Grist vs undb
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted office suites options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Grist
Spreadsheet meets database for structured data
VS
undb
Archived
Private and self-hosted no-code database
| Feature | Grist | undb |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 93 · Excellent | 15 · At risk |
| Status | Actively maintained | Archived |
| Category | Office Suites | Office Suites |
| License | Apache-2.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, source | docker, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 11,851 | ★ 2,981 |
| First released | 2021 | 2022 |
| Replaces | Airtable, Google Sheets | Airtable |
What are Grist and undb?
Grist
Grist is an open-source modern relational spreadsheet that combines the flexibility of a spreadsheet with the robustness of a database. It supports formulas, Python, and access rules.
- Relational spreadsheet engine
- Python formula support
- Granular access control
- Custom widgets and views
undb
undb is an open-source, self-hosted no-code database platform. It provides a flexible table interface with multiple views to organize structured data.
- No-code table builder
- Multiple view types
- SQLite-backed simplicity
- Self-hosted and private
Grist vs undb: key differences
The biggest difference is maintenance: undb's repository is archived and no longer developed, while Grist is actively maintained. Both projects are written in TypeScript. Licensing differs — Apache-2.0 for Grist versus AGPL-3.0 for undb. Grist has the considerably larger community, at 11,851 GitHub stars versus 2,981.
Why pick each one
Choose undb if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (3k GitHub stars)
Frequently asked questions
Is Grist or undb better?
Neither is universally better. Grist has the larger community, while undb is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Grist and undb free and open-source?
Yes. Grist is licensed under Apache-2.0 and undb under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Grist and undb with Docker?
Grist: yes. undb: yes.