Budibase alternatives in 2026 Appsmith, Retool, Windmill and Button compared on price, users and self-hosting

If you're looking past Budibase, the right alternative comes down to whether you're building a database frontend, running backend workflows, or just handing a local script to colleagues. Appsmith and Retool are the main choices for full internal apps, Windmill is built for server-hosted scripts and schedules, and Button ($0 for 3 people, or $15/month for up to 250 people and 5,000 runs) turns a script sitting on your own computer into a web form your team can run without you hosting a server at all.

Before you switch: where Budibase still wins

Before you drop Budibase, look at its self-hosted option. Budibase has an open-source GPLv3 core, and self-hosting it is free with unlimited creators and end users. That's a real strength if you have a server and don't want to count seats.

Where people start looking around is usually Budibase Cloud pricing or how it handles scripts. On Budibase Cloud (checked October 2026), Pro is $19/month billed annually ($23 monthly) for 1 creator, and you pay $5 per end user per month on annual billing; Premium is $49/month and Business is $299/month (annual). Also, Budibase automations run on the Budibase backend, so there's no built-in way to run a script on an end user's computer.

Appsmith: for CRUD apps and dashboards

Appsmith is open source under Apache 2.0, and like Budibase, its self-hosted Community Edition is free. It's built for CRUD apps and dashboards sitting on top of your databases and APIs.

If you don't want to manage a server, Appsmith Cloud Free covers up to 5 users. After that, Business costs $15 per user per month for up to 99 users, and Enterprise starts at $2,500 per month for 100 users. All queries run from the Appsmith server, and it has no built-in way to run a script on a particular user's computer.

When Appsmith is the better choice: pick Appsmith over Button or Windmill when you're building multi-page CRUD interfaces or dashboards over a database and want an open-source tool you can host yourself for free.

Retool: for database apps, workflows and agents

Retool is proprietary and builds internal apps, workflows and agents on top of your databases and APIs.

Retool's Free plan covers up to 5 users on Retool Cloud. Its paid plans (Team and Business) are billed per builder plus per internal user, while self-hosting is part of Enterprise plans. Code in Retool apps and workflows runs on the Retool deployment (either Retool Cloud or your self-hosted instance), not on an individual user's laptop, though Retool RPC can call functions that you run on your own backend server.

When Retool is the better choice: if you want a proprietary platform that combines UI building, workflows and agents in one place, or you're already running a backend server and want to wire it into a frontend via Retool RPC.

Windmill: for server-hosted scripts, workflows and schedules

If you looked at Budibase hoping to put a UI on top of code rather than a database, Windmill is much closer to the mark. It's an open-source developer platform (AGPLv3 core) that turns scripts in Python, TypeScript, Go, Bash, SQL and 20+ other languages into auto-generated forms, webhooks, schedules, workflows and apps.

Self-hosted Windmill is free with unlimited executions, up to 50 users (max 10 with SSO) and 3 workspaces. Windmill Cloud also has a free tier with 1,000 executions per month. When you self-host, scripts run on Windmill workers you host, on any machine that can reach Windmill's database.

When Windmill is the better choice: use Windmill when you need webhooks, schedules, multi-step workflows, or SQL scripts, and you're happy hosting Windmill and its database (or staying within the Cloud tier) so your workers run on infrastructure you manage.

Button: when the script is already on your computer

Button (https://button.bitgate.dev) does one specific job: it turns a script on your own computer into a web form your colleagues can run. Any program works - Python, Node, R, PowerShell, shell scripts, compiled binaries.

Unlike the tools above, jobs run on the creator's computer, never in Button's cloud. Button's servers relay the form values and files between the browser and that computer. Your computer has to be on and online when someone runs a tool, and tool pages show whether your machine is Ready, Busy or Offline. You get one computer (runner) per workspace on every plan; pairing a new computer replaces the previous one.

To put a script on Button, you first make sure the script takes its inputs as command-line arguments (argparse in Python, commandArgs() in R, a param() block in PowerShell, $1 and $2 in bash) instead of hard-coded paths or interactive prompts. Take each input file path as an argument, and write the results as files into an output folder that is also passed as an argument. Then:

1. Sign in at button.bitgate.dev.
2. Install the Button runner on your computer (macOS, Linux or Windows) with the one-line command the site shows you (curl on macOS and Linux, PowerShell on Windows).
3. Pick the program in the local setup page.
4. Describe its inputs (text, number, yes/no, choice, files) and publish. Button gives the tool its own page.

Your colleagues open the link from their invite email, sign in with Google or a one-time email code, fill in the form, press Run and download the results. They install nothing and never pay.

How the runner locks things down: it only executes the exact command you approved on that computer (pinned by hash). Fixed flags are part of the command you approve; colleagues only supply the values for the form fields. Every form value is passed to the program as its own argument, with no shell, and a value can't start with "-". If you change a tool, people have to confirm the new version before running it. Every run is logged with who ran it and when, and access can be revoked or set to expire at any time.

There are fixed limits you should know up front. Files can be up to 25 MB each, with up to 8 files and 100 MB per run. Runs can take up to 30 minutes, with one run at a time per computer, and logs up to 1 MB per run. Inputs are deleted 24 hours after a run ends, outputs after 7 days.

Pricing is flat: Free is $0 with 1 published tool, 3 people and 100 runs per month; Pro is $15/month, or $144/year ($12/month), with 50 tools, 250 people and 5,000 runs per month. Recipients never pay, and downgrading deletes nothing. If you actually need a database dashboard, scheduled jobs, or a tool that runs while your laptop is shut, use Appsmith, Retool, Budibase or Windmill instead.

FAQ

What happens if my computer is asleep when a colleague tries to run a Button tool?

Your computer has to be on and online for a job to run, because execution happens on your machine and never in Button's cloud. Colleagues will see the tool page marked as Offline (instead of Ready or Busy) until your computer is back online.

How does per-user pricing compare when sharing a tool with 20 colleagues?

On Button Pro, 20 colleagues fits well inside the 250-person cap included in the flat $15/month ($12/month billed annually) price, and recipients never pay. On Cloud plans elsewhere, Budibase Pro charges $19/month (annual) for 1 creator plus $5 per end user per month, while Appsmith Business charges $15 per user per month; if you self-host Budibase, Appsmith or Windmill, you can cover 20 users for free.

Can colleagues pass malicious flags or shell commands through a Button form?

No, because the runner only executes the exact command you approved (pinned by hash) and passes every form value to your program as its own argument, with no shell. Form values also can't start with "-", so a colleague can't inject extra command-line flags.

Do files and form inputs stay on my computer with Button?

The script itself runs on your computer, but Button's servers relay the form values and files between your colleague's browser and your machine. On Button's side, inputs are deleted 24 hours after a run ends, and outputs are deleted after 7 days.