Budibase vs ToolJet (2026): which should you pick?

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

Pick ToolJet if

• Fits if a small team wants internal tools and can live within 50 end users
• Works for developers who want to self-host the open-source edition

Look elsewhere if

• Pricey if you add builders, as every one is $23 to $199 a month
• Tight if you grow: Basic and Pro stop at 50 end users, and Team at 100
• Skip it if you want to use your own LLM keys, as that is Enterprise only
• Watch out: AI credits reset each cycle, and extra ones are $1 per 100

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.

ToolJet

• Prices are per builder, and the cheaper plans cap end users at 50 (Team 100); more users need an Enterprise quote.
• AI credits reset each billing cycle, and extra credits are $1 per 100 or arranged through the vendor.
• Bringing your own LLM keys is limited to Enterprise plans.
• Free trials of paid features are arranged by contacting ToolJet; the pricing page lists none.

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.

ToolJet

App builder with AI generation

Internal apps are assembled visually, and the AI features generate pages, queries, UI edits and database tables, and fix errors.

Data connections

The platform page says it connects to 100+ databases, APIs and SaaS tools, and it has a built-in database based on PostgreSQL.

Workflows and agents

A node-based workflow canvas and an agent builder automate business processes; the pricing page marks some workflow features as self-hosted only.

Coding-agent plugin

The ToolJet MCP plugin lets Claude Code, Codex or Cursor build apps, and the pricing page says this uses no ToolJet AI credits.

Governance controls

Higher plans add SSO, custom user groups, audit logs, Git sync and multi-environment deployment.

Self-hosting

Runs on Docker, Kubernetes, a VPC or on-premise; the free Community Edition is open-source under the AGPL-3.0 license.

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.

ToolJet

• Free$0

  per builder / month

  2 builders, up to 50 end users, 10 apps, 100 AI credits a month, predefined roles and community support on Slack.

• Basic$23

  per builder / month, billed annually ($29 billed monthly)

  Up to 2 builders, 50 end users and 10 apps, with 2,000 AI credits per builder, custom styling, version control and email support.

• Pro$79

  per builder / month, billed annually ($99 billed monthly)

  Unlimited builders and 10 apps with up to 50 end users, 2,000 AI credits per builder, custom styling and version control.

• Team$199

  per builder / month, billed annually ($249 billed monthly)

  Up to 100 end users and unlimited apps, 3,000 AI credits per builder, SSO, audit logs, Git sync, white labelling and custom domains.

• EnterpriseCustom

  Unlimited end users, SCIM, custom AI credits, premium SLAs, multi-environment deployments and an air-gapped option. Sold through sales.

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.

ToolJet

• Annual discount

  Save 20% with annual billing

  Basic, Pro and Team are shown at the annual rate, which the page marks as a 20% saving over monthly billing.

• Other savings

  Discounts for open-source projects

  The FAQ says open-source and nonprofit projects can get a heavy discount by contacting ToolJet with project details.