Is Appsmith or Stacker better?

Neither clearly leads. Appsmith starts at Free and Stacker at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.

Which is cheaper, Appsmith or Stacker?

Appsmith has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Appsmith and On request for Stacker.

Does Appsmith or Stacker run on more platforms?

Appsmith runs on Web, Self-hosted. Stacker runs on Web.

Can I use Appsmith for free?

Yes. Appsmith has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Stacker starts at On request.

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 Stacker is typically brought in for.

What can Appsmith do that Stacker cannot?

Appsmith covers Drag-and-drop builder, Database integration, REST API, Workflows. Stacker covers Per-record permissions, External user portals, Live connection to the source, Page and layout builder.

No-Code · head to head

Appsmith vs Stacker

Appsmith

No-Code

The open-source low-code framework

From: Free
Rated: -

Full review Website

Stacker

No-Code

Permissioned portals over data that stays in Airtable, Salesforce or Postgres

From: On request
Rated: -

Full review Website

The short version

Only Appsmith has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
Each has a real cost: Appsmith the free cloud tier is capped at 5 users, 5 workspaces and 3 Git repositories; Stacker there is no source export and no self-hosting, so leaving means rebuilding the entire interface and permission model elsewhere, even though the underlying records remain yours.
They diverge on capability: Appsmith covers Drag-and-drop builder, Stacker covers Per-record permissions.
Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Appsmith and Stacker actually diverge.

Attributes where Appsmith and Stacker differ
Attribute	Appsmith	Stacker
Starting price	Free	On request
Pricing model	subscription	quote
Free tier	Yes	No
Platforms	Web, Self-hosted	Web
Founded	2019	Unknown

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (No-Code).

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 Stacker

Per-record permissions
External user portals
Live connection to the source
Page and layout builder
Workflow actions
Custom domains and branding
User onboarding
Role based navigation

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 Stacker
Self-hosting a low-code internal tool platformnot Stacker
Custom CRUD dashboards for operations teamsnot Stacker
Versioning applications through Gitnot Stacker

Stacker

Giving clients a login that shows only their own records inside an internal Airtable basenot Appsmith
Contractor or franchisee portals where each account must see one slice of a shared datasetnot Appsmith
Replacing a spreadsheet emailed to partners with a permissioned live view of the same datanot Appsmith
Putting a usable interface on a Salesforce or Postgres dataset for users who should never see the underlying systemnot 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

Stacker

There is no source export and no self-hosting, so leaving means rebuilding the entire interface and permission model elsewhere, even though the underlying records remain yours.
Performance is bounded by the data source, so an Airtable base near its row limit or an API under rate limiting produces a slow portal that no amount of Stacker configuration will fix.
Pricing distinguishes internal editors from external portal users, so a portal that succeeds by adding hundreds of light-touch external users can end up costing more than the internal system it fronts.
Custom logic is limited to the actions and conditions the builder exposes, so anything resembling a calculation engine or a branching multi-step approval hits a wall and needs an external automation tool bolted on.
It is a portal and CRUD tool by design, with no offline mode, no native mobile application and no real reporting layer, so it will not be the only system a growing operation runs.

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

Stacker

On request

Stacker$undefined/month
- Priced by workspace tier with caps on apps and users
- External portal users charged differently from internal editors
- Higher tiers add permission depth and support

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 Stacker if

You need per-record permissions.
You also want external user portals.

Stacker review

Questions people ask

Is Appsmith or Stacker better?: Neither clearly leads. Appsmith starts at Free and Stacker at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Appsmith or Stacker?: Appsmith has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Appsmith and On request for Stacker.
Does Appsmith or Stacker run on more platforms?: Appsmith runs on Web, Self-hosted. Stacker runs on Web.
Can I use Appsmith for free?: Yes. Appsmith has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Stacker starts at On request.
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 Stacker is typically brought in for.
What can Appsmith do that Stacker cannot?: Appsmith covers Drag-and-drop builder, Database integration, REST API, Workflows. Stacker covers Per-record permissions, External user portals, Live connection to the source, Page and layout builder.

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

Stacker: Where does my data live?

In the source you connect: Airtable, Salesforce, HubSpot, Google Sheets or your own Postgres. Stacker reads and writes to it rather than becoming the system of record.

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

Stacker: Can I export the app if I cancel?

No. The data stays in your source system, but the interface, permissions and workflows are Stacker configuration and do not come with you.

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

Stacker: Is it suitable for hundreds of external users?

Technically yes; check the pricing arithmetic first, because external portal users are charged separately and that is where the bill grows.

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

Stacker: Will it replace Airtable?

No, it sits in front of Airtable. If the base itself is at its limits, the fix is moving the data to Postgres rather than changing the portal.

Appsmith vs Stacker

Appsmith

Stacker

The short version

Where they differ

What each one covers

Only in Appsmith

Only in Stacker

What people use each for

Appsmith

Stacker

Where each one falls short

Appsmith

Stacker

Pricing, plan by plan

Appsmith

Stacker

Which should you pick?

Choose Appsmith if

Choose Stacker if

Questions people ask

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Related pages

More on Appsmith

More on Stacker

Keep looking

Other head to heads