Sourcetool
Hey HN! I built *Sourcetool* because I wanted Retool-speed without leaving the IDE. What it is: * Write backend functions Sourcetool streams a WebSocket UI to the browser. * No drag-drop builder, so Copilot / Cursor can read & refactor your tool. * Everything is plain code → PR reviews, CI, Git history just work. * Self-hosted binary, no data leaves your infra. 30-second taste: ```go func usersPage(ui sourcetool.UIBuilder) error { name := ui.TextInput("Name") // Just call your existing backend logic here // Example: a function that queries users from your database…
Sourcetool launched on May 7, 2025 with 3 votes. The site was still online in September 2026, 1 year on.
What it does
Sourcetool is a code-first alternative to Retool. Build powerful internal tools with just backend code. Sourcetool auto-generates beautiful UIs from your backend, handling authentication and real-time updates.
Sourcetool is an open-source internal tool builder that enables you to create full-featured applications without writing any frontend code.
Sourcetool transforms your backend code into powerful internal tools. No frontend skills required. No drag-and-drop. No UI design. Just pure backend code turning into powerful internal tools. GUI builders are yesterday's tools. Build better internal tools with backend code in the AI era. Focus purely on your backend logic. Our declarative API automatically handles UI components, layouts, and interactions. No CSS, no JavaScript, no hassle. Catch errors before they happen with end-to-end type safety. Your UI definitions are validated at compile time, ensuring robust and maintainable applications. Your AI pair programmer's best friend. Code-first approach means AI can read, understand, and…from trysourcetool.com
In the maker’s words, at launch
Hey HN! I built *Sourcetool* because I wanted Retool-speed without leaving the IDE. What it is: * Write backend functions Sourcetool streams a WebSocket UI to the browser. * No drag-drop builder, so Copilot / Cursor can read & refactor your tool. * Everything is plain code → PR reviews, CI, Git history just…
Does a similar job
all alternatives →
Retool2018 · retool.com · ▲640Hi all, founder @ Retool here. We initially launched Retool on HN five years ago: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14515494. The feedback was extraordinarily helpful then (e.g. we launched source control, on-prem, etc. based on HN comments), and we’re grateful for all of it. Today, we’re excited to get HN’s thoughts on one of our new products: Retool Mobile. It lets you build and deploy mobile apps in minutes, not days. The idea is there is a large class of line-of-business mobile apps, and the process of getting a simple form + button on a mobile device, in a native app,…

Retool – build internal tools faster2018 · tryretool.com · ▲592Build, deploy, and manage internal tools with Retool's unified engine. Connect to any database, API, or LLM. Leverage AI throughout your business.
Open-source alternative to Retool2022 · github.com · ▲420🔥 🔥 🔥 The Open Source Retool Alternative. Contribute to openblocks-dev/openblocks development by creating an account on GitHub.
- OSOpen-source, self-hosted data management app and internal tool builder2021 · ▲82
Hey HN, This is Adrian and David, and we're excited (and nervous) to show you basetool (https://basetool.io). Basetool helps companies view and manage all their data in one place. Companies have data in tons of places like BI tools, data warehouses, 3rd party services, and their databases. However, because the tools are not connected, it's a hassle to have visibility across the whole organization and even more difficult to safely share that data with the team or external collaborators. The vision is to give basetool access to your data source and get a tool that way above a…

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