Power Apps costs $15/mo.
These cost $0.
5 free alternatives to Power Apps, checked for license, recent activity and real adoption. Each one tells you the catch, so you can switch with your eyes open.
The top-rated free, open-source replacement for Power Apps is AppSmith (Apache-2.0 Open Source). Across this category, 5 self-hostable tools are available (including AppSmith and Flowise AI). Switching a 5-person team saves up to $900/year compared to Power Apps's $15/mo subscription.
The catch: Requires self-hosting setup, updates, and server maintenance compared to managed Microsoft Power Apps.
Power Apps vs Free Alternatives
Quick side-by-side comparison · $0/mo vs $15/mo
| Alternative | Type | License | Where It Runs | Stars | Head-to-Head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AppSmith | open source | Apache-2.0 | Self-host | ★ 41.2k | Power Apps vs AppSmith → |
| Flowise AI | open source | Open Source | Self-host | ★ 55.6k | Power Apps vs Flowise AI → |
| Budibase | open source | GPL-3.0 | Self-host | ★ 28.4k | Power Apps vs Budibase → |
| NocoBase | open source | NocoBase Community | Self-host | ★ 24.9k | Power Apps vs NocoBase → |
| Convertigo | open source | Open Source | Self-host | ★ 387 | Power Apps vs Convertigo → |
The picks
5 open source · ranked by fit
- 01
AppSmith
open sourceApache-2.0Self-host41.2knov 2026Low-code platform for creating powerful internal tools and dashboards with drag-and-drop ease, robust integrations, and customizable workflows.
The catch vs Power AppsRequires self-hosting setup, updates, and server maintenance compared to managed Microsoft Power Apps.
Install, platforms & data +
- platforms
- webself-hosteddocker to self-host
- install
- Clone https://github.com/appsmithorg/appsmith or deploy with Docker Compose
- setup
- Deploy via Docker or binary release from GitHub and configure environment variables.
- your data
- All application data and configuration live on your own server or local database.
- checked
- 2026-11-07
- 02
Flowise AI
open sourceOpen SourceSelf-host55.6knov 2026Open source platform for building AI agents, chatbots, and multi-agent systems using a drag-and-drop interface, with support for 100+ LLMs and RAG.
The catch vs Power AppsRequires self-hosting setup, updates, and server maintenance compared to managed Power Apps.
Install, platforms & data +
- platforms
- webself-hosteddocker to self-host
- install
- Clone https://github.com/flowiseai/flowise or deploy with Docker Compose
- setup
- Deploy via Docker or binary release from GitHub and configure environment variables.
- your data
- All application data and configuration live on your own server or local database.
- checked
- 2026-11-07
- 03
Budibase
open sourceGPL-3.0Self-host28.4knov 2026Low-code platform for creating custom business applications quickly. Design, automate, and deploy with ease.
The catch vs Power AppsIt is built mainly for responsive internal web apps, not AppSheet's installable mobile apps with offline field use and spreadsheet-driven rules.
Install, platforms & data +
- platforms
- webself-hosteddocker to self-host
- install
- Docker image or Docker Compose; Kubernetes is also supported
- setup
- Requires Docker and persistent storage; production use also means owning upgrades, TLS, backups, and database/network access
- engines
- Model-agnostic; the agent builder supports bring-your-own AI provider credentials
- your data
- Built-in app data and app definitions are stored in CouchDB, files in MinIO/S3-compatible object storage, and connected external data remains in its source system
- checked
- 2026-11-07
- 04
NocoBase
open sourceNocoBase CommunitySelf-host24.9knov 2026Open-source no-code platform for creating tailored business applications quickly, with full customization and easy deployment options.
The catch vs Power AppsIt is a self-hosted database web-app platform rather than a turnkey offline mobile app builder, making mobile field work the largest loss.
Install, platforms & data +
- platforms
- webself-hosteddocker to self-host
- install
- NocoBase CLI or Docker deployment with MySQL, MariaDB, or PostgreSQL
- setup
- Requires a database, secrets, and deployment administration; the community license also preserves NocoBase branding and restricts some uses
- engines
- Built-in AI employees can connect to common LLMs; exact provider support depends on installed AI plugins
- your data
- Business data lives in standard relational tables in the configured MySQL, MariaDB, or PostgreSQL database; files use configured local or object storage
- checked
- 2026-11-07
- 05
Convertigo
open sourceOpen SourceSelf-host387nov 2026Full-stack open source platform combining no-code and low-code studios to build, deploy, and integrate web, mobile, and desktop business applications.
The catch vs Power AppsRequires self-hosting setup, updates, and server maintenance compared to managed Power Apps.
Install, platforms & data +
- platforms
- webself-hosteddocker to self-host
- install
- Clone https://github.com/convertigo/convertigo or deploy with Docker Compose
- setup
- Deploy via Docker or binary release from GitHub and configure environment variables.
- your data
- All application data and configuration live on your own server or local database.
- checked
- 2026-11-07
Power Apps Head-to-Head Comparisons (2027)
Side-by-side trade-off breakdowns · 5 free alternatives
Frequently Asked Questions
Direct answers · Power Apps open-source replacements
What is the best free alternative to Power Apps?+
The top free alternative to Power Apps is AppSmith (open source, Apache-2.0). Low-code platform for creating powerful internal tools and dashboards with drag-and-drop ease, robust integrations, and customizable workflows. Other popular Power Apps replacements include Flowise AI, Budibase, NocoBase.
Can I self-host a free replacement for Power Apps?+
Yes. Of the 5 free alternatives to Power Apps, 5 can be self-hosted on your own server or local machine: AppSmith (Apache-2.0), Flowise AI (Open Source), Budibase (GPL-3.0), NocoBase (NocoBase Community), Convertigo (Open Source).
How much does switching from Power Apps to a free alternative save?+
Power Apps starts at $15/month per seat ($180/year). Switching a 5-person team to a free alternative like AppSmith saves $900 per year in software subscription fees.
Should I vibe-code or build my own Power Apps clone from scratch?+
Our build verdict for Power Apps is NO (use a free alternative, save the tokens). Instead of paying recurring SaaS fees for Power Apps or rebuilding it from scratch, deploy one of the 5 battle-tested open-source alternatives like AppSmith.
What is the catch when switching from Power Apps to AppSmith?+
Requires self-hosting setup, updates, and server maintenance compared to managed Microsoft Power Apps.
