3 Open Source alternatives to Airtable in 2026
We compare 3 self-hostable tools you can deploy on your own server in minutes, with license, tech stack and a ready-to-copy docker-compose.
Quick comparison
Sorted by featured first, then GitHub stars as a tiebreaker — the same rule we use across the whole site.
Detailed profile of each alternative
Alternative to Airtable
Smart spreadsheet on top of SQL, an alternative to Airtable.
Alternative to Airtable
No-code database, a direct alternative to Airtable.
Alternative to Retool, Airtable
Low-code builder for internal apps, an alternative to Retool.
How do I replace Airtable?
A practical guide with the real use case and limitation of each of the 2 alternatives, to pick the one that fits best.
See replacement guide →How much does Airtable cost, and how much can you save?
Airtable costs $20/mo per user. Self-hosting the alternative, you only pay for the server — usually a few dollars a month.
Calculate your exact savings in the SaaS Audit →Already know which one you want?
Add NocoDB to the Stack Builder and generate a ready-to-deploy docker-compose.yml, alone or alongside the rest of your stack.
Build my stackFrequently asked questions
Do I need Docker to self-host a Airtable alternative?
Yes, for all 3: each one has a ready-to-copy docker-compose.yml. You just need Docker installed on your server.
How much RAM do I need at minimum?
The lightest option on this list is Budibase, which runs on as little as 256MB of RAM — enough for a cheap VPS.
Are they all 100% free, or are there paid features like on Airtable?
0 out of 3 are 100% FOSS. The rest are Open-Core: the core is free and self-hostable, but some advanced feature may stay paid — we call it out on each tool's page.