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No-Code · head to head

OutSystems vs Quickbase

OutSystems logo

OutSystems

No-Code

Enterprise low-code platform priced by application complexity units, not just users

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Quickbase logo

Quickbase

No-Code

No-code application platform with published per-user pricing and enforced minimum seat counts

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: OutSystems application Objects grow with every screen, table and API an app gains, so a successful app that keeps adding features can push the account into AO overage charges that were not modelled at initial budget time.; Quickbase both paid tiers carry an enforced minimum seat count, 20 for Team and 40 for Business, so a small team pays for seats it does not have people to fill.
  • They diverge on capability: OutSystems covers Visual application modelling, Quickbase covers Relational app builder.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which OutSystems and Quickbase actually diverge.

Attributes where OutSystems and Quickbase differ
AttributeOutSystemsQuickbase
Pricing modelApplication Object consumption plus internal and external user packsPer user per month, billed annually, with an enforced minimum seat count per tier

Identical on both: starting price (On request), free tier (No), platforms (Web, iOS, Android), user rating (Not yet rated), category (No-Code).

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 OutSystems

  • Visual application modelling
  • Generated deployable code
  • One-click deployment
  • AI-assisted development
  • Application Object governance
  • Prebuilt integrations

Only in Quickbase

  • Relational app builder
  • Workflow automation
  • Reporting and dashboards
  • Pipelines integration engine
  • Mobile apps
  • App governance

What people use each for

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

OutSystems

  • An enterprise replacing custom .NET or Java application development with a governed low-code platform at scalenot Quickbase
  • A company building customer-facing portals where the external-user pricing tier (packs of 10,000) is materially cheaper than licensing customers as internal usersnot Quickbase
  • An IT department that wants generated, inspectable code rather than a proprietary black-box runtimenot Quickbase
  • An organisation with a large existing application portfolio needing centralised governance across many apps built by different teamsnot Quickbase

Quickbase

  • An operations team of at least 20 people replacing spreadsheet-based process tracking with a structured, auditable appnot OutSystems
  • A mid-sized company wanting published, comparable per-user pricing rather than an opaque quote-only processnot OutSystems
  • A project management office standardising workflow automation and reporting across several departmentsnot OutSystems
  • A business that already knows it needs 40 or more seats, where the Business tier's minimum is not a real constraintnot OutSystems

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

OutSystems

  • Application Objects grow with every screen, table and API an app gains, so a successful app that keeps adding features can push the account into AO overage charges that were not modelled at initial budget time.
  • Internal users are sold in packs of 100 and external users in packs of 10,000, so a company just over a pack boundary in either category pays for a full additional pack rather than a handful of extra seats.
  • Entry-level ODC pricing starts around 36,300 US dollars a year before any AO overage or extra user packs, which puts it out of reach for smaller teams evaluating low-code options.
  • Cloud infrastructure and hosting costs are frequently separate from the platform licence, so the all-in bill is higher than the headline subscription figure suggests.
  • Migrating a large application portfolio off OutSystems once built is difficult, since the generated code and platform-specific patterns are not designed for a clean export to standard frameworks.

Quickbase

  • Both paid tiers carry an enforced minimum seat count, 20 for Team and 40 for Business, so a small team pays for seats it does not have people to fill.
  • Integration Reads packages, support tier upgrades and professional services are not publicly priced, so the visible per-user rate is only part of the real annual cost.
  • It sits in an awkward middle ground: more structure than a spreadsheet or simple form tool, but less process automation depth than Appian or OutSystems for genuinely complex workflows.
  • Reporting and dashboarding are capable but not as visually sophisticated as a dedicated business intelligence tool, so heavy analytics users often still export data elsewhere.
  • App complexity that grows significantly over time can hit performance and design limitations common to no-code relational tools, requiring a rebuild on a more code-first platform.

Pricing, plan by plan

OutSystems

On request
  • ODC Entry$undefined/year
    • Entry-level Application Object allowance included
    • Internal users sold in packs of 100
    • External users sold in packs of 10,000
  • ODC Enterprise$undefined/year
    • Custom AO, user pack and environment volumes
    • Negotiated multi-year enterprise agreements
    • Premium support and dedicated infrastructure options

Quickbase

On request
  • Team$35/month
    • Minimum 20 users required (roughly $8,400/year floor)
    • Core app building, workflow automation and reporting
    • Standard support
  • Business$55/month
    • Minimum 40 users required (roughly $26,400/year floor)
    • Advanced automation, governance and integration features
    • Priority support
  • Enterprise$undefined/year
    • Custom quote
    • Advanced governance, security and integration read package volumes
    • Dedicated account management

Which should you pick?

Choose OutSystems if

  • You need visual application modelling.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want generated deployable code.
OutSystems review

Choose Quickbase if

  • You need relational app builder.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want workflow automation.
Quickbase review

Questions people ask

Is OutSystems or Quickbase better?
Neither clearly leads. OutSystems starts at On request and Quickbase at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, OutSystems or Quickbase?
OutSystems starts at On request and Quickbase at On request.
Does OutSystems or Quickbase run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, iOS, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
What is OutSystems best used for?
OutSystems is most often used for an enterprise replacing custom .net or java application development with a governed low-code platform at scale, a company building customer-facing portals where the external-user pricing tier (packs of 10,000) is materially cheaper than licensing customers as internal users, an it department that wants generated, inspectable code rather than a proprietary black-box runtime, an organisation with a large existing application portfolio needing centralised governance across many apps built by different teams. Of those, an enterprise replacing custom .net or java application development with a governed low-code platform at scale and a company building customer-facing portals where the external-user pricing tier (packs of 10,000) is materially cheaper than licensing customers as internal users are not what Quickbase is typically brought in for.
What can OutSystems do that Quickbase cannot?
OutSystems covers Visual application modelling, Generated deployable code, One-click deployment, AI-assisted development. Quickbase covers Relational app builder, Workflow automation, Reporting and dashboards, Pipelines integration engine.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

OutSystems: What is an Application Object?

A unit OutSystems uses to measure application complexity, counting elements such as screens, database tables and exposed APIs; more AOs mean a bigger licence requirement.

Quickbase: Can I buy fewer than 20 seats?

No. The Team plan enforces a 20-user minimum and Business enforces 40, so smaller teams pay for the floor regardless of actual headcount.

OutSystems: Is there a free tier?

OutSystems has offered free or trial tiers historically for evaluation, but production use at any scale runs on paid ODC plans.

Quickbase: Is per-user pricing genuinely published?

Yes, unlike most enterprise low-code vendors, Quickbase publishes real per-user monthly rates for Team and Business; Enterprise remains quote-only.

OutSystems: How does external user pricing work?

External users, typically customers or partners, are sold in packs of 10,000 at roughly a hundredth of the per-seat cost of internal (employee) user packs.

Quickbase: What is not included in the per-user price?

Integration Reads packages, support tier upgrades and professional services are priced separately and are not publicly listed.

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