Budibase vs Lowdefy
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted apps from related categories — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Budibase
Low-code platform to build internal tools and automations
VS
Lowdefy
Build internal tools and web apps from YAML config
| Feature | Budibase | Lowdefy |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Automation & Workflows | Developer Tools & Git |
| License | GPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 2,048 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, kubernetes, helm | docker, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 28,190 | ★ 2,996 |
| First released | 2019 | 2020 |
| Replaces | Microsoft Power Apps, Retool, Airtable | Retool, Appsmith |
Why pick each one
Choose Lowdefy if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (3k GitHub stars)
Frequently asked questions
Is Budibase or Lowdefy better?
Neither is universally better. Budibase has the larger community, while Lowdefy is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Budibase and Lowdefy free and open-source?
Yes. Budibase is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Lowdefy under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Budibase and Lowdefy with Docker?
Budibase: yes. Lowdefy: yes.