ActiveAdmin
Better knownThe long-standing Rails admin framework, mounted at /admin
No ratings yet# Gemfile
gem "activeadmin"ActiveAdmin vs Rails DB
Both replace Retool. ActiveAdmin is the better-known of the two (9,600 stars), while Rails DB also stands in for Airtable.
A database viewer and SQL runner mounted at /rails/db
No ratings yet# Gemfile
gem "rails_db"
# config/routes.rb
mount RailsDb::Engine, at: "/rails/db"What ActiveAdmin does
ActiveAdmin has been the default answer to "we need an admin" in Rails for over a decade, and it is still maintained. A DSL for registering resources Filters, scopes, batch actions and CSV export Custom pages and dashboard sections Authorization adapters for CanCan and Pundit The DSL is powerful and opinionated. Deviating from it costs more than it does in Administrate, where you are editing ordinary generated views.
Read the full ActiveAdmin listing →
Why you might pick it
- It also replaces Forest Admin.
- It has substantially more adoption — 9,600 stars against 1,500.
What Rails DB does
A database browser for Rails that works against PostgreSQL, MySQL and SQLite. Table content and schema, browsable A SQL editor with autocomplete CSV and Excel export HTTP basic auth built in, if you have no better gate
Read the full Rails DB listing →
Why you might pick it
- It also replaces Airtable.
Side by side
Rows where the two differ are marked.
| ActiveAdmin | Rails DB | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Admin and internal tools | Admin and internal tools |
| Replaces (differs) | Forest Admin, Retool | Airtable, Retool |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars (differs) | 9600 | 1500 |
| Gem (differs) | activeadmin | rails_db |
| Mounts at (differs) | /admin | /rails/db |
| Member rating | — | — |
What each one gets off your invoice
Questions
- What is the difference between ActiveAdmin and Rails DB?
- Both replace Retool. ActiveAdmin is the better-known of the two (9,600 stars), while Rails DB also stands in for Airtable.
- Can I mount both ActiveAdmin and Rails DB in the same Rails app?
- Technically yes — engines mount at different paths — but they overlap, so running both usually means two sets of tables doing one job. Pick one.
- Do ActiveAdmin and Rails DB replace the same SaaS product?
- Both are listed as replacements for Retool.