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Grist

Workspace 6.8/10 Jun 16, 2026

Airtable/Sheets alternative that is a relational spreadsheet-database with Python formulas, free for personal use in the cloud and free to self-host.

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Grist scores 6.8/10 for free value in Workspace. The main constraint: Cloud Free plan: unlimited members, 2 guests per doc, 1 GB attachment storage per doc. Self-hosting is $0 for individuals and orgs with under $1M total annual income (free activation key).

Category Workspace Kind Open-source relational spreadsheet/database Caveats The free self-host activation key requires being under the $1M income threshold; larger orgs must pay. Renewal monthly Card required No Eligibility anyone, open source projects

Free value score

6.8 / 10
Show the math
Overall 6.8/10
value = 6.8/100
weighted_components_v1
Collab 8/10
value = 300 $/mo
fixed_log_v1
Content 5.6/10
value = 5.6/100
policy_score_v1
Auto 5.8/10
value = 5.8/100
policy_score_v1

Key metrics

unlimited collaborators Seats stated_unlimited_capped; rating_value=5
5,000 records Content stated; rating_value=4
API plus integrations/workflows Auto derived_from_frontmatter; rating_value=4

What you get

Relational spreadsheet with Python formulas

Free cloud personal plan plus free self-host key

grist-core is open source (Apache 2.0)

Forms, charts and custom widgets included

Gotchas

  • 5,000 records per document

    Each document on the free cloud plan is capped at 5,000 rows across all tables; paid plans allow 100,000–150,000.

  • 5,000 API calls/doc/day

    The free plan allows 5,000 REST API calls per document per day; Pro allows 40,000 and Business 60,000.

  • 2 guests per document

    Only 2 per-document guests are allowed on the free plan (across all plans actually, but paid seats cover team members).

  • 100 AI credits lifetime

    The free plan includes only 100 AI Assistant credits total (lifetime), not a monthly renewal; paid plans get 100–2,000 per month.

  • 1 GB attachment storage per doc

    Each document on the free plan is limited to 1 GB of attachments; Pro gets 3 GB and Business gets 20 GB per doc.

  • No automations

    Workflow automations (trigger-based actions) are unavailable on the free plan and require Business tier or above.

  • No admin controls

    Advanced user and site management tools, custom SSO, custom domain, custom branding, and audit log streaming all require Enterprise.

  • 30-day backup history only

    Automatic snapshot history is limited to 30 days on the free plan; Pro extends it to 3 years and Business to 5 years.

  • No priority support

    Free plan users are limited to community forum support; priority email support is only available from Business tier.

  • Self-host free key requires <$1M income

    The free self-host activation key for the full Grist feature set is only available to individuals and organizations with under $1M total annual income (revenue + funding).

Sources

airtable-alternative spreadsheet database self-hostable open-source
Open service Source ← All Workspace

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