Grist vs Univer
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
Univer
Full-stack framework for collaborative office docs
| Feature | Grist | Univer |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 93 · Excellent | 95 · Excellent |
| Category | Office Suites | Office Suites |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, source | source, docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 11,851 | ★ 16,464 |
| First released | 2021 | 2023 |
| Replaces | Airtable, Google Sheets | Google Sheets, Microsoft Office |
What are Grist and Univer?
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
Univer
Univer is an open-source full-stack framework for creating and embedding spreadsheets, documents, and slides. It supports collaboration, formulas, and a plugin architecture.
- Spreadsheets, docs, and slides
- Real-time collaboration
- Plugin architecture
- Embeddable components
Grist vs Univer: key differences
Both projects are written in TypeScript. Grist is the more established project (first released 2021), while Univer arrived in 2023.
Why pick each one
Choose Univer if…
- Sheets, docs and slides in one
- Embeddable in web apps
- Active development
Watch out for
- Developer integration required
- Collaboration server is commercial
Frequently asked questions
Is Grist or Univer better?
Neither is universally better. Univer has the larger community, while Grist is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Grist and Univer free and open-source?
Yes. Grist is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Univer under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Grist and Univer with Docker?
Grist: yes. Univer: yes.