Baserow
Grist
| Feature | Baserow | Grist |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $5/mo | Free / from $10/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.3 / 5 | 4.3 / 5 |
| Best For | developers, small-teams, self-hosters, privacy-conscious-orgs | developers, data-teams, non-profits, open-source-advocates |
| Founded | 2019 | 2019 |
| Database Tables | ✓ | ✗ |
| Forms | ✓ | ✗ |
| Api | ✓ | ✓ |
| Views | ✓ | ✗ |
| Automations | ✓ | ✗ |
| Self Hosting | ✓ | ✗ |
| Relational Data | ✗ | ✓ |
| Python Formulas | ✗ | ✓ |
| Custom Widgets | ✗ | ✓ |
| Access Rules | ✗ | ✓ |
| Incremental Imports | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Baserow Pros
- Open-source and self-hostable
- Good Airtable alternative
- Developer-friendly API
- Affordable pricing
✗ Baserow Cons
- Fewer automations than Airtable
- Smaller template library
- Growing feature set
✓ Grist Pros
- Fully open-source (Apache 2.0)
- Python formulas instead of spreadsheet formulas
- Self-hostable
- Strong access control and permissions
✗ Grist Cons
- Fewer integrations than Airtable
- Smaller template library
- Less intuitive for non-technical users
The Verdict
Baserow is built for developers and small teams, with a focus on database-tables and forms. Grist targets developers and data teams and leads with relational-data and python-formulas.
On pricing, Baserow is the clear winner for budget-conscious users — starting at $5/mo compared to $10/mo for Grist. That $5/mo difference adds up quickly for growing teams.
Both offer free plans, so you can test each with your real workflow before committing to a subscription.
Both tools are a solid fit for developers — in those cases, the decision often comes down to workflow style and how your team prefers to organize work.
This is a genuinely close comparison. If you can, sign up for both free trials (where available) and run a one-week test with your actual team tasks before deciding.