Budibase vs Refine
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
Refine
React framework for building internal tools and admin panels
| Feature | Budibase | Refine |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Automation & Workflows | Developer Tools & Git |
| License | GPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 2,048 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, kubernetes, helm | source, docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 28,190 | ★ 35,481 |
| First released | 2019 | 2021 |
| Replaces | Microsoft Power Apps, Retool, Airtable | Retool |
Why pick each one
Choose Refine if…
- Released under the MIT license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 35.5k GitHub stars
- Written in TypeScript
Frequently asked questions
Is Budibase or Refine better?
Neither is universally better. Refine has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Budibase and Refine free and open-source?
Yes. Budibase is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Refine under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Budibase and Refine with Docker?
Budibase: yes. Refine: yes.