Introduction

Softr is popular because it gets you to a working portal fast. Connect a data source, drop in blocks, set up logins, and you can launch a client portal, directory, or lightweight internal app without a long build.

Teams usually start looking for Softr alternatives for a few specific reasons:

• User scaling and cost once a portal grows from dozens to hundreds (or thousands) of external users

• Permissions getting more serious than basic page access

• The portal turning into a real system with workflows, approvals, internal tooling, and long-term maintenance

• A better build experience when you need more than “website plus data”

Pricing also matters in this evaluation. Softr merged internal and external users into a single workspace-level “Users” metric in its newer plans, which simplifies billing but can change the math depending on how many portal users you expect to add.

This guide is built for the real intent behind “softr alternatives”: people who want a portal (often client-facing) with real permissions, predictable costs, and a platform that still works when the “simple portal” becomes “how we run operations.”

TL;DR

If you want the short list:

• Best overall for governed portals plus internal apps and workflows: Tadabase

• Closest “Softr-style” alternative for portals with client seats: Noloco (team seats + client seats)

• Best for mobile-first apps built quickly from data: Glide

• Best for enterprise-style portals on top of data: Stacker

• Best for fully custom web apps and building a product: Bubble

• Best if you want an admin panel on top of data (less portal): Jet Admin

• Best for agency-style client workspaces (requests, comms, files): ManyRequests or Clinked

• Best design-first route (premium website + portal): Webflow + backend (Xano, Supabase, etc.)

What to compare when choosing a Softr alternative

Most roundups list tools. The pages that rank tend to focus on the selection criteria people are actually trying to solve.

1) Pricing model: how users and access are counted

For portals, pricing usually breaks on one of these questions:

• Are external portal users counted the same as internal team users?

• Can you add users gradually without jumping to a much higher plan?

• Are you paying for builders, editors, team seats, client seats, or “all users are users”?

Softr’s shift to a single “Users” metric at the workspace level is key context if your portal user count grows quickly.
Noloco is often shortlisted because it explicitly separates team seats and client seats, which tends to map better to client portal economics.

2) Permissions that do not become a mess later

For client portals, you usually need:

• Role-based access (who can see which pages)

• Record-level access (each client sees only their records)

• Edit rules (view vs edit vs approve)

Quick test during evaluation:
“Client users can only see their company’s records, and only certain roles can edit certain fields.”

3) Workflows and operational reality

Many portal tools are fine until you need:

• Approvals

• Task routing

• Auditability

• Internal dashboards that staff use daily

At that point, teams either bolt on spreadsheets and automation, or move to a platform that supports real operations.

4) UX fit: website-like portal vs app-like portal

Softr feels like a website with data. That is great for many portals.

But some organizations need an app-like experience:

• Faster internal adoption

• Better navigation for multi-role systems

• More complex interfaces without hacks

5) AI features that speed up building without breaking everything

Ignore vague “AI-powered” claims. The useful versions usually do one of these:

• Generate a starting app from a schema

• Help write queries and transforms

• Accelerate workflows and setup

Glide positions its platform around building AI-powered apps.
Noloco calls out an AI assistant in its plans and pricing.

Quick comparison table

The best Softr alternatives in 2026

1) Tadabase

Best for: governed portals that can grow into real operations software.

If you are replacing Softr because your portal is becoming business-critical, Tadabase tends to be the “boring in the best way” choice: multi-role structure, permissions, internal tooling, external portals, workflows, and long-term maintainability.

Where it wins vs Softr-style tools

• Stronger fit when a portal becomes a full internal system

• Better long-term structure for multi-role apps (staff plus clients)

• Cleaner path from “portal” to “how we run the business”

Watch-outs
If you only need a simple portal on top of Airtable and do not expect workflows or internal tooling, Noloco or Stacker can be faster to ship.

2) Noloco

Best for: client portals and internal tools with clearer scaling for external users.

Noloco comes up constantly in Softr-alternative searches because it targets similar portal use cases, but emphasizes scaling via separate team seats and client seats.

Strengths

• Clear economics for client portals as users grow

• Built for portals and internal tools in one platform

• Strong builder experience for structured business apps

Watch-outs
Validate your exact permission model and workflow complexity early, especially if you need multi-step approvals and audit-style controls.

3) Glide

Best for: fast, mobile-first apps and simple internal tools that teams actually use.

Glide is often the best choice when adoption matters more than “portal website vibes.” If your users are in the field, on phones, or you want a true app feel, Glide is a strong contender.

Strengths

• Very fast to ship

• Excellent for mobile-first workflows

• Strong app-like UX

Watch-outs
If you want a marketing-site feel plus portal in one unified website experience, Softr or a Webflow-based approach can be a better match.

4) Stacker

Best for: enterprise-style portals over spreadsheets, Airtable, and databases.

Stacker is often chosen when the portal is meant to be a polished layer over existing data, and the organization prefers an enterprise portal posture.

Strengths

• Portal-first orientation

• Common for B2B client portals and partner portals

Watch-outs
If your portal is turning into a full operational system (approvals, routing, internal tools), a governed app platform tends to win long-term.

5) Bubble

Best for: when your portal is becoming a product.

If you need total UI control, complex flows, and product-style iteration, Bubble is the right category. It offers much more flexibility than portal-first tools, with a higher build and maintenance cost.

Strengths

• Extremely flexible UX and logic

• Best option for building a real customer-facing web app

Watch-outs
More complexity, more maintenance, and a steeper learning curve than portal builders.

6) Jet Admin

Best for: admin panels for your data, not a full client portal platform.

Jet Admin is a fit when the use case is internal dashboards and admin tools that sit on top of your data sources.

Strengths

• Fast setup

• Great for internal admin interfaces

Watch-outs
If you need a true external portal experience with deeper workflows, you may outgrow it sooner.

7) ManyRequests

Best for: agencies that want client request workflows and a client-facing workspace.

If your portal is mostly client intake, tasks, approvals, and communication, you may not need a general app builder.

Strengths

• Strong for service delivery workflows

• Less build work than a general portal builder

Watch-outs
Not meant to be a general database app platform.

8) Clinked

Best for: secure client workspaces (files, comms, portal) when you want a packaged experience.

Clinked fits better when your portal is a secure collaboration workspace, not a custom app.

9) Webflow + backend (Xano, Supabase, etc.)

Best for: design-first teams that want a premium website and a custom portal layer.

This stack is common when:

• The marketing site must be premium

• The portal is part of the experience, not the whole product

• You want more control over performance and UI

Watch-outs
You are assembling a stack, so there are more moving parts than a unified platform.

10) Airtable Interfaces

Best for: internal dashboards if Airtable is your system of record.

If Airtable is your backend and the use case is internal, Interfaces can cover a surprising amount without adding another platform.

11) AppSheet (or Power Apps if you are Microsoft-first)

Best for: organizations that live inside Google Workspace or Microsoft.

If identity and governance already live in those ecosystems, these can be the lowest-friction choices.

Why teams switch off Softr

These patterns show up repeatedly:

1. User scaling becomes the bottleneck
   Softr’s workspace-level “Users” metric simplifies counting but can change economics as portals scale.

2. Permissions get stricter than basic rules
   As soon as finance, healthcare, HR, or partner data is involved, permissions become central.

3. The portal becomes operational software
   Portals rarely stay “just a portal.” They turn into intake, approvals, internal dashboards, and routing. At that stage, teams usually want a platform designed for governed apps.

How to choose in 20 minutes

Pick one real portal flow and test it in 2 to 3 tools:

• Logins for two roles (staff + client)

• Record-level access (“client only sees their company records”)

• One workflow step (submit, review, approve)

• A staff dashboard view

The tool that feels stable and predictable during iteration is usually the right answer.

Frequently asked questions

What is the closest alternative to Softr?

For many teams, Noloco is the closest match for “portal builder plus internal tools,” especially because it separates team seats and client seats.

What is the best Softr alternative for client portals?

If you need portal economics that scale, shortlist Noloco, Stacker, and Tadabase. If the portal will become a broader operational system, Tadabase is usually the strongest long-term fit.

Is Glide better than Softr?

Glide is usually better when you want a true app experience, especially mobile-first. Softr is usually better when you want a website-like portal experience. Glide positions itself as an AI-powered app builder.

How does Softr count users now?

Softr’s newer plans do not distinguish between internal and external users, and count “Users” at the workspace level.

What is the best alternative if my portal is turning into a full system?

If you are adding workflows, approvals, internal dashboards, and multi-role governance, prioritize a governed app platform that supports portals and internal apps in the same system. This is where Tadabase is typically the best fit.

Conclusion

Softr is excellent when you want a portal fast.

But if you are switching, it is usually because the portal is scaling, permissions matter more, or the portal is becoming operational software.

A simple decision framework:

• Portal-only: Noloco, Stacker

• Portal plus real internal ops: Tadabase

• Mobile-first app experience: Glide

• Becoming a product: Bubble