Budibase
Open-source low-code platform for building internal tools — a UK alternative to Retool.
Overview
Budibase is a Glasgow, United Kingdom-based European company building developer tools, no-code, and open source software since 2019. As an EU-headquartered provider, Budibase operates under GDPR and is outside the reach of the US CLOUD Act, making it a privacy-friendly alternative to GitHub, Atlassian, and JetBrains's US-distributed peers for European teams.
Why European teams pick Budibase
Teams in Europe pick Budibase when they want a developer tools provider that bills in EUR, supports their local data-protection officer requirements, and keeps customer data under United Kingdom law, operating since 2019. Compared with GitHub, Atlassian, and JetBrains's US-distributed peers, Budibase avoids cross-border data transfers under Schrems II and the US CLOUD Act, which is often the deciding factor for European procurement and legal teams.
See more EU developer tools tools or browse other startups from United Kingdom.
About
Budibase is an open-source low-code platform founded by a UK/Irish team in 2019, designed for building internal tools, admin panels, and business applications on top of any data source — Postgres, MySQL, REST APIs, S3, MongoDB, or its built-in database. It is self-hostable on any EU server (Docker, Kubernetes, Podman) under the BSL 1.1 licence, with a paid cloud version. Budibase is particularly popular for building data-heavy internal tools — approval workflows, inventory management, HR dashboards — that teams would otherwise build manually with React or Vue. Its EU-hostable architecture makes it suitable for organisations that cannot use US SaaS tools for internal application data.
Details
- Founded
- 2019
- Headquarters
- Glasgow, United Kingdom
Categories
Other EU startups like Budibase
- FjordIDNorway — Managed OIDC/OAuth2 identity platform hosted on Hetzner in Germany. Drop-in Auth0 replacement with EU data residency and zero US subprocessors.
- RailwayUnited Kingdom — Instant deployment infrastructure for developers — popular across European teams.
- LiveblocksFrance — APIs for adding collaborative real-time features to your app — a French alternative to Firebase Realtime.
- PocketbaseBulgaria — Open-source backend in a single file — a European alternative to Firebase.
- NocoDBGermany — Open-source Airtable alternative that turns databases into smart spreadsheets.
- BaserowNetherlands — Open-source no-code database and Airtable alternative — built in the Netherlands.
Frequently asked questions
What is Budibase?
Budibase is an open-source low-code platform founded by a UK/Irish team in 2019, designed for building internal tools, admin panels, and business applications on top of any data source — Postgres, MySQL, REST APIs, S3, MongoDB, or its built-in database. It is self-hostable on any EU server (Docker, Kubernetes, Podman) under the BSL 1.1 licence, with a paid cloud version. Budibase is particularly popular for building data-heavy internal tools — approval workflows, inventory management, HR dashboards — that teams would otherwise build manually with React or Vue. Its EU-hostable architecture makes it suitable for organisations that cannot use US SaaS tools for internal application data.
What does Budibase do?
Budibase is open-source low-code platform for building internal tools — a uk alternative to retool. It is listed under developer tools, no-code, and open source on EU Alts because its core functionality serves teams looking for a European developer tools tool with EU data residency, typically as a switch away from GitHub, Atlassian, and JetBrains's US-distributed peers.
Is Budibase a good European developer tools alternative?
Budibase is a fit for European businesses evaluating developer tools options where data residency and GDPR alignment matter — typical buyers include EU-based SaaS teams, public-sector projects, regulated industries (healthcare, finance, legal), and any organisation that needs to demonstrate that customer data does not leave the EU. It also overlaps with no-code and open source use cases.
Is Budibase GDPR compliant?
Budibase is headquartered in Glasgow, United Kingdom and falls under EU jurisdiction, so it processes user data under the GDPR by default. Because the company is not US-incorporated, it is not subject to the US CLOUD Act — meaning US authorities cannot compel Budibase to disclose customer data the way they can with GitHub, Atlassian, and JetBrains's US-distributed peers. For European buyers, that often simplifies DPIA paperwork and standard contractual clauses.
How do teams switch from GitHub to Budibase?
Most teams move to Budibase from GitHub, Atlassian, and JetBrains's US-distributed peers because they want EU data residency without giving up the core developer tools workflow. Budibase's United Kingdom base means a single jurisdiction for both the company and (typically) its hosting infrastructure, so you can drop Schrems II transfer impact assessments for this part of your stack. Plan the migration in stages: export your data from the US incumbent, pilot Budibase with a small team, then move the rest once the integration coverage you need is confirmed.
Where is Budibase based?
Budibase is headquartered in Glasgow, United Kingdom. The company was founded in 2019. Its main website is https://budibase.com.