Kintone vs Quickbase (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Kintone grades higher than Quickbase: 2.2 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Kintone grades higher on value for money. They get the same grade on the free plan, 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
Quickbase
Low-code platform for custom work apps and workflows
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 Quickbase if
- Fits if an operations or compliance team needs custom apps with audit logs
- Makes sense if you will want Gantt charts and SSO later
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you are small, as the platform minimum on top of $35 per user is not shown
- Skip it if you want a quick price, since plans are sold through a contact form
- Tight if you need SSO, SCIM, Gantt charts, a sandbox or HIPAA support, which need Business at $55
- Watch out: extensions and the AI Intelligence Pack are add-ons
How we grade them
| 2.2GPAKintoneFair | 2.0GPAQuickbaseFair | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | DTeam is $35 per user a month priced annually, plus a platform minimum fee the page does not show. Spreadsheet tools sit at $12 in the middle and $31 for the dearer quarter. |
| 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. | DA 30-day trial with all Business features, but the page doesn't say whether it needs a card. There is 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. | BApp builder, reports and charts, workflow automation, AI, security and compliance, extensions and APIs. Nothing in the listing shows a missing core piece. |
| 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 apps, so there is a learning curve. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, iPhone and Android, plus an API. No desktop app is listed. | BWeb only, with extensions and APIs. No desktop or phone app is listed. |
| Best for | teams building database apps with approvals and comments | operations teams building company work apps |
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 Quickbase. 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. Quickbase starts at $35 a month for each person and scores 2.7.
They score the same, and Kintone starts $11 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 Quickbase 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
- Quickbase also covers reports.
At a glance
| Kintone | Quickbase | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starts at | $24 per user / month, 5-user minimum ($16 for first-time buyers) | $35 per user / month, priced annually, plus a platform minimum |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | 30-day free trial with access to all features | 30-day free trial with all Business plan features |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Cybozu, Inc. | Quickbase |
| Price read from | kintone.com | quickbase.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.
Quickbase
- Listed per-user prices do not include a platform minimum fee; its amount is not shown on the page.
- Plans are sold through the contact form; the free 30-day trial includes Business plan features.
- SSO, SCIM, Gantt charts, sandbox and HIPAA support need the Business plan or higher.
- Extensions and the AI Intelligence Pack are add-ons.
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.
Quickbase
- Visual app builder
- Build apps and workflows visually, from app templates or an AI prompt.
- Reports and charts
- Grid, map, calendar and kanban reports plus line, pie and bar charts, with personalized dashboards.
- Workflow automation
- A visual workflow builder, custom emails, secure links for outside stakeholders and document creation.
- Quickbase AI
- AI features for building apps, turning spreadsheets into apps and an agent over your apps; an AI Intelligence Pack add-on is optional.
- Security and compliance
- Audit logs and encryption on Team; Business adds SSO, SCIM, sandbox and FDA and HIPAA support.
- Extensions and APIs
- RESTful APIs on every plan and nine extensions such as XL Docs and JuicedSign as an add-on.
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.
Quickbase
Team$35
per user / month, priced annually, plus platform minimum
Dashboards, 13+ report types, workflow automation, audit logs, encryption. Cost excludes the platform minimum.
Business$55
per user / month, priced annually, plus platform minimum
Adds SSO and SCIM, Gantt charts, sandbox and FDA and HIPAA compliance. Cost excludes the platform minimum.
EnterpriseCustom
Adds advanced performance tools, advanced data encryption and data warehouse integrations. 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.
Quickbase
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Kintone or Quickbase?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Kintone is cheaper to start with: $24 a month for each person, against $35 a month for each person for Quickbase. Kintone starts at $24 per user / month, 5-user minimum ($16 for first-time buyers), and Quickbase starts at $35 per user / month, priced annually, plus a platform minimum.
Which has a free plan, Kintone or Quickbase?
As of Nov 12, 2026, neither Kintone nor Quickbase has a free plan. Both have a free trial.
Which platforms do Kintone and Quickbase 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.