Best for
Best for teams building client portals and internal tools on top of existing data without writing code.
- Freelancers
- Small and mid-sized
- Enterprise
AI App Builders Comparison
Softr vs. Xano
At a glance
At a glance
Best for
Best for teams building a scalable backend and API without managing servers, with the frontend built elsewhere.
- Freelancers
- Small and mid-sized
- Enterprise
Cataleo does not name a winner. Both statements come from the vendors themselves.
Full Comparison
| Criterion | Softr | Xano |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | lower value Free; paid plans from $19 / month Rates on annual billing: Basic $19, Pro $99 and Business $329 per month, Enterprise on request. Nonprofit and educational organizations get 50 percent off. | Free tier; paid from $85 / month Prices are billed annually: Essential $85 and Pro $224 per month. Custom plans are quoted by the vendor. |
| Free trial | Free plan | Free tier with rate limits, up to 100K database records and 1 workspace |
| Output | Business web apps and portals (PWA for mobile) | Backends: PostgreSQL databases, REST APIs, background tasks and agent tooling |
| API | Not stated | Yes, the platform's purpose is generating APIs, with autogenerated OpenAPI docs and an MCP server |
| Hosting | Not stated | Xano-managed regions or self-hosted on Azure, AWS, GCP or on-premise |
| What it generates | Business apps: client portals, internal tools, CRMs, dashboards, intranets and inventory systems | The backend rather than the whole app: database, REST APIs, custom functions, middleware, background tasks and triggers, with the frontend left to another tool |
| Stack and frameworks | No-code, block-based builder with no generated code to manage | PostgreSQL with Redis caching and Docker microservices; logic is built visually or written as XanoScript, which the CLI syncs to files on disk; works with React, Next.js, Flutter, Webflow, Framer and AI-generated frontends from Lovable and Bolt |
| Auth and database | Native database or 15+ external sources (Airtable, Google Sheets, Notion, PostgreSQL, MySQL, Supabase, HubSpot); email/password, magic link, Google and SSO login with user groups and permissions | PostgreSQL with unlimited records from the Essential tier; authentication endpoints (/signup, /login, /me) ship by default on JWE tokens, with role-based access control and enterprise SSO through GitHub, Google and Microsoft |
| Hosting and deploy | Published to a Softr URL or a custom domain, with SOC 2 Type II and GDPR compliance | Xano-managed hosting across multiple regions, or self-hosted on Azure, AWS, GCP or on-premise; releases are immutable versioned objects promoted through staging |
| Payments | Stripe, to sell digital products and sync purchase data | Not stated |
| Access to the code | No code access, visual editing and vibe coding only | XanoScript is readable and editable, and the CLI syncs the workspace to files on disk; APIs carry autogenerated OpenAPI documentation |
| MCP-ready | No | stated Yes |
| Deployment | Cloud (SaaS), Browser-based | more entries Cloud (SaaS), Browser-based, On-premise |
| Support | Community forum | more entries Chat, Community forum |
| Onboarding | Documentation and knowledge base | more entries Documentation and knowledge base, Video tutorials |
| Company size | Freelancers, Small and mid-sized, Enterprise | Freelancers, Small and mid-sized, Enterprise |
| Integrations | more entries Airtable, Google Sheets, Notion, PostgreSQL, MySQL, Supabase, HubSpot, monday.com, ClickUp, Xero, Stripe, Make, Zapier | Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, Lovable, Bolt.new, Webflow, Framer, Flutter, Datadog |
Add a tool
Adds a column to the table, from the tools in this category.
Row where the values differ The small markers point at the lower number, the longer list or the stated feature. They describe the data, they are not a verdict.
The short version
Key Differences
- Starting price Softr Free; paid plans from $19 / month Xano Free tier; paid from $85 / month
- Free trial Softr Free plan Xano Free tier with rate limits, up to 100K database records and 1 workspace
- Deployment Softr Cloud (SaaS), Browser-based Xano Cloud (SaaS), Browser-based, On-premise
- Support Softr Community forum Xano Chat, Community forum
- MCP-ready Softr No Xano Yes
Every line is one datapoint from the table above, picked automatically. Nothing here is written text.
The trade-offs
Strengths and Limitations
Softr
Strengths
- Turns a prompt into a full app: database, pages, user groups and navigation
- Connects to 15+ data sources with two-way sync (Airtable, Google Sheets, Supabase and more)
- Built-in auth, user groups and permissions, with SSO and SOC 2 Type II
Limitations
- No access to the underlying code
- Mobile is delivered as a PWA, not a native app
- Focused on business apps and portals rather than consumer apps
Xano
Strengths
- Self-hosting on Azure, AWS, GCP or on-premise, not only the vendor's cloud
- Frontend-agnostic: pairs with React, Flutter, Webflow, Framer, Lovable or Bolt rather than dictating one
- An official MCP server, so external AI agents build against the same workspace rules
Limitations
- The first paid tier is $85 a month, a steep step up from the free one
- It builds only the backend, so a second tool is needed for the interface
- The free tier is rate-limited to 10 requests per 20 seconds and watermarks stored images
Plans
Pricing
Softr
- Free $0
- Basic $19 Per month on annual billing.
- Pro $99 Per month on annual billing.
- Business $329 Per month on annual billing.
- Enterprise Custom Quoted by the vendor.
Xano
- Free $0 Core building tools, rate-limited to 10 requests per 20 seconds. Up to 100K database records, 1GB watermarked image storage, 1 workspace.
- Essential $85 Per month billed annually. Dedicated infrastructure without API rate limits, unlimited database records, 3 workspaces, 5 team seats, 100GB storage.
- Pro $224 Per month billed annually. 5 workspaces, 10 team seats, 250GB storage, managed load balancer, role management, 99.99% SLA.
- Custom Custom Quoted by the vendor. Self-hosting, advanced security, multiple tenant configurations and dedicated support.
What users say
Review Scores · opens after launch
Softr
- Ease of use
- Not rated yet
- User interface
- Not rated yet
- Onboarding
- Not rated yet
- Support and service
- Not rated yet
- Value for money
- Not rated yet
- Features
- Not rated yet
No reviews yet. Be the first to review this tool. Every review is checked for fairness before it appears, and the vendor cannot have one removed.
Xano
- Ease of use
- Not rated yet
- User interface
- Not rated yet
- Onboarding
- Not rated yet
- Support and service
- Not rated yet
- Value for money
- Not rated yet
- Features
- Not rated yet
No reviews yet. Be the first to review this tool. Every review is checked for fairness before it appears, and the vendor cannot have one removed.
Where this comes from
Where this comes from
Softr https://www.softr.io · no check date recorded yet
Xano https://www.xano.com · no check date recorded yet
This table lists factual criteria taken from information the vendors publish themselves. For how we put it together, see the methodology.