Softr

ALMOST

A weekend of work, and real gaps remain.

Builds client portals and internal apps over a table: user accounts, permissions per row, and pages assembled from blocks without code.

Promptfree, for everyone, and the only version there is

Build a client portal, and get permissions right.

STACK
- Astro with a Node adapter, Postgres, magic-link sign-in

AUTHENTICATION
- Magic link by email: a signed token, one use, short expiry, then a session cookie
- No passwords means no password resets and no leaked hashes

PERMISSIONS, THE PART THAT MATTERS
- Every query is scoped by the session's account id in the SQL itself
- Never filter in the template. One forgotten filter is a data leak, not a bug
- Write one query helper that cannot be called without an account id

PAGES
- A list scoped to the account, a detail page, and a form that writes back

FILES
- Uploads to object storage under a per-account prefix, served only through signed URLs

Include the auth flow, the scoped query helper and the file rules.

What you lose

Row-level permissions configured rather than coded, which is the part people underestimate
User accounts, sign-in and password resets already built
Blocks and templates a non-developer can assemble

If you would rather not build

Astro with a Node adapter, which is what the prompt builds
Retool, for internal rather than client-facing tools

The escape hatch

open source · no votes, no paid placement

Budibase

Self-hosted portals with users and row-level permissions.

Budibase/budibasefree · open source

Directus

Generates an API with role and row permissions over your own database.

directus/directusfree · open source

Why this verdict

our own opinion · changed only by a person

60/100

Verdict kinda at 60. The portal is a weekend; the discipline that every query is scoped in SQL is what separates it from a leak.

History

tracked since 10 Aug 2026 · nothing is ever overwritten

Interest · last 30 days

Nothing recorded yet. This chart fills in once the page has visitors, votes or prompt copies — it will not draw a flat line to look busy.

Questions about Softr

answered from the record above

Is Softr free?

No — the plan we track is $49 a month. Basic at around $49/month billed monthly, cheaper annually.

Can you replace Softr by building your own?

ALMOST. A weekend of work, and real gaps remain. Replacement score 60 out of 100, build time a weekend. Read what you lose before you decide.

How much does Softr cost?

$49 a month on Basic — $588 a year. Recorded 10 Aug 2026.

What do you lose by replacing Softr?

Row-level permissions configured rather than coded, which is the part people underestimate; User accounts, sign-in and password resets already built; Blocks and templates a non-developer can assemble. If any of those carry weight for you, keep paying.

Is there an open-source alternative to Softr?

Yes: Budibase, Directus. The prompt on this page is for when you want it your way instead.

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