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No-Code · head to head

Quickbase vs Windmill

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
Windmill logo

Windmill

Automation Integration

Open-source developer platform for building scripts, workflows, and internal apps

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Windmill has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: 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.; Windmill free self-hosted tier caps SSO users at 10 and workspaces at 3, requiring Enterprise for larger teams.
  • They diverge on capability: Quickbase covers Relational app builder, Windmill covers Script-to-workflow engine.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Quickbase and Windmill actually diverge.

Attributes where Quickbase and Windmill differ
AttributeQuickbaseWindmill
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelPer user per month, billed annually, with an enforced minimum seat count per tieropen-source
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, iOS, Androidweb, api, linux, windows, mac
CategoryNo-CodeAutomation Integration

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 Quickbase

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

Only in Windmill

  • Script-to-workflow engine
  • Auto-generated UIs
  • Self-hosted deployment
  • Git sync
  • SSO support
  • Audit logs

What people use each for

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

Quickbase

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

Windmill

  • Turning ad-hoc scripts into scheduled jobs and APIsnot Quickbase
  • Building internal tools from existing Python/TypeScript codenot Quickbase
  • Self-hosted automation for engineering teamsnot Quickbase
  • Orchestrating multi-language workflowsnot Quickbase

Where each one falls short

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

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.

Windmill

  • Free self-hosted tier caps SSO users at 10 and workspaces at 3, requiring Enterprise for larger teams.
  • Compute unit and seat-based pricing (developer vs. operator seats, worker compute units) adds pricing complexity beyond a flat monthly fee.
  • Email triggers are capped at 100/day on the free tier, limiting event-driven use cases without upgrading.
  • Smaller ecosystem of pre-built integrations compared to more established automation tools like n8n.

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Windmill

Free
  • Free / Open-sourceFree
    • Unlimited executions
    • Self-hosted deployment
    • Max 10 users with SSO
  • Enterprise$120/month
    • Unlimited executions and workspaces
    • Uncapped SSO seats
    • 24/7 priority support (3-hour response)

Which should you pick?

Choose Quickbase if

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

Choose Windmill if

  • You need script-to-workflow engine.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on web, api, linux, windows, mac.
  • You also want auto-generated uis.
Windmill review

Questions people ask

Is Quickbase or Windmill better?
Neither clearly leads. Quickbase starts at On request and Windmill at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Quickbase or Windmill?
Windmill has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Quickbase and Free for Windmill.
Does Quickbase or Windmill run on more platforms?
Quickbase runs on Web, iOS, Android. Windmill runs on web, api, linux, windows, mac.
Can I use Windmill for free?
Yes. Windmill has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Quickbase starts at On request.
What is Quickbase best used for?
Quickbase is most often used for an operations team of at least 20 people replacing spreadsheet-based process tracking with a structured, auditable app, a mid-sized company wanting published, comparable per-user pricing rather than an opaque quote-only process, a project management office standardising workflow automation and reporting across several departments, a business that already knows it needs 40 or more seats, where the business tier's minimum is not a real constraint. Of those, an operations team of at least 20 people replacing spreadsheet-based process tracking with a structured, auditable app and a mid-sized company wanting published, comparable per-user pricing rather than an opaque quote-only process are not what Windmill is typically brought in for.
What can Quickbase do that Windmill cannot?
Quickbase covers Relational app builder, Workflow automation, Reporting and dashboards, Pipelines integration engine. Windmill covers Script-to-workflow engine, Auto-generated UIs, Self-hosted deployment, Git sync.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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.

Windmill: What does Windmill cost?

Windmill's Free and Open-source edition is $0/month for self-hosted use with unlimited executions, while Enterprise starts at $120/month with unlimited workspaces and uncapped SSO seats, priced further by developer/operator seats and compute units.

Source
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.

Windmill: Is there a free plan and what are its limits?

The free self-hosted plan supports unlimited executions but caps SSO at 10 users, workspaces at 3, groups/permissions at 4, and email triggers at 100 per day.

Source
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.

Windmill: How is usage metered on Windmill Enterprise?

Enterprise usage is metered through seats (developer seats at $20/month, operator seats at $10/month) and compute units, e.g. $100/month for 2 standard-worker compute units.

Source
Windmill: What happens to a self-hosted Windmill deployment if the company shuts down?

The pricing page addresses this directly as an FAQ topic, noting that self-hosted applications built on the open-source edition can continue running independently of Windmill the company.

Source
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