No-code apps · checked 2026-10-19

Can I vibecode Softr?

KINDA· weekend project

What a Softr customer runs is usually one or two portals: a few tables, pages that list and edit records, sign-in, and rules about who sees which rows. An agent can rebuild one such portal on SQLite in a weekend, with magic-link sign-in and row-level permissions. It cannot rebuild the builder: the visual editor, the block library, the connectors to Airtable, Notion, Sheets and SQL, and the workflows that make the next portal an afternoon's work. If you expect to keep making new apps, a self-hosted builder fits better than a one-off.

$25/moprice

$300you'd save a year

weekendbuild time

—people replaced it

Before you start

What you need on hand.

DifficultyIntermediate · Some system setup or keys.

TimeA weekend for one portal; each extra table is a config edit

Claude Code, Codex or CursorAny of them can run the prompt.
Node.js 22better-sqlite3 compiles a native module, so build tools must be installed.
SMTP credentialsSign-in links and notifications go out by email.
A public HTTPS addressA small VPS with Caddy, or a tunnel while testing; clients must be able to open the links.
Your data as CSVFrom Airtable, Sheets or Softr Databases.

Before you buildCheck Softr Free first: 5 app users and 5,000 records is enough for a very small portal and costs nothing. It has no custom domain.

1. Install one agent: Claude Code, Codex, Cursor.
2. Make an empty folder and open it in the agent.
3. Paste the prompt below, press enter, and answer its questions as it builds.

The prompt

Build me a client portal to replace Softr. Requirements:

- Next.js 15 (App Router) + TypeScript + Tailwind CSS, with Drizzle ORM on better-sqlite3 in
  ./data/portal.db. `npm run dev` and `npm start` serve http://localhost:4910.
- The data model comes from one file, portal.config.ts, listing tables and fields (text, number, date,
  select, checkbox, file, relation). Adding a table means editing the config and running
  `npm run migrate`. Seed two sample tables: Projects and Updates.
- Roles: admin (me) and client users. Rows carry a client_id, and a client user sees and edits only
  rows whose client_id matches their company. Enforce it in one server-side query helper and add
  tests proving client A cannot read, update or delete client B's rows, including by guessing ids.
- Pages generated from the config for each table: a list with search, sort, filters and pagination,
  a record page, and create and edit forms with validation. File uploads go to ./data/uploads with a
  10 MB limit, an extension allowlist and random names. A dashboard shows counts per table.
- Sign-in by emailed magic link: nodemailer SMTP settings in .env, a signed 15-minute token (`jose`),
  then an httpOnly session cookie for 14 days. The admin invites a client by email. No passwords.
- Import: `npm run import:csv <table> <file.csv>` and a read-only Airtable import (`airtable`
  package, token in .env) one table at a time. No live sync.
- Notifications: email the client when an Updates row is added for them, and email me when a client
  submits a form.
- Single deployment, no telemetry, local-first. Secrets in .env. Outbound calls: SMTP and the
  Airtable import only.
- Out of scope: a visual page builder, workflows, payments, per-client domains, white-labelling,
  mobile apps, other data sources.
- README: the config format, inviting a client, deploying behind HTTPS (a Caddy example) because
  magic links need a public URL, and backing up ./data.

Opens your agent with the prompt filled in, you press enter. Or copy it and paste it into an empty folder.

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Then keep going

Next prompts, same folder.

The first prompt builds the core. Run these one at a time in the same folder to grow it into your own Softr.

Add comments on records to the client portal in this folder. Requirements:

- Each record page gets a thread of comments with author, time and text (max 2,000 characters),
  stored in a comments table keyed by table name and record id.
- Clients can comment only on rows they can see; the admin sees all threads. Escape comment text.
- Email the other side when a comment is added, at most one email per record per hour.
- Admin can delete a comment; deleted comments show "removed" and keep their timestamps.
- Add tests for the permission rule. Update the README.

Add an audit log and CSV export to the client portal in this folder. Requirements:

- Record every create, update and delete with user, table, record id, time and a JSON diff of
  the changed fields. Show the history on each record page for the admin.
- A CSV export button on every list page that exports exactly the rows and columns the current
  user is allowed to see, with the current filters applied.
- Escape cells that start with =, +, - or @ so spreadsheets do not run them as formulas.
- Add tests for the escaping and for a client trying to export another client's rows.
- Update the README.

Add a five-minute Airtable sync to the client portal in this folder. Requirements:

- In portal.config.ts a table can name an Airtable base, table and field mapping.
- Every 5 minutes, fetch changed records (`filterByFormula` on last modified time) and upsert them
  by Airtable record id. Records deleted in Airtable are marked removed, not erased.
- Edits made in the portal for a synced table are pushed back to Airtable through the API; if the
  same record changed on both sides, keep Airtable's version and log the conflict.
- Respect Airtable's rate limit of 5 requests per second per base with a queue.
- Show last sync time and errors on the admin dashboard. Update the README.

What you lose

A visual editor and block library for building the next portal in an afternoon
Live connectors to Airtable, Notion, Google Sheets, HubSpot and SQL databases
Workflows and automations that run on triggers
Custom domains, Google sign-in and white-labelling for client users
The AI co-builder that drafts an app from a description

Why people still pay

Softr lets someone who does not code ship a branded portal over data they already keep in Airtable, Notion or Sheets. Hosting, sign-in, permissions and a mobile layout come with it, so a freelancer can give a client a login without running a server. Pricing follows app users and records, so a small portal stays cheap until it grows.

Moatexecution polish integrations switching costs

Do the math

Softr or your own copy?

Over

Your usage

Count my time12h ×$/h

Softr, 1 yr$300

Your own copy, 1 yr$44running + build session

You keep$257pays for itself in the first month

Estimate · Runs on a $5 VPS with SQLite; email at this volume fits a free SMTP tier. The build is token usage on your agent plan.

Leaving Softr

Take your data, then cancel.

1 · Take your data out of Softr

1Data kept in Airtable, Notion, Google Sheets or a SQL database stays there when you leave Softr. You lose only the portal in front of it.
2Softr Databases: the docs we read describe CSV and Airtable import but no full-table export. A 2025 community thread says CSV export was planned and staff could export on request, so email support@softr.io or pull tables through the Softr Database API, Zapier or Make.
3Table blocks can offer a CSV or Excel download button for the data they show: add a top-bar button with the Download action before you leave.
4App users: an older community thread reports that the exported user CSV holds only names and emails.
5Pages, layouts and workflows have no export in what we read: screenshot them.

2 · Cancel Softr

1Open Plan and billing and cancel or change plan at any time. Cancelling mid-cycle keeps the plan until the period ends, and downgrades take effect at the next renewal.
2Free allows 3 builders and 5 app users. New users beyond a plan's limit stay deactivated until you free up space, and extra users get a grace period before they are billed.
3The docs do not say what happens to published apps, stored data or a custom domain on Free: ask support@softr.io before you downgrade.
4Cancel before a free trial ends to avoid being charged.

Refunds are by email: within 14 days of the first monthly payment or 30 days of the first yearly payment.
Extra custom domains are billed separately at $15 a month; remove them first.
Extra app users are billed monthly even on yearly plans, with no refund when your count drops mid-cycle.
Switch DNS to the new portal only after clients have tested it, and tell them the sign-in link changes.

Checked 2026-10-19 against Softr's docs: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

The escape hatch

Don't feel like building it? These are already free.

BaserowOpen sourceNo-code database with an application builder; MIT outside its premium and enterprise folders, and also sold hosted.★ 6.2k · active Oct 2026 · docker to self-host
WebVisit ↗BudibaseOpen sourceBuilder for apps, forms and automations on its own database or external SQL sources; GPLv3 overall with per-package licenses.★ 28k · active Oct 2026 · docker to self-host
WebVisit ↗AppsmithOpen sourceApache-2.0 platform for admin panels, internal tools and dashboards on databases and APIs; aimed more at internal use than client portals.★ 41k · active Oct 2026 · docker to self-host
WebVisit ↗

All 4 free alternatives to Softr ›

The numbers

Softr pricing

Plan	Monthly	Annual, per month	What you get
Free	$0/workspace	$0/workspace	Up to 3 builders, 5 app users, 5K database records, 500 workflow actions a month, 5 AI credits a month, unlimited apps, databases and forms, the Softr API and MCP.
Basic	$25/workspace	$19/workspace	1 builder included (extra $5 a month), 5 team plus 5 client app users, 50K records, 2.5K workflow actions a month, 10 AI credits, a custom domain, conditional form logic, automated database backup.
Pro	$119/workspace	$99/workspace	2 builders included (extra $10), 10 team plus 50 client app users, 500K records, 10K workflow actions a month, 50 AI credits, Softr branding removed, Google sign-in and one-time codes for app users, granular permissions, comments, custom code and API connectors.
Business	$395/workspace	$329/workspace	3 builders included (extra $20), 30 team plus 100 client app users, 1M records, 25K workflow actions a month, 100 AI credits, two-factor authentication, domain-restricted sign-up, installable mobile app (PWA), push notifications, priority support.
Enterprise	custom	—	Custom limits, SSO, SCIM, audit logs, custom agreements and SLAs, a customer success manager.

Free tier: 5 app users, 5,000 database records, 500 workflow actions a month and no custom domain.
Billing: Monthly or yearly, with yearly two months cheaper. Card payment for Basic, Pro and Business; invoices only on Enterprise. Tax is added at checkout. A full refund is offered within 14 days of the first monthly payment or 30 days of the first yearly payment, by email. A free trial needs no card.
Hidden costs: Extra builders cost $5, $10 or $20 a month depending on the plan, and Pro and Business can buy extra app users from $1 and $2 a month (see the page's calculator for the unit). Extra custom domains are $15 a month, or $13 billed annually. Extra users are billed monthly even on yearly plans, with no refund when the count drops mid-cycle.
Source: www.softr.io

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Questions

Softr, briefly

Not answered here? Tell us and we'll add it.

Ask a question ›

Free forever: up to 3 builders, 5 app users and 5,000 database records.

Kinda. The core is a weekend build with the prompt on this page, but real gaps remain: A visual editor and block library for building the next portal in an afternoon, Live connectors to Airtable, Notion, Google Sheets, HubSpot and SQL databases.

About $25 a month on the Basic plan, $300 a year (checked 2026-10-19).

A visual editor and block library for building the next portal in an afternoon; Live connectors to Airtable, Notion, Google Sheets, HubSpot and SQL databases; Workflows and automations that run on triggers; Custom domains, Google sign-in and white-labelling for client users; The AI co-builder that drafts an app from a description. If any of those matter to you, keep paying.