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Spreadsheets · head to head

Budibase vs Noloco

Budibase logo

Budibase

Spreadsheets

Build business apps in minutes

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Noloco logo

Noloco

No-Code

Client portals and internal tools built over data you already have

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Budibase has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • 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; Noloco pricing follows user counts, and a client portal is by definition many low-activity users, so an agency with a few hundred client logins climbs the bands quickly for people who sign in twice a month.
  • They diverge on capability: Budibase covers Drag-and-drop builder, Noloco covers Row-level permissions.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Budibase and Noloco actually diverge.

Attributes where Budibase and Noloco differ
AttributeBudibaseNoloco
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelopen-sourcequote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Self-hostedWeb
CategorySpreadsheetsNo-Code
Founded2019Unknown

Identical on both: 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
  • Responsive design
  • 100+ integrations
  • REST API

Only in Noloco

  • Row-level permissions
  • Multiple data sources
  • Client portals
  • Forms and record detail pages
  • White labelling

Both cover

  • Workflows

What people use each for

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

Budibase

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

Noloco

  • Giving clients a branded portal onto their own records in an Airtable basenot Budibase
  • Replacing shared spreadsheets with a permissioned internal tool for an operations teamnot Budibase
  • A lightweight CRM over a PostgreSQL database that already existsnot Budibase
  • Partner or contractor dashboards where each party must see only its own jobs and documentsnot 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

Noloco

  • Pricing follows user counts, and a client portal is by definition many low-activity users, so an agency with a few hundred client logins climbs the bands quickly for people who sign in twice a month.
  • Limits are inherited from the data source. Airtable record ceilings, API rate limits and slow queries appear in the portal your customers use, and no setting inside Noloco can fix them.
  • Design control is deliberately narrow. You get a consistent application shell rather than a bespoke interface, which is fine for operations and a problem for anything marketing-led.
  • It is a small vendor competing directly with Airtable Interfaces and Softr, both far larger, so roadmap pace and long-term viability are legitimate procurement questions.
  • Output is responsive web only, with no native mobile application and no offline mode, so field staff on poor connections are not served by it.

Pricing, plan by plan

Budibase

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

Noloco

On request
  • Noloco$undefined/year
    • Tiered plans differentiated by user counts, data sources and white labelling
    • Trial period rather than a permanent free plan
    • Higher tiers add custom domains, advanced permissions and priority support

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 Noloco if

  • You need row-level permissions.
  • You also want multiple data sources.
Noloco review

Questions people ask

Is Budibase or Noloco better?
Neither clearly leads. Budibase starts at Free and Noloco at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Budibase or Noloco?
Budibase has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Budibase and On request for Noloco.
Does Budibase or Noloco run on more platforms?
Budibase runs on Web, Self-hosted. Noloco runs on Web.
Can I use Budibase for free?
Yes. Budibase has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Noloco starts at On request.
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 Noloco is typically brought in for.
What can Budibase do that Noloco cannot?
Budibase covers Drag-and-drop builder, Database design, REST API, User management. Noloco covers Row-level permissions, Multiple data sources, Client portals, Forms and record detail pages. Both handle Workflows.

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
Noloco: Do I need Airtable to use it?

No. Airtable is the most common source but PostgreSQL, MySQL, Google Sheets, HubSpot and built-in Noloco tables all work.

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
Noloco: Can external clients log in without paying for seats?

Client and internal users are counted differently, but they are still counted, so a portal with many client logins moves you up the plan bands. Check the current band definitions before committing to a per-client model.

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
Noloco: How is this different from Softr?

Both build portals over existing data. Noloco leans harder on permissions and multiple database sources; Softr leans on templates, speed to a first version and a bigger ecosystem.

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
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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