10 Best Open Source Low-Code Platforms for Enterprise (2026)

The best open source low-code platforms in 2026 are Appsmith and ToolJet for internal tools, Budibase for the fastest no-code start, Frappe Framework and Joget DX for full business applications, and Windmill and Node-RED for automation and integration. All of them can be self-hosted with Docker for free. Before you pick one, check the licence: several popular tools, including n8n, NocoDB, NocoBase and Directus, are source-available rather than open source, which limits how you can resell or host them.

I checked every licence below against the project's own repository in October 2026, because three of the tools people call "open source" have changed licence in the last two years.

Quick answer: which open source low-code platform should you use?

Comparison table: the 10 best open source low-code platforms

Licences, GitHub stars and release dates were read from each project's GitHub repository on 17-18 October 2026.

The 10 platforms in detail

1. Appsmith

Appsmith is the most widely used open source platform for building internal tools. You drag widgets (tables, forms, charts) onto a canvas, connect them to PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB, REST or GraphQL APIs, and write logic in JavaScript. Git sync lets you branch, review and deploy apps like code, which is what enterprises usually ask for first.

• Licence: Apache-2.0 for the Community Edition; the Business and Enterprise editions add SSO, audit logs and granular access control.
• Good fit: support consoles, approval dashboards, CRUD front ends on existing databases.
• Watch out: it is a front-end builder; your data and business rules live in your own databases and APIs.

Appsmith's official Docker Compose install is a single service. For the Community Edition use the appsmith-ce image and pin a release tag for production:

services:
  appsmith:
    image: index.docker.io/appsmith/appsmith-ce:<version>
    container_name: appsmith
    ports:
      - "80:80"
      - "443:443"
    volumes:
      - ./stacks:/appsmith-stacks
    restart: unless-stopped

docker compose up -d

2. ToolJet

ToolJet covers the same ground as Appsmith with a slightly different feel: a visual builder, dozens of data source connectors, JavaScript and Python for custom logic, a built-in ToolJet Database and workflow automation. Recent releases lean heavily into AI app generation.

• Licence: AGPL-3.0 for the community edition. AGPL is fine for internal use; if you modify ToolJet and offer it to others over a network, you must publish your changes.
• Good fit: teams that want Python as well as JavaScript in their internal tools.

3. Budibase

Budibase is the easiest of the group for non-developers. It can generate a working CRUD app straight from a PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQL Server or Airtable schema, includes its own database for quick projects, and has automations, forms and public portals.

• Licence: Budibase describes itself as GPLv3 overall, and apps you build do not contain GPLv3 code. Paid features sit in a separate package under the Business Source License.
• Good fit: operations and HR teams building forms, request portals and simple approval apps.

4. Frappe Framework

Frappe is a full-stack, metadata-driven framework: you define a DocType in the browser and Frappe creates the database table, forms, list views, permissions, REST API and audit trail for you. It powers ERPNext, Frappe HR, Helpdesk and CRM, so it is proven at enterprise scale.

• Licence: MIT (ERPNext itself is GPLv3).
• Good fit: process-heavy business applications where you also want accounting, HR or inventory later.
• Watch out: more of a framework than a drag-and-drop builder; you will write some Python for anything advanced.

I run Frappe and ERPNext in my own homelab; see Frappe and ERPNext as a free open source enterprise platform.

5. Joget DX

Joget combines a form builder, workflow (BPMN) designer, data lists and user views into one Java platform. It is aimed at enterprise process automation: leave requests, procurement approvals, case management.

• Licence: Joget Community Edition is GPLv3; Professional, Enterprise and Large Enterprise editions are under a commercial EULA.
• Good fit: organisations replacing paper or email-based approval processes.

6. Baserow

Baserow is an open source Airtable alternative: a spreadsheet-style database with views, forms, an application builder and automations on top.

• Licence: MIT for the open source edition; folders marked premium and enterprise have their own licences.
• Good fit: teams outgrowing spreadsheets who want their data on their own server.

7. Windmill

Windmill is the developer's choice. You write scripts in Python, TypeScript, Go, Bash or SQL, and Windmill turns them into scheduled jobs, workflows with retries and approvals, and internal UIs with auto-generated forms.

• Licence: AGPLv3 for the core, with some enterprise features under a proprietary licence.
• Good fit: platform and DevOps teams replacing cron jobs, Airflow DAGs or ad hoc admin scripts.

8. Node-RED

Node-RED, an OpenJS Foundation project, is flow-based programming for wiring together APIs, devices and services. It is not a UI builder, but for integration and event-driven automation it is mature, lightweight and runs anywhere from a Raspberry Pi to Kubernetes.

• Licence: Apache-2.0.
• Good fit: IoT, MQTT, industrial and home automation, glue between systems.

9. Saltcorn

Saltcorn builds database-backed web applications without code: define tables, then build views, forms and pages with drag and drop. It has a plugin system and multi-tenant support.

• Licence: MIT.
• Good fit: small teams that want a self-hosted no-code app builder with a permissive licence.

10. Convertigo

Convertigo focuses on mobile and web apps that must work offline, with its Full Sync engine handling data synchronisation, plus a back-end for connecting to enterprise systems.

• Licence: AGPL-3.0 for the community edition.
• Good fit: field-service and mobile apps that need offline data.

Also worth a look: Lowcoder (AGPL-3.0, a community fork of Openblocks) and Skyve (LGPL-2.1, a Java model-driven platform) are both active open source projects with smaller communities.

Source-available, not open source: know the licence before you build

These tools are excellent and free to self-host for internal use, but their licences are not OSI-approved open source. That matters if you plan to resell, embed or host them for customers.

n8n is still my default for workflow automation; I cover it in self-hosting n8n on Ubuntu 24.04 and you can also try n8n's hosted plans. Just be clear that "free to self-host" and "open source" are not the same thing.

How to choose an open source low-code platform

1. Start with the licence. Permissive (MIT, Apache-2.0) gives you the most freedom. Copyleft (GPL, AGPL) is fine for internal use but has obligations if you distribute or host modified versions. Source-available licences can block commercial hosting.
2. Check what the free edition leaves out. SSO (SAML/OIDC), audit logs, granular roles, environments and white-labelling are the usual paid extras. A public repository does not mean every feature is free.
3. Match the tool to the job. Internal tools (Appsmith, ToolJet, Budibase), business apps with data models (Frappe, Joget), databases (Baserow), automation (Windmill, Node-RED, n8n).
4. Plan the operations. Self-hosting means you own patching, backups, TLS and monitoring. Pin versions, back up the volume or database, and test upgrades on a copy first.
5. Look at momentum. Release frequency, open issues and community size tell you more than a feature list. Every tool in the main table above had commits between August and October 2026.
6. Prototype with real data. Build one small app your team actually needs in each shortlisted tool; a week of that beats any comparison article, including this one.

Open source vs proprietary low-code

Proprietary platforms such as Microsoft Power Apps, OutSystems and Mendix offer polished tooling and vendor support but charge per user or per app and keep your apps on their platform. Open source platforms trade some polish for no per-user fees, full control of your data and the ability to run in your own network or homelab. For a cost comparison see how much low-code platforms cost, and for the wider market (including proprietary tools) see the best low-code platforms.

Related guides

• Low-code vs no-code: a beginner's guide
• How much do low-code platforms cost?
• Frappe and ERPNext for enterprise and homelabs
• Self-hosting n8n on Ubuntu 24.04

Official sources: Appsmith, ToolJet, Budibase, Frappe Framework, Joget, Baserow, Windmill, Node-RED, Saltcorn, Convertigo and the OSI licence list.