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.
#what is Budibase?
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 |
Full breakdown of what Budibase costs managed versus self-hosted, with production sizing: Budibase pricing.
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.
#more internal tools
Ship Budibase today
One compose stack, 4 GiB of RAM, from $25/month flat, and it runs on your laptop with the same files.