Flashboard vs Kottster

Flashboard and Kottster are both admin panels designed for managing database records without building custom interfaces from scratch. They're direct competitors solving the same problem: giving teams a way to view and edit data without writing SQL or building admin UIs manually. Both generate interfaces based on your database schema. The main differences are in how you set them up and where they run. Flashboard is a zero-code cloud service where you connect your database and get a full admin panel instantly. Kottster is a self-hosted app that requires CLI commands, Node.js, and maintaining a codebase. This page documents the differences and trade-offs to help you choose.

Quick comparison

What Flashboard does well

True zero-code setup. No CLI, no Node.js, no codebase to maintain. Connect your database in your browser and get a complete admin panel with all tables in under 2 minutes. Non-technical team members can set it up without developer help. Kottster requires running terminal commands, installing Node.js v20+, and deploying to your own infrastructure.

Full admin panel on connect. Flashboard generates interfaces for all your tables automatically when you connect your database. With Kottster, you click "Add Page" for each table you want to manage. This gives Kottster users more control over which tables appear, but means more manual work to get started.

CMS built in. Write and edit rich text content with a Notion-like block editor. Upload images and files directly to your S3-compatible storage. The content is stored as HTML in your database columns, ready to render in your application. Kottster focuses on data management and doesn't include content editing features.

No infrastructure to manage. No servers to provision, no deployments to handle, no version upgrades to apply, no security patches to install. Flashboard handles all of that. With Kottster, you own and operate the infrastructure. That gives you control, but it also means more operational work.

End-to-end credential encryption. Your database credentials are encrypted with a key only you own. Even Flashboard's team cannot access them. Kottster approaches this differently by being self-hosted, so your credentials never leave your infrastructure in the first place. Both are valid security models with different trade-offs.

Two-factor authentication. 2FA is built into Flashboard and can be enforced for your entire team. Kottster relies on its built-in identity provider, with SSO available on paid tiers.

PostgreSQL specialization. Flashboard is built specifically for PostgreSQL. It handles foreign key relationships, JSON columns, and array types natively. Instead of being a generic tool for many databases, it goes deep on PostgreSQL features.

What Kottster does well

Self-hosted. Your data and credentials stay on your infrastructure. For organizations with strict data sovereignty requirements, compliance rules that prevent using cloud services, or environments where data cannot leave internal networks, Kottster's self-hosting model is the only option between these two tools.

Multi-database support. Works with PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, Microsoft SQL Server, and SQLite. If you manage multiple database types and want one admin panel for all of them, or if you use something other than PostgreSQL, Kottster handles that. Flashboard only supports PostgreSQL.

Dashboard and analytics pages. Build custom dashboards with charts, metrics, and KPIs. Kottster can create reporting interfaces, not just CRUD tables. Need to show revenue trends, user growth, or operational metrics? Kottster has dedicated dashboard pages for that. Flashboard focuses on data management and CMS features, not analytics.

Full source code access. Each page in Kottster lives at app/routes/<pageId>/index.jsx. Need something custom? Edit the React code directly. Built on Remix (Node.js + React), it's a real framework you can extend in any direction. Flashboard is a closed service with no code-level customization.

Open source (Apache 2.0). Audit the source code, contribute fixes, understand exactly how your admin panel works. Fork it if needed. For teams that require visibility into their tools or need to make modifications, this transparency matters. Flashboard is a closed-source cloud service.

Free tier with unlimited users. Kottster's free Community tier has no user limits. Add your entire team without per-seat costs. Flashboard's free tier includes 1 seat, with unlimited seats available on higher-tier plans.

Custom React pages. Beyond auto-generated table pages, build completely custom interfaces with React. Forms, wizards, complex workflows, multi-step processes. If you can code it in React, you can add it to Kottster. Flashboard's UI is generated from your schema, not customizable at the code level.

Granular page control. Add only the pages you need. Start with just the tables your team uses, then add more as needed. Flashboard takes the opposite approach: it generates interfaces for all tables automatically, then you remove the ones you don't need. Both workflows get you to the same place, just different starting points.

When to choose Flashboard

• You want an admin panel working in minutes, not hours
• You don't want to run CLI commands, manage a codebase, or deploy infrastructure
• You need CMS capabilities alongside database management
• You work exclusively with PostgreSQL
• Non-technical team members need to set up or manage the panel
• You want predictable pricing for growing teams (unlimited seats on higher tiers)
• End-to-end credential encryption is a requirement
• You need built-in 2FA that can be enforced for your team

When to choose Kottster

• Self-hosting is required (data cannot leave your infrastructure)
• You work with MySQL, MariaDB, MSSQL, SQLite, or multiple database types
• You need dashboard pages with charts and metrics
• You want full control over the UI with custom React code
• You prefer open-source solutions you can audit and modify
• Your team is comfortable with Node.js and maintaining a codebase
• You prefer adding pages incrementally rather than removing unused ones
• You need SSO/SAML integration (available on Kottster's paid tier)

Frequently asked questions

Are Flashboard and Kottster the same type of tool?

Yes, they're direct competitors solving the same problem. Both are admin panels that auto-generate interfaces from your database schema. Both let you view, create, edit, and delete records without writing SQL. The main differences are in deployment (cloud vs self-hosted), setup requirements (zero-code vs CLI/codebase), and feature focus (CMS vs dashboards). If you're evaluating database admin panels, both belong on your shortlist.

Which is cheaper for my team?

It depends on team size and what features you need. Kottster's free Community tier includes unlimited users, so you can add your whole team at no cost. Flashboard's free tier includes 1 seat, but higher tiers include unlimited seats at a flat monthly rate. If you need Kottster's paid features like SSO, audit logging, or data change history, those add to the cost. For a small team that doesn't need CMS features, Kottster's free tier may be cheaper. For growing teams that need CMS and don't want per-user pricing, Flashboard's unlimited seats can be more predictable.

Can I migrate from Kottster to Flashboard?

If your data is in PostgreSQL, yes. Connect Flashboard to the same database. Flashboard reads your existing schema without requiring migrations. Custom React pages and dashboard code you built in Kottster won't transfer since Flashboard doesn't have those features. If you're using Kottster with MySQL, MariaDB, MSSQL, or SQLite, Flashboard won't work since it only supports PostgreSQL.

Can I migrate from Flashboard to Kottster?

Yes. Kottster supports PostgreSQL, so you can connect it to the same database. Rich text content created with Flashboard's CMS is stored as HTML in your database columns. It will display as text in Kottster since it doesn't have CMS features, but the data is preserved. You'll need to recreate your pages manually in Kottster since it doesn't auto-generate all tables on connect.

Which is easier to set up?

Different definitions of "easy" for different teams. Flashboard is faster for non-technical users. Connect your database in your browser, and you have a working admin panel in under 2 minutes. No terminal commands, no installing dependencies, no deployment. Kottster requires Node.js v20 or higher, running npx @kottster/cli new to scaffold a project, npm run dev to start development, and eventually deploying to your own infrastructure (Vercel, your own servers, etc.). If your team is comfortable with Node.js and terminal commands, Kottster's setup is straightforward. If not, Flashboard removes that barrier entirely.

Do I need self-hosting?

Most teams don't. Self-hosting adds operational complexity: you're responsible for updates, backups, security patches, and uptime. However, some organizations have compliance requirements that prevent using cloud services, or strict data sovereignty rules that require data to stay on-premises. If that's your situation, Kottster's self-hosting is the only option between these two tools. If you don't have those requirements, cloud hosting typically reduces operational burden.

Which is better for dashboards and analytics?

Kottster. It has dedicated dashboard pages where you can build charts, display metrics, and create KPI visualizations. If you need to show revenue trends, user growth, or operational dashboards alongside your data management interface, Kottster supports that workflow. Flashboard focuses on CRUD operations and CMS content editing. It doesn't have chart or dashboard features.

Which is better for security?

Both tools offer strong security models, just different approaches. Flashboard uses end-to-end encryption for database credentials (encrypted with a key only you own) and built-in 2FA that can be enforced team-wide. Kottster sidesteps the credential security question entirely by being self-hosted: your credentials never leave your infrastructure. Both include authentication systems and access controls. Choose based on whether you prefer cloud-managed security or infrastructure you control.

Which is better for non-technical team members?

Flashboard. The entire experience happens in a web browser. No CLI, no terminal commands, no codebase to maintain, no deployments to manage. Non-technical team members can connect a database, use the admin panel, and even set up new panels without developer involvement. Kottster requires someone comfortable with Node.js and terminal commands for initial setup and ongoing maintenance. Once set up, the day-to-day usage of both tools is similar, but Flashboard's setup process has fewer technical prerequisites.

What are the best alternatives to both?

For full-featured internal tool builders: Retool, Appsmith, and Budibase let you build custom applications with drag-and-drop interfaces, not just database admin panels. For admin panels focused on existing databases: Forest Admin, Basedash, JetAdmin, and Rocketadmin are direct competitors. The right choice depends on whether you need a simple admin panel (Flashboard, Kottster, Rocketadmin) or a platform for building custom internal applications (Retool, Appsmith).

Still not sure?

If you want a PostgreSQL admin panel with CMS features and zero setup complexity, try Flashboard for free. If you need self-hosting, multi-database support, or custom dashboards with full code access, explore Kottster. Both offer free tiers, so you can evaluate each without commitment.