Software · head to head
Budibase vs Baserow
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Budibase cloud plans are metered on automation actions, from 5,000 a month on Pro to 250,000 on Business; Baserow the free tier is capped at 3,000 rows and 2GB of storage per workspace
- They diverge on capability: Budibase covers Drag-and-drop builder, Baserow covers Database tables.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Budibase and Baserow actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown), founded (2019).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in Budibase
- Drag-and-drop builder
- Database design
- User management
- Custom code
- Workflows
- Responsive design
- 100+ integrations
- Databases
Only in Baserow
- Database tables
- Multiple views
- Forms
- API access
- Real-time collaboration
- Templates
- Plugins
- Self-hosting
Both cover
- REST API
- REST API
- GDPR
- Cloud deployment
- Self-hosted deployment
- Web support
- Self-hosted support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Budibase
- Building internal tools over existing databasesnot Baserow
- Self-hosting an open source low-code platformnot Baserow
- Admin panels and CRUD apps for operations teamsnot Baserow
- Automations triggered by data changesnot Baserow
Baserow
- Self-hosting an open source alternative to a spreadsheet databasenot Budibase
- Structured team data with Kanban, calendar and grid viewsnot Budibase
- Building internal tools on top of a database with an APInot Budibase
- Sharing data with external app users without giving them full seatsnot Budibase
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Budibase
- Cloud plans are metered on automation actions, from 5,000 a month on Pro to 250,000 on Business
- Creator seats are limited and cost $50 each beyond the included count
- End users are $5 per user per month on top of the plan
- Custom branding needs Premium, SSO enforcement and environment variables need Business, and audit logs are Enterprise only
- Log retention is tiered from 1 day on Pro to 365 days on Enterprise
- Monthly billing costs 20 percent more than annual
Baserow
- The free tier is capped at 3,000 rows and 2GB of storage per workspace
- Kanban, calendar and survey views need Premium at $10 per user per month billed yearly
- Role-based permissions, audit logs and SSO require Premium or higher
- Row limits are per workspace rather than per table, so splitting data across bases does not raise the ceiling
- Automation runs are metered as credits, 2,000 a month on free
Pricing, plan by plan
Budibase
Free- Open SourceFree
- Self-hosted
- Community support
- FreeFree
- Cloud hosted
- Limited features
- Premium$50/month
- Advanced features
- Email support
Baserow
Free- FreeFree
- Unlimited rows
- Core features
- Community support
- Premium$5/user/month
- Row comments
- Kanban view
- Survey form
Which should you pick?
Choose Budibase if
- You need drag-and-drop builder.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Self-hosted.
- You also want database design.
Choose Baserow if
- You need database tables.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Api, Self-hosted.
- You also want multiple views.
Questions people ask
- Is Budibase or Baserow better?
- Neither clearly leads. Budibase starts at Free and Baserow at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Budibase or Baserow?
- Budibase starts at Free and Baserow at Free.
- Does Budibase or Baserow run on more platforms?
- Budibase runs on Web, Self-hosted. Baserow runs on Web, Api, Self-hosted.
- Can I use Budibase for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Budibase best used for?
- Budibase is most often used for building internal tools over existing databases, self-hosting an open source low-code platform, admin panels and crud apps for operations teams, automations triggered by data changes. Of those, building internal tools over existing databases and self-hosting an open source low-code platform are not what Baserow is typically brought in for.
- What can Budibase do that Baserow cannot?
- Budibase covers Drag-and-drop builder, Database design, User management, Custom code. Baserow covers Database tables, Multiple views, Forms, API access. Both handle REST API, REST API, GDPR, Cloud deployment.