Grist vs Teable
Both are alternatives to Airtable. Here's how they stack up — verified facts, no spin.
Also searched as Teable vs Grist — same comparison, one verdict.
Grist and Teable are closely matched on ownership (96 vs 91) — this one comes down to pricing and to which trade-offs below you can live with.
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.
Teable
AGPL-3.0 no-code interface built directly on PostgreSQL, designed to scale to millions of rows.
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.
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 | Teable | |
|---|---|---|
| Sovereignty ScoreOur transparent 0–100 composite for data ownership and exit cost. | 96 | 91 |
| Open source | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hostable | Yes | Yes |
| Local-first data | Yes | Yes |
| License | Apache-2.0 (grist-core) | AGPL-3.0 (Community Edition); Enterprise Edition under a separate commercial license |
| Pricing | Free / self-host (grist-core); optional managed cloud and paid full edition available | Free to self-host (Community Edition); paid cloud and Enterprise Edition tiers 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 | 4 GB. That is the vendor's stated minimum for the app, PostgreSQL and Redis together, and Teable publishes no higher recommended figure. Treat it as the floor and watch memory once tables grow large |
| 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 | $12–24/mo for a 5-user instance on a 4 GB VPS. PostgreSQL and Redis run in the same compose file; S3 or MinIO is needed only if you move attachments off the disk |
| 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 | 30 minutes with the standalone compose file; half a day with a domain, HTTPS and object storage |
| 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. | Teable ships several releases a week under the latest tag, so pin a dated release tag and upgrade on purpose, with a PostgreSQL dump before each jump. Budget an hour a month. |
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
Teable
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
Which one fits you
The trade-offs above, turned into a decision. Find the line that describes your team.
Choose Grist
if a lower exit cost matters more to you than any single feature, and grist-core is Apache-2.0, an OSI-approved permissive license.
Choose Teable
if community Edition is AGPL-3.0, a strong copyleft OSI-approved license.
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 several higher-end features (AI, automation, authority matrix, advanced admin) are Enterprise-only under a commercial license. 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 Teable
4 GB. That is the vendor's stated minimum for the app, PostgreSQL and Redis together, and Teable publishes no higher recommended figure. Treat it as the floor and watch memory once tables grow large RAM · 30 minutes with the standalone compose file; half a day with a domain, HTTPS and object storage
$12–24/mo for a 5-user instance on a 4 GB VPS. PostgreSQL and Redis run in the same compose file; S3 or MinIO is needed only if you move attachments off the disk
Grist vs Teable — common questions
Is Grist a better fit than Teable for no-code databases?
It depends on what you are optimising for, and the honest split is this: Grist scores 96 to Teable's 91 on data ownership and exit cost, so it is the safer choice if you care about being able to leave. Teable earns its place on a different axis — community Edition is AGPL-3.0, a strong copyleft OSI-approved license. 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. Teable 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 Teable?
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 Teable 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.