Grist

Best Self Hosted Alternatives to Grist

A curated collection of the 2 best self hosted alternatives to Grist.

Grist is a cloud spreadsheet–database hybrid for building relational tables, views, forms and lightweight internal apps. It provides formulas, filters, dashboards, integrations and collaborative editing.

Alternatives List

#1
Mathesar

Mathesar

Self-hosted web app that provides a spreadsheet-like interface to view, edit, query, and manage PostgreSQL data with native Postgres role-based access control.

Mathesar screenshot

Mathesar is a web application that provides a spreadsheet-like interface for working directly with PostgreSQL databases. It exposes tables, schemas, and records in a familiar UI so non-technical and technical users can view, edit, query, and collaborate on Postgres data without additional abstraction layers.

Key Features

  • Spreadsheet-like table editor for viewing, creating, updating, and deleting Postgres records.
  • Native Postgres access control: uses Postgres roles and privileges for user permissions and isolation.
  • Data Explorer / query builder: build queries and explorations without writing SQL; supports filtering, sorting, grouping, and summarization.
  • Forms: create shareable form links that save submissions as new records in Postgres.
  • Schema management and migrations: create/update schemas and transfer columns between tables via the UI.
  • Import/export: CSV/JSON/Excel import and export workflows with server-side caching and handling.
  • Architecture: Django-based backend with a TypeScript/Svelte frontend; JSON-RPC and REST APIs for frontend/backend communication.
  • Production-ready packaging: Docker images and deployment artifacts (Caddy configuration provided) intended for self-hosted install.

Use Cases

  • Inventory or asset management where teams need a lightweight, editable UI over production Postgres data.
  • Lightweight CRUD front end for internal tools, allowing business users to manage records while preserving DB semantics.
  • Data exploration and quick reporting for support, research, or operations teams that need ad-hoc queries without SQL expertise.

Limitations and Considerations

  • The project is maintained by a nonprofit and, per its repository and docs, is in public beta; some features and APIs remain under active development.
  • Performance and responsiveness on very large tables depend on Postgres schema design and indexes; filtering on unindexed columns can be slow (this is a Postgres limitation, not unique to the UI).
  • Public “live demo” / anonymous sharing behavior was removed in later releases and some sharing features are intentionally limited compared to older alpha builds.

Mathesar is focused on making Postgres data accessible while preserving database-level control and safety. It is intended for teams who can self-host and manage a Postgres instance and who want a low-code UI for everyday data tasks.

4.7kstars
466forks
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#2
Nextcloud Tables

Nextcloud Tables

Create, share and combine structured tables and views inside Nextcloud. Supports templates, CSV/spreadsheet import, custom columns, filtered views and an OpenAPI-backed API.

Nextcloud Tables is a table and lightweight app builder integrated into Nextcloud that lets users create structured tables, custom views and combine tables into simple applications. It provides spreadsheet-like editing, rich column types and an API for automation and integration.

Key Features

  • Create custom tables with flexible column types (plain text, rich text, links, numbers, progress, star rating, boolean, dates/times, single/multi-select, user/group references).
  • Pre-built templates and CSV/spreadsheet import with automatic type detection (dates, currencies, percentages) to migrate spreadsheet data quickly.
  • Multiple views and filters per table (saved filters, custom sort) and server-side sorting for large datasets.
  • Combine tables and views into Applications (top-toolbar entries) to expose curated data sets as simple apps inside Nextcloud Hub.
  • Sharing and permissions integrated with Nextcloud users/groups; supports sharing with teams and group-based access controls.
  • OpenAPI-documented backend API for automation, integrations and third-party clients; includes developer documentation and migration guides.
  • Modern frontend stack with TypeScript, Vite and Vue; uses rich-text rendering (tiptap) and state management (Pinia migration referenced in changelogs).

Use Cases

  • Team inventories, light CRM, task/checklist tracking and structured project spreadsheets accessible to a team inside Nextcloud.
  • Build small internal apps by combining tables and views (e.g., volunteer management, event registrations, expense tracking) without custom code.
  • Import legacy spreadsheets or CSV exports and convert them into shareable, permissioned Nextcloud datasets with filtered views.

Limitations and Considerations

  • Mobile client support is available (third-party/official Android client projects exist), but some clients note limited support for table views and combined Applications; mobile feature parity may be incomplete compared to the web UI.
  • As a Nextcloud app, functionality depends on the host Nextcloud version and server configuration; feature availability and performance can vary with Nextcloud releases and server resources.

Nextcloud Tables provides a practical, integrated way to manage structured data inside Nextcloud Hub, bridging spreadsheets and simple apps. It is geared toward teams already using Nextcloud who need permissioned, shareable tables and lightweight internal applications.

189stars
33forks
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Why choose an open source alternative?

  • •Data ownership: Keep your data on your own servers
  • •No vendor lock-in: Freedom to switch or modify at any time
  • •Cost savings: Reduce or eliminate subscription fees
  • •Transparency: Audit the code and know exactly what's running