Grist vs NocoDB
Both are alternatives to Airtable. Here's how they stack up — verified facts, no spin.
Also searched as NocoDB vs Grist — same comparison, one verdict.
Grist is open source (Apache-2.0 (grist-core)) and NocoDB is not (Sustainable Use License v1.0 (source-available, fair-code; not OSI-approved) — changed from AGPL-3.0 in Jan 2026) — so the real question is whether you want to own the no-code databases stack or rent it.
Grist
Apache-2.0 relational spreadsheet with Python formulas and portable, self-contained documents.
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.
NocoDB
Turns an existing SQL database into a smart no-code interface; now source-available, not OSI open-source.
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.
Side by side
10 points of comparison, every one read from a verified field. Green marks the side that wins a row outright. A dash means we do not hold that fact — never that it is zero.
| Grist | NocoDB | |
|---|---|---|
| Sovereignty ScoreOur transparent 0–100 composite for data ownership and exit cost. | 96 | 78 |
| Open source | Yes | No |
| Self-hostable | Yes | Yes |
| Local-first data | Yes | Yes |
| License | Apache-2.0 (grist-core) | Sustainable Use License v1.0 (source-available, fair-code; not OSI-approved) — changed from AGPL-3.0 in Jan 2026 |
| Pricing | Free / self-host (grist-core); optional managed cloud and paid full edition available | Free to self-host for internal/personal use; commercial license required to offer it as a managed service; paid cloud available |
| RAM to run it wellThe figure that actually matters, not the vendor's minimum. | 8 GB. That is Grist's 'known good configuration for a variety of moderate workloads'. Memory follows how many documents are open at once, because each open document is loaded fully into RAM | 8 GB. That is the vendor's production specification, with 4 vCPU and 50 GB+ disk; its 2 GB minimum is for trying it out |
| Realistic running costWhat the box costs each month if you run it yourself. | $24–48/mo on an 8 GB VPS. Nothing else is required: documents are SQLite files and the home database defaults to SQLite. Add Redis if you want webhooks and notifications, and S3-compatible storage for automatic snapshots | $24–48/mo on an 8 GB VPS. The installer runs PostgreSQL, Redis and Traefik on the same box, so nothing else is required |
| Setup timeHonest first-install estimate, not the marketing quickstart. | 15 minutes for one user; an afternoon once you add team sign-in, HTTPS and the sandbox | 20 minutes with the install script and a domain ready; longer if you bring your own database |
| Ongoing maintenanceThe part nobody budgets for. | About one release a month to pull, a backup of the /persist volume (documents, the home database and sessions), and a sign-in provider to keep working. Low effort once authentication is settled. | About two releases a month; run the bundled update.sh deliberately against a pinned tag. The vendor's minimum backup is a daily pg_dump plus a tarball of attachments, because everything lives in Docker volumes. |
Grist edges it on the Sovereignty Score, but the right pick depends on the trade-offs below.
Weighing both against staying on Airtable? Is Airtable free? What it actually costs →
Grist
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
NocoDB
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
Which one fits you
The trade-offs above, turned into a decision. Find the line that describes your team.
Choose Grist
if you want the source and the option to fork it, and grist-core is Apache-2.0, an OSI-approved permissive license.
Choose NocoDB
if sits on top of your own MySQL/PostgreSQL/SQLite database, so your data stays in a standard SQL store you control.
Neither, yet
if both carry a real cost you should weigh first — more of a relational-spreadsheet model than a polished app builder; fewer turnkey app-building features than Baserow, and license is source-available (Sustainable Use License), not OSI-approved open-source, and restricts offering NocoDB itself as a paid/managed service. If either of those is a dealbreaker for your team, the shortlist is wrong rather than the choice.
What it takes to run these yourself
Real requirements and honest running costs, not the vendor quickstart.
Self-hosting Grist
8 GB. That is Grist's 'known good configuration for a variety of moderate workloads'. Memory follows how many documents are open at once, because each open document is loaded fully into RAM RAM · 15 minutes for one user; an afternoon once you add team sign-in, HTTPS and the sandbox
$24–48/mo on an 8 GB VPS. Nothing else is required: documents are SQLite files and the home database defaults to SQLite. Add Redis if you want webhooks and notifications, and S3-compatible storage for automatic snapshots
Self-hosting NocoDB
8 GB. That is the vendor's production specification, with 4 vCPU and 50 GB+ disk; its 2 GB minimum is for trying it out RAM · 20 minutes with the install script and a domain ready; longer if you bring your own database
$24–48/mo on an 8 GB VPS. The installer runs PostgreSQL, Redis and Traefik on the same box, so nothing else is required
Grist vs NocoDB — common questions
Is Grist a better fit than NocoDB for no-code databases?
It depends on what you are optimising for, and the honest split is this: Grist scores 96 to NocoDB's 78 on data ownership and exit cost, so it is the safer choice if you care about being able to leave. NocoDB earns its place on a different axis — sits on top of your own MySQL/PostgreSQL/SQLite database, so your data stays in a standard SQL store you control. Neither is a wrong answer for every team; the table above is the actual comparison.
What happens if we want to switch later?
Grist keeps its data local or in open formats, so leaving is an export rather than a negotiation. NocoDB is still self-hostable, so the files stay on your server either way — but it is not local-first by design, so check what its export produces before you rely on it.
Can I self-host Grist or NocoDB?
Both can be self-hosted. The difference is what it costs you in time rather than whether it is possible — see the setup and maintenance rows above.
Are Grist and NocoDB both alternatives to Airtable?
Yes — both appear in our Airtable comparison, which is why they are worth putting side by side. People usually arrive here already having decided to move off Airtable and now choosing between the two replacements, which is a narrower and much easier question.
More Airtable head-to-heads
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Facts verified 2026-07-18. Licenses and pricing change — spotted something out of date? That's a correction we want.