AppSheet vs Budibase (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, AppSheet grades higher than Budibase: 2.8 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
AppSheet grades higher on value for money and platforms. They get the same grade on the free plan, features and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
AppSheet
Google's no-code app and automation builder, with Gemini help
Budibase
Open-source platform for internal apps, automations and AI agents
Which one is for you
Pick AppSheet if
- Fits if your data already lives in Google Sheets or a database and you want an app on top
- Works for field teams who need forms and barcode scanning on a phone, even offline
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if lots of people use the app, as every user is $5 to $20 a month
- Skip it if you want AI to build the app without a Google Workspace licence, as the FAQ says it needs one
- Too light for advanced automation and role-based users on Starter, as they start at Core
- Watch out: public apps with no sign-in cost $50 a month each, and Enterprise Plus is bought through a Workspace admin
Pick Budibase if
- Fits if you can run your own server and want internal tools with no per-seat fee
- Works for teams that want the data to stay on infrastructure they control
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you want it hosted: Cloud is $299 a month and up, billing basis not shown
- Skip it if you have no one to run a server, as the free edition is self-managed
- Tight if you rely on Cloud actions: they are a hard monthly limit with no overage, and more means sales
- Watch out: extra creators are $50 to $60 a month and extra end users $5 to $6
- Watch out: the Community edition keeps a 1-day automation log and has no Budibase AI
How we grade them
| 2.8GPAAppSheetGood | 2.2GPABudibaseFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BStarter is $5 a user a month and Core is $10, both under the $15 to $25 range the category charges per month. But it is per user, so a team of 20 is $100 to $200. | DCloud starts at $299 a month, about fifteen times the category's middle of $20, for 2 creators and 20 end users. Self-hosting is free, but that needs a server of your own. |
| Free plan and trial | BPrototyping is free for as long as you like, with every feature, for up to 10 test users. You cannot roll it out to a team without paying. | BThe Community edition is free to self-host with unlimited users, apps and automations, plus a 14-day Cloud trial. You need a server for it, and it has one workspace. |
| Features | BSpreadsheet and database connectors, automations, offline sync, barcode scanning, a built-in database and governance. The listing names no gap in the job, though some of it sits on Core or Enterprise Plus. | BApp, automation and agent builders, data sources, a service portal and self-hosting. No gap shows in the job, only limits on the free edition. |
| Ease of use | CA web app where the work is building the app itself, and no store rating is on record. | CA web builder where the work is building the apps themselves. No store rating on record. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb plus iPhone and Android apps for the people who use what you build, and links to Sheets, Drive, Excel, Salesforce, Airtable and BigQuery. | CWeb only, and the listing names no integrations beyond its data sources. |
| Best for | business apps built on spreadsheets and databases | internal apps and automations, self-hosted |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: AppSheet and Budibase. How we grade
Price against what you get
AppSheet starts at $5 a month for each person and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Budibase starts at $299 a month and scores 2.3.
AppSheet scores higher and starts $294 a month lower. Of the other AI app builders on the chart, none scores higher than AppSheet for less, and 29 score higher than Budibase for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Budibase is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- AppSheet also covers databases and barcode scanning.
- Budibase also covers AI agents.
At a glance
| AppSheet | Budibase | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $5 per user / month (Starter) | $299 per month and up (Budibase Cloud, billing basis not shown) |
| Free plan | Build and test prototypes with basic app and automation features, with up to 10 test users, for as long as you like. | Community edition: free to self-host, with unlimited users, apps, agents and automations. |
| Free trial | None listed | 14-day free trial of Budibase Cloud |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Budibase, Inc. | |
| Price read from | about.appsheet.com | budibase.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
AppSheet
- Prices are per user per month, so cost grows with the number of app users.
- AI-assisted app creation needs a paid Google Workspace license, according to the pricing FAQ.
- Enterprise Plus can be bought only by a Google Workspace administrator.
- Public apps without sign-in are priced per app ($50 a month) through Publisher Pro.
Budibase
- Budibase Cloud starts at $299 a month; the page does not say whether that figure assumes annual billing.
- Cloud actions are a hard monthly limit with no overage billing, and a larger allowance means contacting sales.
- Extra creators cost $50 a month with annual billing or $60 monthly, and extra end users $5 or $6.
- The free Community edition has one workspace, a 1-day automation log and no synchronous webhooks or Budibase AI.
Key features
AppSheet
- Gemini-assisted creation
- Describe what an app should do and Gemini drafts it; AI-assisted app creation is available to users with paid Google Workspace licenses.
- Data connectors
- Connects to Google Sheets, Excel, Airtable, Smartsheet and Salesforce, with SQL, BigQuery, Apigee and REST APIs on the top plan.
- Automations
- Workflows with triggers, conditions and branches, plus email, SMS and push notifications and webhooks from app events or schedules.
- Field data capture
- Forms, barcodes, locations, signatures and photos, with offline use and background sync.
- Built-in database
- An AppSheet database is included on every paid plan, with row and database limits by tier.
- Governance
- Role-based access, security filters and, on Enterprise Plus, audit logs, version history and team policy controls.
Budibase
- App builder
- A drag-and-drop designer for end-user web apps that work with workspace data and automations.
- Automation builder
- Backend workflows are chained from triggers and action steps, with 20+ triggers and actions and synchronous webhooks on the Enterprise edition.
- Agent builder
- AI agents are set up with instructions, tools, models and knowledge sources, with tool calling and evals. The Community edition uses your own AI key.
- Data sources
- Budibase's own database can be used beside external data sources, which the pricing page lists as unlimited on both self-hosted editions.
- Self-hosting
- Runs on private cloud, on-premise and air-gapped setups, according to the homepage.
- Service portal
- Apps, requests and approvals can be gathered into one portal for internal users.
Plans
AppSheet
Free prototyping$0
Use the app editor and process designer with every feature for prototypes, with up to 10 test users.
Starter$5
per user / month
Basic app and automation features, spreadsheet and cloud-storage connectors and the AppSheet database (5 databases, 2,500 rows each).
Core$10
per user / month
Adds advanced automation, security controls, role-based users, barcode scanning and email support. Included in most paid Google Workspace plans.
Enterprise Plus$20
per user / month
Adds machine learning, cloud database and API connectors, governance controls, up to 200 databases of 200,000 rows and priority support. Sold to Workspace administrators.
Publisher Pro$50
per app / month
For public apps with no sign-in and no sensitive data, usable by unlimited users; has Core features without sign-in options or security filters.
Budibase
Community (self-managed)$0
Open-source edition you host yourself: unlimited users, apps, agents and automations, standard SSO and 1 workspace. No Budibase AI, but you can bring your own AI key.
CloudFrom $299
per month and up
Hosted by Budibase with 2 creators, 20 end users, 250K monthly actions and 50K monthly AI credits. Actions are a hard monthly limit; larger allowances are priced through sales.
Enterprise (self-managed)Custom
Custom package with unlimited users, creators and workspaces, audit logs, enterprise identity controls, air-gapped deployment options and dedicated support.
Ways to pay less
AppSheet
- Nonprofit
Education and nonprofit discounts
Discounts are offered to educational and nonprofit organizations with verification of tax-exempt status.
Budibase
- Annual discount
Lower add-on prices with annual billing
Creator and end-user add-ons cost 20% more with monthly billing than with annual billing.
- Nonprofit
Charity pricing
A flexible pricing package for nonprofit teams, arranged through the contact form.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, AppSheet or Budibase?
As of Nov 13, 2026, AppSheet starts at $5 per user / month (Starter), and Budibase starts at $299 per month and up (Budibase Cloud, billing basis not shown). One is priced for each person and the other is not, so which costs less depends on how many of you use it.
Which has a free plan, AppSheet or Budibase?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both AppSheet and Budibase have a free plan.
Which platforms do AppSheet and Budibase run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only AppSheet lists iOS and Android apps. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.