🩺 Vitals
- 📦 Version: v1.93 (Released 2025-12-04)
- 🚀 Velocity: Active (Last commit 2025-12-11)
- 🌟 Community: 38.6k Stars · 4.4k Forks
- 🐞 Backlog: 4431 Open Issues
🏗️ Profile
- Official: appsmith.com
- Source: github.com/appsmithorg/appsmith
- License: Apache-2.0
- Deployment: Docker / Kubernetes
- Data Model: Connects to External DBs (Postgres/MySQL/Mongo)
- Complexity: Moderate (3/5) - Requires Data Source Config
- Maintenance: Moderate (3/5) - Stateful (MongoDB + Redis)
- Enterprise Ready: High (4/5) - SSO, Audit Logs, Git Sync
1. The Executive Summary
What is it? Appsmith is an open-source low-code platform designed to build custom internal applications, dashboards, and admin panels. It stands out by combining a visual drag-and-drop interface with deep integration into engineering workflows like Git, making it a "High-Code Low-Code" solution.
The Strategic Verdict:
- 🔴 For Static Sites: Caution. Overkill for simple forms or public websites.
- 🟢 For Internal Ops: Strong Buy. Ideal for engineering teams building admin panels, refund tools, or support dashboards.
2. The "Hidden" Costs (TCO Analysis)
| Cost Component | Proprietary (Retool) | Appsmith (Self-Hosted) |
|---|---|---|
| License Fee | ~$20/user/mo | $0 (Apache 2.0) |
| Infrastructure | $0 (SaaS) | ~$50/mo (VPS) |
| Maintenance | $0 | ~2 hrs/mo (Updates) |
3. The "Day 2" Reality Check
🚀 Deployment & Operations
- Installation: Docker-based. Single container for small scale, but requires MongoDB and Redis for high availability.
- Updates: Frequent releases. Git-connected apps allow for safe testing before deployment.
🛡️ Security & Governance
- Compliance: Data stays within your network (Self-hosted).
- Identity: Supports OIDC/SAML (Enterprise Edition or custom configs).
4. Alternatives & Ecosystem
- Alternative: Retool is the direct proprietary competitor. Appsmith offers similar functionality with a "Git-first" approach and no per-user fees for the CE version.
- Alternative: Budibase is another strong open-source contender, focusing more on "app generation" from DB schemas.