Softr Pricing Plans Explained: Costs, Features, & Alternatives
Softr caps users, apps, and workflow actions so you can outgrow your plan fast. Features, like SQL databases and API calls, are also locked behind expensive tiers. I dug into each plan to find out where these limits kick in and the alternatives you can switch to.
Softr pricing plans: At a glance
The main things to watch out for with Softr’s pricing plans are how many apps, users, and records you get at each tier, and whether you’ll eventually need higher‑tier features like SSO.
Here's a quick overview of what each plan offers:
Softr pricing plans breakdown
Softr's pricing scales with the number of apps, app users, and database records. Beyond these limits, you're also capped on user groups, custom domains, AI credits, and data sources.
The bigger issue is that some key features are gated behind expensive tiers. Even if you’re fine with the basic feature set, you have to upgrade to a high-priced plan to use your own SQL databases or make API calls from your app.
Free plan: $0/month
This plan works for testing Softr, building a personal project, or shipping a single internal MVP. But the 10 app users and 1 published app limit make it impractical for any client-facing software.
What's included:
- 1 published app
- 10 app users
- 2 user groups
- 5,000 Softr Database records
- 1,000 records per app (standard sources like Airtable)
- 500 workflow actions
- 500 AI credits
- Basic building blocks (List, Grid, Table, Form, Timeline)
- 1 custom domain
- Data sources: Softr Database, Airtable, Google Sheets, Notion, SmartSuite, Xano, Coda
Best for: Individuals testing the platform or building personal projects with minimal users.
Pros:
- Custom domain included (rare for free tiers)
- Free forever
- Access to the AI app generator and basic blocks
Cons:
- Softr badge on all apps
- 10 app users is too restrictive for real projects
- No custom code support
- Can only publish one app
Basic plan: $59/month ($49/month billed annually)
The Basic plan’s value is in shipping more than one app and not scaling them. You can ship branded portals, take payments, embed apps on existing sites, and add light custom behavior with CSS/JS tweaks. Once you need your own database infrastructure or more users per app, you are quickly nudged into Professional or Business pricing.
What's included:
- 3 published apps
- 20 app users and 2 user groups
- 50,000 Softr Database records
- 50,000 records per app
- 2,500 workflow actions
- 1,000 AI credits
- Payment blocks
- Custom code (CSS/JS)
- Embed Softr apps externally
- Data sources: Same as Free
Best for: Solo makers or freelancers building a handful of sites.
Pros:
- Custom code unlocks CSS and JS tweaks
- Payment integration with Stripe
- 10x the database records of Free
Cons:
- Still only 20 app users
- Limited to 2 user groups (can't create granular roles)
- Light Softr branding is still visible
Professional Plan: $167/month ($139/month billed annually)
The Professional plan looks affordable at first, but pricing increases as soon as you add more than 100 users. As your portal grows, you can quickly approach Business-level pricing without the advanced features.
What's included:
- Unlimited published apps
- 100 app users (+$10/month per extra 10 users, up to 250)
- 5 user groups
- 500,000 Softr Database records
- 100,000 records per app (standard sources)
- 10,000 workflow actions
- 5,000 AI credits
- Conditional forms
- Charts, Calendar, Comments, Inbox, Org chart blocks
- Call API action
- Export PDF/CSV
- Inline editing
- PWA (Progressive Web App)
- Remove Softr branding
- Softr API access
- Data sources: Adds monday.com, Supabase, and ClickUp
Best for: Companies building client portals or internal tools that need unlimited apps and advanced features.
Pros:
- Unlimited apps
- Remove Softr branding completely
- API calls and exports are finally available
- PWA support for a mobile-like experience
Cons:
- Extra custom domains cost $13/month each, billed annually, and $15/month billed monthly
- Capped at 250 users, even with add-ons
Business plan: $323/month ($269/month billed annually)
The Business plan is the first plan with SQL database support, REST API integration, and unlimited user groups. If you need to connect to PostgreSQL, MySQL, HubSpot, or BigQuery, this is the minimum entry point.
The $130/month jump from Professional is steep. But if your data lives in SQL databases, you have no choice. There's no cheaper path to that integration. The same applies to REST API connections.
What's included:
- Unlimited published apps
- 500 app users
- Unlimited user groups
- 1 million Softr Database records
- 200,000 records per app (standard sources)
- 10 million records per app (advanced sources like SQL)
- 25,000 workflow actions
- 10,000 AI credits
- Data sources: Adds HubSpot, BigQuery, PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQL Server, MariaDB, REST API
Best for: Companies needing SQL connections, REST API integration, or granular permission controls at scale.
Pros:
- SQL database support finally unlocked
- REST API for custom integrations
- Unlimited user groups for complex permissions
- 500 users without add-on charges
Cons:
- Still no SSO. That's Enterprise only
- Extra domains still cost $13/month each, billed annually, and $15/month, billed monthly
Enterprise plan: Custom pricing
If your organization requires SAML/OpenID authentication, SOC 2 reporting, or audit logs, this is the plan for you.
What's typically included:
- Everything in Business
- SSO (SAML/OpenID) for app users and builders
- Custom invoicing
- Dedicated success manager
- Team training
- SOC 2 reporting
- IP blocking
- Advanced app security
- Custom agreements
Best for: Organizations with strict security requirements, compliance needs, or high-volume usage.
Pros:
- Only plan with SSO support
- Dedicated success manager for faster resolution
- Custom limits based on actual needs
- SOC 2 reporting for compliance
Cons:
- Requires a sales conversation
- Minimums may exceed what smaller teams need if they just need one feature, like SSO
Which Softr plan should you choose?
Choose Free if you:
- Want to test Softr before committing
- Are building a personal project with under 10 users
Choose Basic ($49/month, billed annually) if you:
- Need to customize the app further with code
- Want payment integration with Stripe
- Have a very small team of under 20 users
- Only need 1-3 apps
Choose Professional ($139/month, billed annually) if you:
- Need unlimited apps for multiple clients or projects
- Have 20-100 app users
- Need to remove Softr branding for client-facing portals
Choose Business ($269/month, billed annually) if you:
- Need SQL database connections (PostgreSQL, MySQL, etc.)
- Require REST API integration
- Need unlimited user groups for complex permissions
Choose Enterprise if you:
- Require SSO (SAML/OpenID) for compliance
- Need SOC 2 reporting or audit logs
- Want a dedicated success manager
Is Softr worth the cost?
Softr is worth the cost if you already have data in Airtable, Google Sheets, or Notion and want to build a light interface on top of it without coding.
Below is how to know if it's right for you.
Softr is worth it if you:
- Need client portals or internal tools quickly.
- Have non-technical team members who need to build apps.
- Already use Airtable as your backend.
- Need a quick front-end layer on existing data.
Skip Softr if you:
- Need SQL connections on a budget.
- Prefer AI that iterates with you.
- Want to build complete applications, not just interfaces on data.
Hidden costs to watch out for
Before committing to Softr, understand these less-obvious limitations:
- Per-user pricing on Professional: The Professional plan looks affordable at first, but pricing increases as soon as you add more than 100 users. As your portal grows, you can quickly approach Business-level pricing without the advanced features.
- Custom domains cost extra: Every plan includes 1 custom domain. Additional domains cost $13/month each (billed annually) or $15/month (billed monthly). If you're an agency with 5 clients on custom domains, that's additional costs on top of your plan.
- SQL databases locked in the Business plan: There's no budget-friendly option for PostgreSQL, MySQL, or other SQL connections. You jump straight to the Business tier, which costs $269/month.
- AI app building is one-shot only: Softr's AI app generator creates a starting point, but you can't iterate conversationally. After the initial generation, you're back to manual drag-and-drop.
- Feature gating is aggressive: API calls, CSV exports, charts, and some integrations all require Professional ($139/month). These feel like basic features, not premium add-ons.
Softr alternatives & pricing comparison
Softr's pricing works for teams building simple interfaces on Airtable data. But feature gating and user limits push teams toward alternatives.
Here's how the top alternatives stack up:
Zite vs Softr: Which should you choose?
Softr builds interfaces on top of existing data. Zite builds full applications, meaning you get the UI plus the underlying database, workflows, and logic you’d expect from production business software.
Where Zite beats Softr:
- Production-ready out of the box: Zite apps ship with authentication, role-based permissions, and secure hosting. On higher tiers, you get SSO, audit logs, and the option to enforce two-factor auth.
- Visual backend logic: Zite shows workflows as flowcharts you can inspect and modify. Non-technical teammates can understand what's happening without digging into configuration panels.
- Complexity and depth of apps: Zite is better suited for production-ready business software with richer workflows, more complex logic, and deeper backend behavior, not just data views.
- Conversational AI for iteration: Zite is AI-first. It generates more of the app (pages, flows, and data structures) from prompts, so you get to a functional, branded version faster with fewer manual tweaks.
- Auto-generated data schema: Both tools offer a built-in database, but Zite can generate your data model (tables and relationships) from prompts. You have to structure Softr’s database manually.
- Unlimited users and apps on all plans: Zite includes unlimited apps and users on all plans, including free. Softr caps users at every tier and charges per additional user on the Professional plan.
Softr is better if you:
- Need simple client portals without complex logic.
- Prefer drag-and-drop blocks over AI generation.
My bottom line on Softr pricing
Softr is a solid choice for teams building lightweight interfaces on data, but it gets expensive once you have decent traffic. The Professional plan is $139/month (billed annually) and feels like the true starting point for teams. You get 100 app users, unlimited apps, and the ability to remove Softr branding.
If you want more value for your money, consider Zite. You get unlimited apps and users completely free. Paid plans start at $19/month (billed monthly) and include 100 AI credits, 100,000 database records, and no Zite branding. This is enough to generate and deploy several production apps.
Companies like The Athletic, Bombas, and Domino's Pizza already use the platform to build their business software.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Softr cost per month?
Softr’s paid plans start at $49/month (billed annually) for the Basic tier. This includes support for 3 published apps and up to 20 users across all apps.
Is Softr free forever?
Yes, Softr's Free plan has no time limit. You can use it indefinitely with 1 published app, 10 app users, and 5,000 database records. However, the 10-user limit makes it impractical for most business use cases.
What's the cheapest Softr plan with unlimited apps?
The Professional plan at $139/month (billed annually) is the cheapest plan with unlimited apps. Free only allows 1 app, and Basic allows 3.
Can I use SQL databases with Softr?
Yes, you can use SQL databases with Softr, but only on the Business plan or higher. SQL databases (PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQL Server, MariaDB) and REST API are locked behind this tier.
What's the best Softr alternative for teams?
Zite is the best Softr alternative for teams who need production-ready business apps, not just interfaces on existing data. It offers conversational AI building, a built-in database with auto-generated schema, and unlimited users on all plans, including free.
