Kintone vs Knack (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Knack grades higher than Kintone: 2.4 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Knack grades higher on the free plan. They get the same grade on value for money, features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Kintone
No-code database apps with workflows and team discussion
Which one is for you
Pick Kintone if
- Fits if a team wants approvals and discussion kept next to its records
- Makes sense if you are moving spreadsheets into proper apps for five or more people
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you are alone or a pair, as you pay for at least 5 users, $120 a month
- Tight if you need advanced customisation, which is only on the $28 Custom plan
- Watch out: the page doesn't say how monthly or annual contracts change the price
- Watch out: the page shows a first-time-buyer sale, and $24 and $28 are the prices without it
- Watch out: payment on the page is by credit card only
Pick Knack if
- Fits if a small team wants a database app without paying per user
- Works for people who want an AI builder to draft the first version
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if your data grows, as Starter allows 20k records and Pro 50k
- Pricey if you need payments, scheduled tasks or no Knack branding, which start at $110 a month
- Watch out: Corporate at $250 is a starting price and the final cost is set by usage
- Watch out: the 66% new-customer offer covers the first 3 months only
How we grade them
| 2.2GPAKintoneFair | 2.4GPAKnackFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CProfessional is $24 per user a month from 5 users, which is $120 a month at the floor. Spreadsheet tools sit around $12 in the middle, and the $16 first-time price on the page is a sale. | CStarter is $49 a month billed annually ($59 monthly) for unlimited users, about $10 each for five people. The cheaper quarter of spreadsheet tools starts at $6 per user. |
| Free plan and trial | DA 30-day trial with every feature, but the page doesn't say whether it needs a card. There is no free plan. | CA 14-day trial with no card needed. No free plan. |
| Features | BDrag-and-drop apps, spreadsheet import, process management, discussion beside records, permissions, audit logs and an API. The listing shows no gap in the core job. | BA database builder, app designer, AI builder, automations, payments and scheduling, and access controls. Record caps and plan gates limit it, but nothing in the core job is missing. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. It is a web app where the work is building the apps, so there is a learning curve. | CNo store rating on record. It is a web app where the work is building the app, so there is a learning curve. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, iPhone and Android, plus an API. No desktop app is listed. | BWeb only, with Stripe, PayPal and Google Sheets links and an API. No desktop or phone app is listed. |
| Best for | teams building database apps with approvals and comments | no-code database apps for a small team |
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: Kintone and Knack. How we grade
Price against what you get
Kintone starts at $24 a month for each person and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Knack starts at $49 a month and scores 2.7.
They score the same, and Kintone starts $25 a month lower. Of the other spreadsheet and database tools on the chart, 7 score higher than Kintone for less, and 7 score higher than Knack 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
- Knack also covers forms.
At a glance
| Kintone | Knack | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starts at | $24 per user / month, 5-user minimum ($16 for first-time buyers) | $49 per month, billed annually ($59 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | 30-day free trial with access to all features | 14-day free trial, no credit card needed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Cybozu, Inc. | Knack |
| Price read from | kintone.com | knack.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Kintone
- Plans are sold from 5 users; the page does not say how a monthly or annual contract changes the per-user price.
- The regional site shows a first-time-buyer sale; the $24 and $28 figures are the prices without it.
- Advanced customization options are limited to the Custom plan.
- Payment is by credit card only on the page; other methods go through a local sales partner.
Knack
- Records are capped by plan: 20k on Starter and 50k on Pro, with higher counts from Corporate.
- Knack branding removal, scheduled tasks, ecommerce payments and a custom domain need Pro.
- Corporate is a starting price; the final cost is set by usage.
- The 66% new-customer offer on the page is labeled limited-time and covers the first 3 months only.
Key features
Kintone
- Drag-and-drop app builder
- Build database apps from forms without code, or start from the app template library.
- Spreadsheet conversion
- Upload Excel files and turn them into database apps.
- Process management
- Custom approval processes with branch criteria, all-or-any approvals and status history.
- Discussion beside records
- Comments, user profiles, private messages and tagging sit with the data they refer to.
- Permissions and audit logs
- Access can be set by department, space, app, record and field, with audit logs of app changes and record actions.
- API and customization
- REST API, webhooks and JavaScript and CSS customization, plus native iOS and Android apps.
Knack
- No-code database
- Relational tables with unlimited fields and tables on every plan, plus imports from CSV, Excel and Google Sheets.
- Web app designer
- A front-end designer builds pages, forms and tables, with unlimited users and custom roles.
- AI app builder
- Drafts an app from a description. Starter includes 25 AI credits a month, rising with each plan.
- Automations
- Knack Flows and the API connect apps to 400+ platforms and run scheduled tasks from Pro.
- Payments and scheduling
- Pro adds ecommerce payments through Stripe and PayPal; a scheduling add-on is available.
- Access and audit
- Roles, 2FA for app users on Pro, advanced SSO on Corporate and record audit logs of 1 to 3 months by plan.
Plans
Kintone
Professional$24
per user / month, from 5 users
All basic features. First-time subscribers see a $16 price on the page. Monthly or annual contract.
Custom$28
per user / month, from 5 users
Professional plus advanced customization options. First-time subscribers see a $20 price on the page.
Knack
Starter$49
per month, billed annually ($59 billed monthly)
20k database records, 25 AI credits, unlimited users, tables and pages. New customers pay $19 monthly for 3 months.
Pro$110
per month, billed annually ($130 billed monthly)
50k records, 50 AI credits, removes Knack branding, scheduled tasks, ecommerce payments, 1 custom domain.
Corporate$250
per month, billed annually ($300 billed monthly)
Starting price. 125k to 2.5m records, 100 AI credits, advanced SSO, app restores, 3 custom domains.
EnterpriseCustom
2.5 million+ records, HIPAA and GovCloud options, private server environment. Sold through sales.
Ways to pay less
Kintone
- Other savings
First-time buyer sale
The pricing page shows $16 (Professional) and $20 (Custom) per user per month for first-time subscribers; how long it lasts is not stated.
Knack
- Annual discount
Two months free on annual plans
The pricing page says annual plans give two free months, 17% off the monthly rate.
- Other savings
66% off the first 3 months
New customers only, labeled limited time: Starter is $19 and Pro $49 a month for the first 3 months on monthly billing.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Kintone or Knack?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Kintone starts at $24 per user / month, 5-user minimum ($16 for first-time buyers), and Knack starts at $49 per month, billed annually ($59 billed monthly). 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, Kintone or Knack?
As of Nov 12, 2026, neither Kintone nor Knack has a free plan. Both have a free trial.
Which platforms do Kintone and Knack run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Kintone 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.