QuickBase

This Quickbase review covers what the low code platform is used for, its key features, Quickbase pricing, security, where it shines and falls short, and how it compares with other tools. Quickbase offers a cloud-based low code development platform built on a relational database, used by enterprise customers and growing teams alike. Business users, often called citizen developers, create tables, forms, reports and dashboards in the browser, then add workflow automation that connects to external systems. The result is a set of tailored applications that replace spreadsheets, email chains and shared drives for teams that manage projects, assets and field work. Quickbase started inside Intuit, was spun off in 2016, and has been majority-owned by Vista Equity Partners since January 2019 (Quickbase press release).

What is Quickbase used for?

Quickbase is used to build business applications for operations that are too specific for off-the-shelf software and too small for a full development project. Typical Quickbase apps handle project management and resource management, construction and field service tracking, asset and inventory management, manufacturing quality, compliance logs, vendor and contract management, and simple CRMs. Because data, logic and user interfaces live in one platform, multiple users can work on the same records with the right access, and teams get a single place for data sharing instead of copies in different spreadsheets.

Quickbase empowers users outside IT: a citizen developer builds custom apps and Quickbase applications without waiting on developers, reducing reliance on traditional development methods that are slow and time consuming for small changes. IT keeps control through permissions, audit logs and governance. Mid market and enterprise organizations use it most, often in construction, manufacturing, healthcare and government, where complex workflows and complex projects need structure. Quickbase offers industry solutions for these customers, and many enterprise customers run dozens of business applications on the same low code platform to streamline operations across the organization.

Key features

• Relational database and app builder: tables, relationships, forms and user interfaces built with drag-and-drop tools, plus formulas for calculated fields.
• Reports and dashboards: 13+ report types, including tables, charts, calendars, timelines and Gantt charts on the Business plan (Quickbase plans).
• Workflow automation: automations and Pipelines that automate processes inside Quickbase and connect external systems such as Salesforce, Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Slack and file management integrations.
• Pre built templates: starter apps for common use cases, which shorten the first build.
• Security controls: role-based permissions, data encryption and audit logs on every plan; single sign-on, SCIM provisioning and a sandbox on Business.
• Quickbase AI: an optional AI Intelligence Pack add-on that helps create apps, fields and reports from natural language.
• Enterprise connectivity: on-prem connectivity and data warehouse integrations on the Enterprise plan.

Quickbase pricing: Team plan, Business plan and Enterprise plan

Quickbase pricing starts per user per month, billed annually, and every user on an account must be on the same plan. The figures below come from the Quickbase plans and pricing page as of September 2026.

• Free trial: 30 days with all Business plan features. There is no free plan.
• Team plan: from $35 per user per month, priced annually. Dashboards, 13+ report types, workflow automation, user and data security controls, encryption and audit logs.
• Business plan: from $55 per user per month, priced annually. Adds single sign-on, SCIM provisioning, Gantt charts, a sandbox, and FDA and HIPAA compliance.
• Enterprise plan: flexible, quoted pricing. Adds advanced performance tools, advanced data encryption, on-prem connectivity and data warehouse integrations.

Add ons include Quickbase Extensions and the AI Intelligence Pack, plus longer audit log data retention and services.

The cost surprise to check is the platform minimum. Quickbase notes that the per-user price "does not include platform minimum", so the real starting cost is higher than the headline. Competitors put numbers on it: Caspio and SmartSuite report a 20-user minimum on Team and 40 users on Business, so entry cost is about $700 or $2,200 a month (Caspio, written by a competitor). Quickbase itself describes a platform minimum fee rather than a strict seat count, so ask for a quote before you plan a rollout. For a small team with a few users, the minimum is often the deciding factor.

Is Quickbase a low code platform or no code?

Both. Quickbase is sold as a low code platform, but most apps are built with no code: tables, forms, reports and automation are configured in the browser. Formulas, Pipelines logic and optional JavaScript give the low code layer when a citizen developer needs more control. That mix is why Quickbase sits between simple no code platform tools and full low code development platforms such as Mendix or OutSystems: enough power for enterprise apps, without the learning curve of traditional development.

Quickbase add ons, support and learning curve

Quickbase offers add ons for customers who need more than the core low code platform: Quickbase Extensions, the AI Intelligence Pack, longer audit log data retention, app restore assistance and enablement services (SmartSuite, written by a competitor). A partner ecosystem also sells add-ons for document generation, e-signatures, messaging and mapping. Simple apps are quick to build, but advanced features such as Pipelines, formula logic and permission design have a steeper learning curve, and Knack, a competitor, reports that support can be slow at times. Enterprise customers usually work with a Quickbase partner or an internal center of excellence for application development at scale.

Security and HIPAA compliance

Security is one of the reasons larger organizations choose Quickbase. Every plan includes user and data security controls, encryption and audit logs, so admins can see who changed what and when, and audit log data retention can be extended as an add-on. The Business plan adds single sign-on, SCIM user provisioning and support for FDA and HIPAA compliance, which matters for healthcare and life sciences teams that store regulated data. Enterprise adds enhanced security with advanced data encryption and on-prem connectivity for data that cannot leave the network. HIPAA use requires a business associate agreement and the Business plan or higher.

How many users can manage projects in Quickbase?

Quickbase works for a department of ten people and for an enterprise organization with thousands of Quickbase users, because it charges per user seat and scales apps inside one account. Teams use it to manage projects, streamline operations and pull data sources together in one business system. It handles more complex workflows than spreadsheet-based tools, thanks to relationships, formulas and Pipelines. The limits are practical: very large tables and heavy automation run into documented app limits and throttling, and highly custom user interfaces need JavaScript or an external front end. For most business applications, the no code platform is enough; for public-facing products or apps with millions of records, a traditional development approach or a dedicated backend fits better.

Where Quickbase shines — and where it falls short

Strengths:

• Fast application development for operations teams without writing code.
• Strong governance: permissions, audit logs, sandbox, SSO and compliance options.
• Relational data and workflow automation in one place, with integrations to external systems.
• Mature platform with pre built templates and a large partner network.

Trade-offs:

• Per user pricing with a platform minimum makes it expensive for a small team.
• No free plan, only a 30-day trial.
• The user interface is functional but less modern than newer tools.
• Advanced features such as Quickbase AI and Extensions are paid add-ons.

How Quickbase compares

• Caspio: a no-code database platform priced by plan rather than per user.
• Knack: simpler custom databases and portals for small to mid-sized teams.
• Kintone: a no-code database and workflow platform with a lower per-user entry price.
• Claris FileMaker: a desktop-first database platform with its own apps and server.
• Microsoft Power Apps: the Microsoft equivalent for teams on Microsoft 365 and Dataverse.
• AppSheet: Google's no-code app builder for internal apps on spreadsheets and databases.
• Airtable and Smartsheet: grid-first tools for lighter tracking and project management.

Is Quickbase worth it?

Quickbase is worth it for mid market and enterprise business teams that need secure, tailored applications for complex projects and want business users to build and change them. The governance, compliance options and workflow automation justify the price at that scale. It is less of a fit for a small business with a handful of users, because the platform minimum and per user pricing add up quickly, and for teams that need a free plan or a highly custom design. For those customers a lighter low code platform or a no code database is usually the better business fit. If you want help building Quickbase apps or moving from spreadsheets to a no code platform, the low-code agencies and developers on LowCodeDevs can take it on.

Sources

• Quickbase plans and pricing: plans, prices, trial, platform minimum and add-ons.
• Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe acquires Intuit QuickBase: the 2016 spin-off from Intuit.
• Vista Equity Bets On Coding With $1 Billion Stake In Quick Base, Forbes: the 2019 Vista Equity majority stake.
• Quickbase: what it is, pricing and alternatives, Knack: overview and criticisms (written by a competitor).
• Best Quickbase alternative, Caspio: user minimums and HIPAA tiers (written by a competitor; Quickbase describes a platform minimum fee rather than a fixed seat count).
• Quickbase pricing, SmartSuite: minimums and add-ons (written by a competitor).