If you’re exploring modern internal tool builders, you’ve likely come across UI Bakery. Known for its visual development environment and ability to ship internal tools fast, UI Bakery has been a solid option for many teams. However, with its recent pricing model, limited open-source support, and evolving ecosystem, many developers and business teams are actively searching for better or more flexible UI Bakery alternatives.

In this blog, we’ll break down:

• Why are businesses looking for UI Bakery alternatives? 
• A detailed overview of the top 10 UI Bakery alternatives in 2025. 
• How to pick the right one for your team? 

Let’s start by understanding what is UI Bakery. 

UI Bakery is a low-code internal tool builder designed to help teams create admin panels, dashboards, CRUD apps, and more. It provides a visual drag-and-drop interface, integrates with popular databases and APIs, and is especially appealing for teams looking to ship internal tools without a full engineering cycle.

Key features:

• Drag-and-drop builder with responsive layouts
• Built-in integrations with SQL, REST, and GraphQL
• User roles and permissions
• Deployment and hosting options
• Some support for custom code and logic

While it’s a strong choice for some, there are scenarios where businesses want more control, flexibility, or cost-efficiency—hence the need for alternatives.

While UI Bakery is a solid low-code tool for building internal apps, many developers and teams eventually outgrow its ecosystem or find limitations that impact long-term scalability and flexibility. 

Here’s a breakdown of the most common reasons why developers start looking for UI Bakery alternatives:

UI Bakery uses a per-user pricing model, which can become cost-prohibitive as your team scales. For growing startups or enterprises building tools for multiple internal users, costs can spike quickly. Many alternative platforms offer more predictable pricing, freemium tiers, or open-source options that reduce TCO (total cost of ownership).

Developers often prefer tools that are open-source for greater transparency, control, and flexibility. UI Bakery is not fully open-source, which limits how deeply teams can customize the tool, self-host it, or contribute to its development. If your organization prioritizes open-core development, full data ownership, or DevOps workflows, you might find UI Bakery too restrictive.

While UI Bakery simplifies the UI building process, it doesn’t always offer the depth required for complex logic, dynamic interactions, or custom workflows. Teams working on sophisticated tools may hit a ceiling when they need fine-grained control over component behavior, conditional logic, or third-party integrations.

Proprietary platforms often come with vendor lock-in risks. Since UI Bakery is not open-source and doesn’t offer robust export or portability options, teams may feel locked into its ecosystem. This can create friction when migrating data or applications, especially for regulated industries where data sovereignty is a concern.

As businesses grow, so do their needs. UI Bakery may lack some enterprise-grade capabilities like advanced user management, audit logs, Git-based version control, or scalable deployment workflows. Teams also seek responsive support, an active user community, and a roadmap that aligns with their growth, and UI Bakery doesn’t always check all these boxes.

Ultimately, whether you’re a startup, scale-up, or enterprise, choosing the right internal tool builder isn’t just about features; it’s about how well the platform aligns with your team’s tech stack, budget, security needs, and long-term vision. That’s why exploring UI Bakery alternatives makes sense when you’re aiming for greater control, flexibility, and scalability.

UI Bakery alternatives	Pricing (Starts at)	G2 rating (2025)	Headquarters
ToolJet	A free trial plan of 14 days is available; the Paid plan starts from $19/user/month	4.8/5	San Francisco, USA
Appsmith	Free tier available; Paid plans start at $15/month	4.7/5	Bangalore, India
Retool	Free (limited) • Teams: from $10/month/standard user + $5/month/end user	4.6/5	San Francisco, USA
Budibase	Free plan available. Paid plan starts at $50/app creator/month + $5/app user/month	4.5/5	Belfast, UK
DronaHQ	Free plan available. Paid plan starts at $15/user/month	4.4/5	Mumbai, India
OutSystems	Free (trial) • Paid plan starts at $36,300/year	4.6/5	Boston, USA
Jet Admin	A free plan is available. Paid plan starts at $24/user/month	4.2/5	Warsaw, Poland
Softr	Free + $49/month	4.6/5	Berlin, Germany
WeWeb	$8.75/month	4.3/5	Lyon, France
Superblocks	Custom	4.7/5	New York, USA

ToolJet is a full-stack enterprise-grade application development platfrom offering robust features to support compliance, advanced access control, and governance requirements—ensuring organizations can scale securely.

Top features:

• AI-native
• Open-source and self-hostable
• Drag-and-drop UI builder
• 70+ integrations 
• Built-in version control
• Git sync, granular access, and role-based access
• Enterprise-grade security 
• Cost-effective
• Strong community
• Robust customer support 
• AI agent builder

Cons:

• Learning curve 

Appsmith is another leading open-source UI builder. It offers a clean interface and supports popular databases, APIs, and JavaScript-based logic.

Pros:

• Easy to self-host
• Supports JS for logic
• Growing plugin ecosystem
• Affordable pricing

Ideal for: Teams with strong JavaScript skills looking for flexibility.

Want to know if there is any other platform that you can explore instead of Appsmith? Read our latest blog on the “Top 10 Appsmith alternatives of 2025.” 

Retool is known for its speed, developer-centric UX, and rich component library. However, it’s not open-source and can get expensive.

Pros:

• Enterprise-ready
• 40+ integrations
• Powerful workflows
• AI and cloud functions support

Cons: Higher price point; vendor lock-in concerns

Thinking of choosing between Retool and Superblocks? Read our latest breakdown before you decide.

Budibase is an open-source platform focused on building CRUD apps and admin tools with a low-code approach. It allows you to connect to external databases or use its built-in database.
Perfect for small teams wanting open-source flexibility and self-hosting capabilities.

Pros:

• Free and open-source (GPL)
• CSV & REST data support
• Built-in database or external
• Basic automation and RBAC

Cons: Limited UI components compared to ToolJet or Retool

To know more about Budibase, read the latest blog on “Budibase review”. 

DronaHQ offers strong support for enterprise-grade use cases, including app templates, workflows, and connectors.

Pros:

• Workflow builder
• AI add-ons and PDF creator
• Enterprise SSO, audit logs
• Multiple deployment options

Cons: Cost can add up with add-ons

OutSystems is a mature low-code platform designed for enterprise use cases. It supports complex applications with deep integration, security, and deployment capabilities.

Pros:

• Full-stack development with rich logic handling
• Enterprise-grade scalability and security
• Integrated DevOps, CI/CD, and AI tools

Cons:

• Pricing is typically high

Jet Admin provides a visual interface to build internal portals and admin panels connected to your data. It supports Excel-style UI, REST/SQL connections, and customizable layouts. Ideal for startups needing elegant internal tools with minimal setup.

Pros:

• Excel-like data interface
• Clean, minimal UI
• Cloud and on-premise options

Cons: Premium pricing

Softr is a no-code platform that lets you turn Airtable or Google Sheets into internal tools, portals, or web apps. It requires no technical knowledge and includes built-in user authentication and payments.

Perfect for business users looking to build quickly without coding.

Pros:

• No-code
• Great for non-technical teams
• Built-in authentication and payments

Cons: Limited to Airtable/Sheets integrations

WeWeb is a visual frontend builder that connects to any API or headless CMS for building modern web apps. It supports custom logic, responsive design, and strong dev handoff capabilities. Ideal for agencies and dev teams wanting control over frontend UX. 

Pros:

• Clean UI
• Advanced logic builder
• Strong CMS integrations

Cons: Learning curve for complex setups

Superblocks is a developer-first internal tooling platform that lets you build using Python, SQL, and JavaScript. It supports APIs, workflows, job scheduling, and infrastructure-as-code principles. Best for engineering teams needing powerful back-end logic and granular control.

Pros:

• Write in Python, SQL, JavaScript
• Infrastructure-as-code
• API/Database integration

Cons: Requires dev expertise, pricing is custom

With so many internal tool builders available, finding the right UI Bakery alternative depends on your team’s specific needs, technical capabilities, and long-term goals. Here are the key factors to evaluate before making a decision:

If your team values transparency, self-hosting, or vendor independence, opt for an open-source platform like ToolJet or Appsmith. Proprietary tools like Retool or Jet Admin may offer faster onboarding, but can lock you into their ecosystem.

Consider whether you need a cloud-hosted solution or prefer self-hosting for data control and compliance. For regulated industries or enterprise teams, on-premise deployment can be crucial.

Your internal tool should connect easily with your existing databases, APIs, authentication systems, and cloud services. Platforms like ToolJet and Retool offer broad integration support, while some no-code tools may be more limited.

Some teams need advanced logic, dynamic interactions, or scriptable workflows. Look for platforms that support custom JavaScript, SQL queries, or Python functions if flexibility is a top priority.

Check for transparent pricing that fits your user base and projected growth. UI Bakery’s per-user pricing might work for small teams, but could get expensive for larger organizations. Consider whether the platform offers free tiers, usage-based plans, or open-source licensing.

Enterprise teams should prioritize platforms that support SSO, RBAC, audit logs, SOC 2 compliance, and secure deployment options. These are non-negotiables in industries like fintech, healthcare, and SaaS.

For cross-functional teams, choose a platform with an intuitive interface and good documentation. Tools like Softr or Internal.io are better suited for non-developers, while developer-first tools like Superblocks may require more technical expertise.

Evaluate the level of customer support, documentation quality, and strength of the developer community. An active community can be incredibly helpful when troubleshooting or extending the platform.

Choosing the right alternative is about more than replacing UI Bakery; it’s about future-proofing your internal tooling strategy. Make sure the platform aligns with both your short-term use cases and long-term growth.

UI Bakery is a solid low-code platform, but it’s not the only game in town. Whether you’re seeking an open-source alternative, more robust integrations, better pricing, or stronger enterprise capabilities, there are plenty of UI Bakery alternatives that can better suit your needs.

From open-source solutions like Appsmith to enterprise-ready platforms like ToolJet, you now have a full map of your options in 2025.

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