#1★ TOP PICK
Baserow
MIT-core, self-hostable no-code database with the closest Airtable-style experience.
93
OPEN SOURCEMIT (core); premium/enterprise modules under separate commercial licensesSELF-HOSTLOCAL-FIRST
Baserow is an open-source no-code database and app builder that feels close to Airtable: grid, kanban, calendar, timeline, form, and gallery views over linked tables, plus a visual app/dashboard composer and built-in automations. Its core platform is MIT-licensed and self-hostable via Docker, and when you host it yourself there are no row or API caps. It follows an open-core model — some advanced features live in separate premium and enterprise tiers under their own commercial licenses — but the MIT core is fully sufficient for most self-hosting teams.
Strengths
- +MIT-licensed core is OSI-approved and genuinely open
- +Self-hosted via Docker; your data and workflows stay on your own infrastructure
- +Closest Airtable-style experience here (grid, kanban, calendar, form views, linked tables, app builder)
- +No row, collaborator, or API limits when you self-host the core
- +Very active project with frequent releases and a growing plugin ecosystem
Trade-offs
- −Open-core: some advanced field types and enterprise features sit behind separate commercial licenses, not MIT
- −Self-hosting requires running and maintaining PostgreSQL, Redis, and the app containers
- −You are responsible for backups, updates, and SSL yourself
- −Smaller template and integration library than Airtable's
Free to self-host (MIT core); paid cloud and self-hosted premium/enterprise tiers available #2
Grist
Apache-2.0 relational spreadsheet with Python formulas and portable, self-contained documents.
96
OPEN SOURCEApache-2.0 (grist-core)SELF-HOSTLOCAL-FIRST★ 11k·updated today
Grist (grist-core) is an open-source relational spreadsheet that combines a familiar spreadsheet UI with database structure: typed columns, linked references, and full Python formulas alongside standard functions. It is the most permissively licensed and lightest option here — grist-core is Apache-2.0, stores each document as a portable self-contained file (SQLite under the hood), works offline, and even offers a desktop app. It runs comfortably on modest hardware via Docker. Grist Labs sells a full edition with extra enterprise features, but grist-core itself is fully open and free to self-host.
Strengths
- +grist-core is Apache-2.0, an OSI-approved permissive license
- +Documents are portable, self-contained files (SQLite) that you fully own and can back up or move
- +Works offline and runs on modest hardware; there is even a desktop app
- +Python formulas plus spreadsheet functions give powerful automation without external services
- +Granular access control down to cell level, with a REST API for export and integration
Trade-offs
- −More of a relational-spreadsheet model than a polished app builder; fewer turnkey app-building features than Baserow
- −Some enterprise features (e.g. certain storage backends, SSO options) are only in the paid full edition
- −You manage availability, backups, and upgrades yourself when self-hosting
- −Community momentum is steady rather than fast-moving
Free / self-host (grist-core); optional managed cloud and paid full edition available #3
Teable
AGPL-3.0 no-code interface built directly on PostgreSQL, designed to scale to millions of rows.
91
OPEN SOURCEAGPL-3.0 (Community Edition); Enterprise Edition under a separate commercial licenseSELF-HOSTLOCAL-FIRST★ 21k·updated today
Teable is a no-code database that puts a fast, spreadsheet-like Airtable-style interface directly on top of PostgreSQL. Because your data lives in a real Postgres database you control, it handles large tables well and stays queryable with standard SQL tools. The Community Edition is AGPL-3.0 and free to self-host via Docker. A separate Enterprise Edition adds features such as AI, an authority matrix, automation, and advanced admin under a commercial license, so confirm the CE covers what you need before deploying.
Strengths
- +Community Edition is AGPL-3.0, a strong copyleft OSI-approved license
- +Data lives in standard PostgreSQL you control, so it stays accessible with normal SQL tooling
- +Built to handle large datasets (millions of rows) without hard row caps when self-hosted
- +Very active project with frequent releases and rapid feature development
Trade-offs
- −Several higher-end features (AI, automation, authority matrix, advanced admin) are Enterprise-only under a commercial license
- −Self-hosting requires running and maintaining PostgreSQL and the app stack
- −Younger project than Grist, so some areas are still maturing
- −AGPL-3.0 copyleft terms may need legal review for certain redistribution scenarios
Free to self-host (Community Edition); paid cloud and Enterprise Edition tiers available #4
NocoDB
Turns an existing SQL database into a smart no-code interface; now source-available, not OSI open-source.
78
SOURCE-AVAILABLESustainable Use License v1.0 (source-available, fair-code; not OSI-approved) — changed from AGPL-3.0 in Jan 2026SELF-HOSTLOCAL-FIRST★ 64k·updated today
NocoDB puts an Airtable-style no-code interface (grid, kanban, gallery, calendar, forms) on top of a database you already run — MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQLite, and more — which gives it excellent data ownership, since your records stay in your own standard SQL database. It is free to self-host via Docker for internal use. Important licensing note: as of January 2026 NocoDB moved from AGPL-3.0 to the Sustainable Use License (SUL), a source-available "fair-code" license — many secondary sites still list the old AGPL label. Self-hosting for your own internal or personal use remains free; offering NocoDB itself as a hosted or managed service to others requires a commercial license.
Strengths
- +Sits on top of your own MySQL/PostgreSQL/SQLite database, so your data stays in a standard SQL store you control
- +Free to self-host for internal and personal use, with full source access
- +Familiar no-code views (grid, kanban, gallery, calendar, forms) plus an automatic REST API
- +Extremely active project with a very large community and frequent releases
Trade-offs
- −License is source-available (Sustainable Use License), not OSI-approved open-source, and restricts offering NocoDB itself as a paid/managed service
- −The Jan 2026 relicense from AGPL-3.0 means older "AGPL" references you may find are out of date
- −Self-hosting means running and maintaining the app and its backing database
- −As an interface layer, it depends on a separate SQL database you provision and manage
Free to self-host for internal/personal use; commercial license required to offer it as a managed service; paid cloud available