Top 15 Fastest-Growing Open-Source Low-Code Projects on GitHub in 2025

Introduction

Back in mid-2024, we published a list of the top 15 open-source low-code projects on GitHub by star count. The article received widespread attention and was widely shared among developers.

Now, we’re bringing you an updated list: the top 15 open-source low-code projects on GitHub with the fastest star growth in Q1 2025.

Over the past three months, which projects have seen the most momentum, which continue to grow strong, and which newcomers are rising fast?

Let’s find out.

⚠️ Data Explanation

The ranking is based on star growth from December 31, 2024, to March 31, 2025, sorted in descending order.

The data is sourced from OSSInsight. While the star counts may slightly differ from real-time GitHub numbers, they offer meaningful insights under consistent measurement standards.

Ranking Summary

Rank	Project	Type & Use Case	Stars Gained	Start Stars	End Stars
15	Budibase	Internal app builder for forms and workflows	725	23,277	24,002
14	GrapesJS	Visual HTML editor for websites, landing pages, emails	813	23,023	23,836
13	NocoBase	Model-driven, plugin-extensible low-code platform	844	12,533	13,377
12	Windmill	Script-based workflow automation with multi-language support	1,165	10,894	12,059
11	Directus	Visual data platform and CMS for SQL databases	1,201	29,137	30,338
10	Refine	React framework for building enterprise-grade CRUD apps	1,223	29,287	30,510
9	Appsmith	Visual low-code platform for internal tool development	1,392	35,183	36,575
8	Strapi	Open-source headless CMS for custom content APIs	1,624	66,993	68,617
7	ToolJet	Developer-friendly low-code builder for internal apps	1,725	33,630	35,355
6	Appwrite	All-in-one backend-as-a-service (BaaS) platform	1,792	46,497	48,289
5	PocketBase	Single-binary backend with DB, auth, file storage, and real-time	2,399	41,067	43,466
4	NocoDB	Spreadsheet-like interface for relational databases	2,808	49,973	52,781
3	AppFlowy	AI-powered, privacy-first Notion alternative	2,913	60,122	63,035
2	Supabase	Open-source Firebase alternative with real-time features	4,429	74,721	79,150
1	n8n	Self-hostable, AI-integrated workflow automation tool	18,420	52,623	71,043

No.15: Budibase

Star Growth Summary:

Growth: +725
Stars on Dec 31, 2024: 23,277
Stars on Mar 31, 2025: 24,002

Links:

GitHub: https://github.com/Budibase/budibase
Website: https://budibase.com

About the Project:

Budibase is a platform built for creating internal tools with ease. It’s especially suited for use cases like form handling, approval workflows, and data dashboards:

Flexible Data Sources: Connect to external databases like PostgreSQL or MySQL, use REST APIs, or manage data with Budibase’s built-in database.
Visual UI Builder: Drag-and-drop editor makes it easy to design responsive layouts without writing code.
Built-in Automation: Define triggers and actions to automate business workflows with minimal effort.

Best For:

Building internal systems such as admin panels, approval flows, form collection apps, or customer portals. Budibase boosts development speed and is ideal for adapting to evolving business needs.

Recent Highlights:

In November 2024, version 3.0 was released, featuring several major updates:

AI Features: Added tools like AI configuration panels, Budibase AI, an AI-powered CRON generator, and smart fields to enhance automation and intelligence.
Workflow Branching: Introduced support for branching within automation flows, allowing for more complex and dynamic process designs.
Visual Role Management: Upgraded the RBAC interface to make permission settings more intuitive and user-friendly.

No.14: GrapesJS

Star Growth Summary:

Growth: +813
Stars on Dec 31, 2024: 23,023
Stars on Mar 31, 2025: 23,836

Links:

GitHub: https://github.com/GrapesJS/grapesjs
Website: https://grapesjs.com/

About the Project:

GrapesJS is a front-end visual builder focused on designing HTML templates. It’s often used for embedding editors into CMS systems or SaaS platforms. Key features include:

Versatile Content Editing: Supports building websites, landing pages, email templates, and more.
Drag-and-Drop Layouts: Allows users to construct complex layouts quickly using a visual editor.
Extensive Plugin Ecosystem: Offers plugins for custom code editing and other enhancements.

Best For:

Great for developers and teams who want to integrate visual content editing into their platforms or quickly create emails, landing pages, or full websites.

Recent Highlights:

In Q1 2025, GrapesJS rolled out several important updates:

v0.22.4 (Dec 5, 2024): Improved data source handling, fixed drag model initialization issues, and upgraded the rich-text editor customization.
v0.22.5 (Jan 15, 2025): Added new events like project:load, component:script:mount, and component:script:unmount for better project lifecycle control. The team also launched the Studio SDK, an embeddable visual editor kit featuring React 19 support, an icon picker, and a high-performance VirtualList component—making it easier for developers to build seamless editing experiences.

No.13: NocoBase

Star Growth Overview:

Star Increase: +844
Dec 31, 2024: 12,533 stars
Mar 31, 2025: 13,377 stars

Links:

GitHub: https://github.com/nocobase/nocobase
Website: https://www.nocobase.com/

About the Project:

NocoBase is a highly extensible open-source no-code/low-code development platform, purpose-built for rapidly building and scaling enterprise applications. Unlike spreadsheet-based tools or UI-first builders, NocoBase adopts a fully data model–driven architecture—ideal for applications with complex workflows, fine-grained permissions, and clearly defined user roles.

What makes NocoBase unique:

Modular Plugin Architecture: All features, from permissions and workflows to APIs, are loaded as independent plugins—allowing you to enable, replace, or extend functionality as needed.
Model-Driven Development: Every table structure and field relationship is driven by configuration, supporting many-to-many relationships, nested fields, and data views for complex business logic.
Frontend-Backend Separation: The backend focuses on data modeling, while the frontend uses visual building blocks to assemble custom UIs—decoupling data structure from UI design.
Advanced Permissions: Offers role-based, condition-based, and field-level access control—suited for multi-role systems.

Best For:

NocoBase is ideal for developers and teams working on backend frameworks, internal tools, or systems that require rich data modeling, dynamic workflows, and robust access control. Think of it as a low-code version of Strapi, Hasura, and an RBAC engine—fully open-source, self-hosted, and customizable with plugins.

Recent Highlights:

Q1 2025 brought several major milestones:

Pricing Update (April): To lower the entry barrier, NocoBase open-sourced its commercial plugins and slashed all prices by 50%.
v1.6.0 (March): Introduced cluster deployment mode, improved security protocols, and added a migration manager—enhancing stability and scalability.
v1.5.0 (February): Optimized core performance, added support for large-scale data import/export, built-in email management, and print template features—boosting performance and usability.

No.12: Windmill

Star Growth Overview:

Star Increase: +1,165
Dec 31, 2024: 10,894 stars
Mar 31, 2025: 12,059 stars

Links:

GitHub: https://github.com/windmill-labs/windmill
Website: https://windmill.dev/

About the Project:

Windmill is an open-source developer platform and workflow engine that transforms scripts into working tools with auto-generated UIs, APIs, and scheduled jobs. Core features include:

Language Flexibility: Supports Python, TypeScript, Go, PHP, Bash, SQL, and more—use whatever language you’re comfortable with.
Auto-Generated Interfaces: UI is automatically generated from script parameters, enabling seamless interaction for end users.
Workflow Composition: Combine multiple scripts into data pipelines or multi-step automations.

Best For:

Great for building internal tools, automating workflows, or deploying data pipelines—especially when you want low-code speed without sacrificing developer control.

Recent Highlights:

Key updates in Q1 2025:

MQTT Triggers (v1.475.0): Added support for MQTT to trigger workflows when messages are received.
Global Recompute (v1.474.0): Introduced a helper to trigger re-evaluation of all frontend components—simplifying reactive logic.
Postgres Triggers (v1.449.0): Enabled listening to Postgres events (INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE) to trigger custom scripts automatically.

No.11: Directus

Star Growth Overview:

Star Increase: +1,201
Dec 31, 2024: 29,137 stars
Mar 31, 2025: 30,338 stars

Links:

GitHub: https://github.com/directus/directus
Website: https://directus.io/

About the Project:

Directus is an open-source data platform that turns any SQL database into customizable APIs and no-code apps in real time. It’s designed for developers and teams who want full control over their data while still enjoying no-code flexibility.

Key capabilities include:

Database Mirroring: Keeps your data in sync with external SQL sources for seamless integration and backup.
Developer Toolkit: Lightweight SDKs and prebuilt tools make it easy to integrate Directus into any app.
Granular Access Control: Fine-tune data access rules to meet security and compliance requirements.
Built-In Authentication: Offers secure and flexible user authentication mechanisms.

Best For:

Ideal for building CMS, BaaS platforms, and other data-centric apps. A great fit for technical teams needing a flexible low-code tool with full backend control.

Recent Highlights:

In November 2024, version 11.1.2 was released with improvements to content versioning and a new comment API endpoint.

No.10: Refine

Star Growth Overview:

Star Increase: +1,223
Dec 31, 2024: 29,287 stars
Mar 31, 2025: 30,510 stars

Links:

GitHub: https://github.com/refinedev/refine
Website: https://refine.dev/

About the Project:

Refine is an open-source React meta-framework tailored for building enterprise-grade web apps centered on CRUD operations. It provides a streamlined developer experience with ready-to-use hooks and components for common challenges like authentication, access control, routing, networking, state management, and localization.

Why Developers Love It:

Fully Transparent Codebase: No black-box limitations—everything is open and extendable, giving full development freedom.
Enterprise Security: Easily integrates with custom auth systems and supports advanced access control, making it secure and compliant.
Modular & Flexible: Seamlessly works with REST and GraphQL, supports various frontend tools and libraries.
Fast UI Building: Comes with Ant Design integration out of the box, but also supports other UI kits or custom design systems.

Best For:

A perfect tool for rapidly building internal tools, admin panels, dashboards, and B2B apps—ideal for developers who want speed without sacrificing flexibility.

Recent Highlights:

In Q1 2025, Refine shipped several major enhancements:

Refine AI (Feb): Introduced AI-powered features that simplify app development and boost productivity.
Refine Devtools (Mar): A new toolset for better debugging and development insights—track queries, preview auto-generated code, and more.

💡Recommended Reading:Open Source CRUD Development Tools: NocoBase vs Refine

No.9: Appsmith

Star Growth Overview:

Star Increase: +1,392
Dec 31, 2024: 35,183 stars
Mar 31, 2025: 36,575 stars

Links:

GitHub: https://github.com/appsmithorg/appsmith
Website: https://www.appsmith.com/

About the Project:

Appsmith is an open-source low-code platform that empowers developers to rapidly build internal business tools—like admin panels, dashboards, and support apps. Its standout features include:

Built-In Integrations: Connect to over 18 native integrations, including databases, SaaS platforms, and APIs (REST/GraphQL).
Drag-and-Drop Builder: Offers 45+ ready-to-use UI components to quickly create responsive interfaces.
JavaScript-Powered Logic: Includes a smart JS editor with reusable code blocks, autocompletion, linting, and debugging.
Git Integration: Easily sync your apps with Git repositories for version control, code reviews, and CI/CD workflows.

Best For:

Perfect for teams needing to ship internal tools fast—such as dashboards, approval workflows, or visual data tools—with the flexibility to scale and customize.

Recent Highlights:

Appsmith introduced several important features in Q1 2025:

Appsmith Agents (Coming April): AI-powered agents for integrating company data into smart workflows.
Slack & Jira Integrations (March): New native connectors for better team collaboration and issue tracking.
One-Click Approvals (March): Simplified manual tasks like refund reviews with a single-button approval system.

No.8: Strapi

Star Growth Overview:

Star Increase: +1,624
Dec 31, 2024: 66,993 stars
Mar 31, 2025: 68,617 stars

Links:

GitHub: https://github.com/strapi/strapi
Website: https://strapi.io/

About the Project:

Strapi is a leading open-source Headless CMS that lets developers efficiently manage and deliver content via APIs. It’s highly flexible and designed for teams that want control over both structure and delivery.

Key features include:

Open & Self-Hosted: Fully open-source under the MIT license, with complete self-hosting capabilities.
Database Agnostic: Compatible with SQLite, MySQL, PostgreSQL, and more—choose the best storage for your needs.
Instant API Generation: Automatically creates REST or GraphQL APIs based on your content models.
Visual Content Modeling: Easily define complex content structures using a clean admin interface.

Best For:

Ideal for companies managing custom content across websites, e-commerce platforms, mobile apps, or any content-driven product via APIs.

Recent Highlights:

Strapi rolled out key updates in Q1 2025:

Strapi 5 Launch (January): Added a new document service API, better version control, improved publishing workflows, and deeper frontend integration.
GraphQL Enhancements (March): Introduced cleaner response formatting and early Relay-style query support.
Content History (February): Enabled viewing and restoring previous content versions for better editorial control.

No.7: ToolJet

Star Growth Overview:

Star Increase: +1,725
Dec 31, 2024: 33,630 stars
Mar 31, 2025: 35,355 stars

Links:

GitHub: https://github.com/ToolJet/ToolJet
Website: https://www.tooljet.com/

About the Project:

ToolJet is an open-source low-code platform for building internal tools and business applications. Designed with developers in mind, it offers flexibility, ease of use, and quick integration with various data sources.

Key highlights:

Connects to databases, APIs, GraphQL, and SaaS tools
Visual UI builder with components like tables, forms, and charts
Write custom logic using JavaScript snippets
Built-in features for auth, access control, and versioning—ideal for team collaboration

Best For:

Dev teams looking to quickly build tools like admin panels, approval systems, customer service dashboards, or BI reports.

Recent Highlights:

In Q1 2025, ToolJet rolled out key enhancements:

Visual Query Builder (Feb): Supports advanced SQL queries with real-time preview
Auto Layout System (Jan): Improves UI layout adaptability across screen sizes
Better Self-Hosting: Faster Docker builds and smoother initial setup
Component Upgrades: New chart widgets and paginated tables improve data visualization

No.6: Appwrite

Star Growth Overview:

Star Increase: +1,792
Dec 31, 2024: 46,497 stars
Mar 31, 2025: 48,289 stars

Links:

GitHub: https://github.com/appwrite/appwrite
Website: https://appwrite.io/

About the Project:

Appwrite is a full-featured open-source Backend-as-a-Service (BaaS) platform for building modern apps with less effort. It offers powerful backend tools tailored for web, mobile, and server-side development.

Core features include:

Authentication: Multiple sign-in options like email/password and OAuth
Database: Scalable and flexible for handling user and team data
File Storage: Secure storage with compression and encryption
Cloud Functions: Serverless execution with full runtime control
Real-Time APIs: Enable event-driven features and interactive experiences

Best For:

Developers building apps that need fast, secure backends with real-time and scalable capabilities—ideal for full-stack and mobile projects.

Recent Highlights:

Appwrite introduced several updates in Q1 2025:

v1.6.1 Release (Feb): Focused on improving speed, stability, and core features
Runtime Flexibility (Jan): Developers can now customize CPU and memory for cloud functions
Partner Program Launch (Jan 28): Aimed at agencies and freelancers—offering resources, tools, and a collaborative ecosystem to grow faster and deliver better solutions

No.5: PocketBase

Star Growth Overview:

Star Increase: +2,399
Dec 31, 2024: 41,067 stars
Mar 31, 2025: 43,466 stars

Links:

GitHub: https://github.com/pocketbase/pocketbase
Website: https://pocketbase.io/

About the Project:

PocketBase is a super lightweight, open-source backend framework that runs from a single executable file—no server setup or external services needed. It comes bundled with a database, authentication, file storage, and real-time features, making it perfect for developers who want a full backend without the complexity.

Key features:

One Binary Deployment: Just download and run—ideal for local development, prototyping, or CLI-based setups
Built-in SQLite: Includes schema management, relational fields, and data validation
User & OAuth Auth: Comes with robust auth features and permission control
Real-Time via WebSocket: Instantly subscribe to live data changes

Best For:

Great for quickly spinning up mobile and web app backends, local apps, self-hosted tools, or MVP projects where simplicity and speed are key.

Recent Highlights:

In Q1 2025, PocketBase rolled out improvements focused on stability and developer tooling:

v0.20.x Releases: Better error reporting, improved WebSocket stability, and fixes for field validation issues
CLI Upgrades: Cleaner logs and smarter command-line hints for a smoother dev experience

No.4: NocoDB

Star Growth Overview:

Star Increase: +2,808
Dec 31, 2024: 49,973 stars
Mar 31, 2025: 52,781 stars

Links:

GitHub: https://github.com/nocodb/nocodb
Website: https://www.nocodb.com/

About the Project:

NocoDB is a no-code platform that transforms your existing relational databases into collaborative, spreadsheet-style interfaces. Touted as the top open-source alternative to Airtable, it enables teams to manage structured data visually and intuitively.

Key features:

Database Sync: Connect to MySQL, PostgreSQL, and more to visualize your data instantly
Team Collaboration: Real-time data editing with granular access control
Auto-Generated APIs: RESTful APIs created from your schema for easy integration
Multiple Data Views: Grid, kanban, and calendar views help present your data the way you need

Best For:

NocoDB is ideal for users who prefer managing databases in a spreadsheet interface. It’s especially effective for teams that need fast collaboration, quick internal tool development, and efficient system management.

Recent Highlights: NocoDB delivered several key updates in Q1 2025:

January: Introduced a powerful plugin system that enables developers to build and share custom plugins—making the platform more extensible.
February: Expanded database compatibility by adding support for Oracle and SQL Server, making NocoDB a fit for even more enterprise environments.
March: Improved the UI and overall performance, significantly boosting the speed and responsiveness when handling large datasets.

No.3: AppFlowy

Star Growth Overview:

Star Increase: +2,913
Dec 31, 2024: 60,122 stars
Mar 31, 2025: 63,035 stars

Links:

GitHub: https://github.com/AppFlowy-IO/AppFlowy
Website: https://appflowy.com/

About the Project:

AppFlowy is an open-source collaborative workspace enhanced with AI, designed to boost productivity while keeping your data 100% under your control. Often seen as the best open-source Notion alternative, it supports project management, documentation, and team collaboration. Key highlights:

Data Ownership First: Fully self-hostable, ensuring privacy and data control
Cross-Device Support: Available on all major platforms—macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android
Built-In AI Assistant: Smart writing, auto table generation, and new AI chat based on your documents
Extensible via Plugins: Create a personalized workflow by adding or building custom plugins

Best For:

Perfect for individuals and teams who care about data privacy and need a flexible, customizable solution for collaboration, project planning, and knowledge sharing.

Recent Highlights: In Q1 2025, AppFlowy released version 0.8.5 with the following updates:

AppFlowy Web (Lite): Now available in the browser—create documents and collaborate without installing anything
Simple Table on Mobile: Easier table editing on the go
AI Chat Powered by Pages: Interact with an AI assistant that understands the current page context
Emoji UX Improvements: Emoji menu now shows recently used items for quicker reactions

No.2: Supabase

Star Growth Overview:

Star Increase: +4,429
Dec 31, 2024: 74,721 stars
Mar 31, 2025: 79,150 stars

Links:

GitHub: https://github.com/supabase/supabase
Website: https://supabase.com/

About the Project:

Supabase is a powerful open-source backend platform, often described as the open-source Firebase alternative. It equips developers with scalable tools for building modern applications—fast. Key features include:

PostgreSQL Hosting: Full-featured SQL database, ready out of the box
Flexible Auth System: Supports email/password, social logins, and magic links
Real-Time Sync: Automatically push database changes to the frontend
Secure File Storage: With built-in CDN for fast content delivery
Edge Functions: Serverless functions deployed to the edge for low-latency custom logic

Best For:

Great for developers building full-stack or mobile apps with real-time requirements, authentication, and storage—without managing infrastructure manually.

Recent Highlights: In Q1 2025, Supabase added several notable improvements:

Edge Functions via CLI or Dashboard: Deploy functions directly without Docker setup
AI Tools Integration: Using Model Context Protocol (MCP), developers can now run AI commands in Supabase using natural language
More Generous Auth Limits: Increased monthly active user limits for third-party auth providers
Improved Billing Docs: More transparent guidance on billing, credits, and spending caps to help teams budget better

No.1: n8n

Star Growth Overview:

Star Increase: +18,420
Dec 31, 2024: 52,623 stars
Mar 31, 2025: 71,043 stars

Links:

GitHub: https://github.com/n8n-io/n8n
Website: https://n8n.io/

About the Project:

n8n leads the pack as an open-source workflow automation platform built for technical teams seeking flexible and scalable automation. What sets n8n apart:

400+ Native Integrations: Instantly connect to popular APIs and services to simplify complex automation logic
Visual Workflow Builder: Drag-and-drop interface for designing workflows without writing boilerplate code
Self-Hostable & Open Source: Run it on your own server for complete data ownership and control
Built-In AI Support: Integrates with LLMs and tools like LangChain to build intelligent, modular AI workflows

Best For:

Technical teams need advanced automation across data pipelines, API integration, and AI-enhanced workflows.

Recent Highlights: Q1 2025 brought major developments for n8n:

$60M Funding Round (Mar): To scale its AI-driven automation platform
Community Livestream (Jan): Shared roadmap and product vision for the year
LangChain Integration: Enables users to build modular, AI-powered automation within workflows

Closing Thoughts

The Q1 2025 GitHub Star Growth Chart confirms one thing: the low-code/no-code movement is alive and thriving. n8n’s explosive growth reflects the ongoing demand for robust workflow automation. Supabase, AppFlowy, and NocoDB continue to maintain momentum, while newer contenders like NocoBase and Windmill are rapidly gaining visibility.

This trend suggests a broader industry shift—from building generic platforms to solving real-world, domain-specific problems. Going forward, the winners will be those who nail the details: AI-native workflows, permission systems, performance, and developer customization.

Want to explore the power of open-source low-code for yourself? Pick one of these projects and try it out. GitHub stars may draw attention, but it’s usability, extensibility, and deployability that win developer loyalty.

❤️ Stay tuned—we’ll keep publishing honest, hands-on insights into the tools that matter. Feel free to bookmark or share this roundup with your team.

Related reading:

Top 15 Fastest-Growing Open-Source Low-Code Projects on GitHub in 2025

Introduction

Ranking Summary

No.15: Budibase

No.14: GrapesJS

No.13: NocoBase

No.12: Windmill

No.11: Directus

No.10: Refine

No.9: Appsmith

No.8: Strapi

No.7: ToolJet

No.6: Appwrite

No.5: PocketBase

No.4: NocoDB

No.3: AppFlowy

No.2: Supabase

No.1: n8n

Closing Thoughts

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