Airtable
Cloud collaboration platform combining the flexibility of a spreadsheet with database power
Baserow
Open-source no-code database tool and Airtable alternative
Build powerful online databases without coding. A spreadsheet-database hybrid that's self-hosted, API-first, and combines ease of use with developer-grade data organization.
Overview
What is Baserow?
Baserow is an open-source no-code database platform that empowers non-technical users to create and manage sophisticated online databases through an intuitive spreadsheet-like interface. Designed as a modern alternative to Airtable, it bridges the gap between simple spreadsheets and complex database systems without requiring programming knowledge.
Who Should Use It?
Baserow serves teams and organizations seeking data management flexibility without vendor lock-in. Whether you're a startup building internal tools, a nonprofit managing donor information, or an enterprise requiring self-hosted solutions, Baserow delivers developer-grade capabilities through a browser-based interface.
Technical Foundation
Built on Django, Vue.js, and PostgreSQL, Baserow follows a headless, API-first architecture that supports extensive customization through plugins. The open-core model places all non-premium features under the MIT License, enabling commercial and private use. Deploy via Docker in minutes, or choose from multiple cloud platforms including Heroku, Digital Ocean, and Railway. With no storage restrictions when self-hosted and a modular plugin system, Baserow scales from personal projects to enterprise workloads while maintaining full data sovereignty.
Highlights
Spreadsheet-database hybrid interface requiring zero technical experience
Self-hosted deployment with no storage limits or vendor lock-in
Headless, API-first architecture with RESTful endpoints
Extensible plugin system for custom fields, views, and applications
Pros
- MIT-licensed core enables commercial use without restrictions
- One-command Docker deployment with multiple platform options
- Built on proven frameworks (Django, Vue.js, PostgreSQL)
- Active development with plugin architecture for extensibility
Considerations
- Premium and enterprise features require paid licensing
- Self-hosting requires infrastructure management and maintenance
- Smaller ecosystem compared to established commercial alternatives
- Learning curve for advanced customization and plugin development
Managed products teams compare with
When teams consider Baserow, these hosted platforms usually appear on the same shortlist.
Looking for a hosted option? These are the services engineering teams benchmark against before choosing open source.
Fit guide
Great for
- Teams requiring full data ownership and self-hosted solutions
- Organizations seeking Airtable functionality without SaaS costs
- Developers building custom database applications via REST API
- Projects needing extensible no-code tools with plugin support
Not ideal when
- Users wanting zero infrastructure management (cloud-only preference)
- Teams requiring enterprise features without budget for premium tiers
- Projects needing extensive third-party integrations out-of-the-box
- Organizations without technical resources for self-hosting
How teams use it
Internal CRM for Growing Startups
Replace spreadsheets with a self-hosted database that tracks customers, deals, and communications without per-seat SaaS fees or data export limits.
Content Management for Marketing Teams
Organize editorial calendars, asset libraries, and campaign tracking through collaborative views while maintaining full control over sensitive content data.
API-Driven Application Backend
Use Baserow's REST API as a flexible backend for mobile apps or web services, enabling rapid prototyping without custom database development.
Research Data Collection Platform
Build custom data entry forms and analysis views for academic or scientific projects requiring on-premise hosting for compliance and privacy.
Tech snapshot
Python70%
Vue13%
JavaScript13%
SCSS2%
HTML1%
Shell1%
Frequently asked questions
How does Baserow differ from Airtable?
Baserow is open-source and self-hostable with no storage limits, while Airtable is a proprietary SaaS. Baserow's MIT-licensed core allows commercial use and full data control, though Airtable offers a larger integration ecosystem.
What features require premium licensing?
The open-core model places all non-premium and non-enterprise features under MIT License. Specific premium features are not detailed in the repository, but core database functionality is freely available.
Can I use Baserow without self-hosting?
Yes, you can sign up at baserow.io for immediate cloud access without managing infrastructure, or self-host using Docker, Heroku, Digital Ocean, Railway, and other platforms.
Is Baserow suitable for production applications?
Yes, Baserow is built on production-grade frameworks (Django, PostgreSQL) and offers API-first architecture. It supports multiple deployment platforms and can scale from personal projects to enterprise workloads.
How do I extend Baserow with custom functionality?
Baserow's modular architecture supports plugins for custom fields, views, applications, and API endpoints. A plugin boilerplate is available to accelerate development of extensions.
Project at a glance
Active- Stars
- 3,814
- Watchers
- 3,814
- Forks
- 488
Repo age5 years old
Last commit6 hours ago
Self-hostingSupported
Primary languagePython
Last synced 4 hours ago