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No-Code · head to head

Corteza vs Quickbase

Corteza logo

Corteza

No-Code

Apache-licensed open source low-code platform, formerly Crust, positioned against Salesforce

From
Free
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

  • Only Corteza has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Corteza planet Crust is a small company of roughly a dozen or so people, so the entire commercial support capability behind Corteza is thin and a large deployment can outgrow the vendors ability to respond.; 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: Corteza covers Corteza Low Code, Quickbase covers Relational app builder.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Corteza and Quickbase actually diverge.

Attributes where Corteza and Quickbase differ
AttributeCortezaQuickbase
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feePer user per month, billed annually, with an enforced minimum seat count per tier
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Linux, Self-hosted, DockerWeb, iOS, Android

Identical on both: 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 Corteza

  • Corteza Low Code
  • Automation and workflow
  • Bundled CRM
  • Case management
  • Federation
  • Role-based access control
  • Corteza Messaging and integrations
  • Self-hosted deployment

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.

Corteza

  • A European public body that needs a case management system on servers inside its own jurisdiction with an auditable licence and no per-seat vendor feenot Quickbase
  • An NGO replacing a Salesforce donation that has run out, needing to keep the data model but remove the recurring costnot Quickbase
  • An integrator building a regulated vertical application it intends to resell, requiring a permissive licence it can ship commerciallynot Quickbase
  • A mid-size European company that wants one platform for internal applications and a sales pipeline without paying per seat as headcount growsnot Quickbase

Quickbase

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

Where each one falls short

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

Corteza

  • Planet Crust is a small company of roughly a dozen or so people, so the entire commercial support capability behind Corteza is thin and a large deployment can outgrow the vendors ability to respond.
  • No pricing is published for Planet Crusts support, hosting or implementation services, so the true running cost of a supported deployment cannot be estimated without a sales conversation.
  • The connector ecosystem is small compared with commercial low-code platforms, so integrations with common SaaS tools usually mean writing against the REST API rather than installing something.
  • Hiring is hard: almost nobody has Corteza on a CV, so you are training internal developers on a niche platform and you cannot easily replace them.
  • The bundled CRM is a starting point rather than a mature product, and teams that expect Salesforce-equivalent sales functionality out of the box will spend months building the gap themselves.

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

Corteza

Free
  • Corteza communityFree
    • Apache 2.0 licensed with no feature gating
    • Low-code builder, workflow engine, CRM and case management included
    • Self-hosted on your own infrastructure
  • Planet Crust support and services$undefined/year
    • Commercial support, hosting and implementation from Planet Crust
    • Custom application development
    • Training

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 Corteza if

  • You need corteza low code.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Linux, Self-hosted, Docker.
  • You also want automation and workflow.
Corteza 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 Corteza or Quickbase better?
Neither clearly leads. Corteza starts at Free and Quickbase at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Corteza or Quickbase?
Corteza has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Corteza and On request for Quickbase.
Does Corteza or Quickbase run on more platforms?
Corteza runs on Web, Linux, Self-hosted, Docker. Quickbase runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use Corteza for free?
Yes. Corteza has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Quickbase starts at On request.
What is Corteza best used for?
Corteza is most often used for a european public body that needs a case management system on servers inside its own jurisdiction with an auditable licence and no per-seat vendor fee, an ngo replacing a salesforce donation that has run out, needing to keep the data model but remove the recurring cost, an integrator building a regulated vertical application it intends to resell, requiring a permissive licence it can ship commercially, a mid-size european company that wants one platform for internal applications and a sales pipeline without paying per seat as headcount grows. Of those, a european public body that needs a case management system on servers inside its own jurisdiction with an auditable licence and no per-seat vendor fee and an ngo replacing a salesforce donation that has run out, needing to keep the data model but remove the recurring cost are not what Quickbase is typically brought in for.
What can Corteza do that Quickbase cannot?
Corteza covers Corteza Low Code, Automation and workflow, Bundled CRM, Case management. Quickbase covers Relational app builder, Workflow automation, Reporting and dashboards, Pipelines integration engine.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Corteza: Is Corteza the same thing as Crust?

Yes. The project was branded Crust and renamed Corteza in 2019 when Crust Technology donated it to the Commons Conservancy.

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.

Corteza: Who owns the code?

The Commons Conservancy, a Dutch foundation. Planet Crust in Cork is the primary developer and sells commercial services around it.

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.

Corteza: Is there a paid enterprise edition?

No. Corteza is Apache 2.0 with no feature gating. Planet Crust sells support, hosting and development instead of a restricted edition.

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.

Corteza: Can it genuinely replace Salesforce?

For case management and a straightforward sales pipeline on a self-hosted footprint, yes. For a large sales organisation relying on AppExchange products and a mature ecosystem, no.

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