 98 since 11 Sep | 98 | 41k | GPL-3.0 | today | Yes |
| Appsmith Steady at 98 since 11 Sep | 98 | 41k | Apache-2.0 | today | Yes |
| Budibase Steady at 98 since 11 Sep | 98 | 28k | ⊘ Proprietary | yesterday | Yes |
| Baserow Up 33 points since 11 Sep, no release for 12 months | 84 | 2.3k | MIT | yesterday | Yes |
| Corteza Steady at 83 since 11 Sep | 83 | 2.2k | Apache-2.0 | 10 days ago | No |
Retool alternatives: common questions
What is the most maintained open source alternative to Retool?
ToolJet scores highest at 98/100, with 2011 commits in the last 90 days, 41k stars on GitHub and its latest release (v3.20.252-lts) published today. Budibase has the most raw commit activity at 2560 commits in 90 days.
Which Retool alternatives use a permissive licence?
3 of 5 are permissively licensed (MIT, Apache, BSD or similar): Appsmith (Apache-2.0), Baserow (MIT), Corteza (Apache-2.0). 1 use copyleft licences such as GPL or AGPL, which require you to publish changes if you distribute a modified version.
Which Retool alternatives run in Docker?
4 of 5 publish a Docker image or Compose file: ToolJet, Appsmith, Budibase, Baserow. Docker support contributes 10 of the 100 available health points, because it is the clearest signal that self-hosting is a supported path rather than an afterthought.
Is ToolJet or Appsmith the better Retool alternative?
On measured health ToolJet leads, 98 to 98. ToolJet has 2,011 commits in 90 days, 41k stars and v3.20.252-lts from today; Appsmith has 214 commits in 90 days, 41k stars and v2.6.0 from 2 days ago. Pick Appsmith if licensing matters: it is Apache-2.0, while ToolJet is GPL-3.0.
Are the Retool alternatives still maintained?
5 of the 5 measured options score 70 or above. Every measured option had commits in the last 90 days. None scores under 40.
What languages are the Retool alternatives written in?
Nodejs: ToolJet and Budibase. Go: Corteza. Java: Appsmith. The stack matters if you plan to extend or patch the tool yourself.
