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A Softr alternative: portals and directories written as code
Softr builds apps, portals and internal tools on top of data you already have, from Airtable, Google Sheets, HubSpot, Notion, Salesforce or SQL databases, or its own Softr Databases, from $19 a month. OneCraft Sites has an AI agent write the portal or directory as code, with its tables, access rules and admin screens in the site's own database.
Updated , competitor details checked . Softr is a trademark of its owner. OneCraft is an unrelated product and claims no affiliation with or endorsement by it.
Nuwan Madhusanka · Co-founder
3 min read · Published
The short verdict
Softr is the better pick when your data already lives in Airtable, Google Sheets, HubSpot or another tool and you want a portal or internal app over it, edited visually by a team, with dozens of integrations and workflows. OneCraft suits a business that wants the portal or directory written as a real React project with its own database, row level security checked on every table, Stripe payments to its own account and a zip of the code.
| Feature | Softr | OneCraft |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free; Basic $19/mo; Pro $99/mo; Business $329/mo; Enterprise contact us checked 2026-10-20 | Free $0 with 100 credits a month (build and preview, no publishing), Starter $8 with 500, Pro $25 with 1,500, Pro+ $125 with 7,500 |
| Free plan | Free: 5 app users, 5K database records, 500 workflow actions a month, up to 3 builders checked 2026-10-20 | Builds and previews with its credits but cannot publish, connect a domain or take payments |
| Data source | Connect your Softr apps to external data sources like Airtable, Google Sheets, HubSpot, Notion, Salesforce, SQL databases, and more checked 2026-10-20 | The site's own database: a schema in OneCraft's pool or a project on your own Supabase account; no Airtable or Sheets connection |
| Own database | Softr Databases records: 5K on Free, 50K on Basic, 500K on Pro checked 2026-10-20 | A hosted schema per site on every plan, or connect your own Supabase |
| Users and roles | Granular permissions & visibility on Pro checked 2026-10-20 | Row level security on every table, checked as an anonymous visitor, a signed in person and an admin |
| Sign in | OTP, Google Sign-in (app users) on Pro checked 2026-10-20 | Email and password with reset, and Google sign in on the published site and installed app |
| Custom domain | Custom domain from Basic; additional custom domains $15/month, or $13/month billed annually checked 2026-10-20 | Free 0, Starter 1, Pro 5, Pro+ and up no cap |
| Custom code | Custom code & API connectors on Pro checked 2026-10-20 | Every site is code: a React Router, Tailwind and shadcn/ui project in its own git repository, downloadable as a zip |
| Install and push | Installable mobile app (PWA) and Push notifications on Business checked 2026-10-20 | A PWA with a manifest and install offer through the pwa guide; no push to visitors |
| AI | AI co-builder: Describe what you want, and watch it build business-ready applications in minutes checked 2026-10-20 | An agent pipeline: plan, foundation, build steps four pages at a time, a green build, then review and fix |
Where Softr is better
Works on data you already have
Softr connects to Airtable, Google Sheets, HubSpot, Notion, Salesforce and SQL databases. OneCraft has no connection to any of them; data lives in the site's own database, so a team that runs on a spreadsheet would have to move it.
Workflows and integrations
Softr includes workflow actions every month, dozens of integrations by plan, and an API and MCP. OneCraft builds features into the site but has no workflow automation tool or integration catalogue.
Visual editing by a team
Softr lets several builders edit an app visually and keep building after AI credits run out. OneCraft files are read only; every change goes through the AI chat and its build checks.
Push notifications
Softr lists push notifications on Business. OneCraft cannot push to visitors or app users; it builds an in site notification bell and local reminders in apps instead.
Where OneCraft is different
A portal written from a tested guide
The portal guide builds projects, milestones, updates with comments, private files, approvals, invoices and messages, with every table guarded by a membership check in the database. Clients join through an invite link and can see only their own project.
Payments without a plugin
Invoices, orders and subscriptions are paid through Stripe Checkout as a direct charge on your own connected Stripe account, with a platform fee of 2%, 1% or 0.5% by plan. Prices are read from the site's database, never from the browser.
Real code at a lower plan price
OneCraft plans run from $8 to $125 a month and every site downloads as a React project. Softr's Pro plan, where custom code and granular permissions start, is $99 a month.
Data first or app first
Softr starts from data: point it at a base or a sheet and build screens on top. OneCraft starts from the business: describe the portal or directory, and the agent writes the tables, access rules, screens and an admin area from its guides, such as portal, listings, crm and files. If the spreadsheet is the source of truth for your team, Softr fits. If the site should be the source of truth, OneCraft does. Many teams use both kinds of tool: a spreadsheet driven app for internal work, and a public website with its own database for customers.
How a directory works on OneCraft
The listings guide builds directories of jobs, properties, cars or places with filters and submissions, and maps and search guides add a store finder or a search box. Owners approve submissions in the admin area. Files go into two buckets: a public one up to 10 MB a file and a private one up to 25 MB a file that only the site's own rules can read.
Comparing the cost
Softr Basic is $19 a month and Pro, where custom code, Google sign in and granular permissions start, is $99. OneCraft Pro is $25 a month and Starter is $8, and both include a hosted site database. OneCraft also uses credits to build and edit, at 1 credit per US cent of model use (builds are free), so heavy editing costs more.
Who should stay with Softr
Stay with Softr if your business already runs on Airtable, Sheets or a CRM and the app is a window onto that data, or if a team needs to edit visually and automate workflows. Move if you want a client facing portal or directory with its own database, payments through Stripe and code you can take elsewhere.
Questions people ask
Can OneCraft connect to my Airtable base?
No. OneCraft sites keep their data in their own database, either a schema in OneCraft's pool or a project on your own Supabase account. To move from Airtable, export a CSV and ask the agent for the csv guide, which adds CSV import and export to the admin area, then check the imported rows.
Can each client see only their own records?
Yes. The portal guide guards every table with a membership check inside the database, not just on the screen, and the agent checks the tables as an anonymous visitor, as a signed in person without membership and as an admin before the step can finish. Clients join through an invite link the owner sends.
Can the portal email my clients?
Only in a limited way. A signed in visitor can send mail to their own address or to the owner's, 20 an hour, and admins can send a newsletter to confirmed subscribers. The site cannot email clients freely, so portal invites are sent from your own email with the link the admin area shows.
Is there a visual editor?
No. Files are read only in the builder and changes go through the AI chat, one open turn per site. Each change is built and checked, a change whose build fails is rolled back, and every change is a commit you can preview and restore from Versions, which keeps the newest 50.
Can I use OneCraft for an internal tool?
It can build signed in areas with an admin role, staff rosters and CSV import, but it is aimed at client facing websites and apps. A team that needs workflows across many business tools and visual editing by several builders will usually be better served by Softr or a similar internal tool builder.
Try the website side of OneCraft
The button opens the generator with a starting prompt already filled in. Change the wording to match your own work before you run it.
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Written and checked by the OneCraft team. Last checked .