Whether you’re exploring building mobile apps, web applications, or internal tools, the rise of no-code and low-code platforms makes it increasingly easier to develop custom apps.
Instead of an expensive developer, you need an idea and the right low-code platform to create engaging apps.
Budibase is a popular choice for quickly creating internal tools and custom web applications and automating processes without diving into heavy coding. It empowers businesses to build custom solutions with ease.
However, every team is different, and Budibase might not always tick all the boxes for your specific requirements. That’s why exploring Budibase alternatives is worth it.
This guide reviews the top 10 Budibase competitors, showcasing other platforms that bring fresh perspectives to the low-code landscape.
Summarize this article for me please⏰ 60-Second Summary
Here’s a list of some of the best Budibase alternatives:
- ClickUp (Best for project management and custom workflows)
- Airtable (Best for customizable databases and collaboration)
- Zoho Creator (Best for rapid app development)
- Appsmith (Best for open-source mobile and web app development)
- Retool (Best for building internal tools)
- Bubble (Best for no-code web app development)
- Caspio (Best for database-powered applications)
- OutSystems (Best for enterprise-grade app development)
- AppSheet (Best for spreadsheet-driven app development)
- Kintone (Best for team collaboration and workflow management)
Top 10 Powerful Alternatives to Budibase for App Building
- What Is Budibase?
- Why Go for Budibase Alternatives?
- The 10 Best Budibase Alternatives
- 1. ClickUp (Best for project management and custom workflows)
- 2. Airtable (Best for customizable databases and collaboration)
- 3. Zoho Creator (Best for rapid app development)
- 4. Appsmith (Best for open-source mobile and web app development)
- 5. Retool (Best for building internal tools)
- 6. Bubble (Best for no-code web app development)
- 7. Caspio (Best for database-powered applications)
- 8. OutSystems (Best for enterprise-grade app development)
- 9. AppSheet (Best for spreadsheet-driven app development)
- 10. Kintone (Best for team collaboration and workflow management)
Summarize this article for me pleaseWhat Is Budibase?
Budibase is an open-source, low-code platform for building custom apps quickly and efficiently. It allows users to automate workflows, create sleek and interactive interfaces, and deploy apps in minutes—even without coding or programming skills.
The tool empowers non-technical teams to develop fully functional custom web and mobile apps without relying on developers.
Budibase connects teams to different data sources, including databases and APIs. This flexibility enables the app to adapt to other use cases. Its intuitive design and ability to quickly generate internal tools make it an excellent solution for teams seeking to reduce development time without compromising functionality.
With its open-source foundation, Budibase fosters community-driven innovation, making it a popular choice for developers, startups, and enterprises aiming to accelerate digital transformation while maintaining control over their applications.
Summarize this article for me pleaseWhy Go for Budibase Alternatives?
Although Budibase offers powerful features and functionality for creating and managing apps, it is not a silver bullet solution. Here’s why users are looking for Budibase alternatives:
- Limited customization: Budibase lacks the flexibility required to create highly niche custom apps and workflows
- Steep learning curve: While it is meant to make app building accessible, some users find the interface challenging
- Performance issues: Several Budibase users have reported slower and glitchy performance when handling larger datasets or while creating complex applications
- Inflexible design: Customization options for tailoring the UI/UX are fairly limited, especially in comparison to other tools
- Integration gaps: Budibase supports limited third-party integrations when compared to its competitors. This hinders seamless connectivity among the various tools
- Mobile responsiveness: Some users report that mobile app development on Budibase is severely limited as the end product is not as responsive
- Support and documentation: Despite the thriving community, the availability of detailed documentation and responsive customer support feels lacking
Summarize this article for me pleaseThe 10 Best Budibase Alternatives
As mentioned, there is no dearth of options in the no-code and low-code development world. And given the limitations of Budibase, here are some of the best Budibase alternatives you may consider:
1. ClickUp (Best for project management and custom workflows)
ClickUp is ideal for teams looking to build internal tools or manage app development processes efficiently. As the ultimate everything app for work, ClickUp combines project management, database management, and no-code automation in one platform.
With its versatile features and seamless integrations, ClickUp empowers teams to create and manage effective workflows. Its intuitive interface and no-code capabilities make it accessible to both technical and non-technical users.
Task Management
ClickUp Tasks offers refined task management capabilities, allowing you to create detailed task lists, assign priorities, set deadlines, and link dependencies for smooth project execution.
The Task View is just one of the many ways to visualize your project. You can also switch between Kanban Boards, Gantt Charts, Lists, Table Views, and other formats depending on your team’s preferences and comfort.
ClickUp Whiteboards
You also have ClickUp Whiteboards—a digital whiteboard with an intuitive drag-and-drop interface, making it suitable for technical and non-technical users.
Use this space to brainstorm ideas, create interactive flowcharts, visually illustrate ideas, and more.
Custom Workflows
The customization capabilities of ClickUp extend to how you plan your workflows. ClickUp lets you set up custom workflows to fine-tune the development process depending on app-specific needs. Tailor the entire SDLC, from ideation to deployment, in just a few clicks.
This feature, paired with the rich ClickUp Dashboards, allows you to exercise granular control over the development process. It offers a real-time overview of the project and its progress, allowing you to perform interventions like deploying additional resources on the fly.
No-Code Automation
ClickUp’s Automation feature helps eliminate repetitive tasks and manual workflows. With simple trigger-based logic, you can automate assignments, status updates, and notifications, ensuring seamless coordination within your development team.
The best part? No coding knowledge is required to set up these automation workflows, making it accessible to everyone.
Other project management tools like the built-in time tracker and no-code automation also support the development process and its governance.
Time Tracking
ClickUp provides an integrated Project Time Tracking feature that allows you to monitor how much time is spent on each task. The time-tracking capability ensures transparency in project execution, helping teams meet deadlines and maximize productivity without relying on external tools.
ClickUp Integrations
Although ClickUp covers all grounds, if you notice some feature or capability missing, you have Integrations to make up for it. ClickUp integrates several apps, including but not limited to Slack, Google Workspace (Google Sheets, Docs, Calendar, etc.), GitHub, GitLab, and Microsoft Teams. You can use Zapier to connect and build internal tools.
ClickUp best features
- Automate workflows with ClickUp Automation to reduce manual effort and improve efficiency
- Monitor app development with interactive and rich ClickUp Dashboards
- Organize tasks efficiently with ClickUp Tasks, which allows users to set up recurring tasks and identify task dependencies
- Visualize data clearly with the ClickUp Table View, which is perfect for tracking project progress and managing databases
- Collaborate seamlessly with your team using ClickUp Chat, which covers everything from real-time chat threads, comments, @mentions, and more
- Track time effortlessly with the built-in time-tracking tool to keep your team on schedule
ClickUp limitations
- The barrage of advanced features may feel overwhelming to new users
- Limited features and functionality on the mobile app
ClickUp pricing
- Free Forever Plan: $0
- Unlimited Plan: $7/month per user
- Business Plan: $12/month per user
- Enterprise Plan: Contact for pricing
- ClickUp Brain (Add-On): $7/month per user
ClickUp ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.7/5 (9,000+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.6/5 (4,000+ reviews)
2. Airtable (Best for customizable databases and collaboration)
Airtable is a no-code app platform that accelerates critical business processes by blending the flexibility of spreadsheets with the power of databases.
As a result, it enables teams to create custom applications without any coding knowledge, leading to better project management, marketing operations, and product development.
With features like AI-powered workflows, customizable views, and strong data manipulation capabilities, Airtable is one of the better Budibase alternatives for organizations seeking to streamline their operations.
Moreover, its intuitive interface is tailored to specific needs, whether managing content calendars, tracking project sprints, or automating tasks.
Airtable best features
- Create custom workflows using the interactive drag-and-drop elements
- Automate repetitive tasks with the built-in automation and scripting features
- Visualize data across different views, such as Kanban, Grid, Calendar, and Gallery
- Embed Airtable bases into websites and share them externally through secure links
Airtable limitations
- Performance begins to lag as the database size increases in volume
- Desktop versions have features that are missing on apps on mobile devices
Airtable pricing
- Free: $0
- Team: $24/month per user
- Business: $54/month per user
- Enterprise: Custom pricing
- Airtable AI (add-on): $7/month per user
Airtable ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.6/5 (2,740+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.7/5 (2,120+ reviews)
➡️ Read More: Best Airtable Alternatives
3. Zoho Creator (Best for rapid app development)
Zoho Creator is a low-code platform from Zoho that enables businesses to build, deploy, and manage custom applications quickly. This Budibase alternative allows users to digitize and automate business processes across various functions, including sales, customer service, operations, and finance.
Designed for scalability, the platform’s drag-and-drop interface, pre-built templates, and workflow automation feature simplify the creation of forms, reports, pages, and workflows.
Its USP lies in its seamless integration with the innumerable Zoho apps, such as the Zoho Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platform and Zoho Mail.
Zoho Creator best features
- Test applications without affecting the live version through the developer sandbox environment
- Access apps from anywhere through cross-platform compatibility for mobile and web
- Analyze data through data-driven dashboards and advanced reporting tools
- Use AI for prediction and sentiment analysis without extensive coding
Zoho Creator limitations
- Offers more value only if you operate within the Zoho ecosystem
- Steep learning curve for scripting in Deluge (Zoho’s proprietary language)
Zoho Creator pricing
- Standard: $8/month per user
- Professional: $20/month per user
- Enterprise: $25/month per user
- Flex: Custom pricing
Zoho Creator ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.3/5 (170+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.3/5 (150+ reviews)
📚 Also Read: How to choose a CRM system for your busines
4. Appsmith (Best for open-source mobile and web app development)
Designed with developers in mind, Appsmith is an open-source, low-code platform that enables businesses to rapidly develop custom internal tools, such as dashboards, admin panels, and CRUD apps. It allows app builders to seamlessly connect APIs, databases, and third-party services for an integrated app-building experience.
With its pre-built widgets and focus on customization, Appsmith is one of the best Budibase alternatives for developing apps in an open and collaborative environment. Its community-driven nature also promotes continuous improvement and grants access to rich resources.
Appsmith best features
- Connect to any data source using REST APIs, GraphQL, or SQL databases
- Use pre-built features like tables, forms, and charts to customize app interfaces
- Write custom code with the built-in JavaScript to tailor the app’s features and functionality for business logic
- Collaborate on and efficiently manage application versions with Appsmith’s version control through Git integration
Appsmith limitations
- Lack of advanced analytics and reporting tools
- Limited design web and mobile app design options
Appsmith pricing
- Free: $0
- Business: $15/month per user
- Enterprise: $2,500/month for 100 users
Appsmith ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.7/5 (60+ reviews)
- Capterra: N/A
📮 ClickUp Insight: About 43% of workers send 0-10 messages daily. While this suggests more focused or deliberate conversations, it could also indicate a lack of seamless collaboration, with important discussions happening elsewhere (like email).
To prevent unnecessary platform hopping and context switching, you need an everything app for work, like ClickUp, that combines projects, knowledge, and chat in one place—all powered by AI that helps you work more efficiently.
5. Retool (Best for building internal tools)
Retool uses visual workflow automation, pre-built components, and database and API integrations to expedite the development of internal business applications such as admin panels, dashboards, and customer support tools.
With this platform, teams build and run applications on Retool’s cloud service or deploy them on their infrastructure, offering flexibility to meet diverse security and compliance requirements.
Retool’s strength lies in its ability to consolidate various data sources, making it ideal for businesses that require extensive customization options in their apps without getting into the coding part.
Additionally, Retool boosts collaboration through features like staging environments and version control, optimizing the development process and enhancing productivity.
Retool best features
- Connect to any database or API, including Postgres, MongoDB, and REST
- Maintain comprehensive audit logs, providing visibility into user actions within the platform to better monitor compliance efforts
- Secure data and use any AI model to rapidly deliver bespoke AI tools to your business while controlling how you share data with LLMs
- Get seamless authentication and centralized user management through integration with various Single Sign-On (SSO) providers
Retool limitations
- The pricing structure, which charges per standard and end user, is expensive for larger teams or organizations with a significant number of users
- Limited mobile app support, impeding accessibility for mobile-first teams
Retool pricing
- Free: $0 per standard user + $0 per end user
- Team: $12/month per standard user + $7/month per end user
- Business: $65/month per standard user + $18/month per end user
- Enterprise: Custom pricing
Retool ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.6/5 (310+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.5/5 (30+ reviews)
6. Bubble (Best for no-code web app development)
Bubble is a no-code platform that empowers non-developers to create fully functional web applications with custom logic, responsive design, and database capabilities. The responsive design engine ensures apps look and perform well across various devices, adding versatility to their use cases.
Bubble supports scalability and integration, making it ideal for startups and small businesses looking to grow. Whether you’re looking to create a web app to implement your communication plan or use specific SaaS apps, Bubble will get the job done.
Bubble best features
- Simplifying the path from ideation to publication through deployment tools that help launch directly on custom domains
- Focus and collaborate on custom workflows with multiple users working simultaneously
- Use plugins from the marketplace to expand and build on app functionality
- Integrate with external APIs using the API Connector for higher flexibility
Bubble limitations
- Limited scalability for apps with very high traffic
- Requires continuous internet connection, restricting offline use cases
Bubble pricing
- Free: $0
- Starter: $32/month
- Growth: $134/month
- Team: $399/month
- Enterprise: Custom pricing
Bubble ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.4/5 (150+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.6/5 (320+ reviews)
🧠 Fun Fact: No-code and low-code platforms reduce app development time by a whopping 90%!
7. Caspio (Best for database-powered applications)
Caspio is a cloud-based, low-code development platform that focuses on creating data-driven applications. As an alternative to Budibase, Caspio offers a user-friendly interface with drag-and-drop tools, allowing for the rapid development of web applications tailored to specific business needs.
What truly stands out with Caspio is the robust security and compliance features that you get. This makes it particularly useful for highly regulated industries like finance, healthcare, and insurance.
Caspio best features
- Eliminate the need for external database management systems due to the built-in cloud database
- Generate detailed reports with built-in data visualization tools
- Get extensive control over user access and permissions within applications through role-based authentication
- Comply with various industry standards, including HIPAA and GDPR, ensuring that applications meet necessary regulatory requirements
Caspio limitations
- Highly dependent on cloud hosting, which may not be suitable for organizations with on-premise requirements
- Limited design flexibility for creating modern and visually stunning interfaces
Caspio pricing
- Starter: $100 per month
- Professional: $600 per month
- Enterprise: $2,250 per month
Caspio ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.4/5 (150+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.5/5 (210+ reviews)
8. OutSystems (Best for enterprise-grade app development)
OutSystems is a high-performance, low-code platform for developing enterprise-grade mobile and web applications and business tools. Its visual development environment enables developers to design user interfaces, workflows, and data models efficiently.
At the same time, its one-click deployment feature simplifies moving applications from development to production.
In addition to its development capabilities, OutSystems offers developers features such as real-time performance monitoring and in-app feedback collection, enabling continuous improvement and user-centric development.
OutSystems best features
- Access detailed analytics to track app performance
- Easily deploy and scale in cloud environments with cloud-native architecture support
- Use AI to optimize the development process and conduct quality checks
- Build generative AI (GenAI) agents into your apps
OutSystems limitations
- Only suitable for established organizations with large budgets
- Limited customization for certain pre-built components
OutSystems pricing
- OutSystems Personal Edition: $0
- OutSystems Developer Cloud: Starts at $36,300/year
OutSystems ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.6/5 (1,110+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.6/5 (370+ reviews)
🔎 Did You Know? No-code solutions consume 70% fewer resources than conventional app-building platforms!
9. AppSheet (Best for spreadsheet-driven app development)
AppSheet is a no-code platform by Google that allows app builders to convert spreadsheets into fully functional mobile and web applications. Build apps using spreadsheet templates to automate business processes, capture insights, and enhance team productivity.
Since being acquired by Google in January 2020, AppSheet has continued to evolve, with features like AppSheet Automation helping users automate business processes without technical expertise.
The platform also integrates with Google Workspace, enhancing collaboration and productivity by allowing users to build apps that interact seamlessly with tools like Gmail and Google Drive.
AppSheet best features
- Build apps directly from Google Sheets, Microsoft Excel, SQL, and other data sources
- Create secure apps with role-based access and user authentication
- Activate offline functionality for apps to operate without internet access
- Incorporate AI capabilities, such as Google’s Gemini, to assist in app creation and enhance functionality
AppSheet limitations
- Limited design capabilities and lack of advanced features for highly customized apps
- Dependency on Google Workspace, which may not fit all organizational ecosystems
AppSheet pricing
- Starter: $5/month per user
- Core: $10/month per user
- Enterprise Plus: $20/month per user
AppSheet ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.8/5 (390+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.7/5 (540+ reviews)
10. Kintone (Best for team collaboration and workflow management)
Kintone takes a fresh approach to team collaboration and workflow management by creating a customizable workspace for building apps and tracking project progress. This framework allows teams to consolidate tasks, data, and communication in a single place, reducing their reliance on multiple tools.
The platform provides granular governance features, enabling precise control over user permissions and data access. Since it emphasizes team collaboration, Kintone is an excellent choice for remote app builders.
It also supports integration with various third-party services, enhancing its versatility in diverse business environments.
Kintone best features
- Centralize team data with custom workspaces and databases
- Automate repetitive tasks to eliminate redundancy and simplify workflows
- Collaborate with your team using built-in messaging and file-sharing tools
- Integrate seamlessly with third-party tools like Zapier and Salesforce
Kintone limitations
- Dependence on plugins to incorporate certain functionalities
- Lack of offline access, which may limit the app’s usability
Kintone pricing
- Professional: $24/month per user
- Custom: $28/month per user
Kintone ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.6/5 (240+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.7/5 (150+ reviews)
➡️ Read More: Best Free Database Software with Features and Pricing
Summarize this article for me pleaseReplace Budibase with ClickUp
That’s a roundup of the best Budibase alternatives.
There are many options to choose from. However, if you want something combining the best project management, custom workflows, and seamless collaboration to power the app-building process, ClickUp is a great choice.
From keeping track of all the app development stages to generating reports on app usage and performance, ClickUp is the everything app for work—a one-stop app to replace your disparate tech stack.
Sign up for ClickUp now and optimize all your operations and drive productivity! ⚡
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