Sourcetool
Build internal tools with just backend code
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Charlie

Sourcetool - Build internal tools with just backend code

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Sourcetool is a code-first alternative to Retool. Build powerful internal tools with just backend code. Sourcetool auto-generates beautiful UIs from your backend, handling authentication and real-time updates.

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Charlie
Hunter
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Hey Product Hunt! 👋

I'm thrilled to introduce Sourcetool - born from a simple belief: backend developers shouldn't need to be frontend experts to build great internal tools.

🔍 The Problem

Our backend developer, who is also a product owner, was frustrated with the endless cycle of building admin panels and dashboards. GUI-based UI builders like Retool are painfully incompatible with the AI era - they require manual point-and-click operations that can't be automated, generated, or maintained by AI tools. This results in significantly slower development cycles and creates growing technical debt as AI capabilities continue to advance.

✨ The Solution
Sourcetool lets you create full-featured internal tools using only Backend code. Here's what makes it special:


  • 🚀 Zero Frontend Code: Write backend logic, get beautiful UI automatically

  • 🔄 Real-time Updates: WebSocket-based, instant UI updates

  • 🛡️ Type Safety: Leverage Go's type system for reliable tools

  • 🤖 AI-Ready: Code-first approach makes it perfect for AI-assisted development

  • 🔐 Self-hosted: Run on your infrastructure, keep data secure

    Here's a quick example:

func userListPage(ui sourcetool.UIBuilder) error {
    ui.Markdown("## Users")
    users, _ := listUsers()
    ui.Table(users)
    return nil
}


That's it! Sourcetool generates a complete user management interface from this code.

I'd love to hear your thoughts and answer any questions! What internal tools would you build with Sourcetool?

P.S. We're open source! Check us out on GitHub: https://github.com/trysourcetool/sourcetool