Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Appsmith VS Avo for Ruby on Rails

Compare Appsmith VS Avo for Ruby on Rails and see what are their differences

Appsmith logo Appsmith

Appsmith is an open source web framework for building internal tools, admin panels, dashboards, and workflows.

Avo for Ruby on Rails logo Avo for Ruby on Rails

The most powerful Ruby on Rails Admin Panel Framework
  • Appsmith Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-07-17

Turn any datasource into an internal app in minutes. Appsmith lets you drag-and-drop UI components to build pages, connect to any API, database or GraphQL source and write logic with JavaScript objects.

  • Avo for Ruby on Rails Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-24

Avo is the a very advanced low-code tool that helps you build advanced admin panels and internal tools using Ruby on Rails. Easily the most maintained solution out there. With plenty of "ease of mind" support packages. Build performant inventory, healthcare, security, customer support, ecommerce, education, and content management systems and CRMs.

Appsmith features and specs

  • Open Source
    Appsmith is an open-source platform, which means it's free to use. Developers can also contribute to its development and customize the platform according to their needs.
  • Easy Integration
    Appsmith allows easy integration with a variety of data sources including REST APIs, databases, and third-party services, making it highly versatile for different applications.
  • Drag-and-Drop Interface
    The platform offers a user-friendly drag-and-drop interface for building dashboards and admin panels, which reduces the time required for development.
  • Pre-built Widgets
    Appsmith comes with a collection of pre-built widgets like tables, charts, and forms, which can be directly used in applications for rapid development.
  • Community Support
    Being an open-source project, Appsmith has a strong community that can provide support, share solutions, and contribute to the platform's growth.

Possible disadvantages of Appsmith

  • Learning Curve
    Despite its user-friendly interface, there is still a learning curve involved, especially for developers who are new to the low-code/no-code paradigm.
  • Performance
    Performance can be an issue with more complex applications or very high data loads, and it may require optimization to ensure smooth functioning.
  • Customization Limitations
    While it offers various customization options, it may not be as flexible or powerful as fully custom-built applications for highly specific requirements.
  • Limited Advanced Features
    The platform may lack some advanced features found in more mature enterprise-level tools, potentially limiting its use for very complex or specific business needs.
  • Hosting and Maintenance
    As an open-source tool, hosting and maintenance are the user's responsibility, which can be a disadvantage for those who prefer a fully managed solution.

Avo for Ruby on Rails features and specs

  • User-friendly Interface
    Avo provides a clean and intuitive interface for managing resources, making it easier for developers and administrators to manage and navigate the back-end of Ruby on Rails applications.
  • Customizability
    It offers a high degree of customization, allowing developers to tailor the admin panel to fit the specific needs of their application, including custom fields, actions, and layouts.
  • Rapid Development
    Avo accelerates the development process by providing scaffolding for building admin interfaces, which reduces the overall development time.
  • Integration with Rails
    Seamlessly integrates with Ruby on Rails, utilizing its conventions and allowing developers to leverage existing models and data structures.
  • Active Support
    Regular updates and active community support provide continuous improvements and quick fixes from developers familiar with the common use-cases in the Rails community.

Possible disadvantages of Avo for Ruby on Rails

  • Learning Curve
    While Avo aims to be user-friendly, there might be a learning curve for developers unfamiliar with its setup and customization options, especially those new to Ruby on Rails.
  • Cost for Full Features
    Some advanced features are only available in paid versions, which may not be ideal for small projects or startups with limited budgets.
  • Limited Community Plugins
    Compared to more established admin frameworks, Avo might have a smaller ecosystem of plugins and extensions, potentially limiting third-party resources.
  • Dependency on Avo-specific Code
    Using Avo-specific constructs can create a dependency, which might pose challenges if transitioning away from Avo in the future.
  • Version Compatibility
    There might be occasional issues with compatibility between Avo updates and newer versions of Ruby on Rails, requiring careful version management.

Analysis of Appsmith

Overall verdict

  • Appsmith is generally considered a good solution for developers looking to create dynamic internal tools with minimal effort and cost. It provides a balance between ease of use and advanced functionality, making it a popular choice among startups, fast-growing companies, and teams with tight resources.

Why this product is good

  • Appsmith is an open-source internal tool builder that empowers developers to quickly create custom applications without the extensive overhead of traditional development. It is appreciated for its flexibility, allowing seamless integration with various data sources and APIs. The drag-and-drop interface and the ability to write custom JavaScript make it both user-friendly and powerful. The platform supports rapid prototyping and iteration, enabling teams to build robust applications efficiently. Additionally, the active community and comprehensive documentation contribute to a supportive development environment.

Recommended for

  • Startups and small businesses needing to develop internal tools quickly and cost-effectively.
  • Teams looking for a user-friendly yet powerful platform for building applications using existing data sources.
  • Developers who prefer open-source solutions with a supportive community and extensive customization options.
  • Organizations looking for an alternative to traditional software development for building internal dashboards and admin panels.

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Appsmith and Avo for Ruby on Rails)
No Code
100 100%
0% 0
Developer Tools
85 85%
15% 15
CRM
0 0%
100% 100
Productivity
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Appsmith and Avo for Ruby on Rails

Appsmith Reviews

Top 9 Low-Code Tools for 2023 for low-code development
Appsmith is a low-code platform that empowers users to build business applications and workflows without writing extensive code. It offers a visual interface for designing UIs, integrating data sources, and creating custom logic. With Appsmith, users can connect to databases, APIs, and third-party services, and build dynamic and interactive applications. Its collaborative...
Appsmith vs ILLA Cloud: Comparing Two Low-Code Platforms
Deployment Options: Appsmith offers two deployment options: Appsmith Cloud and self-hosting. Appsmith Cloud is a free hosted service that lets developers start building their apps on any device without any installation or configuration. Self-hosting is a free option that lets developers host Appsmith on their own servers or cloud providers for more control and security.
Appsmith vs. Tooljet: Which Low-Code Platform is Better for You?
In this blog post, we will compare two popular LCDPs for building internal tools: Appsmith and Tooljet. We will also introduce ILLA Cloud, a new and innovative LCDP that offers a viable alternative to Appsmith and Tooljet.

Avo for Ruby on Rails Reviews

  1. Stan
    · Founder at SaaSHub ·
    Seems promising

    Avo definitely seems promising and polished. What is more, it's based on all the modern tech that's included within the latest (v7 as of now) version of Rails.

    Unfortunately, its licence is bit less permissive than one would expect. I.e. you can't use it in a commercial product without buying a license. Yes, there are both FREE and Pro version; however, if you are using it on a non-personal project you need to pay for it. That's not inherently bad, as it pays for the support and improvement of the product. Yet, it could be a deterrent for many.

    Something similar to what Sidekiq is doing seems more appropriate - a FREE (free free) and an Enterprise version. Then, you can use the FREE version in any sort of a project, and if the project picks up, you can buy the enterprise version and benefit from the extra features.

    🏁 Competitors: RailsAdmin, Active Admin
    👍 Pros:    Polished design|Modern architecture|Good docs
    👎 Cons:    Licence

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Avo for Ruby on Rails should be more popular than Appsmith. It has been mentiond 12 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Appsmith mentions (6)

  • Airplane acquired by Airtable and is shutting down
    Founder of Appsmith (https://appsmith.com) here. This is very unfortunate news. I have a lot of respect for the founders & the product. In fact I even used Airplane for a few side projects in the past. It's sad to see the product die. IMO, most folks alluding to them running out money is incorrect. I think they simply ran out of energy or the will to go on. This is very common among early stage companies. But, as... - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Web no-code/low-code tool recommendation? Backend+frontend+analytics and simple to learn
    As well as Appsmith & Retool. They all have generous free tiers, in my opinion. Each can be self-hosted too. Source: over 2 years ago
  • No code platform that can be self-hosted on AWS
    Hello, you can check out Appsmith. It's an open-source platform with all the features you mentioned and it's great for building business apps! Source: over 2 years ago
  • Affordable low code platform for internal tools?
    Appsmith is self hosted right now. It’s as customizable as Retool, easy as Internal, and less glitchy than Budibase. Tooljet also offers a self hosted version, but Appsmiths dev team updates improvements so much faster. Source: almost 3 years ago
  • February Round-up: New Helm Charts, Product Updates, and Collabs
    If you’ve followed Appsmith for a while, you know that we can do a lot in 30 days! In the second month of 2022, we cleared a few bugs and created an all-new event called How Do I Do X, where many frequently asked questions live. Source: over 3 years ago
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Avo for Ruby on Rails mentions (12)

  • Rails for Everything
    I would say that Avo is by far the best Rails admin solution out there. It's beautiful. https://avohq.io/. - Source: Hacker News / 6 months ago
  • Short Ruby Newsletter - edition 110 highlights
    Avo is looking for a mid-level Ruby on Rails Developer and I could not recommend enough the experience of working with Adrian Marin - the creator of Avo. - Source: dev.to / 8 months ago
  • Ask HN: Fastest way to launch web app
    I would recommend Ruby on Rails - you will find well establish gems for everything you need (eg: devise for auth, pay gem for paymens, sitepress for static content like marketing pages …) There are also some very well done (simple to understand and maintain) starter kits. Here are two of them: - https://jumpstartrails.com - https://businessclasskit.com I would recommend Avo (and I am doing so for a couple of... - Source: Hacker News / 11 months ago
  • Show HN: Build your startup or side project faster with these SaaS templates
    Quality is often much better with these kinds of templates and frameworks, because the creators often can make better default choices. For example, Avo (https://avohq.io) and Bullet Train (https://bullettrain.co/) are IMHO both much higher quality out of the box than what a typical intermediate Rails developer could accomplish in months of full time learning and coding. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Show HN: Build your startup or side project faster with these SaaS templates
    Avo is a great content management system for Rails. I'm a paying customer. https://avohq.io/. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Appsmith and Avo for Ruby on Rails, you can also consider the following products

Retool - Build custom internal tools in minutes.

PocketBase.io - Open Source backend with realtime database, authentication, file storage and admin dashboard, all compiled in 1 portable executable.

ToolJet - Open-source alternative for Retool

Directus - Free and Open-Source Headless CMS

Budibase - What Wordpress is to websites, Budibase is to web apps. Budibase is a free and open source web app builder for creating, launching and growing web applications. Budibase eliminates repetition and dramatically reduces development time. Check it out.

Supabase - An open source Firebase alternative