Easy web UIs for backend devs
Lowdefy is an open-source (Apache-2.0) low-code framework that lets you build web apps with YAML configuration files.
Website: https://lowdefy.com
Docs: https://docs.lowdefy.com
Github: https://github.com/lowdefy/lowdefy
Give it a try 🚀
If you have node.js installed, simply run:
in your console to create your first lowdefy app.
We have developed a simple application schema that is easy to understand, write, remember and of course version control. Yet, flexible enough to create UIs that require advanced logic. This makes it easy to learn how to write applications and easier to maintain consistency from one application to the next.
Building internal tools, admin, or reporting applications is often time-consuming, tedious, and requires extra effort to maintain. Lowdefy aims to make these applications easier to create, more consistent, and less vulnerable.
Lowdefy only provides the application layer and connects to your external data sources or APIs, allowing you to access data where it is stored.
Lowdefy uses webpack module federation as a micro-frontend strategy to load blocks on demand. This enables developers to further extend the functionality by building custom Lowdefy blocks.
Authentication is available by linking any OpenId Connect provider.
Why YAML?
- All Lowdefy apps use the same structured config schema, which makes it easier to debug large apps or pick up where others left off.
- Nothing is hidden in a GUI. This allows you to do the basics (copy, paste, find, replace, etc.), which makes developing apps more productive.
- Lowdefy app config is simply data, so you can even develop scripts to create and manage your apps.
- YAML files work with your favorite developer, source control, and CI tools.
- Building a GUI to build Lowdefy apps is possible but resource-intensive, so for now, our primary focus is to develop a really powerful and stable application engine.
Our story:
We have been building Lowdefy since May 2019, and have been using it internally for client software projects since January 2020. We planned to sell it as a SaaS product but decided that an open-source approach is more in line with our ultimate vision for Lowdefy.
Why open-source?
We don't want to spend time reinventing the wheel developing hosting solutions when companies like Netlify, Serverless, and Vercel already make this easy for users. It is also important for us that our clients are not locked into a single provider when building a tool. Lowdefy does not host any data, Lowdefy apps can still run even if we shut down, and you have all the business logic of your app in a simple to read YAML file if you want to port to something else later.
Building a community and trust is one of our primary objectives, since Lowdefy apps can be shared and open-sourced with ease, we hope to see many open-source Lowdefy apps in the future.
On our roadmap:
We plan to monetize Lowdefy by providing optional, nice-to-have services, that integrate well with Lowdefy apps and empower the community.
One of the first services we'll be rolling out is a user authentication and authorization service that integrates well with Lowdefy, especially from an authorization and audit logging point of view.
We will also be adding more connectors to external services, front-end blocks, and expanding the deployment options.
Lowdefy - Give. Easy. Value.
We are interested in hearing your thoughts!
Also, do you think our marketing angle is aligned with our value proposition?
