Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Appsmith VS Tailwind CSS Play

Compare Appsmith VS Tailwind CSS Play 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.

Tailwind CSS Play logo Tailwind CSS Play

An advanced online playground for Tailwind CSS
  • 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.

  • Tailwind CSS Play Landing page
    Landing page //
    2024-07-13

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.

Tailwind CSS Play features and specs

  • Rapid Prototyping
    Tailwind CSS Play allows developers to quickly prototype ideas directly in the browser without setting up a development environment.
  • Immediate Feedback
    Changes made to the code are reflected in real-time, enabling immediate feedback and iterative design adjustments.
  • No Installation Required
    Because it's a browser-based tool, it eliminates the need for installing Tailwind CSS or any other dependencies locally.
  • Sharing and Collaboration
    Developers can easily share their Tailwind CSS Play sessions via URL, facilitating collaboration and feedback from team members or the community.

Possible disadvantages of Tailwind CSS Play

  • Limited Functionality
    As an online playground, Tailwind CSS Play may not support all features or plugins available in a full development environment.
  • Performance Constraints
    Browser-based tools can experience performance issues, especially with large or complex code, compared to local setups.
  • No Offline Access
    Being an online tool, it requires an internet connection, which can be a limitation for developers working in offline settings.
  • Potential Security Concerns
    Sharing URLs and code online might introduce security risks if sensitive data or proprietary code is included.

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 Tailwind CSS Play)
No Code
100 100%
0% 0
Developer Tools
66 66%
34% 34
Design Tools
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 Tailwind CSS Play

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.

Tailwind CSS Play Reviews

We have no reviews of Tailwind CSS Play yet.
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Tailwind CSS Play should be more popular than Appsmith. It has been mentiond 43 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: over 2 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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Tailwind CSS Play mentions (43)

  • Tailwind V4 Is Finally Out
    Man their very playground at https://play.tailwindcss.com/ gives this unreadable crap (sorry for swearing) on the first line:
        relative grid min-h-screen grid-cols-[1fr_2.5rem_auto_2.5rem_1fr] grid-rows-[1fr_1px_auto_1px_1fr] bg-white [--pattern-fg:var(--color-gray-950)]/5 dark:bg-gray-950 dark:[--pattern-fg:var(--color-white)]/10
    . - Source: Hacker News / 5 months ago
  • Show HN: Turn Tailwind into editable WordPress Block styles – build sites faster
    I think a preview would be useful, like Tailwind Play: https://play.tailwindcss.com/. - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago
  • Creating a Scrolling Logo Animation with Tailwind CSS
    Copy and paste the generated code into the Tailwind playground. Here's the code generated by Visual Copilot in Quality mode:. - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
  • Unlock Your Web Design Creativity with Tailwind CSS: A Guide for CSS Developers
    Congratulations on making it this far! If you're wondering how to master all these utility classes, remember that practice makes perfect. Utilize the official site's documentation for guidance. For practice on using the various utilities outside projects, I recommend using Tailwind Play. - Source: dev.to / almost 2 years ago
  • Beginners guide to TailwindCSS !
    Practice on Tailwind Play It is the official online playground for Tailwind CSS, you can experiment and tryout your design straight away. There is no need to install anything, just start coding. - Source: dev.to / almost 2 years ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing Appsmith and Tailwind CSS Play, you can also consider the following products

Retool - Build custom internal tools in minutes.

Tailwind CSS - A utility-first CSS framework for rapidly building custom user interfaces.

ToolJet - Open-source alternative for Retool

Shuffle for Tailwind CSS - Tailwind CSS editor for busy developers

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.

Tailwind Builder - Tailwind CSS editor for busy developers