Baserow

This Baserow review covers what Baserow is used for, its key features, Baserow pricing for cloud and self-hosted, how it compares with Airtable, where it shines and falls short, and which tools to consider instead. Baserow looks like a spreadsheet, but every table is a relational database: fields have types, linked records connect tables, and the same data shows up in grid, gallery, kanban, calendar, timeline and form views. On top of the database, Baserow offers an application builder for internal tools and customer portals, native automations, dashboards and AI features. It is built in Amsterdam, founded in 2020 by Bram Wiepjes and Olivier Maes, and the core is released under the MIT license. You can use Baserow Cloud or self-host Baserow on your own infrastructure.

What is Baserow used for?

Baserow is used to create databases that non-technical teams can manage without code: CRMs and sales pipelines, project and content trackers, inventory and asset lists, HR and recruiting databases, and product catalogs. Teams use it to replace spreadsheets that have grown into business processes, to track progress across departments and to keep one shared source of data instead of copies in email.

Small teams and growing teams use Baserow for the same core jobs, and most teams choose it for three reasons. The first is data ownership: a self-hosted instance keeps data on your own servers, which matters for GDPR, healthcare and public-sector work. The second is avoiding vendor lock-in, because the open-source foundation means you can keep running Baserow even if you stop paying. The third is price, since self-hosting removes the row limits of cloud plans. With the application builder, the same data also powers client portals, customer portals and internal tools, so Baserow works as a complete no-code platform rather than only a database. It enables teams to build apps for real users, not only internal tables.

Key features

• Database with a spreadsheet interface: create databases and tables, pick from field types such as text, number, date, single and multiple select, file, formula, lookup and rollup, and connect tables with linked records. Import CSV files, Excel, JSON, XML or an Airtable base.
• Views: grid, gallery, form, kanban, calendar, timeline and survey views, each with filters, sorting and row coloring; custom views per user or shared with the team.
• Real-time collaboration: several people edit the same table at once, with comments, row history and notifications; real time collaboration works the same on cloud and self-hosted.
• Application builder: build custom applications such as internal tools, client portals and customer portals on top of Baserow data, with pages, forms, tables, login for external users and conditional logic.
• Native automations: an automation builder with triggers on row changes, schedules or webhooks and actions that update rows, send email or call other tools, alongside native integrations and webhooks for tools like n8n, Make and Zapier.
• AI features: AI fields that generate, classify or summarize data per row, an AI assistant that helps build databases and formulas, and AI agents in workflows. AI fields and AI agents need an AI provider configured for the workspace.
• Dashboards: charts and summaries on top of your tables for reporting.
• REST API: every table gets auto-generated REST API docs, so developers can use Baserow as a backend.
• Permissions and security: role-based permissions, audit logs and SSO on the higher plans.

Baserow pricing

Baserow Cloud has a free plan and three paid plans, priced per user per month. The cloud figures below come from the Baserow pricing page as of September 2026.

• Free: $0. 3,000 rows and 2 GB of storage per workspace, 2,000 automation credits a month, grid, form and gallery views.
• Premium: $10 per user/month billed annually, $12 per user/month billed monthly. 50,000 rows and 20 GB per workspace, 100,000 automation credits, all views and AI features.
• Advanced: $18 per user/month billed annually, $22 per user/month billed monthly. 250,000 rows and 100 GB per workspace, 500,000 automation credits, role-based permissions and audit logs.
• Enterprise: custom pricing, 1,000,000 rows and 1,000 GB per workspace, 2,000,000 automation credits, implementation support, dedicated support and unlimited external app users.

Self-hosted Baserow is free with unlimited databases, rows and storage; paid self-hosted licenses add the Premium, Advanced and Enterprise features per user/month, with priority support on the higher tiers (Baserow vs Airtable, Baserow).

The cost surprise to check is which limit you hit first. On Baserow Cloud the row limit is per workspace, not per table, so a free workspace fills up at 3,000 rows in total. Automation usage is counted in credits, and heavy workflows or AI use can use them faster than expected. Self-hosting removes the row limit but moves the cost to your own infrastructure: a server, PostgreSQL backups, updates and monitoring.

Baserow vs Airtable: the best open source Airtable alternative?

Baserow is the best-known open source Airtable alternative, and the two feel similar: a spreadsheet interface on a relational database, linked records, views, forms, automations and interfaces for apps. The differences are in deployment model, limits and price. Airtable is cloud-only; Baserow can run on your own infrastructure with full infrastructure control. Airtable's paid plans cost more per user and cap records per base, while self-hosted Baserow has unlimited records. Airtable has the larger ecosystem, more native integrations, more polished interfaces and more third-party help. Baserow offers an easy path to switch: it imports Airtable bases directly, including linked records. Teams that need data ownership, GDPR-compliant EU hosting or lower cost at scale usually pick Baserow; teams that want the most mature product and a large integration marketplace stay with Airtable.

Open source and self-hosted: how to self host Baserow

To self host Baserow you run the official Docker image, which includes the web app, the backend and a PostgreSQL database, on any Linux server or cloud VM. Baserow is built on Django, Nuxt and PostgreSQL, and a small team can run it on a modest server; larger installations add Redis, separate workers and external PostgreSQL. You keep all data on your own infrastructure, which helps with GDPR and internal security policies, and you control updates and backups yourself. The self hosting option is the main reason many companies choose Baserow over cloud-only tools.

Baserow API, integrations and external tools

Baserow is API-first: every database, table and field is available through the REST API, and each database gets its own generated API docs with example requests. Check the API request limits of your cloud plan before heavy API usage; apps with a lot of traffic often run on a self-hosted instance instead. Developers write code against the API to sync Baserow with external tools, use it as the backend for web and mobile apps, or pull data sources such as a CRM or a webshop into one table. Webhooks push row changes to other apps in real time. For no-code integrations, Baserow connects to n8n, Make and Zapier, and the native automations cover simple flows without external tools. Exporting data is straightforward: export a table or view to CSV, Excel or JSON at any time, or move a whole workspace between Baserow Cloud and a self-hosted server. That makes switching away cheap, which is part of the open-source promise.

Where Baserow shines — and where it falls short

Strengths:

• Open source core under the MIT license, with a free self-hosting option and unlimited rows.
• Data ownership and EU hosting, useful for GDPR-compliant projects.
• Database, application builder, automations and dashboards in one no-code platform.
• A user friendly interface that feels familiar to Airtable users, with a direct Airtable import.

Trade-offs:

• Premium features such as some views, AI and permissions sit under a separate paid license, not MIT.
• Fewer native integrations and templates than Airtable.
• Baserow manages its own PostgreSQL database and does not connect to an existing SQL database.
• Self-hosting needs someone to maintain the server, backups and updates.

How Baserow compares

• Airtable: the market leader, cloud-only, with more integrations and higher per-user prices.
• NocoDB: a spreadsheet interface on top of existing SQL databases, now under the Sustainable Use License rather than an open-source license.
• Google Sheets: the free spreadsheet, without typed fields or linked records.
• Notion and Coda: docs first, with databases inside pages.
• Knack: a database with a built-in app and portal builder.
• Softr: client portals and internal tools on top of Airtable, Google Sheets and SQL databases.
• Supabase: a Postgres backend for developers who need code-level control.
• Smartsheet: spreadsheet-based work management for large organizations.

Is Baserow worth it?

Baserow is worth it for teams that want an Airtable-style database with more control: self-hosted data, no vendor lock-in and lower cost as records grow. The free cloud plan is enough to test it, and self-hosting is free with unlimited rows. It is less of a fit when you need the widest integration ecosystem, the most polished interfaces or zero server maintenance; then Airtable or a hosted tool may be the better choice. If you want help to migrate from Airtable, set up a self-hosted instance or build apps on Baserow, the Baserow agencies and developers on LowCodeDevs can take it on.

Sources

• Baserow pricing: cloud plans, row, storage and automation limits.
• Airtable vs. Baserow, Baserow: MIT license, self-hosted pricing, views and compliance (written by the vendor).
• NocoDB vs Baserow, Elestio: license details, tech stack and PostgreSQL-only storage.
• Baserow vs Airtable, Softr: comparison of the two databases (written by a competitor).
• Baserow Review 2026, Hackceleration: hands-on test of ease of use and features.
• Baserow seed round, Baserow: company background.