Budibase vs Appsmith vs Superblocks: A Low-Code Comparison

Budibase, Appsmith, and Superblocks are three of the most popular platforms for building internal tools and workflows fast. Each one has its strengths and is therefore suited for different use cases.
 

In this article, we’ll break down:

• How Budibase vs Appsmith vs Superblocks stack up on features
• Their pricing models and hidden considerations
• Which platform fits which type of team or project

Let’s get started with an overview.

Budibase vs Appsmith vs Superblocks: Quick comparison

Before we dive into the nitty-gritty, here’s a quick side-by-side to see how Budibase, Appsmith, and Superblocks compare:
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Budibase

Budibase is an open-source, low-code platform designed to help teams rapidly build internal tools. It emphasizes a visual, low-code experience over code-heavy development, making it approachable for technical teams that want to move fast without writing everything from scratch.

Budibase features at a glance

• Visual builder: Offers a drag-and-drop interface with pre-built components that can be customized using CSS. It also lets you auto-generate full CRUD apps and forms based on your SQL schema.
• Data integrations: Supports data integration through pre-built connectors for NoSQL databases, relational databases, and REST APIs.
• Built-in database: Comes with a built-in low-code database with a spreadsheet-style interface that makes it easy to manage and visualize data.
• Visual automations: Visual automations are created using a flowchart-style interface with support for triggers, actions, loops, branching, and conditionals. You can also inject custom logic using JavaScript.
• Custom code: Offers a plug-in CLI for creating custom components, and if you self-host, custom data sources.
• Security features: Includes role-based access control (RBAC) and support for SSO. Enterprise plans also add SCIM provisioning, user groups, and environment variables.

Budibase pricing

Budibase uses a per-creator/per-user pricing model. The free tier offers unlimited apps for up to 5 users in the cloud or 25 for on-prem deployments. Paid plans start from $50 per month for creators and $5 per end user. The enterprise plan has custom pricing.

Pros & limitations of Budibase

Pros:

• Transparency and flexibility with community support.
• Full control over deployment and data when you self-host.
• Supports a wide range of data sources and services.
• Includes SSO even on the free plans.

Limitations:

• Lacks Git and CI/CD support.
• Grid layout requires manual adjustments for mobile devices.
• Lacks Python support.

Appsmith

Like Budibase, Appsmith is also a low-code, open-source internal tool builder. But it leans more heavily on code and is built with developers in mind. That makes it a better fit for teams that want the speed of low-code without giving up code-level control.

Appsmith features at a glance

• Visual builder: Offers a drag-and-drop interface with over 45 pre-built widgets, including tables, charts, forms, and buttons. These widgets are customizable using CSS.
• Data integration: Connects to various databases and APIs, including databases, REST, and GraphQL API, as well as third-party SaaS tools.
• Custom code support: Developers can embed JavaScript code to implement custom logic, data transformations, and validations.
• Version control: integrates with Git, so teams can manage application versions, collaborate on code, and maintain a history of changes. ​
• Built-in access management: Comes with built-in RBAC to manage user permissions with customizable roles.
• Deployment flexibility: Options for cloud hosting, self-hosting via Docker/Kubernetes, and air-gapped environments on the enterprise plan.
• Workflow automation: Automate tasks and processes within applications using JavaScript.

Appsmith pricing

Appsmith uses a per-user pricing model. The managed version is free for teams with up to 5 users, 5 workspaces, and 3 Git repositories. For larger teams, the Business plan costs $15/month per user. It supports up to 99 users and includes unlimited environments, Git repos, and workspaces. Cloud hosting on this plan is not available. 
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The Enterprise plan starts at $2,500 per month for 10 users (roughly $25 per user), with optional managed hosting available as an add-on.

Pros & limitations of Appsmith 

Pros:

• Ability to add custom logic using JavaScript.
• Flexible hosting solutions, including self-hosting and managed cloud.
• Regular updates and community-driven improvements.

Limitations:

• Requires technical knowledge for advanced customizations.
• Lacks Python support.
• Lacks native streaming integrations.

Superblocks

Superblocks is an AI-powered development platform built to quickly create internal apps and automate backend workflows. It’s the most developer-centric option in this lineup, offering full-code extensibility on both the frontend and backend. 
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Teams can write in Python, JavaScript, and SQL and even drop in custom React components. It also fits neatly into modern dev workflows with Git integration and CI/CD support.

Superblocks features at a glance

• Custom AI copilot: Use natural language prompts alongside the visual builders or raw code to generate, explain, and optimize your applications.
• Visual UI builder: Has a drag-and-drop interface with a library of over 100 pre-built components. You can modify these components or import custom React components into the builder.
• Visual workflow builder: Construct complex backend business logic visually using Control Blocks. It also allows custom code extensions in Python or Node.
• Comprehensive data integration: Comes with pre-built integrations to various databases, cloud services, AI models, and APIs. You can also build your own custom integrations.
• Multi-language support: Write JavaScript, SQL, and Python for custom logic and functionality.
• Version control: Offers Git-based version control and integrates with CI/CD tools like GitHub Actions, CircleCI, and Jenkins for automated testing and deployment processes.
• Enterprise-grade security and governance: Provides built-in RBAC, Single Sign-On (SSO), SCIM provisioning, and audit logs.
• On-premise deployment options: Offers an on-premise agent that allows orgs to keep sensitive data in their own infrastructure, while still using the cloud-based builder.
• Hybrid deployment model: Superblocks is hosted, but it offers an on-premise agent. You can keep your data and API calls within your network (e.g., in your virtual private cloud (VPC)), while still using the cloud-based builder.
• Reusable components: Build custom component once and make them available to any Superblocks developer on your team.

Superblocks pricing

Superblocks offers a tiered, per-user pricing model designed to accommodate teams of various sizes and needs. The free tier supports unlimited apps and workflows for up to 5 users. 
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The paid plans start at $49/month per creator and $15/month per end user (annual commitment). This plan supports up to 100 users and adds unlimited integrations, RBAC, audit logs, and reusable modules. 
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The enterprise plan, tailored for orgs with more than 100 users has custom pricing.

Pros

• Superblocks supports full-code extensibility. Developers can write custom logic in Python, JavaScript, and SQL on the backend or use React on the frontend.
• The visual builder, plus pre-built integrations and components, make it easy for devs and semi-technical users to prototype and launch apps fast.
• It works with almost any data source that has an API.
• AI is integrated across the platform, enabling you to generate queries and code, embed AI models into apps and workflows, and build full AI-powered automations.
• It has enterprise-grade security features including RBAC, SSO, SCIM, audit logs, and on-prem hosting.
• Scheduled jobs and workflow orchestration are built into the platform.
• It’s fully managed. You don’t have to host, upgrade, or scale the platform. If you want to keep data on-prem, the OPA agent is super lightweight and easy to deploy.
• It has zero lock-in. You can export your apps and run them independently outside the platform.

Limitations

• There’s a learning curve for non-technical teams since it’s not a no-code tool. You will need some technical knowledge to take full advantage of the platform’s features.
• It doesn’t offer a fully on-premise deployment option yet. While it offers hybrid deployment, the management layer (UI, workflow engine, admin controls) remains in Superblocks Cloud.

Which should you choose?

So far, we’ve looked at the features and the pros and cons of Superblocks, ToolJet, and Appsmith. But with one should you choose?

Choose Budibase if:

• You want a self-hosted, open-source platform that gives you control over your infrastructure. 

• You’re looking for a low-cost option with SSO support in the free tier.

Consider Budibase alternatives if you need Git integration and better code support.

Choose Appsmith if:

• You need to self-host your internal builder and have dev and infrastructure resources.
• Your team is comfortable with JavaScript and wants full control over app logic and styling.

Consider Appsmith alternatives if you don’t want to self-host or manage infrastructure. While Appsmith can be hosted in the cloud, the managed version is only available on Enterprise plans.

Choose Superblocks if:

• You need a platform that works at the largest scale, across teams and departments.
• Your team prefers to stay in the weeds and maintain full control over how apps are built, deployed, and extended.
• You care about data security and want a hybrid architecture that keeps execution inside your VPC, while still leveraging the cloud for management.
• You want the most modern app-building experience available, with support for custom React components, real code (JavaScript, SQL, Python) for logic, and AI-powered development.
• You want native streaming integrations.

Consider a Superblocks alternative if you’re strictly looking for a no-code builder.

Frequently asked questions 

What’s the difference between Budibase and Appsmith?

Both are open-source low-code platforms, but Budibase emphasizes ease of use with visual builders and a built-in database. Appsmith is more developer-centric, offering deeper customization through JavaScript and integrating easily with Git for version control.

Is Superblocks open source like Appsmith or Budibase?

Superblocks adopts a hybrid approach. While its core platform is proprietary, it offers an open-source on-premise agent that can be deployed within your infrastructure.

What’s the easiest low-code platform for developers?

While all three tools offer low-code features that speed up development, Superblocks is the most developer-centric by far. It’s built for engineers and semi-technical devs who want to build fast without compromising on code ownership, their development standards, or the flexibility to fully customize where they’d like.

Do Budibase or Appsmith support audit logs and observability?

Yes, both Budibase and Appsmith support audit logging — Budibase in its Enterprise tier and Appsmith in its Business tier. However, they only allow you to download the logs manually and don't offer native streaming to external observability tools you might already use.

Can I host these platforms on-prem? 

Absolutely. Budibase and Appsmith both offer self-hosting options. Superblocks provides an on-premise agent for your sensitive data that you can deploy within your network.

Are these tools suitable for citizen developers?

Budibase is particularly well-suited for citizen developers due to its minimal coding requirements. Appsmith and Superblocks, while accessible, may require a bit more technical knowledge, especially when implementing custom logic and integrations.

How Superblocks helps citizens developers build

Superblocks excels over Budibase and Appsmith in flexibility and scale. It’s more flexible than Budibase and has better developer support, and is more turnkey than Appsmith. While it’s not fully open source, there’s no lock-in — apps are fully extensible with code, completely portable, and you can keep your data on-prem if needed.
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We are able to strike this balance thanks to our comprehensive set of features:

• Multiple ways to build: Framework and set up your application with AI, tweak visually or with code, and fully customize in semantic React.
• Full code extensibility: Use JavaScript, SQL, and Python for fine-grained control over execution logic. Customize your UIs by bringing over your own React components.
• Exportable code: Own your applications fully. Superblocks lets you export all your apps as standard React apps so you can host and maintain them independently.
• Hybrid deployment: Deploy OPA within your VPC to keep all your data and code executions within your network. Keep managing your app, workflows, and permissions through Superblocks Cloud.
• Integrations with systems you rely on: Provides 60+ native integrations for databases, AI tools, cloud storage, and SaaS apps. Connect to your data sources where they are. No need to migrate data into Superblocks.
• Integrates with common DevOps tools: Supports Git-based workflows and integration with CI/CD tools like GitHub Actions, CircleCI, and Jenkins so that you can deploy updates just like any other codebase.
• Enterprise-grade security: Supports granular RBAC, SSO, and comes with built-in audit logs for app security.

If you’d like to see how these features can help your business stay flexible and in control, explore our Quickstart Guide, or better yet, try it for free.