7 Power Apps Alternatives: Specialized Low-Code Platforms for Your Specific Business Needs

Microsoft Power Apps has established itself as one of the most popular low-code development platforms on the market. With over 48 million monthly active users on the broader Power Platform and deep integration with the Microsoft ecosystem, it offers businesses a compelling way to build custom applications without extensive coding expertise.

But as organizations scale their digital transformation initiatives, many discover that a general-purpose platform may not deliver the depth they need in specific areas. Power Apps excels at empowering citizen developers to create internal tools and business applications, yet its broad approach can fall short when you need specialized functionality for mission-critical workflows.

That’s where this guide comes in. Whether you’re looking to:

  1. Digitize external partner workflows with real-time data verification APIs and pre-built compliance processes
  2. Build enterprise-grade, full-stack applications that require deployment flexibility beyond Microsoft’s cloud
  3. Create operational apps for physical industries without heavy Microsoft ecosystem dependencies
  4. Deploy affordable low-code solutions for SMBs with transparent pricing
  5. Build developer-first internal tools with full code flexibility
  6. Mobilize spreadsheet data for Google-first organizations
  7. Self-host open-source internal tools with complete data sovereignty

 

We’ll explore dedicated alternatives that excel in these specific areas. Some businesses might use these tools to complement their existing Power Apps setup, while others might choose to replace it entirely with a more specialized solution. This isn’t about finding a “better” platform; it’s about finding the right fit for your needs as your organization grows and your requirements become more complex.

Let’s dive into the Power Apps alternatives and see which ones might be the perfect addition to your digital toolkit.

 

The Best Power Apps Alternatives

What is Microsoft Power Apps?

Microsoft Power Apps is a low-code application development platform that enables both citizen developers and professional developers to build custom business applications through a visual, drag-and-drop interface. As a core component of the Microsoft Power Platform (alongside Power BI, Power Automate, and Copilot Studio), it’s designed to democratize app development by making it accessible to users with minimal coding experience.

Its key features include:

  • Canvas Apps that offer extensive UI customization, allowing creators to design interfaces from a blank canvas with significant control over layout and appearance
  • Model-driven Apps that automatically generate responsive interfaces based on the underlying data structure in Microsoft Dataverse, ideal for data-heavy business processes
  • Power Pages for creating secure, external-facing websites that can interact with business data
  • Microsoft Dataverse as a centralized, cloud-based data platform with built-in security and business logic, complemented by the Power Platform’s library of over 1,400 connectors
  • AI Builder for adding pre-built and custom AI models to applications without data science expertise
  • Power Fx, an Excel-like formula language that makes adding logic accessible to spreadsheet-familiar users

 

When you build an application in Power Apps, it integrates seamlessly with the broader Microsoft ecosystem. Data can flow from SharePoint lists into your app, trigger Power Automate workflows, surface in Power BI dashboards, and be accessed through Microsoft Teams. This interconnected approach creates powerful possibilities for organizations already invested in Microsoft 365 and Dynamics 365.

However, as your needs become more specialized, you might find that Power Apps’ generalist approach requires additional development to achieve what purpose-built platforms offer out of the box. That’s why we’ve curated this list of alternatives that excel in specific areas where Power Apps’ breadth may not provide the depth you need.

Looking for an API-first platform that delivers real-time data verification without building custom integrations? Manch provides pre-integrated verification APIs and configurable workflows that go live in weeks, not months.

 

How We Curated Our List of Power Apps Alternatives

After testing Power Apps and researching the low-code market, we focused on finding platforms that excel at specific jobs that Power Apps users frequently need more specialized tools for. While Power Apps is excellent at providing a general-purpose development environment within the Microsoft ecosystem, businesses often need more specialized capabilities for:

  • Digitizing external stakeholder workflows with real-time verification and pre-built compliance processes
  • Building mission-critical applications requiring deployment beyond Microsoft’s cloud
  • Creating operational apps for physical industries with specialized mobile and project management capabilities
  • Deploying affordable low-code solutions with transparent, predictable pricing
  • Developing internal tools with full programming language flexibility
  • Mobilizing existing spreadsheet data with minimal setup complexity
  • Self-hosting applications with complete data sovereignty

Each tool on this list addresses one of these specific areas. You might want to use them alongside Power Apps or switch to them entirely; it depends on what your growing business needs most.

 

❗DISCLAIMER: We aren’t covering every single tool in the market! Our focus is on highlighting alternatives that address specific needs for various use cases. The goal is to provide insights into tools that cater to specific business requirements.

1. Manch — Best Alternative for API-First Digital Transformation with Pre-Built Verification & Workflow Capabilities

Manch is an API-first, cloud-native, low-code/no-code platform designed for enterprises seeking to digitize business processes with real-time data verification built in from day one. While Power Apps offers flexibility to build virtually any application, Manch differentiates itself through pre-integrated APIs that enable verification and validation within seconds—eliminating the need for traditional back-office setup that requires time, resources, and creates lag between data input and verification.

Though Manch excels at external data management (MDM) and partner onboarding, it’s fundamentally a digital transformation platform capable of digitizing any business process. Organizations often start with one use case—such as vendor onboarding or retailer management—and expand to contract management, asset tracking, pricing masters, and other workflows on the same platform. This versatility contributes to Manch’s zero customer churn rate, as customers discover they can accomplish far more than their initial implementation scope.

Its key features include:

  • Pre-integrated verification APIs for real-time PAN, GST, bank account, Aadhaar, and company registration validation
  • Process Configurator with configurable building blocks for designing complex workflows without coding
  • eKYC and Video KYC with real-time identity verification meeting RBI and SEBI regulatory requirements (as stated by the vendor)
  • mSign for digital signatures with single-OTP authentication and multi-party support
  • AI/ML-powered capabilities for fraud detection, document processing with OCR, and optimized information gathering
  • Pre-built vertical-specific templates for partner onboarding, vendor management, asset tracking, and agreements

 

For enterprises managing external stakeholders (partners, vendors, distributors, customers) or seeking to digitize complex workflows across heterogeneous IT landscapes, Manch provides purpose-built solutions that deploy approximately 3x faster than traditional platforms. The platform is used by Fortune 500 companies including Coca-Cola, Compass Group, United Breweries, Marico, and Swiggy for their digital transformation needs.

 

Why Choose Manch Over Power Apps for External Stakeholder Management & Digital Transformation

While Power Apps excels as a versatile low-code platform within the Microsoft ecosystem, Manch delivers specialized capabilities for organizations that need real-time verification, cross-platform integration, and faster time-to-value. In the following sections, you’ll learn where Manch stands out.

 

API-First Architecture: Real-Time Verification Without Custom Development

Power Apps works best when you operate entirely within the Microsoft ecosystem. The moment you need to integrate with SAP, Oracle, Salesforce, or legacy applications, integration can become complex and require premium connectors that add to costs. Building real-time verification workflows requires custom connector development and back-office processes.

Manch takes a fundamentally different approach with pre-integrated APIs that enable verification and validation in seconds. The platform includes ready-to-use integrations for:

  • PAN and Aadhaar verification
  • Bank account verification via penny drop
  • GST number validation
  • Company registration verification
  • Mobile and email authentication
  • Face extraction and comparison for fraud prevention

 

This API-first architecture means organizations don’t need to establish back-office teams for manual verification processes. When a partner enters their PAN number, it’s verified in real-time. When they upload their GST certificate, the information is extracted via OCR and cross-verified against official records immediately—not hours or days later.

 

⚡ Manch in Action: During onboarding, a distributor uploads their business documents. Manch’s AI automatically detects the document type, extracts relevant information using OCR, verifies the data against multiple sources (government databases, internal records), and flags any discrepancies in real-time. If the GST number on the certificate doesn’t match the one entered in the form, the system catches it immediately—before bad data enters your systems.

 

3x Faster Deployment Through Configuration, Not Coding

Power Apps offers flexibility, but building comprehensive partner management systems with document collection, identity verification, compliance checks, and multi-level approval workflows requires significant development effort. Organizations often spend months building and refining these solutions.

Manch delivers go-live in weeks, not months. Typical implementations complete in 4-8 weeks, with some going live in as few as 4-6 weeks. This speed comes from true configuration-based setup rather than heavy coding, combined with pre-built vertical-specific templates for common use cases.

According to Manch, one health and wellness brand implemented their compliance solution in just three weeks to meet regulatory requirements. The vendor also reports that a top e-commerce company reduced partner onboarding from seven days to 30 minutes—a transformation with significant ROI implications for operations and finance teams.

This 30-50% reduction in delivery time means organizations achieve measurable results within the same quarter rather than waiting 6-12 months for ROI.

 

System-Agnostic Integration: Beyond the Microsoft Ecosystem

Power Apps integrates seamlessly within the Microsoft stack, but organizations rarely operate in a single-vendor environment. Most enterprises run heterogeneous landscapes with SAP ERP, Salesforce CRM, Oracle databases, and various legacy systems.

Manch is designed from the ground up to be ecosystem-neutral. As an SAP partner, integration with SAP is a standard capability—but the platform works equally well with Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics, Salesforce, and legacy systems. It acts as a bridge between different platforms, handling complex integrations without requiring extensive middleware or custom development.

This system-agnostic approach means organizations aren’t pushed toward specific vendor choices. Data remains portable, and the platform operates on open standards with no proprietary runtime environment—ensuring freedom from vendor lock-in.

 

Business User Empowerment: True No-Code for Operations Teams

Power Apps’ citizen developer approach empowers users to build applications, but advanced functionality often requires IT involvement and Power Fx expertise. Changes to complex workflows typically require developer resources.

Manch is designed for business ownership, not just IT control. Operations, finance, and compliance teams can drive MDM and other processes themselves without constant IT involvement. The drag-and-drop interface allows customers to make simple changes themselves—updating business rules, modifying approval workflows, or adding new fields—without raising change requests or paying for minor modifications.

This represents true no-code capability where non-technical teams can configure workflows in minutes rather than submitting IT tickets and waiting weeks for updates. It’s business-led change where agility beats “one massive transformation program.”

 

Enterprise Compliance: ISO 27001 and SOC 2 Type 2 Certified

For enterprises managing sensitive partner data, security and compliance are essential. Power Apps inherits Microsoft’s enterprise security through Azure, providing robust protection for cloud-hosted applications.

Manch complements this with enterprise-grade security and compliance certifications:

  • ISO 27001 certification for information security management
  • SOC 2 Type 2 certification validating security controls and practices
  • Advanced encryption and data masking for sensitive information in its eKYC module
  • Localized compliance adaptability for different regions including India, APAC, and EMEA

 

For organizations in regulated industries or those working with sensitive partner data, these certifications can help reduce the compliance burden when deploying business process solutions.

 

Video KYC and eKYC: Regulatory-Compliant Identity Verification

If your business requires KYC verification (common in financial services, insurance, and increasingly in partner onboarding), Power Apps would require integrating with third-party KYC providers and building custom workflows around their APIs.

Manch provides an integrated KYC solution that the vendor states meets RBI and SEBI regulatory requirements:

  • Self-service vKYC where customers complete video verification on their own
  • Agent-assisted vKYC with trained officials guiding the process
  • ML-based speech-to-text for conversation transcription
  • Face comparison matching live video against document photos
  • Location capture verifying the customer’s geographic presence
  • Complete session recording for audit and compliance purposes

 

According to Manch, the video KYC process can be completed quickly, with all data automatically flowing into your partner records.

 

NOTE: We looked into other MDM and workflow automation platforms and found that most require customization to handle external stakeholder management. Platforms like Informatica MDM focus primarily on internal data consolidation, while general workflow tools may lack the specialized verification and compliance features that enterprises need for partner management. Manch’s combination of API-first architecture, pre-built workflows, real-time verification, and regulatory-compliant KYC makes it well-suited for organizations seeking faster time-to-value without sacrificing enterprise-grade capabilities.

 

Manch Pricing

Manch uses a quote-based, flexible pricing model with three tiers designed to accommodate different organizational needs:

 

Starter

  • Basic platform access
  • Self-service mode

 

Premium

  • Basic platform access and self-service mode
  • MDM (Master Data Management)
  • mSign digital signatures

 

Enterprise

  • All Premium features
  • eKYC and vKYC capabilities
  • API access
  • AI/ML advanced tools

 

Manch offers a free trial with no credit card required, allowing organizations to evaluate the platform before committing. The company emphasizes that total cost of ownership is 30-40% lower compared to larger enterprise platforms when considering licensing, implementation, and ongoing maintenance costs combined.

 

Who Should Use Manch?

Choose Manch if:

  • You need real-time data verification without building custom integrations. Manch’s pre-integrated APIs eliminate the need for back-office teams and deliver validation in seconds rather than days.
  • Your organization operates across heterogeneous IT landscapes (SAP, Oracle, Microsoft, Salesforce, legacy systems) and needs a platform that integrates seamlessly without ecosystem lock-in.
  • You want to go live in weeks, not months. Manch’s configuration-based approach and pre-built templates enable deployment in 4-8 weeks—approximately 3x faster than traditional platforms.
  • Business teams need to drive processes without IT bottlenecks. Operations, finance, and compliance teams can configure workflows and make changes themselves using the drag-and-drop interface.
  • You’re a large enterprise managing complex external stakeholder ecosystems (partners, vendors, distributors, retailers) and need to digitize onboarding, verification, and lifecycle management.
  • Your organization requires regulatory-compliant KYC verification for partners or customers, particularly in industries such as FMCG, e-commerce, and fintech, where identity verification is critical.
  • You want platform versatility beyond a single use case. Organizations that start with Manch for one workflow often expand to contract management, asset tracking, and other processes—contributing to zero customer churn.

 

Ready to transform your partner onboarding from a week-long paperwork process to a 30-minute digital experience? Discover how Manch can help your enterprise accelerate time-to-value with pre-integrated verification APIs and configurable workflows.

 

2. OutSystems — Best Alternative for Enterprise-Grade, Full-Stack Mission-Critical Applications

OutSystems is a high-performance, AI-powered low-code development platform engineered for building, deploying, and managing enterprise-grade applications at scale. While Power Apps focuses on rapid citizen developer productivity within the Microsoft ecosystem, OutSystems targets organizations needing complex, mission-critical systems with sophisticated business logic and deployment flexibility. Its key features include:

  • Full-stack visual development with Service Studio IDE for modeling front-end UI, back-end logic, and data architectures
  • Optimized code generation (primarily C# and SQL) providing strong performance characteristics
  • DevOps capabilities through LifeTime management console with environment management and deployment automation
  • Flexible deployment options supporting cloud, on-premises, and hybrid configurations
  • AI Mentor System providing continuous code analysis, performance monitoring, and security checks

 

Why Choose OutSystems Over Power Apps for Mission-Critical Applications

OutSystems distinguishes itself in three key areas:

  1. Strong Performance Through Optimized Code Generation While Power Apps applications run within the Power Platform runtime environment, OutSystems compiles applications into optimized C# and SQL code. This architectural approach can deliver consistent performance even as applications grow in complexity and user load. Organizations with demanding performance requirements may find this architecture advantageous.
  2. Integrated DevOps Capabilities Power Apps has evolved its DevOps story significantly, now offering native Pipelines and improved ALM tools. OutSystems provides its own integrated approach through LifeTime: environment management, visual dependency analysis, and deployment automation across environments. The choice between them may depend on your existing toolchain and preferences.
  3. True Multi-Cloud and Hybrid Deployment Flexibility Power Apps is architecturally hosted on Microsoft Azure. OutSystems offers genuine deployment flexibility: OutSystems Cloud (built on AWS), your own AWS or Azure infrastructure, on-premises data centers, or hybrid configurations. An insurance company might run its customer-facing quote engine in AWS, host claims processing on-premises for regulatory compliance, and deploy an agent portal in OutSystems Cloud, all managed through a single console.

 

🏅 NOTE: We also evaluated Mendix and Appian as enterprise low-code alternatives. Mendix offers strong collaborative development features and Appian excels at intelligent business process management. OutSystems has been recognized by Gartner as a Leader in the Magic Quadrant for Enterprise Low-Code Application Platforms for nine consecutive years, making it a proven choice for organizations requiring full-stack development capabilities and comprehensive DevOps automation.

 

OutSystems Pricing

OutSystems uses subscription-based pricing scaling with application complexity and users:

  • OutSystems Developer Cloud (ODC): Starts at approximately $36,300/year, including 1 medium-sized production application, 100 internal users, development and production environments, and 99.5% uptime guarantee
  • Advanced capabilities available as add-ons including additional applications, external users, 24×7 support, and enhanced compliance certifications
  • Free Personal Edition for learning and evaluation purposes

 

Who Should Use OutSystems?

Choose OutSystems if:

  • You’re building mission-critical, customer-facing applications where performance and reliability directly impact revenue
  • Your architecture requires deployment flexibility beyond Microsoft’s cloud infrastructure
  • You need true full-stack development control with sophisticated business logic and enterprise-grade DevOps

 

3. Quickbase — Best Alternative for Mid-Market Operational Apps Without Microsoft Dependencies

Quickbase is a low-code application development platform well-suited for organizations managing complex workflows in physical industries, including construction, manufacturing, utilities, and government operations. Quickbase provides operational application capabilities as a standalone platform. Its key features include:

 

Why Choose Quickbase Over Power Apps for Operational Applications

Quickbase stands out in three key areas:

  1. True Relational Database Without Ecosystem Complexity Quickbase provides a genuine relational database where users create complex relationships through an intuitive Visual Builder, dragging lines between tables to establish parent-child relationships. Power Apps offers relational capabilities through Dataverse, though accessing full functionality typically requires premium licensing. Quickbase provides a single, consistent database engine regardless of application complexity.
  2. Purpose-Built Project Management for Physical Industries Quickbase includes built-in Gantt chart functionality with critical path analysis, task dependency management, and drag-to-reschedule capabilities that construction project managers can deploy immediately. Power Apps can achieve similar results through integration with Microsoft Project or custom solutions. Quickbase’s Grid Edit mode also replicates the Excel experience directly atop the relational database, enabling bulk updates with familiar spreadsheet interactions.
  3. Field Services Mobile Through FastField Quickbase’s FastField integration enables field technicians to collect complex inspection data, capture annotated photos, obtain digital signatures, and record GPS coordinates with offline support. Power Apps offers offline capabilities when built on Dataverse, though with certain relationship complexity constraints.

 

🏅 NOTE: We also evaluated Airtable and Smartsheet. Airtable offers a modern interface for lightweight relational data and Smartsheet provides strong collaborative spreadsheet-style tracking. Quickbase offers robust relational database architecture combined with enterprise-grade governance for mid-market teams managing complex operational workflows.

 

Quickbase Pricing

Quickbase operates on annual subscription with per-user pricing:

  • Team Plan: $35/user/month with visual app builder, workflow automation, and role-based access
  • Business Plan: $55/user/month adding SSO, sandbox environments, and compliance capabilities
  • Enterprise Plan: Custom pricing with advanced governance, encryption keys, and ALM tools
  • 30-day free trial with access to business features

 

Who Should Use Quickbase?

Choose Quickbase if:

  • Your organization operates in construction, manufacturing, utilities, or government sectors managing complex project portfolios
  • You need robust offline mobile data collection in remote locations with unreliable connectivity (through FastField integration)
  • You want a standalone platform with enterprise-grade governance outside the Microsoft ecosystem

 

4. Zoho Creator — Best Alternative for SMBs Wanting Affordable Low-Code with Transparent Pricing

Zoho Creator is a cloud-based low-code platform empowering small and mid-sized businesses to build custom applications without the complexity and cost barriers of enterprise platforms. Zoho Creator provides straightforward per-user pricing with generous connector allowances at each tier. Its key features include:

 

Why Choose Zoho Creator Over Power Apps for SMB Low-Code

Zoho Creator excels in three areas:

  1. Transparent, Predictable Pricing Power Apps’ pricing includes considerations for premium connectors and Dataverse capacity. Zoho Creator offers clear tiered pricing: Standard at $8/user/month, Professional at $20/user/month, and Enterprise at $25/user/month, with connectors included at each tier. For SMBs, this means more predictable budgeting.
  2. Lower Learning Curve for Business Users Power Apps uses Power Fx, which can become complex for advanced scenarios. Zoho Creator provides much of common business logic through its visual workflow builder without writing code. When more complex logic is needed, Deluge uses natural language-style syntax that many users find approachable.
  3. Integrated Zoho Ecosystem For SMBs not requiring the full Microsoft stack, Zoho Creator offers native integration with 45+ Zoho applications (CRM, Books, Desk, Projects) providing a cohesive single-vendor experience rather than stitching together separate SaaS subscriptions.

 

🏅 NOTE: We also evaluated Airtable and AppSheet for SMB low-code. Airtable excels at collaborative database hybrids and Glide is strong for simple mobile apps. Zoho Creator offers a comprehensive environment for SMBs needing multiple interconnected applications with process automation.

 

Zoho Creator Pricing

Zoho Creator uses straightforward per-user, per-month pricing:

  • Free Plan: Build and test applications with limited features
  • Standard Plan: $8/user/month with core application features
  • Professional Plan: $20/user/month with advanced features and more connectors
  • Enterprise Plan: $25/user/month with full capabilities and highest connector limits

 

Who Should Use Zoho Creator?

Choose Zoho Creator if:

  • You’re an SMB that has outgrown spreadsheets but can’t justify enterprise platform costs
  • Your business uses or is considering other Zoho applications for seamless integration
  • You need transparent pricing with predictable costs

 

5. Retool — Best Alternative for Developer-First Internal Tools with Full Code Flexibility

Retool is a low-code platform specifically built for professional developers and technical teams needing to rapidly construct sophisticated internal applications without sacrificing code flexibility. While Power Apps uses a formula-based approach, Retool provides full JavaScript and SQL support, with Python available in Workflows. Its key features include:

 

Why Choose Retool Over Power Apps for Internal Tools

Retool distinguishes itself in three areas:

  1. Extensive Code Flexibility While Power Apps uses Power Fx (with extensibility through PCF components and custom pages), Retool provides full JavaScript and SQL support at many points in the application. Developers can write custom queries, embed JavaScript in component properties, and import custom React components. Python is available within Workflows for automation scenarios.
  2. Built for Internal Tools Power Apps serves diverse use cases from customer portals to departmental apps. Retool primarily focuses on internal tools: admin panels, operational dashboards, support tools aggregating data from multiple systems, and workflow automation. This focus shows in features like tables with built-in pagination and filtering, and data source agnostic architecture.
  3. Data Source Agnosticism Retool treats all data sources as first-class citizens, allowing developers to orchestrate queries across PostgreSQL, MongoDB, REST APIs, and GraphQL within a single application. While Power Apps offers extensive connectors, it optimizes particularly well for Dataverse-centric architectures.

 

🏅 NOTE: We also evaluated Appsmith and ToolJet as developer-first alternatives. All three offer similar approaches, with Retool providing a mature enterprise feature set and polished developer experience for teams finding formula-based approaches too constraining.

 

Retool Pricing

Retool distinguishes between “Standard users” (builders) and “End users” with transparent pricing:

  • Free Plan: Up to 5 total users with unlimited apps
  • Team Plan: $10/month per builder, $5/month per end user
  • Business Plan: $50/month per builder, $15/month per end user with audit logging
  • Enterprise Plan: Custom pricing with SSO, Git integration, and white-labeling

 

Who Should Use Retool?

Choose Retool if:

  • Your team has engineering resources and needs complex internal tools faster than traditional development
  • You work with heterogeneous data sources requiring queries across multiple databases
  • Formula-based languages feel constraining for your internal tooling requirements

 

6. Google AppSheet — Best Alternative for Google-First, Spreadsheet-Driven Teams

Google AppSheet is a no-code platform that transforms spreadsheet data into fully functional mobile and web applications. AppSheet treats existing Google Sheets as first-class databases with minimal migration requirements. Its key features include:

 

Why Choose AppSheet Over Power Apps for Google-First Teams

AppSheet excels in three areas:

  1. True Spreadsheet-Native Development AppSheet treats your existing Google Sheet as a first-class database, without requiring migration. When you connect a spreadsheet, the platform analyzes the structure, infers data types, and generates a working prototype. While Power Apps also connects to spreadsheet data, it optimizes particularly well for Dataverse, with certain delegation limitations for other data sources.
  2. Inclusive Pricing for Google Services Power Apps implements tiered connector pricing where many integrations require premium licensing. AppSheet treats all Google services (Sheets, Drive, Forms, Calendar, Gmail) as standard connectors available across paid tiers. For Google Workspace organizations, this can represent meaningful savings.
  3. Transparent, Predictable Pricing AppSheet offers straightforward pricing: free tier for building and testing, $5/user for Starter, $10/user for Core (included in most paid Google Workspace subscriptions), and $20/user for Enterprise Plus.

 

🏅 NOTE: We also evaluated Airtable and Bubble. Airtable excels at collaborative database management and Bubble offers extensive customization for web applications. AppSheet provides seamless spreadsheet-to-app transformation for Google Workspace teams.

 

AppSheet Pricing

AppSheet uses per-user, per-month pricing:

  • Free Plan: Unlimited building and testing with up to 10 test users
  • Starter Plan: $5/user/month with basic features and offline functionality
  • Core Plan: $10/user/month (included in most paid Google Workspace subscriptions)
  • Enterprise Plus Plan: $20/user/month with enterprise data connections and ML capabilities

 

Who Should Use AppSheet?

Choose AppSheet if:

  • Your organization has standardized on Google Workspace with data in Google Sheets
  • You need to mobilize spreadsheet data quickly without database migration
  • Cost predictability and avoiding licensing surprises are priorities

 

7. Budibase — Best Alternative for Self-Hosted Internal Tools with Data Sovereignty

Budibase is an open-source low-code platform designed for IT teams needing to build internal tools while maintaining complete control over data and infrastructure. Unlike Power Apps’ cloud-only architecture, Budibase offers true self-hosting capabilities. Its key features include:

  • Open-source codebase with GPL v3 licensing for full transparency
  • Complete self-hosting via Docker or Kubernetes within your own infrastructure
  • Built-in database (Budibase DB) eliminating external database requirements
  • No connector pricing tiers with all data source connections included

 

Why Choose Budibase Over Power Apps for Self-Hosted Internal Tools

Budibase distinguishes itself in three areas:

  1. True Data Sovereignty Through Open-Source Self-Hosting Power Apps operates as a cloud service on Microsoft Azure, with application logic residing within Microsoft’s infrastructure (though user data can remain on-premises through data gateways). Budibase can be deployed on your own Docker containers or Kubernetes clusters, behind your own firewalls, using your own encryption keys. For organizations in healthcare, finance, government, or any industry with strict data residency requirements, this can be essential.
  2. Transparent Pricing Without Hidden Costs Power Apps’ premium connector model creates licensing considerations. Budibase offers straightforward per-seat pricing: $50/creator/month plus $5/user/month (when billed annually) with no concept of premium connectors. Whether connecting to PostgreSQL, MySQL, or REST APIs, there are no additional fees. The self-hosted open-source version has zero per-user costs.
  3. Built-In Database Eliminates Dependencies Budibase includes Budibase DB, a production-ready data store where you can create tables and relationships quickly, immediately building UI on that data. This eliminates the need to provision external databases before evaluating the platform.

 

🏅 NOTE: We also evaluated Appsmith and ToolJet as open-source alternatives. All three offer similar approaches, with Budibase providing a polished low-code builder experience with strong visual accessibility alongside code extensibility.

 

Budibase Pricing

Budibase offers three tiers with transparent pricing:

  • Free/Open Source: Unlimited apps for up to 5 users (cloud) or 20 users (self-hosted)
  • Premium: $50/creator/month + $5/user/month (annual billing) with custom branding and advanced features
  • Enterprise: Custom pricing with SSO, audit logs, and air-gapped deployment support

 

Who Should Use Budibase?

Choose Budibase if:

 

  • Your organization requires true data sovereignty due to regulatory mandates or security policies
  • You’ve evaluated Power Apps but found Microsoft ecosystem dependencies concerning
  • Your IT team has Docker/Kubernetes capabilities and views self-hosting as an advantage

 

The Final Verdict

While Power Apps excels as a versatile low-code platform within the Microsoft ecosystem, organizations with specialized requirements often benefit from purpose-built solutions. Based on our research, here are the best alternatives:

  • Manch for API-first digital transformation with pre-integrated verification APIs, real-time validation, and configurable workflows that deploy in weeks—ideal for organizations managing external stakeholders across heterogeneous IT landscapes
  • OutSystems for enterprise-grade, full-stack applications requiring deployment flexibility and optimized code performance
  • Quickbase for mid-market operational apps in physical industries with mobile capabilities through FastField
  • Zoho Creator for SMBs wanting affordable low-code with transparent pricing and Zoho ecosystem integration
  • Retool for developer-first internal tools with full JavaScript, Python, and SQL flexibility
  • Google AppSheet for Google-first teams wanting to mobilize spreadsheet data with minimal migration complexity
  • Budibase for self-hosted internal tools with open-source flexibility and data sovereignty

 

Remember, you don’t have to choose between Power Apps and these alternatives exclusively. Many organizations successfully use Power Apps for certain applications while leveraging specialized platforms for specific needs. Consider your specific requirements, existing technology investments, and growth plans when deciding which solution works best for you.

 

Need to digitize external stakeholder workflows with real-time verification and faster time-to-value? Manch delivers an API-first platform with pre-integrated verification APIs, configurable workflows, and deployment in 4-8 weeks. Discover how leading enterprises have reduced onboarding from seven days to 30 minutes while maintaining compliance.

 

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