Budibase
Low-code apps, forms, and approval workflows - the all-in-one image with zero required configuration.
One-click deploy, from $25/mo on a Miget plan.
Budibase leans into the forms-and-workflows end of internal tooling: CRUD apps over a built-in database, public forms, approval chains, and automations - the kind of thing ops and back-office teams ask for weekly. Less code-centric than Appsmith or ToolJet, faster to something shippable.
This template runs the all-in-one image (embedded CouchDB, Redis, MinIO, app server and worker) behind a thin websocket-aware nginx proxy. It is the lowest-friction deploy in the category: no required variables at all - secrets auto-generate on first boot and persist in a .env on the /data volume.
Self-hosted, the open-source core has unlimited creators and users; Budibase’s paid tiers gate SSO and branding, not seats. Compare that with the cloud math, where a 5-creator team lands at ~$349/month.
Upstream project: Budibase
#what you get
- Built-in database plus connectors: Postgres, MySQL, Mongo, REST, S3, …
- Public forms and portals, not just internal screens
- Automations: triggers, approval workflows, webhooks, schedules
- Embedded CouchDB/Redis/MinIO - one container, one volume
- Zero required configuration: secrets self-generate and persist
- Unlimited creators and users in the open-source core
#topology
| Service | Role | Public |
|---|---|---|
| budibase | Budibase all-in-one (:80) | no |
| web | nginx :5000 -> budibase:80, websocket passthrough | yes |
#miget sizing
// this stack needs
4 GiB RAM · 10 GB disk · 2 services
The all-in-one bundle (CouchDB + Redis + MinIO + app + worker) wants real RAM; 4 GiB is the working floor and upstream suggests 6 GB for heavier use - bump the plan if builders feel sluggish.
Hobby - recommended fit
$25/mo
2 vCPU · 4 GiB · 80 GiB disk
Headroom for your own apps: 8 GiB at $49/mo
Professional - production
$43/mo
2 vCPU · 4 GiB · 25 GiB disk
Dedicated resources, production SLOs - plan details
One Miget plan is a fixed pool of compute - the whole stack (managed databases included) deploys inside it, and anything left over runs your other apps. No per-service or per-seat math.
#vs. the managed service
What the hosted equivalents charge, against the flat Miget plan this stack fits on. Prices as of June 2026, sources linked.
| Service | Plan | Monthly | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| Budibase on Miget ★ | 4 GiB plan | $25 | this whole stack, flat - no usage meters, and room left for your own apps |
| Retool | Team | ~$150 | for 5 builders + 20 end users, billed annually |
| Budibase Cloud | Premium | ~$349 | $49 base + $50 per extra creator + $5 per end user (5 creators + 20 users shown) |
Budibase’s open-source core self-hosts with unlimited creators and users; paid tiers gate SSO and branding, not seats.
#vs. other PaaS
Estimated monthly cost of running this exact stack (4 GiB RAM, 10 GB disk, 2 containers) elsewhere, from published June 2026 rates.
| Platform | Est. monthly | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Miget ★ | $25 flat | compose stacks first-class: one deploy, dedicated vCPU, managed Postgres/Valkey, volumes and TLS all included in the plan |
| Heroku | ~$200 | no volumes; nothing between 1 GB ($50) and 2.5 GB ($250) dynos - 2 GB containers cost far more than shown |
| Render | ~$53 | per-service instances (0.5 GB $7, 2 GB $25) - every container is its own paid service |
| DO App Platform | ~$53 | no persistent volumes - stateful containers need managed DBs/Spaces (base $5 Spaces included here) |
| Railway | ~$42 | usage-based ($10/GB RAM-mo); vCPU billed separately at $20/vCPU-mo on top |
| Fly.io | ~$25 | cheapest sticker price - but burstable shared CPUs (1/16 core; dedicated vCPUs cost ~2-3×), no compose deploys (one app per container, manual wiring), managed DBs billed extra |
Estimates assume RAM fully allocated at published on-demand rates - and sticker price isn't the whole comparison: the cheaper rows buy burstable shared CPUs, per-service wiring instead of a compose deploy, and managed databases billed separately. Heroku and DO App Platform have no persistent volumes at all - stateful stacks like this one need workarounds there.
#deploy it
On Miget
- Create a Compose Stack in app.miget.com pointing at the templates repository
- Set the stack path to
budibase - No required variables - deploy as-is
- Deploy. Miget layers
compose.miget.yaml(RAM, privacy, volumes, managed services) automatically
Locally first?
Every template is portable, vanilla Docker Compose - the Miget overrides are ignored locally:
git clone https://github.com/deployable-sh/stacks
cd miget-compose-templates/budibase
docker compose up -dSame files, same behavior. The template README covers connection strings and scaling notes.
#faq
Budibase, Appsmith, or ToolJet - which one?
Budibase for forms, CRUD, and approval workflows with the least setup; Appsmith for code-heavy admin panels over many datasources; ToolJet for the middle ground with the cleanest deployment (stateless app + managed Postgres). All three are in this catalogue - deploying two and comparing costs less than a Retool seat.
Really no required configuration?
Really - JWT secret, MinIO keys, and CouchDB credentials auto-generate on first boot and persist in a .env file on the /data volume, so they survive redeploys. Create the first admin account promptly; until then the instance is claimable by whoever visits.
How does self-hosting compare to Budibase Cloud pricing?
Budibase Cloud Premium works out to ~$349/month for 5 creators + 20 end users ($49 base + $50 per extra creator + $5 per end user). This stack is $49/month flat with unlimited seats - the paid tiers gate SSO and branding, not capacity.
What is in the /data volume?
Everything: CouchDB documents (apps, tables, users), uploaded files in the embedded MinIO, and the generated secrets. Back up that one volume and you can rebuild the instance anywhere.
Ship Budibase today
One compose stack, 4 GiB of RAM, from $25/month flat, and it runs on your laptop with the same files.