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Spreadsheets · head to head

Budibase vs Rowy

Budibase logo

Budibase

Spreadsheets

Build business apps in minutes

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Rowy logo

Rowy

Spreadsheets

Spreadsheet interface for Google Cloud Firestore with cloud functions written in the browser

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; Rowy every Firestore limit is inherited, including the one megabyte per document ceiling and roughly one sustained write per second per document, which surprises users who expect spreadsheet behaviour.
  • They diverge on capability: Budibase covers Drag-and-drop builder, Rowy covers Firestore backed grid.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Budibase and Rowy actually diverge.

Attributes where Budibase and Rowy differ
AttributeBudibaseRowy
Pricing modelopen-sourceOpen source, no licence fee
PlatformsWeb, Self-hostedWeb
Founded2019Unknown

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

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 Rowy

  • Firestore backed grid
  • Browser authored cloud functions
  • Typed columns
  • Runs in your Google Cloud project
  • Role based access
  • Form view
  • Open source

What people use each for

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

Budibase

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

Rowy

  • A Firebase application that needs an internal admin interface without building onenot Budibase
  • Operations staff correcting production records in Firestore without developer involvementnot Budibase
  • Attaching a small transformation or notification function to a field change without a full deployment pipelinenot Budibase
  • A content team populating documents that a mobile application reads directly from Firestorenot 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

Rowy

  • Every Firestore limit is inherited, including the one megabyte per document ceiling and roughly one sustained write per second per document, which surprises users who expect spreadsheet behaviour.
  • Firestore has no joins, so linking tables in the grid is a convenience layer rather than a relational feature and reports across collections still need a separate query.
  • It is useful only to teams already on Firebase, so choosing it effectively locks the operational tooling to one cloud vendor.
  • Query costs are billed by document read, and an unfiltered grid on a large collection can generate a bill that a spreadsheet user has no intuition for.
  • Development activity has slowed relative to the broader category, so evaluate current maintenance before making it load bearing for internal operations.

Pricing, plan by plan

Budibase

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

Rowy

Free
  • Open source self hostedFree
    • No licence fee
    • Deploys into your own Google Cloud project
    • You pay Google Cloud for Firestore reads, writes and storage

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 Rowy if

  • You need firestore backed grid.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want browser authored cloud functions.
Rowy review

Questions people ask

Is Budibase or Rowy better?
Neither clearly leads. Budibase starts at Free and Rowy at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Budibase or Rowy?
Budibase starts at Free and Rowy at Free.
Does Budibase or Rowy run on more platforms?
Budibase runs on Web, Self-hosted. Rowy runs on Web.
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 Rowy is typically brought in for.
What can Budibase do that Rowy cannot?
Budibase covers Drag-and-drop builder, Database design, REST API, User management. Rowy covers Firestore backed grid, Browser authored cloud functions, Typed columns, Runs in your Google Cloud project.

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
Rowy: Where is my data stored?

In your own Firestore instance inside your own Google Cloud project. Rowy does not hold a copy.

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
Rowy: What does it cost to run?

No licence fee. You pay Google Cloud for Firestore reads, writes, storage and function invocations, and an open grid on a big collection reads a lot.

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
Rowy: Can it do joins across collections?

Not really. Firestore does not support joins, and no interface layer can add them.

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
Rowy: Is there a row limit?

Not from Rowy. The limits that bite are Firestore document size and per document write throughput.

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
Rowy: Is it suitable if I am not on Firebase?

No. It is specifically a Firestore interface.

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