Top 11 Open Source Internal Tools with the Most GitHub Stars

Originally published at Top 11 Open Source Internal Tools with the Most GitHub Stars - NocoBase.

Welcome back to our GitHub Star series!

In previous articles, we delved into GitHub's most popular open-source low-code projects, "Top 15 Open-Source Low-Code Projects with the Most GitHub Stars," and open-source no-code tools, "The Top 12 Open-Source No-Code Tools with the Most GitHub Stars," receiving enthusiastic feedback. This week, we continue the GitHub Star series by focusing on internal tools that not only enhance work efficiency but also drive business process innovation.

It's worth noting that, in addition to Star counts, this article incorporates data on Forks, Issues, Pull Requests, and Contributors from GitHub. These dimensions provide developers with a more comprehensive perspective, revealing the actual usage, development activity, and community contributions of these tools, offering a holistic evaluation.

To present a more comprehensive view of the diversity and impact of these internal tools, we have divided the 11 tools into two groups:

The first group: Internal tools with over 10k stars, where we will detail each tool's highlights, including core features and use cases.

The second group: Internal tools with fewer than 10k stars, providing brief introductions to each tool.

First Group: GitHub Star > 10k

No.6：ILLA Builder

GitHub Metrics

Introduction

ILLA Builder is an open-source low-code platform designed to simplify the development of enterprise applications, offering powerful integration features ideal for teams needing rapid prototyping and business management tools.

• Low-Code Development: ILLA Builder provides an intuitive drag-and-drop interface to streamline application building without extensive coding knowledge.

• Powerful Integration: It supports seamless integration with various data sources and external services, including databases, APIs, and third-party services.

• AI Agents: Includes AI agents to offer functionalities such as intelligent analysis and content generation without needing AI development skills.

No.5：NocoBase

GitHub Metrics

Introduction

NocoBase is an open-source no-code/low-code platform designed for building internal tools, business applications, and enterprise solutions. It helps development teams rapidly deploy customized business applications without significant time or financial investment.

• Data Model Driven: Allows complex data structure design beyond the user interface, enhancing application flexibility and scalability.

• Plugin-Based Architecture: Uses a microkernel and plugin architecture where all features are provided through plugins, enabling customization and extension of system functionalities.

• WYSIWYG Editor: Offers a user-friendly drag-and-drop editor, making design and configuration straightforward for users without programming backgrounds.

No.4：Budibase

GitHub Metrics

Introduction

Budibase is an open-source low-code platform that accelerates business application development and automation, suitable for teams needing rapid prototyping or management tools in a fast-changing business environment.

• Rapid Development and Automation: Provides rich automation and build capabilities, generating powerful applications, forms, and workflows from data with minimal coding.

• Wide Data Source Support: Supports integration with various data sources and APIs, allowing for extensive customization based on business needs.

• User-Friendly Interface: Designed with user experience in mind, offering an intuitive drag-and-drop environment for quick application creation without deep coding.

No.3：Refine

GitHub Metrics

Introduction

Refine is an open-source development platform focused on building data-driven applications with a strong emphasis on security and modularity, ideal for enterprise-level applications requiring advanced data processing and visualization.

• Diverse Use Cases: Specializes in data-driven application development, providing robust data management and user interface components for CRM, e-commerce, HR, and more.

• Security Assurance: Offers comprehensive security features, including self-hosting for compliance, support for existing identity providers (e.g., Okta, Azure AD), and fine-grained access control.

• Seamless Integration: Uses UI frameworks, backend connectors, and other powerful tools to seamlessly integrate with existing ecosystems.

No.2：ToolJet

GitHub Metrics

Introduction

ToolJet is a rapid internal tool development platform that simplifies the creation of business applications with minimal code and resources while ensuring enterprise-grade security, suitable for teams needing to quickly build prototypes or management tools.

• UI Component Library: Focuses on low-code development with various built-in UI components and templates for building complex software, simplifying the application development process.

• Easy Integration: Supports integration with multiple third-party services and data sources, including databases and APIs, offering flexibility in rapid application deployment and adjustment.

• Automated Workflows: Automates complex manual business processes with minimal engineering effort, using ToolJet’s enterprise-grade workflow builder for improved business outcomes.

No.1：Appsmith

GitHub Metrics

Introduction

Appsmith is an open-source low-code development platform designed to help teams quickly build, deploy, and manage effective software with enterprise-level security and governance, particularly suitable for rapid prototyping and iteration.

• Rich Industry Templates: Provides a variety of industry templates covering common business scenarios and functionality, significantly enhancing development efficiency and application usability.

• Powerful Integration: Allows integration with multiple data sources (e.g., databases, SaaS tools, REST/GraphQL APIs), supporting complex data operations and business logic processing with secure self-hosting.

• Appsmith AI: Integrates AI features within minutes into custom internal applications, quickly creating custom interfaces, interacting with any LLM, and connecting to a wide range of data sources to develop powerful AI applications tailored to your business.

Second Group: GitHub Star < 10k

No.7：YAO

GitHub Metrics

Introduction

Yao is a low-code development platform supporting rapid development of custom business applications with various built-in components and data integration features, simplifying the creation and management of internal tools.

No.8：Rowy

GitHub Metrics

Introduction

Rowy combines low-code and no-code functionalities to focus on data-driven internal tool development, simplifying data management and application creation through a spreadsheet interface and automation features.

No.9：Openblocks

GitHub Metrics

Introduction

Openblocks offers an open-source low-code platform that allows developers to quickly build and deploy internal applications through a visual interface, supporting custom functionalities and external service integration.

No.10：Lowdefy

GitHub Metrics

Introduction

Lowdefy is a low-code platform focused on building business applications, supporting rapid construction and customization of internal tools with flexible components and robust data integration features.

No.11：Dashpress

GitHub Metrics

Introduction

Dashpress is a low-code internal tool development platform providing easy application building and data visualization features, helping teams quickly develop and manage business applications.

Summary

💡 Related Reading: Top 5 Open Source Projects for Building Internal Tools.

These open-source internal tools each address unique needs in simplifying development processes and enhancing business efficiency.

NocoBase accelerates application customization and extension with its flexible plugin architecture, Refine emphasizes security and modularity for data-driven applications, and Appsmith boosts development efficiency with rich templates and AI capabilities.

Covering a broad range of needs from data management to business automation, these tools offer diverse solutions for developers.

😄 I hope this article will help you if you are looking for open source internal tools!