Top 5 Open Source Projects for Building Internal Tools

😄 If you’re already familiar with the concept of internal tools, jump straight to > Best Open Source Projects for Building Internal Tools

What are the benefits of internal tools?

Internal tools play a key role in improving company processes and boosting efficiency.

Increase efficiency and cut costs: Internal tools simplify processes, reduce the need for manual work, and minimize errors.
Enhance decision-making and insights: Internal tools help businesses gather and analyze data more effectively, providing real-time insights for better decisions.
Boost employee productivity: By cutting down time spent on manual tasks, staff can focus on more valuable work.
Improve customer satisfaction: Faster and more accurate processes lead to happier customers.

Investing in the right internal tools can greatly improve efficiency, lower costs, and boost overall business performance.

What are internal tools?

Today’s businesses use internal tools to boost efficiency. These tools help with many tasks like managing data, projects, and customer relationships (CRM). Here are some common types of internal tools:

PM: Asana, Trello, and JIRA help teams plan, carry out, and track projects.
CRM: Salesforce and HubSpot manage customer interactions and improve sales and marketing.
DMS/CMS: Confluence and SharePoint offer a central place to store, share, and edit files and other content.
HRMS: Workday and BambooHR manage employee info, hiring, performance reviews, and pay.
ERP: QuickBooks and Xero help businesses manage accounts and financial reports.
BI: Tableau and Power BI are used for showing data visually and supporting decisions.

Best Open Source Projects for Building Internal Tools

There are many internal tools on the market, with lots of them being cloud products. While cloud products are easy to use, they bring two issues:

High costs as users increase;
Lack of data control.

So, today we’ll look at the best open source projects on GitHub for building internal tools. The open source versions are free and can meet most needs of small to medium startups, schools, or nonprofits. Also, self-hosting internal tools gives companies full control over their data.

This list will only share internal tool projects on GitHub with over 10,000 stars.

I hope this list helps you build internal tools better, faster, and cheaper!

Tool 1: NocoBase

Info

No-code / Low-code

GitHub Project Start Date: 2021

Related Resources:Website | GitHub | Docs

⭐️ Stars: 11.2K

NocoBase is an open-source no-code/low-code platform made for building internal tools, business apps, and company solutions. NocoBase helps businesses quickly set up custom business apps like CRM, PM tools, and other business process management solutions without spending a lot of time and money on software development.

Here’s a real-world example: Let’s say your company needs to quickly build a custom inventory management system to track stock in different warehouses.

In NocoBase, you’d first set up the needed database, tables, and fields, defining key details for inventory items like product name, quantity, and warehouse location. Next, using its WYSIWYG UI design interface, you’d build an easy-to-use interface linked to your data model by dragging and dropping blocks like tables, charts, and forms. Lastly, you’d set up automated processes, like sending a restock request when inventory gets low. These processes are made using NocoBase’s workflow feature, making sure business processes are automated and need less manual work.

NocoBase Setup Page:

Setup Page.png

Setup Page2.png

NocoBase Data Source Connection:

NocoBase Data Source Connection.png

Customer Lifecycle Management:

Customer Lifecycle Management.png

Strengths

Data model driven: Unlike many no-code products that create data structures directly in the user interface, NocoBase allows complex data structure design deep in the system backend, outside the UI. This increases the flexibility and scalability of applications. This approach is better for systems that need to handle complex business logic.
Plugin-based structure: Uses a microkernel and plugin design. All features are provided through plugins, so users can customize and expand system functions as needed.
Workflow automation: Has a built-in workflow control system. This achieves efficient business operations and management by automating data flows and business process organization.
Enterprise-level security: Offers advanced user authentication and permission management features. This ensures data and application safety, suitable for business environments that need strict data protection.

Suitable for

Internal Tool Type	Is it Suitable?
PM	✅
CRM	✅
DSM/CSM	✅
HRMS	✅
ERP	✅
BI	✅

How to Get Started

NocoBase offers three installation methods: Docker (recommended)、create-nocobase-app、Git source code.

Pricing

NocoBase Community Edition is free and meets most small business and team needs.For higher demands in security, tech structure, and support, choose a paid version:

Community Edition: Free
Basic Edition: $800 one-time fee
Professional Edition: $8,000 one-time fee
Enterprise Edition: $16,000 one-time fee

All paid versions offer lifetime licenses.

🙌 Have a try: NocoBase Tutorial – Task Management System

Tool 2: Budibase

Info

Low-code

GitHub Project Start Date: 2019

Related Resources: Website | GitHub | Docs

⭐️ Stars: 21.4K

Budibase is a powerful no-code platform designed for quickly building and managing internal tools. It supports everything from simple forms and database apps to complex business process management systems. Even non-technical users can easily create custom applications.

Budibase offers a range of pre-built components and design tools. This makes building user interfaces simple, while still allowing for rich customization to meet specific design needs.

This platform is ideal for business environments that need fast deployment, easy maintenance, and cost-effective solutions. Whether you’re creating an internal CRM system or developing complex resource management tools, Budibase provides strong support and flexible solutions. It helps businesses improve their operations and streamline workflows.

Budibase Setup Page:

Budibase Setup Page.png

Contact List:

Contact List.png

Data Detail Display - Pop-up:

Data Detail Display - Pop-up.png