# 20 Free App Templates from Budibase Mar 24, 2022 by Ronan McQuillan Recently, we’ve been quietly building a suite of free, ready-to-use app templates. Of course, we’re biased, but we think Budibase is the best way to build custom internal tools and web apps. What better way to prove it than building them ourselves? Our mission is to help developers build incredible tools from scratch, in as little as five minutes. By creating a range of pre-made templates, we’re giving our users an extra shortcut to building amazing custom apps. Today, we’re happy to showcase a selection of the Budibase app designs we’re proudest of. But first, let’s cover a few basics. ## Why would you build a web app from a template? It’s important to be clear about what an app template is, and why you might want to use one. Building even the simplest apps from scratch can be a mammoth undertaking. Traditional development requires huge amounts of time and money. That’s if you even have the required technical skills. These days, low-code tools, like Budibase, are a popular alternative, offering faster, cheaper development, without compromising on functionality. Our app templates are pre-built, low-code solutions for a range of common business problems. We’ve designed each one to be ready to use as-is. Or, you might choose to use one of our templates as a starting point for your own custom solution. That’s the beauty of Budibase. You can change any aspect of our templates’ design, functionality, or data layer, to make it your own. You can even host and deploy Budibase tools however you like, in just a few clicks. We’ve also created a tutorial on how to build a [free inventory management app](https://budibase.com/blog/tutorials/inventory-management-app-free/). ## Our top 20 web app templates It’s always hard to choose favorites. After all, what’s a complete gamechanger for one user, might offer little interest to another. So, it doesn’t make much sense for us to try and rank our own templates. Instead, what we’d like to do is break our templates into a few categories, to show off the full scope of what you can do with Budibase. With that in mind, let’s take a look at our top picks. ### Communicate, collaborate and share Budibase tools are the perfect way to securely share information, communicate with colleagues, and collaborate across remote teams. Any of our free app templates can be integrated with a range of communications tools, or leverage Budibase’s built-in email automation. Here are a few of our favorite templates to help you work better together. #### 1. Collect, store and share contacts Almost every business needs a secure, up-to-date [client contact list.](https://budibase.com/product/apps/) But of course, not every contact list is created equal. If you’re like most companies, you probably rely on a half-maintained spreadsheet, that lives somewhere in a shared drive or email chain. Our template is designed to help colleagues share, update, and access clients’ contact information, with minimal effort. Simply add your data to create a secure, centralized record of all of your customers, and how to reach them. Use simple _mailto_ commands, or integrate with softphones, VOIP tools, and more, so your team can directly contact clients at the press of a button. #### 2. Manage documents with ease Budibase is the ideal solution for sharing, managing, and processing documents. Our [internal apps](https://budibase.com/product/apps/) are the proof. Law firms deal with more complex documentation than just about anyone. The key is ensuring that clients, colleagues, and other stakeholders have instant access to the most up-to-date version of any documents they might need. We’ve built our template to simplify all kinds of document request, submission, approval, and sharing workflows. Clients and colleagues alike can submit, download, or request new documents, at the press of a button. #### 3. Connect with employees and colleagues In the age of remote working, an effective [employee directory](https://budibase.com/product/apps/) is at the heart of any successful business. These days, your team could work together for months or even years, without ever meeting in person. As a remote-first company, we know this struggle better than anyone. This template is designed to build an open, communicative culture between remote colleagues, wherever they are. Colleagues can quickly search and access information on their coworkers, including bios, contact details, professional information, photos, and more. There’s even a self-service form for users to update their details. Simply populate our template with your staff’s data, and our directory is ready to go. We’re pretty sure our template is the fastest way you can [build a directory app](https://budibase.com/product/apps/). #### 4. Request, submit and approve content For marketers, they say content is king. However, implementing a successful content marketing plan is trickier than you might think. One of the big challenges is delivering high-quality, on-brand content, to tight deadlines. Our [content approval software template](https://budibase.com/product/apps/) is designed to help busy editorial teams do exactly this. Create briefs, assign tasks, submit drafts, and approve copy, from a single, user-friendly app. ### Dazzle customers and clients More and more businesses are using customer-facing [web apps](https://budibase.com/blog/how-to-make-a-web-app/) to provide better, faster, and more satisfying experiences. We’ve created a range of tools for interacting with the public, and gated platforms for communicating with existing clients. #### 5. Arrange call-backs with ease Our [call-back form template](https://budibase.com/product/apps/) is, without a doubt, one of our most popular tools. After all, pretty much every website needs a contact form. With Budibase, what you do with your form data is up to you. We offer a huge range of [third-party integrations](https://budibase.com/product/connections/), to send data to CRMs, softphones, calendar apps, you name it. #### 6. Manage customer complaints In a similar vein, we’ve built our [complaints record template](https://budibase.com/product/apps/) to turn negative customer experiences into positives. Every customer complaint is a learning opportunity, but only if you have a robust system in place to log interactions. Our template is the answer. ### Streamline operations Many of our most popular free app templates are built to automate tasks, drive efficiency, and streamline internal processes. They say time is money. Budibase is the ideal tool for eliminating hidden costs relating to administrative tasks, and more. #### 9. Calculate commissions Performance-based benefits are a great way to motivate employees, but managing them can be a huge time sink. Our [commission calculation template](https://budibase.com/product/apps/) offers a better way. #### 10. Manage assets Keep track of device deployment, rental, maintenance, and retirement, with our [IT asset management template](https://budibase.com/product/apps/). #### 11. Respond to incidents Our [IT incident report form template](https://budibase.com/product/apps/) is the perfect solution for quickly reporting and managing technical issues, security breaches, and more. ### Process and monitor data Nowadays, data is at the heart of everything we do. Businesses rely on accurate, reliable, and easy to understand data, to make all kinds of decisions. #### 13. Manage school attendance Our [school admin panel](https://budibase.com/product/apps/) embeds seamlessly into your daily operations. ### Supercharge profits Of course, one of the key reasons for using a free app template is your bottom line. #### 17. Instant equipment rental Our [employee equipment checkout form](https://budibase.com/product/apps/) is the perfect solution. ### Customize, deploy, and use our free app templates Budibase templates are deployment-ready, fully customizable tools, built-in our leading low-code platform. Each one comes along with the full functionality and flexibility that every Budibase tool boasts. Developers around the world love Budibase, for fast, cost-effective builds. We offer: - Optional self-hosting. - External data support. - Third-party integrations. - Mobile-friendly apps. - Custom automations. - Internal database. - Low-code design tools. - Advanced app components. This is just a selection of what Budibase can do.