Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Budibase VS CodeIgniter

Compare Budibase VS CodeIgniter and see what are their differences

Budibase logo Budibase

What Wordpress is to websites, Budibase is to web apps. Budibase is a free and open source web app builder for creating, launching and growing web applications. Budibase eliminates repetition and dramatically reduces development time. Check it out.

CodeIgniter logo CodeIgniter

A Fully Baked PHP Framework
  • Budibase Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-08-29

Open source, and designed for rapid development, Budibase is the new and better way to build, host and manage applications.

Benefits: Reduce development times by up to 70% No more repetitive coding Flexibility to choose your own UI Secure hosting A platform to manage your app A platform for managing and growing your customer base A reporting interface for quick analysis A marketplace UI builder

When you need to build, launch and grow your web application, and escape the 9-5, Budibase has you covered.

Join thousands of makers, startups and developers, like yourself, and signup for early access.

https://www.budibase.com/

  • CodeIgniter Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-21

Budibase features and specs

  • Low-Code Development
    Budibase allows users to create apps with minimal coding, making it accessible for those without deep technical skills.
  • Open Source
    As an open-source platform, Budibase offers flexibility, transparency, and the ability to customize the software to suit specific needs.
  • Rapid Prototyping
    Budibase's drag-and-drop interface and pre-built components enable rapid prototyping, speeding up the development process.
  • Integration Capabilities
    The platform supports integrations with various databases and third-party services, enhancing its versatility.
  • Responsive Design
    Budibase ensures that applications are mobile-friendly and work well across different devices and screen sizes.
  • Community Support
    Being an open-source project, Budibase has an active community of users and developers who can offer support and contribute to the platform.
  • Cost-Efficient
    Budibase can significantly reduce development costs since it offers a no-code/low-code approach and is open source.

Possible disadvantages of Budibase

  • Learning Curve
    While easier than traditional coding, users may still face a learning curve to become proficient in using Budibase effectively.
  • Feature Limitations
    As with any low-code platform, there might be limitations in terms of advanced features and customizability compared to full-code development.
  • Performance Issues
    Applications built on low-code platforms like Budibase may encounter performance bottlenecks, especially for highly complex or resource-intensive apps.
  • Security Concerns
    As with any platform, there may be security implications, particularly if not properly configured or if plugins introduce vulnerabilities.
  • Vendor Lock-In
    Though Budibase is open-source, reliance on its specific ecosystem could lead to challenges if users decide to migrate to a different platform.
  • Scalability
    For very large-scale applications, low-code solutions might face scalability issues compared to traditional development methods.

CodeIgniter features and specs

  • Performance
    CodeIgniter is known for its exceptional performance and fast execution, which is beneficial for applications requiring quick load times.
  • Documentation
    CodeIgniter offers comprehensive and clear documentation, making it easier for developers to understand and use the framework effectively.
  • Easy to Learn
    CodeIgniter's simple and straightforward syntax makes it relatively easy for beginners to learn and start developing applications quickly.
  • Lightweight
    The framework is lightweight and does not impose many dependencies or require a specific server environment, providing flexibility to developers.
  • Community Support
    CodeIgniter has a strong and active community, which means plenty of resources, forums, and add-ons are available for developers.
  • Built-in Security Features
    CodeIgniter comes with built-in security features like XSS filtering and CSRF protection, helping developers to secure their applications with minimal effort.
  • MVC Architecture
    The framework follows the Model-View-Controller (MVC) architecture, promoting clean code separation and better organization of the project.

Possible disadvantages of CodeIgniter

  • Lack of Modern Features
    CodeIgniter does not include many modern features found in other frameworks, such as built-in ORM or out-of-the-box RESTful API support.
  • Limited Modular Extensions
    It has fewer modular extensions compared to other frameworks like Laravel or Symfony, which can limit code reusability and scalability.
  • Manual Routing
    Routing in CodeIgniter is somewhat manual and less intuitive compared to other frameworks that offer more automatic and flexible routing mechanisms.
  • Outdated PHP Practices
    Some of the practices and conventions in CodeIgniter are considered outdated with respect to modern PHP development trends.
  • No Built-in Authentication
    CodeIgniter does not come with a built-in authentication system, requiring developers to implement their own or use third-party libraries.
  • Less Emphasis on Testing
    CodeIgniter has less built-in support and emphasis on unit testing compared to other frameworks like Laravel, making it harder to implement TDD or BDD.
  • Lack of Native Composer Support
    The framework's native support for Composer, PHP's dependency manager, is not as robust as other modern frameworks, which can complicate dependency management.

Analysis of Budibase

Overall verdict

  • Budibase is generally well-regarded for its ease of use, flexibility, and ability to expedite the development of internal tools. It offers a cost-effective solution for businesses looking to empower non-technical users to build applications, while still providing the necessary tools for developers to extend and customize applications as needed.

Why this product is good

  • Budibase is an open-source, low-code platform designed to speed up the process of building and deploying internal tools. It is considered good by many users because it allows non-developers to create powerful applications quickly and easily. It features an intuitive drag-and-drop interface, integrates with various data sources, and supports automation, making it versatile for many use cases. Additionally, being open-source gives developers the flexibility to customize and extend the platform according to their needs.

Recommended for

  • Small to medium-sized businesses looking for rapid application development solutions.
  • Teams that need to build internal tools without extensive coding knowledge.
  • Developers seeking an open-source platform that allows for extensive customization and integration.

Analysis of CodeIgniter

Overall verdict

  • Yes, CodeIgniter is a good choice for developers looking for a simple and efficient PHP framework. It's particularly well-suited for projects where performance is a priority, and extensive feature sets found in larger frameworks are not necessary.

Why this product is good

  • CodeIgniter is considered a good PHP framework because it is lightweight, easy to set up, and requires minimal server resources. It offers a straightforward approach to building web applications, especially for developers who appreciate simplicity and performance. Its comprehensive documentation and active community support are additional positives.

Recommended for

  • Developers who need a lightweight and fast framework
  • Projects with straightforward requirements and simplistic architectures
  • Developers who prefer a framework with easy installation and minimal configuration
  • Smaller projects or prototypes that require rapid development
  • Projects with limited server resources

Budibase videos

How to Build a CRUD Application in Minutes

CodeIgniter videos

PHP CodeIgniter tutorial: What is CodeIgniter and why should I use it? | lynda.com

More videos:

  • Review - Laravel vs Codeigniter - A quick comparison for you to decide
  • Review - Review Codeigniter 4

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Budibase and CodeIgniter)
No Code
100 100%
0% 0
Web Frameworks
0 0%
100% 100
Developer Tools
30 30%
70% 70
Productivity
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Budibase and CodeIgniter

Budibase Reviews

Top 9 Low-Code Tools for 2023 for low-code development
Budibase is a low-code platform designed to simplify application development. It provides a visual interface for building UIs, defining data models, and creating custom actions. Budibase supports integrations with various databases, APIs, and authentication providers, enabling users to create robust and scalable applications. Its user-friendly design and intuitive features...

CodeIgniter Reviews

  1. A PSR-compliant framework with diverse set of facilities and capabilities

    You can build any kinds of web apps and sites with this framework without consuming substantial server resources.

    🏁 Competitors: Lumen Framework

CakePHP vs CodeIgniter: Which PHP Framework is Best for Development?
CodeIgniter: CodeIgniter was developed by EllisLab and released in February 2006. It is known for its simplicity and speed, designed to help developers create full-featured web applications quickly. CodeIgniter emphasizes a lean and minimalistic approach, providing just enough to get the job done without imposing too many restrictions.
Top 5 Laravel Alternatives
CodeIgniter is simpler to use for the majority of developers. Laravel’s convenience is matched only by its adherence to a small set of standards and guidelines. CodeIgniter also offers improved error handling and more leeway in terms of customization. Overall, in comparison of Laravel and CodeIgniter, CodeIgniter might be the simpler choice for most web programmers.
Framework review: Laravel vs CodeIgniter
Let's start with CodeIgniter first. It focuses on performance and speed. It offers a simple, easy-to-learn syntax, making it ideal for beginners. CodeIgniter uses its own proprietary Active Record implementation for database operations, which provides a simple and intuitive way to interact with data. Unlike Laravel, CodeIgniter does not enforce a specific architectural...
Source: infinyhost.com
10 Ruby on Rails Alternatives For Web Development in 2022
Laravel is a PHP web framework that was built by Taylor Otwell in 2011 as an attempt to replace the older framework CodeIgniter that lacked some important features, like built-in customer authentication and user authorization. The current version of the framework, Laravel 8.16 has a great infrastructure of web development tools that facilitate queue monitoring, server...
The Most Popular PHP Frameworks to Use in 2021
Laravel is billed as “The PHP Framework for Web Artisans.” It was developed by Taylor Otwell, who wanted a framework with elements that CodeIgniter didn’t have, such as user authentication.
Source: kinsta.com

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Budibase should be more popular than CodeIgniter. It has been mentiond 61 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Budibase mentions (61)

  • I Found Perfect CMS after Years of Trial and Error
    Many providers such as Directus, Appsmith, or Budibase all have ways to fully customize the viewing and editing experience of each field. - Source: dev.to / about 2 months ago
  • How to Build Internal Tools 100x Faster
    It is possible to speed up the development and delivery process for many internal applications by using no-code or low code tools. These vary in offerings from open source to SaaS, including popular ones like AirTable, BudiBase, Retool, NocoDB and others. These can all greatly help speed up delivery times. - Source: dev.to / 6 months ago
  • Ask HN: What is the easiest way to create a CRUD web app in 2024?
    Budibase is great at generating CRUD apps based on a model. https://budibase.com/. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Why I'm skeptical of low-code
    I keep a list of them, I think I originally got most of these from https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33592990 (not OSS) * OpenBlocks - https://github.com/openblocks-dev/openblocks * Interval - https://interval.com/ * Bracket - https://www.usebracket.com/ * Budibase - https://budibase.com/ * AppSmith - https://www.appsmith.com/ * ToolJet - https://www.tooljet.com/ I only have direct experience with AppSmith. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Pipe Dreams: The life and times of Yahoo Pipes
    I skipped to chapter 9 in the article ("Clogged"), and it looked like Pipes failed because it didn't have a large enough team or a well-defined mission. As a result they couldn't offer a super robust product that would lure in enterprise users. "You could not purchase some number of guaranteed-to-work Pipes calls per month" is the quote from the article. The reason I think that interesting is because that's the... - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
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CodeIgniter mentions (10)

  • 19+ Laravel Best Practices for Developers in 2024
    For history's sake, you should know that Laravel was built in place of the CodeIgniter framework as a modern replacement because the CodeIgniter framework missing important core features such as built-in support for user authentication and authorization. Since its initial launch in 2011, Laravel has implemented built-in support for localization, views, dealing with sessions, routing the request to the specific... - Source: dev.to / 3 months ago
  • How to Install Codeigniter on a Local Server in 2025?
    Visit the CodeIgniter official download page and download the latest version. - Source: dev.to / 3 months ago
  • Top 12 PHP Frameworks For Web Development in 2024
    CodeIgniter is an open-source PHP framework with 18k+ stars and 7.8K forks on GitHub. It follows the Model-View-Controller (MVC) architecture and provides a structured way to create and organize code. It provides a set of libraries and an intuitive interface to accelerate PHP web app development. - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
  • Why I selected Elixir and Phoenix as my main stack
    Over the years I have tried different frameworks, mostly in PHP, like Code Igniter (2010), ProcessWire (2014) and Laravel (2015). - Source: dev.to / over 2 years ago
  • In One Minute : CodeIgniter
    CodeIgniter is an open-source php web application framework created by EllisLab Inc and it is now a project of British Columbia Institute of Technology. The framework implements a modified version of the Model-View-Controller design pattern. It is praised for its performance and the quality of its documentation. It's currently licensed under the MIT License, although the previous version was released under the... - Source: dev.to / over 2 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Budibase and CodeIgniter, you can also consider the following products

ToolJet - Open-source alternative for Retool

Laravel - A PHP Framework For Web Artisans

Retool - Build custom internal tools in minutes.

CakePHP - The Rapid Development Framework for PHP

Appsmith - Appsmith is an open source web framework for building internal tools, admin panels, dashboards, and workflows.

Django - The Web framework for perfectionists with deadlines