Curious about Budibase pricing? There's a plan for every need—from free usage to $50 per month to custom enterprise solutions (aka not cheap).
If you're wondering about Budibase plans and prices, this article is for you.
You'll learn the following:
- A general overview of Budibase and the types of apps you can build
- A walk-through of each Budibase pricing tier
- How to determine if Budibase meets your needs
- An introduction to Adalo, a compelling Budibase alternative
Let's discuss Budibase and some of its key features.
Adalo: The Best Budibase Alternative
Need an app builder that lets you build more than just internal client-facing apps? Adalo is an AI-powered app builder for database-driven web apps and native iOS and Android apps—one version across all three platforms.
AI-assisted building and streamlined publishing enable launch to the Apple App Store and Google Play in days rather than months. Magic Start generates complete app foundations from simple descriptions—tell it you need a booking app for your salon, and it creates your database structure, screens, and user flows automatically. Magic Add lets you add features by describing what you want in natural language.
You can start crafting your app using one of Adalo's nearly 40 templates, adding plugins from its component marketplace, and connecting with thousands of third-party integrations. The platform's agnostic builder lets you publish the same app to the web, native iOS, and native Android, all without writing a line of code or rebuilding.
You'll be able to custom-make nearly any kind of app, whether a dashboard to visualize cost data or a booking app for your salon, to your precise needs and tastes. Adalo provides nearly pixel-perfect design freedom, so you can build an app that looks exactly how you want.
Once you've finished your app, you can publish it on the Apple App Store, Google Play Store, and the web. With paid plans starting at $36/month and no usage-based charges, you get unlimited database records and unlimited app store updates. Start creating your app for nearly any purpose today for free.
What is Budibase?
Budibase is a no-code web app builder designed to create internal business apps that bolster workflows and processes. Because it leverages a no-code app-building interface, you won't need any experience with programming or tech.
You'll be able to build your entire frontend, backend, and database using the Budibase platform.
Kickstart your app-building by selecting from one of Budibase's nearly 50 templates. Give it some muscle by adding one of Budibase's plugins, such as a chat feature or APIs for transferring external data.
Once you finish building, users can access your Budibase-made app via the internet from browsers on their phones or desktops. Folks can also download a progressive web app version (PWA) to their phones through a direct link. This feature adds more functionality to your app, as PWAs can more readily utilize a phone's GPS, internal drivers, and more.
And here's another unique offering from Budibase: No matter which pricing tier you choose, you can run it on-prem (self-hosting on your servers). This gives you more control over your app's security and architecture.
Budibase Pricing at a Glance
| Free | Premium | Enterprise | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly Price | Free | $50/month per app creator, $5/month per external user who logs into your app | Custom—contact sales through the website |
| Features | Build an unlimited number of apps and let up to 5 people edit them | Custom branding, unlimited creators and users, 10,000 automation runs | Get unlimited backups, a dedicated account manager, and customized automation runs |
Budibase Pricing
Budibase has 3 pricing tiers—let's jump into them.
Free Version
Budibase offers a generous free version that's packed with enough tools to familiarize you with its app-building interface. While it's limited to 10 plugins and 200 monthly automation runs (complete execution of a process from start to finish), you can create unlimited apps with up to 5 creators working.
You can also take advantage of an unlimited number of external database connections—Budibase integrates with several databases, such as Microsoft SQL Server, Firestore, Supabase, and many more.
Premium ($50/month per creator + $5/month per user)
Budibase's Premium Version might seem expensive, but it doesn't skimp on features or functionalities. You'll get access to unlimited plugins and the ability to run up to 10,000 automations if you're hosting on the cloud—host on-prem, and get as many automation runs as you wish.
You'll also get up to 1 month of backups and 1 month of automation logs, so you won't need to worry too much about losing features you've built out or tracking automations. Additionally, the Premium Version lets you configure viewing your access history so you know who's using your app and when.
Enterprise (Contact Sales)
Budibase's Enterprise Version targets Fortune 500s, multinationals, and other enormous organizations. You can customize the number of particular features you want, like automation runs, automation log history, backups, and much more.
Like most enterprise pricing tiers, Budibase offers lock-down security measures like audit logs, enforceable SSO (single sign-on), and active directory sync/SCIM (System for Cross-domain Identity Management). Thus, you won't need to worry too much about hackers and other nefarious villains when you use these features.
Is Budibase Worth It?
If you're thinking about using Budibase, here are some following points to consider:
- The need for loads of apps: Budibase has plans for all sorts of organizations, big and small. However, if you need to build unlimited apps with the speed of a simple no-code interface, Budibase provides an ideal platform.
- Creates internal business tools only: If you want to build an app that anonymous external users will use to book appointments, create a social media account, or order food from your restaurant, you'll need a Budibase alternative.
- Can get expensive for teams: If you don't want to go with enterprise pricing (which will most likely cost in the $1,000s/month), you'll need to go with the only other paid plan Budibase offers—the premium one. Every app creator will cost you $50/month, and every user that logs into your app will tack on another $5/month. A team of just 5 creators and 10 users will cost you several $100s monthly, which might be a bit steep for smaller businesses.
- No direct app store publishing: You won't be able to publish your app to the Apple App Store or Google Play Store directly through the Budibase platform—you'll need to rely on a third-party service, which may reduce your app's quality and performance.
How Adalo Compares to Budibase
While Budibase excels at internal business tools, Adalo serves a different purpose: consumer-facing and external apps that need native mobile distribution.
The pricing difference is significant. Adalo's paid plans start at $36/month with unlimited usage—no per-user charges, no record limits on paid plans, and no bill shock from usage-based fees. Compare that to Budibase's $50/month per creator plus $5/month per user model, and the cost advantage becomes clear for teams building customer-facing applications.
Adalo's 3.0 infrastructure overhaul (launched late 2025) made the platform 3-4x faster with modular infrastructure that scales to serve apps with over 1 million monthly active users. The X-Ray feature identifies performance issues before they affect users, helping you maintain speed at scale.
For app store distribution, Adalo handles the entire publishing process to both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store from a single codebase. This is often the hardest part of launching an app—Adalo removes this barrier entirely. Budibase, by contrast, requires third-party services to achieve any mobile presence.
Over 3 million apps have been created on Adalo, with the visual builder described as "easy as PowerPoint." The upcoming AI Builder (early 2026) promises prompt-based app creation and editing, further accelerating development speed.
FAQ
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Why choose Adalo over other app building solutions? | Adalo is an AI-powered app builder that creates true native iOS and Android apps. Unlike web wrappers, it compiles to native code and publishes directly to both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store from a single codebase—the hardest part of launching an app handled automatically. |
| What's the fastest way to build and publish an app to the App Store? | Adalo's drag-and-drop interface combined with AI-assisted building features like Magic Start and Magic Add lets you go from idea to published app in days rather than months. The platform handles the entire App Store submission process for both iOS and Android. |
| Which is more affordable, Adalo or Budibase? | Adalo starts at $36/month with unlimited usage, no per-user charges, and no record limits. Budibase charges $50/month per creator plus $5/month per user, which adds up quickly for teams with multiple creators and users. |
| Which is better for mobile apps, Adalo or Budibase? | Adalo is significantly better for mobile apps. It creates true native iOS and Android apps and publishes directly to app stores. Budibase only creates web apps and PWAs—it cannot publish to the Apple App Store or Google Play Store without third-party services. |
| What are the main Budibase pricing tiers? | Budibase offers three pricing tiers: a Free version with unlimited apps and up to 5 creators, a Premium plan at $50/month per creator plus $5/month per user, and an Enterprise plan with custom pricing. Each tier offers progressively more features like automation runs, backups, and security measures. |
| What types of apps can I build with Budibase? | Budibase is designed specifically for building internal business apps that improve workflows and processes. It's not intended for consumer-facing apps like booking systems or social media platforms that external users would access publicly. |
| Can Budibase publish apps directly to the Apple App Store or Google Play? | No, Budibase cannot publish apps directly to the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. You would need to use a third-party service, which may impact your app's quality and performance. |
| What is self-hosting and does Budibase support it? | Self-hosting means running your app on your own servers rather than the platform's cloud infrastructure. Budibase uniquely offers self-hosting (on-prem) across all pricing tiers, giving you more control over your app's security and architecture. |
| Can I migrate from Budibase to Adalo? | While there's no direct migration tool, you can rebuild your app in Adalo using Magic Start to generate your app foundation from a description. This is particularly worthwhile if you need native mobile apps or app store distribution that Budibase cannot provide. |
