Baserow is an open source no-code database you can self-host — an Airtable alternative that stores your data in PostgreSQL and lets teams build spreadsheet-style tables, apps, and automations without code.

What is Baserow?

Baserow is a no-code database platform that gives teams a spreadsheet-style interface backed by a real PostgreSQL database. It combines a familiar grid with multiple views, an app builder, and visual automations, so non-developers can organize data and ship internal tools. Unlike Airtable, the core is open source and self-hostable, so your data stays on infrastructure you control.

What is Baserow best for?

Baserow is best for teams that want an Airtable-like experience without the vendor lock-in — especially organizations in regulated industries (healthcare, finance, government) that need data to live on their own servers. It suits internal trackers, lightweight CRMs, project and inventory databases, and forms, where non-technical staff build and edit tables directly.

What can Baserow do?

Spreadsheet-style databases with grid, gallery, kanban, calendar, timeline, form, and survey views.
App builder for publishing custom apps and portals to your own domain, no code required.
Visual automations with triggers, conditions, branches, and loops to run business logic.
Dashboards for charts and progress tracking over your table data.
Baserow AI (Kuma) — an assistant that builds tables, apps, and workflows from a natural-language description.
Imports and connectors for CSV, XML, JSON, Excel, and Airtable, plus links to Zapier, Make, n8n, and databases like Jira and GitHub.
PostgreSQL storage — data sits in a standard SQL database you can query and back up directly.

Where does Baserow fall short?

Baserow follows an open-core model: the MIT-licensed core is fully functional, but a number of team and admin features — role-based permissions, audit logs, single sign-on, and other premium/enterprise capabilities — sit behind a proprietary license you must pay for even when self-hosting. Its field types, scripting, and third-party extension ecosystem are also thinner than Airtable’s mature marketplace of blocks and scripts, so heavily customized Airtable bases don’t always map over cleanly. The app and automation builders are newer than the core database and less polished than dedicated tools like Appsmith for complex internal apps.

Is Baserow free?

Yes — the core is free and open source under the MIT license, and self-hosting it gives you unlimited rows and storage at no cost. Baserow also runs a managed cloud: a free tier (3,000 rows and 2GB per workspace), then Premium at $10 per user/month billed yearly ($12 monthly), Advanced at $18 per user/month, and custom Enterprise pricing. Some premium and enterprise features require a paid license whether you use cloud or self-host.

What does Baserow replace?

Baserow is most often used as an open source replacement for Airtable, and it also stands in for spreadsheet-database tools like Smartsheet and the database side of Notion. It’s a close alternative to open source options like NocoDB too, though those are tool-to-tool comparisons rather than paid products it replaces.

FAQ

Is Baserow open source? Yes. The core is licensed under the MIT license and the code is on GitHub. Premium and enterprise features are shipped under a separate proprietary license.

Can I self-host Baserow for free? Yes. The MIT-licensed core runs on your own infrastructure with unlimited rows and storage and no license fee. You only pay if you want premium/enterprise features or the managed cloud.

Is Baserow a good Airtable alternative? For most teams, yes — it covers the core spreadsheet-database experience with multiple views and keeps your data in your own PostgreSQL. The main gaps are Airtable’s larger extension ecosystem and some richer field types.

What do I need to run Baserow? It ships as a Docker image and stores data in PostgreSQL; official installs also cover Cloudron, AWS, and Kubernetes Helm charts. A single-container Docker run is enough to get started.