Compare all builders
Compare
vs
Active Admin scaffolds a Rails back office. Extending it is a DSL you have to learn.
Active Admin generates a working admin over your Rails models quickly, and for straightforward CRUD it earns its place. The moment a screen needs something the DSL does not cover, you are overriding Arbre components and controller actions. Jet Admin generates the interface from your database and lets you write plain code where it matters.
Why Jet
Why teams choose Jet Admin
Active Admin generates a working admin over your Rails models quickly, and for straightforward CRUD it earns its place. The moment a screen needs something the DSL does not cover, you are overriding Arbre components and controller actions. Jet Admin generates the interface from your database and lets you write plain code where it matters.
Feature by feature
CAPABILITY
Jet
Active Admin
Build on your existing database
Two-way sync & write-back
Edit & own the generated code
Self-hosting & on-premise
White-label & custom domains
Built for internal tools & ops
Granular role-based access
Audit logs
Full support
Partial / limited
Not available
The verdict
So, which should you choose?
Choose the platform that fits your data sources, workflows and access requirements. Jet Admin lets your team build business apps and internal tools on existing data, with visual workflows and access controls. Use the comparison to evaluate the fit for your team.
Active Admin
may be better when…
Active Admin scaffolds a Rails back office. Extending it is a DSL you have to learn.
Jet Admin is best when…
Your team needs to understand and maintain the app without engineers
You want to see your app logic visually — not hidden in code
You need a database your whole team can browse and work with directly
You want built-in permissions and no per-seat pricing
Import Your App
Already built it in
Active Admin
?
Bring it into Jet.
Moving an existing app? Connect your data and rebuild the workflows you need in Jet Admin. If you have exportable React source code, contact our team to check import compatibility. Migration options depend on your current platform.
Frequently asked questions
Is Active Admin still maintained?
<p>Yes, it is still actively released, and it remains a common choice in Rails apps. Maintenance is not usually the reason teams look elsewhere; customization effort is.</p>
What is the best Active Admin alternative?
<p>For a Rails-only, developer-maintained back office, Administrate or Rails Admin are the usual comparisons. If the tool has to serve operations or customers, an app platform on the same database is the bigger step.</p>
Can Jet Admin connect to a Rails database?
<p>Yes. Jet reads the Postgres or MySQL your Rails app uses in place, with no migration and no second copy.</p>
Does Jet Admin handle authorization like CanCanCan?
<p>Jet has its own permission model with row- and column-level rules, available on the Business plan, so authorization is configured rather than coded.</p>
Can I keep Active Admin and add Jet Admin?
<p>Yes. Teams often keep Active Admin for developer CRUD and build the ops and customer-facing screens in Jet against the same database.</p>
