Appsmith pricing explained: Detailed guide

Appsmith, an open-source platform for building internal tools, offers a flexible pricing structure tailored to meet the needs of individual developers, growing teams, and enterprise-level organizations. This guide breaks down their pricing, overviews pricing plans comparisons and provides scenarios for different teams types.

Types of users in Appsmith

1. Standard users: These are members who have been added to a workspace in an Appsmith instance. All users, regardless of their role or activity (whether building, editing, or simply accessing apps), are treated as standard users and are billed accordingly for the full month, regardless of when they are added.
2. Developer users: Developer users are those who access the Appsmith IDE to build or edit applications. However, they are not considered a separate category for billing purposes. Instead, they are treated the same as standard users, meaning there is no additional or special charge for developers. Any member, whether they're developing or not, is counted as a standard user in the billing.

Measuring users:

Users are measured based on membership within a workspace on your Appsmith instance. Any member added to a workspace is considered a user, and all users included at any point during a billing cycle will be billed for the entire month, regardless of how long they were active within that month.

Appsmith pricing by plan

Appsmith has 3 pricing plans:

1. Free plan

The Free plan is perfect for individuals or small teams looking to explore Appsmith's features without commitment. Here’s what it includes:

Cost: $0/user/month

Users: Up to 5 users (for cloud)

Features:

• Unlimited apps
• Up to 5 workspaces
• Git version control (3 repositories)
• Google Single Sign-On (SSO)
• Public apps
• Community support

Best for: This plan is ideal for getting started or working on small-scale projects without worrying about costs.

2. Business plan

The Business plan is designed for growing teams that need enhanced collaboration and scalability. Here’s what’s included:

Cost: $15/user/month

Users: up to 99 users

Features:

• Everything in the Free plan
• Unlimited workspaces, Git repositories, and environments
• Workflow automation
• Reusable packages
• Audit logs for compliance
• Option to remove Appsmith branding
• Email and chat support

Best for: A balance between affordability and features, making it ideal for teams scaling their operations.

3. Enterprise plan

The Enterprise plan caters to organizations with advanced needs for security, integrations, and support. Key details include:

Cost: $2,500/month for up to 100 users (contact sales for additional users)

Features:

• Everything in the Business plan
• SAML/OIDC SSO for secure authentication
• Custom roles and access controls
• User provisioning via SCIM
• CI/CD integration
• Private app embedding
• Airgapped edition for enhanced security
• Managed hosting options
• Custom integrations
• Dedicated support with service level agreements (SLAs)

Best for: The robust support and customization that enterprises require to build at scale.

Use scenarios for Appsmith plans

Scenario 1: Freelance developer

• Developers: 1
• Users: 0 (personal projects only)
• Plan: Free plan

A freelance developer experimenting with internal tools or prototyping ideas can make full use of the Free plan, which includes unlimited apps, Git version control, and public apps, without incurring any cost.

Scenario 2: Small startup

• Developers: 1
• Users: 5 (end users)
• Plan: Free or Business plan

This startup has a single developer building internal tools for a small team. If no advanced collaboration or role-based permissions are needed, the Free plan is sufficient. However, if the team requires role-based permissions or additional features like workflow automation, the Business plan at $15 per user/month would be more suitable.

Scenario 3: Growing team

• Developers: 3
• Users: 20 (end users)
• Plan: Business plan

A mid-sized team scaling operations with multiple developers requires the Business plan to manage unlimited workspaces, repositories, and role-based access controls. Features like audit logs and the ability to remove branding ensure smooth collaboration and compliance as the team grows.

Scenario 4: Enterprise

• Developers: 10
• Users: 100+ (end users)
• Plan: Enterprise plan

This large organization requires advanced security and customization. The Enterprise plan supports SAML/OIDC SSO for secure authentication, user provisioning, private app embedding, and dedicated support. With managed hosting and custom integrations, this plan is perfect for regulated industries or global enterprises managing complex workflows.

Key upgrade considerations

Free plan vs. Business plan

The Free plan lacks advanced collaboration features and scalability, making it ideal for small teams or personal use. However, growing teams benefit from the Business plan, which introduces:

• Role-based access control: Assign roles like Viewer, Editor, or Admin to prevent accidental app modifications by non-technical users.
• Workflow automation: Streamline processes and increase productivity.
• Unlimited workspaces and Git repositories: Scale operations without restrictions.

Business plan vs. Enterprise plan

While the Business plan provides excellent features for scaling teams, the Enterprise plan offers:

• Advanced Security: SAML/OIDC SSO, private app embedding, and SCIM for user provisioning.
• Customization: Tailored roles, managed hosting, and airgapped editions for industries with strict compliance needs.
• Dedicated Support: Service Level Agreements (SLAs) for guaranteed assistance and uptime.

Cost and scalability

• Business plan: Ideal for organizations that need advanced features without enterprise-level requirements.
• Enterprise plan: Designed for large enterprises requiring high security, customization, and robust support. Be mindful of additional costs for custom integrations and workflows.

Align your upgrade decision with your team’s size, security requirements, and collaboration needs to maximize the value of your Appsmith plan.

Why UI Bakery is a good alternative to Appsmith

If you’re considering some Appsmith alternatives, we have an option for you.

UI Bakery offers a pay-as-you-grow approach with no hidden fees, making it a cost-effective alternative to Appsmith. It provides various pricing models for different team sizes and use cases, ensuring you only pay for the features you need.

Additionally, UI Bakery offers a Shared Permission Groups option. If you have a big team of external or internal users with a single access level, you can buy unlimited seats with a fixed price fee for this group.

Benefits of UI Bakery over Appsmith

• Cost-effective: UI Bakery's pay-as-you-grow model ensures you only pay for the features you need.
• Scalable: UI Bakery offers flexible plans that can grow with your business.
• Ease of use: UI Bakery is known for its user-friendly interface, making it easy for teams to get started.
• Rich feature set: UI Bakery offers a wide range of features to meet the needs of most businesses.

Conclusion

Appsmith’s pricing structure caters to a wide range of users, from individual developers to large enterprises. By offering transparent and scalable plans, Appsmith ensures that its users can access the features they need without overpaying. To learn more or sign up for a plan, visit the Appsmith Pricing page.