NocoBase

An extensible open-source no-code platform — your own Airtable + Retool.

Service #no-code#low-code#platform#workflow#database

NocoBase is an open-source, plugin-driven no-code / low-code platform for building internal tools, admin panels, dashboards, CRMs, and back-office apps. Define data models in a UI, compose forms, tables, kanbans, and charts, wire workflows — and drop down to TypeScript plugins when you outgrow the no-code layer.

Deploy with Pier

1 Open the Pier dashboard and click Add service.
2 Pick NocoBase from the template list.
3 Choose the version, set a service name, and Pier provisions the container, storage, and ports automatically.
4 Attach a domain if you want HTTPS. Traefik auto-provisions the Let's Encrypt certificate.

What is NocoBase?

NocoBase is an open-source platform for building internal tools, admin panels, CRMs, and back-office apps without writing UI code — and for extending those tools in TypeScript when no-code hits a wall.

The architecture is plugins all the way down. The core is tiny; every visible feature (collections, blocks, charts, workflows, ACL) is a plugin. You build apps by defining data models, composing pages from prebuilt blocks (table, form, kanban, calendar, chart), and wiring workflows (triggers → conditions → actions). When you need behavior the no-code layer doesn’t cover, you write a plugin and ship it alongside.

Compared to Airtable / Retool / NocoDB / Budibase, NocoBase’s sweet spot is “internal tools that started no-code and need to evolve in code without rewriting.” The plugin model means you don’t outgrow the platform — you extend it.

How Pier deploys it

NocoBase uses PostgreSQL in production. This template ships NocoBase plus a PostgreSQL backend in one compose stack, pre-wired so the first launch just works.

Default port: NocoBase’s web UI behind Traefik (Pier picks the right internal port). The uploaded-files volume mounts at /app/storage; PostgreSQL data persists in its own volume.

On first launch, set the admin email/password via env (Pier generates a secure password). Log in, create your first collection, drop a block on a page, and you have an admin UI.

When NOT to use NocoBase

If you only need a sheet UI on an existing SQL database, NocoDB is simpler. If your team is code-first and lives in TypeScript, Retool / AppSmith / a Next.js admin starter may fit better. If your use case is pure CMS for a public site (articles, pages, media), Directus is a better fit. NocoBase is the right answer for “I want to build internal tools fast and extend them in code as they grow.”

Key features

No-code data modeling

Define collections (tables) and fields (text, number, date, relation, file, JSON) from a UI. Foreign keys, has-many, many-to-many — all from clicks.

Page composer

Drag-and-drop blocks — tables, forms, kanban boards, calendars, gantt, charts, maps. Each block bound to a collection with filters, sorting, permissions.

Workflow automations

Visual workflow builder — triggers (record created, schedule, webhook), conditions, actions (send email, create record, HTTP request). Like Make/n8n inside your app.

Pluggable architecture

NocoBase is plugins all the way down — the core is tiny, every feature is a plugin. Write your own in TypeScript when no-code hits a wall.

Role-based access control

Granular permissions per role × collection × action. Field-level visibility. Row-level filters per user. Production-ready RBAC.

Multi-tenant

Built-in multi-tenant support — separate spaces per tenant with isolated data and configurations. Pricing-friendly for SaaS use.

Use cases

Internal admin panel

Replace hand-built Django admin / Rails admin / Retool for managing your app's database. Connect to an external DB or use NocoBase's own.

Custom CRM

Build a CRM specific to your workflow — lead pipeline, deal tracker, contact manager — without paying per-seat SaaS pricing.

Project / task tracker

Tasks + boards + automations + reports. Replace Trello/Asana with a tool you own and can extend.

Back-office apps for small ops teams

Inventory management, order processing, content moderation queues — small back-office apps where SaaS is overkill but Excel is undisciplined.

Headless backend with a UI

Use NocoBase as a headless data store with REST/GraphQL API for a separate frontend, plus the built-in UI for admin.

Code examples

REST API — list records bash

curl https://nocobase.example.com/api/myCollection:list \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN"

REST API — create a record bash

curl -X POST "https://nocobase.example.com/api/leads:create" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"name":"ACME Corp","email":"[email protected]","stage":"new"}'

Workflow — webhook trigger text

Trigger: HTTP webhook
→ Condition: payload.event == "deal.won"
→ Action: create record in collection "deals_won_log"
→ Action: HTTP POST to Slack webhook with deal details

Custom plugin skeleton (TypeScript) typescript

import { Plugin } from "@nocobase/server";

export class MyPlugin extends Plugin {
  async load() {
    this.app.resourcer.define({
      name: "myCustom",
      actions: {
        async hello(ctx) {
          ctx.body = { message: "Hello from custom plugin" };
        },
      },
    });
  }
}

How it compares

vs Airtable	Airtable is hosted, polished, and limits get expensive fast. NocoBase is self-hosted, free, and has workflow + plugin extensibility Airtable doesn't.
vs Retool / Internal.io	Retool is hosted code-first internal tools — powerful but per-seat pricing. NocoBase is no-code first, self-hosted, no seat cost.
vs NocoDB	NocoDB is "Airtable for an existing SQL DB" — connects to your existing Postgres/MySQL and exposes a sheet UI. NocoBase is broader (workflows, plugins, page composer); NocoDB is simpler but narrower.
vs Directus (this catalog)	Directus is content-management-focused with a beautiful admin UI on an existing DB. NocoBase is internal-tools-focused with workflows and page composer. Overlap exists; pick by primary use case.
vs Budibase, AppSmith	Budibase and AppSmith target similar internal-tools space. NocoBase's plugin architecture is the differentiator — extend in TypeScript when you outgrow no-code.

Frequently asked questions

What database does it use?

PostgreSQL is the production-supported backend (NocoBase ships a docker-compose with Postgres). SQLite for dev only. Pier deploys with the Postgres companion.

Is it actually free?

NocoBase Core is Apache 2.0 (free, open-source). NocoBase offers paid plugins and a hosted version, but the self-host community edition covers most production needs.

How do I write a plugin?

TypeScript. Run npx create-nocobase-plugin, build, install. Plugin hot-reload works in dev mode.

Can it connect to an existing database?

Yes — point a "data source" at an external PostgreSQL/MySQL/MSSQL/Oracle DB. Use NocoBase as a UI/workflow layer on top.

Multi-language?

Yes — UI translations for Chinese, English, Russian, Spanish, French, Japanese and others ship out of the box. Plugin authors add their own.

How does multi-tenant work?

A "tenant" is a NocoBase application instance with isolated data. The Multi-app Manager plugin lets you provision tenants from a parent admin.

Backup?

NocoBase data lives in PostgreSQL. Back up Postgres (pg_dump) and the uploaded-files volume.

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