Anvil

Anvil is a browser-based environment for building and deploying web apps in Python, combining visual interface design with client- and server-side code. It suits developers who want app infrastructure alongside their editor; its free tier is a practical starting point, but its storage and background-task caps may constrain production use.

Overview

Anvil brings a drag-and-drop UI designer, Python development, a Postgres-backed database and hosting into one workflow. Developers can publish to Anvil hosting or export an app to the open-source Anvil App Server, giving the platform a route beyond its own hosting.

It also covers common application plumbing: built-in authentication, email, HTTP APIs and Uplink connections to external Python code. Documented integrations include Google, Microsoft Entra ID, Facebook, Stripe and Tableau; Python SDKs provide another way to connect services. Anvil says its hosted infrastructure runs on AWS in London (eu-west-2).

Key features

Visual design and Python development

The visual designer can speed up interface construction, while Python on both client and server sides keeps application logic in one language. An integrated debugger and profiler, Python environment tools and AI-assisted code intelligence add development support. This combination is strongest for Python developers building web applications, rather than people seeking a general-purpose desktop IDE.

Data, APIs and deployment

Data Tables provide a built-in Postgres-backed database, and apps can expose HTTP APIs or use Uplink to connect external Python code. Hosting and export options make deployment part of the same environment. The Free plan’s 50,000-row and 100 MB storage allowances, plus a 30-second background-task timeout, are meaningful boundaries for data-heavy or longer-running workloads.

Mobile, security and support

Apps are responsive on phones and tablets and can be installed as Progressive Web Apps on Android, iPhone and Chromebook; Anvil also says they support offline operation. Anvil says its API removes common flaws such as injection, XSS and CSRF, and that AI agents run in isolated sandboxes without access to a user’s infrastructure or local machine.

Production includes private support, with responses to development questions within 24 working hours. That is useful for production teams, but it is not part of the free plan’s community support.

Pricing

Anvil is freemium. Free costs nothing, billed Free forever, and includes unlimited apps, cloud hosting, library installation and one developer, alongside the 50,000-row and 100 MB Data Table caps. It is a sensible way for an individual to build and publish a small app, but those data limits and the background-task timeout should be checked before relying on it for larger workloads.

Hobby is for personal projects and one developer, with no Anvil banner, scheduled tasks, one custom domain, 150,000 Data Table rows and 10 GB of storage. Its price is custom pricing. Business targets professional use and starts at one developer, adding collaboration, in-app SSO, staging environments, community support and 1,000,000 Data Table rows; it also has custom pricing. The published price display shows multiple figures across annual and monthly billing and USD, GBP and EUR selectors, excludes VAT on Business and does not establish a single payable amount, so prospective buyers should confirm their currency and term.

Production is custom pricing and includes private support, reserved resources, unlimited extra compute and SQL access to Data Tables. It is the relevant step up when support and compute headroom matter, but its price is structured as multiple displayed components rather than a single stated total. Enterprise uses custom pricing and offers private deployment on-premises or in the cloud, corporate authentication and full isolation, making it the plan for organizations that need those deployment and isolation arrangements.

Platforms

Anvil is listed for web, Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, Windows, API and self-hosted environments. The apps it creates are web apps, with mobile access delivered through responsive layouts and installable PWAs.

Who it's for

Anvil is a strong fit for Python developers who want to move from interface design through data storage and deployment without assembling each layer separately. It also suits teams that need collaboration, SSO or staged environments, and organizations that require private deployment can consider Enterprise. It is less suitable when the project needs generous free-tier data capacity, long-running background tasks, or a conventional desktop Python IDE.

Pros and cons

• Integrated app workflow: Visual design, Python code, database and hosting sit together, reducing the number of separate systems needed for a web app.
• Flexible deployment: Anvil hosting is available, with export to the open-source Anvil App Server for teams that want to run apps elsewhere.
• Free entry point: The forever-free plan includes cloud hosting and unlimited apps, but one developer and finite data and task limits make it a starting tier rather than an unrestricted production option.
• Plan boundaries matter: Collaboration and app SSO start with Business, while private support and reserved resources are in Production; buyers should match those needs to custom pricing.

Alternatives

For a Python-focused development environment rather than Anvil’s app-design and deployment bundle, compare the Python IDEs directory. If visual, low-code application building is the priority, browse Low-Code Development Platforms.

• Eric is a free option for Linux, macOS and Windows if a desktop Python IDE is a better fit than Anvil’s web-app workflow.
• Spyder is a free, open-source scientific Python IDE for Linux, macOS, Windows and web; choose it when scientific Python development is the focus.
• Positron is a free desktop option for Linux, macOS and Windows, with a data-science software background.
• PyCharm offers a free tier with one month of Pro included and a Pro plan at $200 a year per user; consider it when a desktop Python IDE is preferred over Anvil’s full-stack web-app environment.
• Thonny is a free option for Linux, macOS and Windows.
• PyScripter is a free Windows-only alternative for Python 3.8 or later.
• NINJA-IDE is a free GPLv3+ Python IDE with Windows and Linux installers; its macOS download is unavailable.
• Pyzo is a free option for Windows, macOS and Linux.

Verdict

Choose Anvil if you want to build and deploy a Python web app with visual design, data, authentication and hosting in one environment. Its broad workflow and export option are the case for it; look elsewhere if you need a traditional desktop IDE, or if the free plan’s storage and task limits do not fit your app.