ILLA Builder is an open-source low-code platform designed for developers to quickly create internal tools such as dashboards, CRUD applications, admin panels, CRM, and CMS systems without writing extensive frontend code. Built with React and TypeScript, it provides a visual interface to connect to databases like PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB, MSSQL, and APIs including REST and GraphQL. By offering real-time collaboration, pre-built components from ILLA Design, and self-hosting options via Docker or Kubernetes, it empowers engineering teams to automate internal workflows and reduce dependency on full-stack development cycles. It’s ideal for developers who need to build custom tooling quickly but want full control over data and infrastructure.
What You Get
- Real-time Collaboration - Multiple developers can work on the same internal tool simultaneously with live updates, enabling faster iteration and team-based development of dashboards and admin panels.
- Self-hosted Deployment - Full control over your infrastructure with support for Docker, docker-compose, and Kubernetes; no vendor lock-in. Deploy using the ILLA CLI or manual configuration.
- Database & API Connectors - Pre-built integrations for PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB, MSSQL, REST APIs, GraphQL, Supabase, Redis, and Hugging Face — all configurable via a GUI without writing connection code.
- Drag-and-Drop UI Builder - A visual canvas with dozens of components (tables, charts, forms) from ILLA Design that auto-adjust layout on overlap, reducing manual CSS/HTML work.
- Workflow Automation - Trigger actions via scheduled tasks or webhooks to automate data processing, notifications, or external system updates without writing backend logic.
- Page-Based Application Structure - Build multi-page applications with navigation, routing, and state management built into the platform, enabling complex tool development without a separate frontend framework.
Common Use Cases
- Building a dashboard for internal metrics - A DevOps team connects ILLA Builder to Prometheus and Grafana APIs to visualize system health metrics in real time without writing a single line of frontend code.
- Creating a CRM for sales teams - A startup connects ILLA to PostgreSQL and REST APIs from their existing customer data store, then builds a lead management interface with forms, tables, and filters in under an hour.
- Problem: Manual data entry for inventory → Solution: Automated CRUD app - A warehouse manager needs to track 10k+ SKUs; ILLA Builder connects to MySQL, auto-generates a form-based inventory app with search and export functionality in minutes.
- Team: Engineering teams managing internal tooling - Developers at a mid-sized SaaS company use ILLA Builder to create custom admin panels for client onboarding, billing logs, and support ticket systems — reducing dev backlog by 70%.
Under The Hood
ILLA Builder is a low-code development platform designed to enable rapid UI construction through visual tools and component-based architecture. It emphasizes extensibility, real-time collaboration, and a modular approach to building applications.
Architecture
The project adopts a monorepo structure with distinct apps and shared packages, enabling centralized management of cross-cutting concerns. This design promotes reuse and maintainability across the ecosystem.
- The architecture leverages Factory and Middleware patterns to manage execution trees, websocket communication, and component runtime properties.
- Component interactions are decoupled through Redux Toolkit, custom hooks, and event-driven communication for enhanced scalability.
- It supports both self-hosted and cloud deployment models, abstracting environment-specific configurations to maintain core functionality.
Tech Stack
Built with TypeScript and React, the platform utilizes modern frontend tooling to deliver a responsive and extensible user interface.
- The tech stack includes Vite for fast builds and development, alongside Turbo for monorepo management and Husky for Git hook enforcement.
- UI components are powered by @illa-design/react, @illa-public/* packages, and @mui/material, supporting a rich, customizable interface.
- Playwright is used for end-to-end testing, complemented by ESLint, Prettier, and commitlint to ensure code consistency and quality.
Code Quality
The codebase demonstrates a strong commitment to testing and error handling, with a focus on maintainability and type safety.
- Extensive Playwright test suites cover various resource types, ensuring broad functional validation across the platform.
- Widespread use of try/catch blocks enhances robustness, particularly in API and WebSocket modules.
- While TypeScript usage is consistent, some technical debt exists in test file organization and structure.
What Makes It Unique
ILLA Builder stands out in the low-code space through its real-time collaboration features and extensible component model.
- Real-time communication is handled with a custom WebSocket layer that enables live updates and shared editing experiences.
- The platform’s UI state management is built on a combination of Redux Toolkit and custom hooks, allowing for dynamic and reactive interfaces.
- Extensibility is supported through a plugin architecture that allows developers to build and integrate custom components seamlessly.