Compare / Budibase vs ToolJet
Budibase vs ToolJet
Pick ToolJet if you want that AGPL-3.0 Retool-shaped builder already on /stacks/baserow-appsmith. Pick Budibase if you want that GPLv3 low-code box — and skip packages/pro (Business Source License).
Facts checked 25 Oct 2026. License, language, and GitHub activity come from the catalog or the project's own repo. "Not in the catalog row" means the public catalog dump does not store that number.
Budibase in the catalog ToolJet in the catalog Start on Railway
How they compare
| Budibase | ToolJet | |
|---|---|---|
| License | GPL-3.0 overall (catalog); packages/pro is BSL source | GNU Affero General Public License v3.0 on ToolJet/ToolJet source |
| Language | TypeScript (catalog) | HTML / TypeScript monorepo (GitHub) |
| GitHub activity | 28,331 stars in the catalog source | Stars not in the catalog row; 41,125 on ToolJet/ToolJet source |
| Self-host | Low-code ops apps. Skip packages/pro on the OSS path. | Published next to Appsmith on /stacks/baserow-appsmith. |
| Best for | A GPLv3 builder if ToolJet is not the shape. | The AGPL sibling on the published Retool / Bubble path. |
Self-hosting and resource needs
ToolJet is already named on /stacks/baserow-appsmith. Budibase is Budibase/budibase: the project documents GPLv3 overall; paid features in packages/pro are BSL. Appsmith is the published Apache-2.0 path — /compare/budibase-vs-appsmith. Neither has a one-click c17 Railway template.
FAQ
- Why skip Budibase pro?
- The repo's licensing guidelines put paid features under BSL. This page is the GPLv3 path.
- Appsmith?
- The published Apache-2.0 path — /compare/budibase-vs-appsmith and /compare/appsmith-vs-tooljet.
- Bubble or AppSheet?
- Same published low-code desk — /replace/bubble-io and /replace/appsheet. This is not Bubble's visual OS.
- Are these free?
- Budibase overall is GPLv3 as the project states. ToolJet's public repo is AGPL-3.0. You pay hosting.
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