Quick answer
Leapcell - Leapcell wins for most builders who want a free tier for real deployments because it is card-free and gives far more room to grow on projects and runtimes, while 8base is better only if your app is GraphQL-first and you want a more backend-as-a-service shape.
How the free tiers compare
These two free tiers are aimed at different building styles. 8base is a backend-as-a-service with GraphQL, app hosting, custom functions, and a low-code app builder, so the free plan is most attractive when you want a structured backend and a small front end in one place. But its free limits are tight: 1 team member, 2,500 rows, 0.5 GB files, 2 GB bandwidth, and 100,000 API calls. Leapcell is broader as a PaaS for web apps, APIs, and background jobs across several runtimes. Its free plan is more generous on project count and compute-style usage, and it includes persistent-server adjacent features once you pay. The key practical difference is that Leapcell’s free tier is easier to start on and keep using, while 8base’s free tier is more opinionated and narrower. If you are choosing purely for free-tier longevity, Leapcell is the safer default.
8base vs Leapcell free tier, side by side
| 8baseFTV 45 | LeapcellFTV 56 | |
|---|---|---|
| Credit card requiredState only because both inputs explicitly include ftv_no_cc_required. | Yes | No |
| Projects / applications8base frames this as apps per project, Leapcell as project count. | 1 backend application and 1 frontend application per project | 20 projects |
| Team members8base free tier is explicitly limited to one team member. | 1 | Not stated in free tier items |
| Database rows8base publishes a hard row cap; Leapcell free input does not list a database row quota. | 2,500 | Not stated |
| File or payload storageThese are not direct equivalents, but they show different free-tier bottlenecks. | 0.5 GB of files | 10 GB inbound large payloads per month |
| Serverless computeDifferent unit names, same general class of usage. | 1 GB-hours | 3 GB-hours of serverless duration per month |
| Bandwidth / data transferBoth list the same monthly transfer amount. | 2 GB per month | 2 GB per month |
| API calls / invocationsDifferent request types, but the scale is similar. | 100,000 GraphQL API calls per month | 100,000 serverless invocations per month |
| Async / subscription eventsNot the same workload type, but both expose event-style limits. | 100,000 GraphQL subscription events per month | 10,000 async invocations per month |
After you outgrow the free tier
8base starts with a flat $25/mo Developer plan, then moves to per-seat Professional and Enterprise pricing. Leapcell starts at $0 for Hobby, then uses per-seat pricing for Plus and Pro, with Plus increasing after the first month. For a small builder, Leapcell is cheaper because the free tier is already usable and the first paid step is only $5.9 per seat for month one. 8base only becomes meaningfully paid at $25/mo, but it includes a different product shape with more BaaS structure and GraphQL focus. There are no usage-rate formulas in the input, so there are no true per-unit cost projections to calculate.
Cost at real usage
| Usage | 8base | Leapcell |
|---|---|---|
| 1 builder, small app within free limitsBoth free tiers can cover a small project if you stay inside their caps. | Free (within tier) | Free (within tier) |
| 5 team members / 5 seatsLeapcell pricing is clearly per-seat; 8base's entry paid tier is flat, so seat math does not apply the same way. | $25/mo for one Developer plan, but the plan itself is not seat-priced | ~$29.5/mo in month one, then ~$64.5/mo thereafter at $12.9 per seat |
| 1 project with moderate compute needsThis comparison is about the first paid step, not usage overages, because no overage rates were provided. | $25/mo minimum once you leave free | $5.9/mo for month one on Plus, then $12.9/mo thereafter |
| 3 developers needing paid features8base Enterprise is not a practical 3-seat purchase because of the 10-developer minimum. | $75 per developer / mo. minimum 10 developers at Enterprise, or contact sales style economics in practice | $17.7/mo in month one on Plus, then $38.7/mo thereafter |
Estimates, not quotes. Usage-based rates change - verify with the vendor's pricing page before committing.
When to pick each one
Pick 8base when…
- You are building a GraphQL backend and want the API shape to be handled for you.
- You want a small low-code app plus backend in one project.
- You only need one team member and a tiny dataset, and you are fine staying within 2,500 rows.
- You care about custom functions, auth profiles, and data-model tooling more than runtime flexibility.
Pick Leapcell when…
- You want to deploy web apps, APIs, or background jobs in supported runtimes like TypeScript, Python, Go, or Rust.
- You want a free tier that does not require a credit card.
- You need multiple projects, since the free plan includes up to 20.
- You care about serverless compute plus Redis, logs, metrics, and async tasks in the same platform.
Bottom line
For most builders, Leapcell is the better free-tier choice because it is card-free, supports more projects, and gives a broader deployment platform without forcing you into a narrow backend model. Pick 8base if you specifically want GraphQL-centered backend tooling and a low-code app-builder workflow, and you are comfortable with much tighter free limits. If your main goal is to launch something and keep headroom before paying, Leapcell is the easier place to start.
Read the full listings: 8base and Leapcell. Scores use the FTV methodology at /ftv. Browse more head-to-heads on /compare, or see the top-ranked free tiers on /top.