DronaHQ

This DronaHQ review covers what the low code app platform is used for, its key features, DronaHQ pricing and tasks, app development and version control, security and hosting, where it shines and falls short, and how it compares with other low code platforms. DronaHQ is built for internal apps: admin panels, dashboards, approval workflows and data collection forms that sit on top of databases, spreadsheets and REST APIs. You drag UI components onto a screen, connect data sources, add logic with workflows or custom JavaScript, and publish the app to web and mobile users. DronaHQ is made by Deltecs InfoTech, a Mumbai company founded in 2007 by Jinen Dedhia and Divyesh Kharade, with offices in Mumbai and San Francisco.

What is DronaHQ used for?

DronaHQ is used to build internal tools and custom business applications faster than hand-written code, and to move business processes out of spreadsheets and email into managed software. Typical apps are admin panels and back-office tools, operations dashboards, inventory management, approval workflows for purchases or leave, field data collection forms, customer support consoles and simple CRMs. Teams integrate each app with the systems they already run, such as PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQL Server, Google Sheets, Salesforce or their own REST APIs, so the data stays where it is.

The platform targets developers and technical operations teams more than business users without any technical background. Visual development covers the UI and most logic, and custom JavaScript fills the gaps. Small teams use it to replace spreadsheets and email chains with one place to manage data; larger organizations use it to put a governed front end on top of enterprise systems, so operations, finance and customer support teams work in the same solutions.

Key features

• Visual app builder: 100+ UI components (tables, forms, charts, maps, file uploads) with drag and drop layout, themes and templates to create apps quickly.
• Connectors and data sources: 50+ ready connectors to databases and apps, plus REST APIs, with queries you can write in SQL or a visual builder.
• Workflow automation: server-side workflows for approvals, scheduled jobs, notifications and data sync, triggered from the app or on a schedule, so processes run without manual steps.
• Custom JavaScript: formulas, JavaScript and custom controls extend components when the built-in options stop.
• Web and mobile: the same app runs in the browser and on phones; published apps can be distributed through DronaHQ's app on the Play Store and App Store, with offline mobile access on Enterprise (DronaHQ FAQ).
• Access and governance: role based access control, user permissions, SSO, app catalogs, data environments and audit logs on higher plans.
• AI powered building: AI credits help with app creation, and a separate DronaHQ product builds AI agents with its own credit-based pricing.
• Embedding: apps can be embedded in existing portals and systems, with user permissions managed in DronaHQ.

DronaHQ pricing

DronaHQ uses usage-based pricing with unlimited users. The figures below come from the DronaHQ pricing page as of September 2026.

• Starter: $100 a month billed annually, $140 billed monthly. Unlimited users, apps and connectors, 300 AI credits, basic SSO, 25,000 tasks a month on monthly billing.
• Business: $500 a month billed annually, $700 billed monthly. Adds app catalogs, themes, data environments, custom domain and white labelling, SAML and OpenID Connect SSO, and engineering support calls. 125,000 tasks a month on monthly billing.
• Enterprise: custom pricing. Adds custom connectors, granular permissions, audit logs, offline mobile access, multiple SSO providers and enterprise support.
• Self-hosted: Business from $1,500 a month billed annually with 300,000 tasks; Enterprise on request.

The usage metric is tasks. A task is a workflow run, a sheet lookup, an API call or database query from the UI, or opening a container app (DronaHQ FAQ). Extra tasks cost $0.002 each on Starter, or $20 per 10,000 as a top-up; AI credits cost $10 per 5,000. There is a one-month free trial of the Business plan without a credit card. Older DronaHQ material describes a Free plan with 200 tasks a month, but the current pricing page does not list one.

The cost surprise to check is task volume, not users. A busy app that runs a query on every screen load can burn through 25,000 tasks quickly, so estimate queries per user per day before you pick a plan. Database and file storage are add-ons too.

Low code app development in DronaHQ: from data to production

App development in DronaHQ starts with data sources. You connect a database, spreadsheet or REST API, then create screens from templates or blank pages and bind components to queries. Workflows handle business logic, and custom JavaScript covers the cases the visual tools do not. Every edit is saved in a working version; publishing to beta or production adds a release to the history, so you can roll back (DronaHQ versioning docs). Data environments such as Development, Staging and Production keep test data away from customers. For version control, Git Sync links all apps to one repository on GitHub, GitLab or Bitbucket, with branches for team work (DronaHQ Git Sync docs). This makes DronaHQ closer to a production ready development platform than a simple form builder, and it gives technical and non-technical team members a shared place to build.

Enterprise grade security, hosting and compliance

DronaHQ says it is SOC 2 and ISO 27001 certified and uses SSL encryption (DronaHQ FAQ). Apps run in DronaHQ's cloud by default. Business and Enterprise customers can self-host in their own private cloud or on-premises, which matters for regulated data and GDPR compliance. Role based access control, SSO and audit logs cover the governance side of enterprise deployments, and data environments separate development from production.

DronaHQ vs Retool

Retool is the best-known alternative. Both build internal apps on databases and APIs with a visual editor and code where needed. The main difference is pricing: DronaHQ charges by tasks with unlimited users, while Retool charges per builder and per end user, so DronaHQ tends to cost less for apps with many occasional users. Retool has a larger community and more third-party tutorials; DronaHQ adds mobile distribution and white labelling on its Business plan. Test both with one real app before you decide.

Where DronaHQ shines — and where it falls short

Strengths:

• Unlimited users on every paid plan, so wide internal rollouts stay affordable.
• Web and mobile apps from one build, with offline mobile access on Enterprise.
• Self-hosting on Business and Enterprise, plus SOC 2 and ISO 27001.
• Engineering support calls included from the Business plan.

Trade-offs:

• Task-based billing is hard to forecast for query-heavy apps.
• A smaller community and fewer tutorials than Retool or Appsmith.
• Closed source, with only partial code export, although Git Sync keeps app definitions in your repository.
• Advanced features such as audit logs and granular permissions sit on Enterprise.

How DronaHQ compares

• Retool: the largest internal-tool builder, priced per builder and end user.
• Appsmith: open-source internal tools you can self-host for free.
• Microsoft Power Apps: the choice for teams on Microsoft 365 and Dataverse.
• AppSheet: Google's no-code app builder on Sheets and Workspace.
• OutSystems and Mendix: enterprise low-code platforms for larger application development.
• Betty Blocks: enterprise no-code for business applications with flat platform pricing.

Is DronaHQ worth it?

DronaHQ is worth it for teams that need many internal apps for many users, want web and mobile from one build, and prefer paying for usage instead of seats. The Business plan's white labelling, environments and support calls make it a good fit for IT teams and agencies that build tools for others. For organizations that want low code tools with Git-based version control and self-hosting, it is a solid technology choice that pays back in developer productivity. It is a weaker fit for query-heavy apps with unpredictable traffic, for teams that want open source, or for developers who rely on a large community. If you want help to build internal tools on DronaHQ or compare it with other low-code platforms, the low-code agencies and developers on LowCodeDevs can take it on.

Sources

• DronaHQ pricing: plans, tasks, add-ons and self-hosted prices.
• DronaHQ FAQ: what counts as a task, hosting, SOC 2 and ISO 27001, mobile distribution.
• Versioning and rollback and Global Git Sync, DronaHQ Docs: app versions, environments and Git integration.
• Usage-based pricing announcement, DronaHQ: why DronaHQ moved to tasks and unlimited users (July 2020).
• DronaHQ, Wikipedia: company history and founders.
• ToolJet vs DronaHQ, ToolJet: written by a competitor. It says DronaHQ charges per user, lacks self-hosting and SOC 2; DronaHQ's pricing page and FAQ show unlimited users, self-hosted plans and SOC 2 certification.
• DronaHQ on Gartner Peer Insights: product overview and alternatives.