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Multi-portal, Multi-app, and Multi-space

docs/docs/en/multi-app/multi-app-vs-multi-portal-vs-multi-space.md

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Multi-portal, Multi-app, and Multi-space

NocoBase provides three capabilities: Multi-portal, Multi-app, and Multi-space.

They solve problems at different levels. They can be used independently or together.

Key differences

CapabilityMulti-portalMulti-appMulti-space
What problem it solvesProvides multiple access entriesSplits business into multiple systemsIsolates business data
Core focusWhere users enterHow the system is dividedWho the data belongs to
DataSharedIndependent by defaultIsolated
Pages and menusIndependentIndependentShared
Plugin configurationSharedIndependentShared
User systemSharedCan be shared through SSOShared
Typical scenariosDifferent roles need different entriesDifferent businesses need independent managementMultiple organizations, stores, or tenants
Can be combinedYesYesYes

Multi-portal

Multi-portal provides multiple access entries within the same application.

For example:

text
ERP App

├─ Admin Portal (/v/admin)
├─ Store Portal (/v/store)
├─ Distributor Portal (/v/dealer)
└─ Mobile Portal (/v/mobile)

Features:

  • Uses the same application
  • Shares the same data
  • Shares plugin configuration
  • Pages and menus can be configured independently

Suitable for scenarios where different roles need different access entries, such as:

  • Administrators
  • Employees
  • Customers
  • Distributors

Multi-app

Multi-app splits business into multiple independent applications.

For example:

text
Group System

├─ CRM
├─ ERP
├─ OA
└─ Analytics

Features:

  • Each app is managed independently
  • Independent plugin configuration
  • Independent database connection
  • Independent upgrade and maintenance

Suitable for:

  • Splitting large business systems
  • Multi-team collaborative development
  • Batch creation of apps for SaaS platforms
  • Independent apps for different customers

Multi-space

Multi-space isolates business data within the same application.

For example:

text
Store Management App

Spaces
├─ Beijing Store
├─ Shanghai Store
└─ Shenzhen Store

Features:

  • Shared pages
  • Shared menus
  • Shared workflows
  • Shared configuration
  • Isolated data

For tables that have a space field enabled, the system automatically filters data according to the current space.

From the user's perspective:

  • The Beijing store can only see Beijing store data
  • The Shanghai store can only see Shanghai store data
  • The Shenzhen store can only see Shenzhen store data

But all stores still use the same system.

Relationship among the three

These three capabilities do not conflict. They work on different dimensions.

They can be used together:

text
Group System

CRM App
├─ Admin Portal
├─ Sales Portal
└─ Customer Portal

Spaces
├─ Beijing Branch
├─ Shanghai Branch
└─ Shenzhen Branch

Conceptually:

text
Portal
    ↓
Where users enter the system

App
    ↓
How the system is divided

Space
    ↓
Who the data belongs to

How to choose

If you only want to provide different entries for different roles, choose Multi-portal.

If you want to split business into multiple independent systems, choose Multi-app.

If you want to isolate data for different organizations or tenants within the same system, choose Multi-space.

In real projects, these three capabilities are usually combined rather than used as substitutes for one another.

In one sentence:

Multi-portal solves entry points, Multi-app solves system splitting, and Multi-space solves data isolation.