Knack vs Quickbase (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Knack grades higher than Quickbase: 2.4 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Knack grades higher on value for money and the free plan. They get the same grade on features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Quickbase
Low-code platform for custom work apps and workflows
Which one is for you
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
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
| 2.4GPAKnackFair | 2.0GPAQuickbaseFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | 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. | 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 | CA 14-day trial with no card needed. 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 | 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. | 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 app, 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 only, with Stripe, PayPal and Google Sheets links and an API. No desktop or phone app is listed. | BWeb only, with extensions and APIs. No desktop or phone app is listed. |
| Best for | no-code database apps for a small team | 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: Knack and Quickbase. How we grade
Price against what you get
Knack starts at $49 a month 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 Quickbase starts $14 a month lower. Of the other spreadsheet and database tools on the chart, 7 score higher than Knack 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
- Knack also covers forms.
- Quickbase also covers reports.
At a glance
| Knack | Quickbase | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starts at | $49 per month, billed annually ($59 billed monthly) | $35 per user / month, priced annually, plus a platform minimum |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial, no credit card needed | 30-day free trial with all Business plan features |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Knack | Quickbase |
| Price read from | knack.com | quickbase.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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
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.
Quickbase
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Knack or Quickbase?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Knack starts at $49 per month, billed annually ($59 billed monthly), and Quickbase starts at $35 per user / month, priced annually, plus a platform minimum. 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, Knack or Quickbase?
As of Nov 12, 2026, neither Knack nor Quickbase has a free plan. Both have a free trial.
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.