Grist

Grist is a spreadsheet-like database for building and sharing structured data apps. It combines familiar spreadsheet editing with relational tables, Python-style formulas, and multiple views (grids, charts, forms) to support lightweight workflows without writing a full application.

Key Features

• Spreadsheet UX backed by a relational data model (multiple tables with references)
• Python-like formulas for computed columns and data transformations
• Multiple views of the same data (tables, charts, and forms for data entry)
• Fine-grained access control (document/table/column-level permissions)
• Import/export for common formats (e.g., Excel/CSV) and data portability
• Audit/history features (change tracking and document revisions)
• Extensible “widgets”/custom views and an API for integrations and automation

Use Cases

• Replace Airtable-style team bases for ops tracking, inventories, and request intake
• Build internal tools (CRUD-style apps) from tables + forms + permission rules
• Maintain relational datasets (customers/projects) with computed fields and reports

Limitations and Considerations

• Complex, highly interactive apps may outgrow the spreadsheet-centric UI and require a dedicated app framework.

Grist is well-suited to teams that want the speed and approachability of spreadsheets with the structure and governance of a database. It works particularly well for operational data, lightweight internal tools, and collaboration where permissions and relational modeling matter.