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No-Code · head to head

Appsmith vs Formance

Appsmith logo

Appsmith

No-Code

The open-source low-code framework

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Formance logo

Formance

APIs

Open source double-entry ledger and payment orchestration for money-moving software

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Appsmith the free cloud tier is capped at 5 users, 5 workspaces and 3 Git repositories; Formance formance holds no money and provides no regulatory cover, so it must be paired with a payments provider or bank, and buyers occasionally mistake a ledger for a treasury system and discover the gap late.
  • They diverge on capability: Appsmith covers Drag-and-drop builder, Formance covers Double-entry ledger.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Appsmith and Formance actually diverge.

Attributes where Appsmith and Formance differ
AttributeAppsmithFormance
Pricing modelsubscriptionOpen source, no licence fee
PlatformsWeb, Self-hostedLinux, Docker, Kubernetes, Web, API
CategoryNo-CodeAPIs
Founded2019Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Appsmith

  • Drag-and-drop builder
  • Database integration
  • REST API
  • Workflows
  • Authentication
  • Custom code
  • Git integration
  • 100+ integrations

Only in Formance

  • Double-entry ledger
  • Numscript transaction DSL
  • Multi-currency
  • Payments connectivity
  • Reconciliation
  • Cloud offering
  • API and SDKs

Both cover

  • Self-hosted deployment

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Appsmith

  • Building internal admin panels over existing databases and APIsnot Formance
  • Self-hosting a low-code internal tool platformnot Formance
  • Custom CRUD dashboards for operations teamsnot Formance
  • Versioning applications through Gitnot Formance

Formance

  • A marketplace splitting a single customer payment between seller, platform fee and tax that needs the split to be atomic and auditablenot Appsmith
  • A fintech whose homegrown balances table produced numbers finance could not reconcile and now needs proper double-entry before an auditnot Appsmith
  • A payments team that wants one normalised model across several PSPs so reconciliation is not written separately for eachnot Appsmith
  • A company that wants its ledger under a licence it can keep running even if the vendor disappearsnot Appsmith

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Appsmith

  • The free cloud tier is capped at 5 users, 5 workspaces and 3 Git repositories
  • Workflows, custom roles and audit logs all require the Business plan at $15 per user per month
  • SAML and OIDC single sign-on need Enterprise, which starts at $2,500 a month with a 100 user minimum
  • Embedding an app privately is Enterprise only; the lower tiers embed publicly
  • Managed hosting is an Enterprise add-on rather than an included option

Formance

  • Formance holds no money and provides no regulatory cover, so it must be paired with a payments provider or bank, and buyers occasionally mistake a ledger for a treasury system and discover the gap late.
  • Numscript is a domain-specific language your team must learn, and while it makes complex splits expressible it also means transaction logic sits outside the languages your engineers already debug well.
  • Self-hosting a ledger that must never lose or duplicate a transaction is a serious operational commitment covering backups, upgrades and Postgres tuning, which is real cost the zero licence fee hides.
  • Enterprise pricing is not published, so the difference between the free path and the supported path cannot be evaluated without a sales conversation.
  • The company is much smaller than the incumbent alternatives, and while the MIT licence protects the code it does not protect the roadmap, so features on the hosted side may arrive slowly or change direction.

Pricing, plan by plan

Appsmith

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Up to 5 users on cloud
    • 5 workspaces
    • 3 Git repos
  • Business$15/month per user
    • Up to 99 users
    • Unlimited workspaces and Git repos
    • Workflows and reusable packages
  • Enterprise$2500/month
    • Minimum 100 users
    • Unlimited users above 100
    • SAML/OIDC SSO

Formance

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • MIT licensed core ledger
    • Numscript transaction DSL
    • Multi-currency tracking
  • Enterprise$undefined/year
    • Managed or private deployment
    • Payments connectivity and reconciliation
    • Support with response commitments

Which should you pick?

Choose Appsmith if

  • You need drag-and-drop builder.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Self-hosted.
  • You also want database integration.
Appsmith review

Choose Formance if

  • You need double-entry ledger.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, Web, API.
  • You also want numscript transaction dsl.
Formance review

Questions people ask

Is Appsmith or Formance better?
Neither clearly leads. Appsmith starts at Free and Formance at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Appsmith or Formance?
Appsmith starts at Free and Formance at Free.
Does Appsmith or Formance run on more platforms?
Appsmith runs on Web, Self-hosted. Formance runs on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, Web, API.
Can I use Appsmith for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Appsmith best used for?
Appsmith is most often used for building internal admin panels over existing databases and apis, self-hosting a low-code internal tool platform, custom crud dashboards for operations teams, versioning applications through git. Of those, building internal admin panels over existing databases and apis and self-hosting a low-code internal tool platform are not what Formance is typically brought in for.
What can Appsmith do that Formance cannot?
Appsmith covers Drag-and-drop builder, Database integration, REST API, Workflows. Formance covers Double-entry ledger, Numscript transaction DSL, Multi-currency, Payments connectivity. Both handle Self-hosted deployment.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Appsmith: How much does Appsmith cost?

Appsmith offers a free plan for up to 5 users, a Business plan at $15 per user per month (up to 99 users), and an Enterprise plan starting at $2,500 per month for a minimum of 100 users with unlimited users available at that rate.

Source
Formance: Is Formance really open source?

Yes. The core ledger is MIT licensed with full source access and no deployment restrictions.

Appsmith: Does Appsmith have a free version?

Yes, Appsmith's Free plan provides access for up to 5 users with 5 workspaces, 3 Git repos, and community support at no cost. All plans offer unlimited apps.

Source
Formance: Does Formance move money?

No. It records and orchestrates movements; the actual payments happen at a PSP or bank you connect.

Appsmith: What does the Business plan include compared to Free?

The Business plan at $15 per user per month supports up to 99 users, provides unlimited workspaces and Git repos, includes workflows and reusable packages, premium integrations, custom roles, and access controls with email and chat support compared to the Free plan's community support only.

Source
Formance: What does the enterprise version cost?

Not published. It is an annual subscription quoted per customer.

Appsmith: How are Appsmith users counted for billing purposes?

Appsmith counts any user who builds or edits applications as a standard user for billing. Developers and builders are treated the same as other users and all users count toward the per-user billing model without separate developer seat charges.

Source
Formance: Do I have to use Numscript?

Yes for anything beyond the simplest transfers. It is how multi-party transactions are expressed atomically.

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