Softwr

Spreadsheets · head to head

Budibase vs Convoy

Budibase logo

Budibase

Spreadsheets

Build business apps in minutes

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Convoy logo

Convoy

APIs

Open source webhooks gateway you self-host, handling both sending and receiving

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

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; Convoy the default deployment is self-hosted, so you operate Convoy plus Postgres and Redis and carry the on-call burden for the system that delivers your customers' events.
  • They diverge on capability: Budibase covers Drag-and-drop builder, Convoy covers Inbound and outbound.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Budibase and Convoy actually diverge.

Attributes where Budibase and Convoy differ
AttributeBudibaseConvoy
Pricing modelopen-sourcePer month, flat rate regardless of volume
PlatformsWeb, Self-hostedLinux, Docker, Kubernetes, Cloud
CategorySpreadsheetsAPIs
Founded2019Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

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
  • REST API
  • User management
  • Custom code
  • Workflows
  • Responsive design
  • 100+ integrations

Only in Convoy

  • Inbound and outbound
  • Broker-driven ingestion
  • Payload transformation
  • Portal links
  • Circuit breaking
  • Retry policies
  • OpenTelemetry export
  • Role-based access control

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Budibase

  • Building internal tools over existing databasesnot Convoy
  • Self-hosting an open source low-code platformnot Convoy
  • Admin panels and CRUD apps for operations teamsnot Convoy
  • Automations triggered by data changesnot Convoy

Convoy

  • A fintech that cannot route customer webhook traffic through a third-party SaaS for compliance reasonsnot Budibase
  • A high-volume platform for which per-message webhook pricing costs more than the flat premium licencenot Budibase
  • A team that also receives webhooks from many providers and wants ingestion, verification and deduplication in the same gatewaynot Budibase
  • An engineering group that wants webhook delivery driven directly from an existing Kafka or SQS topicnot 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

Convoy

  • The default deployment is self-hosted, so you operate Convoy plus Postgres and Redis and carry the on-call burden for the system that delivers your customers' events.
  • Frain Technologies is a small startup, and putting customer-facing delivery infrastructure on it means accepting real vendor continuity risk on a component that is hard to swap out quickly.
  • The premium tier at a flat 999 US dollars a month is poor value below substantial volume, while the community edition omits the portal, transformations and RBAC that most production deployments end up wanting.
  • The hosted cloud trial is capped at one project and 100 events a day, which is too small to properly evaluate the service before committing.
  • Documentation and the third-party ecosystem are thinner than the established webhook services, so unusual configurations often mean reading the Go source.

Pricing, plan by plan

Budibase

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Self-hosted
    • Community support
  • FreeFree
    • Cloud hosted
    • Limited features
  • Premium$50/month
    • Advanced features
    • Email support

Convoy

Free
  • CommunityFree
    • Self-hosted open source gateway
    • Inbound and outbound webhooks
    • Automatic retries and message broker support
  • Premium$999/month
    • Flat rate irrespective of message volume
    • Portal links and payload transformation
    • RBAC, circuit breaking and white labelling
  • Enterprise$undefined/year
    • SAML SSO
    • Dedicated support with SLA
    • On-premises deployment assistance
  • Cloud$undefined/month
    • Hosted by Convoy
    • 14 day trial limited to one project and 100 events a day
    • Usage-based tiers above the trial

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.
Budibase review

Choose Convoy if

  • You need inbound and outbound.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, Cloud.
  • You also want broker-driven ingestion.
Convoy review

Questions people ask

Is Budibase or Convoy better?
Neither clearly leads. Budibase starts at Free and Convoy at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Budibase or Convoy?
Budibase starts at Free and Convoy at Free.
Does Budibase or Convoy run on more platforms?
Budibase runs on Web, Self-hosted. Convoy runs on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, Cloud.
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 Convoy is typically brought in for.
What can Budibase do that Convoy cannot?
Budibase covers Drag-and-drop builder, Database design, REST API, User management. Convoy covers Inbound and outbound, Broker-driven ingestion, Payload transformation, Portal links.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Budibase: What happens if I exceed the monthly action limit on my plan?

Actions are hard monthly limits. Once you reach the limit on your plan (5K for Pro, 20K for Premium, 250K for Business), you must upgrade to a higher tier to continue using the service.

Source
Convoy: Is Convoy really open source?

Yes, the community edition is open source and self-hostable, covering both inbound and outbound webhooks with retries.

Budibase: Is there a charge for additional users beyond what is included in my plan?

Yes. Each plan includes a limited number of creators (1 for Pro, expandable for Premium, 3 for Business), but end users are charged at $5 per user per month as an add-on.

Source
Convoy: What does premium cost?

A flat 999 US dollars a month, self-hosted, regardless of message volume.

Budibase: How much extra do I pay if I choose monthly billing instead of yearly?

Monthly billing costs 20% more than the yearly equivalent. For example, paying monthly for Pro at $19/month equals $228 per year, versus $190 per year on a yearly subscription.

Source
Convoy: Does it receive webhooks as well as send them?

Yes, inbound ingestion with verification and deduplication is a first-class feature, unlike most webhook services.

Budibase: Can I try Budibase before committing to a paid plan?

Yes. All paid cloud plans include a 14-day free trial. The open source version is also available free with unlimited actions and unlimited users, though with community support only.

Source
Convoy: Do I have to self-host?

No, there is a hosted cloud, but the trial is capped at 100 events a day and self-hosting is the primary model.

Budibase: Does the free open source plan include the same features as paid plans?

The open source plan includes unlimited actions, unlimited apps, automations, agents, and users, but support is community-only rather than through Budibase directly. Paid plans add features like AI credits, custom branding, backups, and email or priority support.

Source
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