Software · head to head
Budibase vs Redash
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; Redash a basic self-hosted deployment needs a minimum of 4GB of RAM, and more RAM and CPU as background workers and API processes grow
- They diverge on capability: Budibase covers Drag-and-drop builder, Redash covers SQL Query Editor.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Budibase and Redash actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
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 Redash
- SQL Query Editor
- Multiple Data Sources
- Visualizations
- Dashboards
- Alerts
- PostgreSQL
- MySQL
- BigQuery
Both cover
- 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 Redash
- Self-hosting an open source low-code platformnot Redash
- Admin panels and CRUD apps for operations teamsnot Redash
- Automations triggered by data changesnot Redash
Redash
- Self-hosted SQL query editor and dashboarding over existing databasesnot Budibase
- Sharing scheduled query results with a team without buying a BI licencenot 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
Redash
- A basic self-hosted deployment needs a minimum of 4GB of RAM, and more RAM and CPU as background workers and API processes grow
- The official Docker images were not updated for V10, so the documented route is to deploy a V8 instance and then upgrade it
- Anyone not using a provided cloud image has to configure the environment variables and secrets by hand
Pricing, plan by plan
Budibase
Free- Open SourceFree
- Self-hosted
- Community support
- FreeFree
- Cloud hosted
- Limited features
- Premium$50/month
- Advanced features
- Email support
Redash
Free- Open SourceFree
- Full Features
- Self-hosted
- Community Support
- Cloud$49/month
- Managed Hosting
- Automatic Updates
- 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.
Choose Redash if
- You need sql query editor.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Self-hosted, Cloud.
- You also want multiple data sources.
Questions people ask
- Is Budibase or Redash better?
- Neither clearly leads. Budibase starts at Free and Redash at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Budibase or Redash?
- Budibase starts at Free and Redash at Free.
- Does Budibase or Redash run on more platforms?
- Budibase runs on Web, Self-hosted. Redash runs on Web, Self-hosted, 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 Redash is typically brought in for.
- What can Budibase do that Redash cannot?
- Budibase covers Drag-and-drop builder, Database design, REST API, User management. Redash covers SQL Query Editor, Multiple Data Sources, Visualizations, Dashboards. Both handle Web support, Self-hosted support.