# an open source alternative to Airtable

**The open-source Airtable market is already crowded, with strong incumbents and active demand, so a new clone needs a sharper wedge than “Airtable but open source.”**

Confidence: high  ·  86 signals  ·  checked 2026-08-01

[Full report with live links](https://showsitsworks.com/idea/an-open-source-alternative-to-airtable)

## Who is already building this

*From data*

- APITable has 15,438 stars and was last pushed on 2025-10-30; it is actively maintained and explicitly positions itself as an Airtable open-source alternative.
  - [apitable/apitable](https://github.com/apitable/apitable) `github` — 2022-08-17
- Baserow has 5,489 stars and was last pushed on 2026-08-01; it is actively maintained and markets itself as the best Airtable alternative.
  - [baserow/baserow](https://github.com/baserow/baserow) `github` — 2020-07-20
- NocoDB shows up repeatedly in Hacker News discussions as an open-source Airtable alternative, including a Show HN with 562 points and 157 comments.
  - [Show HN: NocoDB – Open-Source Airtable Alternative](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27303783) `hackernews` — 2021-05-27
  - [APITable: open-source Airtable alternative](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34127804) `hackernews` — 2022-12-25
  - [Baserow 1.3 Released – Open Source Airtable alternative](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27367443) `hackernews` — 2021-06-02
  - [NocoDB: Open-Source Airtable Alternative](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27320306) `hackernews` — 2021-05-28
  - [NocoDB: The Open Source Airtable Alternative](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39159054) `hackernews` — 2024-01-27
  - [Open source no-code database and Airtable alternative](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38014333) `hackernews` — 2023-10-25
  - [Undb – open-source nocode database, an airtable alternative](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=36212216) `hackernews` — 2023-06-06
  - [Baserow: Open-source no-code database and Airtable alternative](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33194986) `hackernews` — 2022-10-13
- Airbyte’s `source-airtable` Docker image has 398,582 pulls last month, which is strong usage around Airtable connectivity even if it is not a direct replacement product.
  - [docker: airbyte/source-airtable](https://hub.docker.com/r/airbyte/source-airtable) `registries`
- There are also smaller open-source projects and wrappers around NocoDB or Baserow, but they are much weaker signals than APITable and Baserow.
  - [baastronaut/baastronaut](https://github.com/baastronaut/baastronaut) `github` — 2023-03-27
  - [YunoHost-Apps/nocodb_ynh](https://github.com/YunoHost-Apps/nocodb_ynh) `github` — 2021-05-28
  - [scooterthedev/hacktab](https://github.com/scooterthedev/hacktab) `github` — 2025-11-28
  - [zero12a/nocodb](https://github.com/zero12a/nocodb) `github` — 2022-02-01
  - [jzakirov/openclaw-baserow](https://github.com/jzakirov/openclaw-baserow) `github` — 2026-03-05
  - [jzakirov/baserow-cli](https://github.com/jzakirov/baserow-cli) `github` — 2026-03-05
  - [tuladhar/selfhost-nocodb](https://github.com/tuladhar/selfhost-nocodb) `github` — 2024-10-10
  - [shenyubao/baserow-cn](https://github.com/shenyubao/baserow-cn) `github` — 2026-07-23
  - [iamwsumit/Baserow-Database](https://github.com/iamwsumit/Baserow-Database) `github` — 2022-08-15

## What people actually say

*From data*

- "While looking for Airtable-like tools for my work, I realised that existing tools don't suit what I need. They are either too technical for non-technical users or do not have good developer APIs." This is a founder-facing complaint from a Show HN about Baastronaut.
  - [Show HN: Baastronaut – open-source Airtable alternative built on PostgREST](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=35356736) `hackernews` — 2023-03-29
- "Currently, every reference to NoCoDB I can find is positive, and that did not match my experience." This HN commenter is explicitly pushing back on the hype around NocoDB.
  - [Bad Experience with NoCoDB](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43108868) `hackernews` — 2025-02-19
- "I’m not happy with the single level right management of the provided Airtable API key. Any alternative for simple storage of values, preferably managed, don’t want to setup a database…" This is a n8n user asking for a simpler Airtable replacement.
  - [Alternative to Airtable in n8n workflow](https://community.n8n.io/t/alternative-to-airtable-in-n8n-workflow/4137) `discourse` — 2021-02-02
- "I know the common suspects like baserow and co, but they all miss half the features (ACL, RBAC, Groups, user management or whatever)" This suggests feature-depth complaints about the current open-source set.
  - [Open-Source Airtable alternative with all features?](https://www.reddit.com/r/selfhosted/comments/16u9ri4/opensource_airtable_alternative_with_all_features) `tavily`
- "There are open source Airtable alternatives, but we want to make something even more easier to bring planning, sorting of knowledge and creating of content together" This shows adjacent overlap with other no-code tools, not just Airtable clones.
  - [To replace Notion&Miro, we build a next-gen open-source knowledge base](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=32340975) `hackernews` — 2022-08-04

## People asking to be sold to

*From data*

- "Any alternative for simple storage of values, preferably managed, don’t want to setup a database…" is a direct request for a lighter replacement.
  - [Alternative to Airtable in n8n workflow](https://community.n8n.io/t/alternative-to-airtable-in-n8n-workflow/4137) `discourse` — 2021-02-02
- "please. add a node for... nocodb.com an Open Source Airtable Alternative" shows someone actively trying to wire NocoDB into an automation workflow.
  - [Nocodb.com is a OSS airtable alternative (GOT CREATED)](https://community.n8n.io/t/nocodb-com-is-a-oss-airtable-alternative-got-created/6111) `discourse` — 2021-06-02
- "could be as simple as adding an configurable endpoint to the airtable-node" is a clear integration need, not just curiosity.
  - [Nocodb.com is a OSS airtable alternative (GOT CREATED)](https://community.n8n.io/t/nocodb-com-is-a-oss-airtable-alternative-got-created/6111) `discourse` — 2021-06-02
- "For healthtech it's necessary to self-host" is a concrete procurement driver tied to compliance and data control.
  - [Bad Experience with NoCoDB](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43108868) `hackernews` — 2025-02-19
- No explicit willingness-to-pay quotes were found in the fetched signals, even though several people described operational pain and integration needs.
  - [Show HN: Baastronaut – open-source Airtable alternative built on PostgREST](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=35356736) `hackernews` — 2023-03-29
  - [Bad Experience with NoCoDB](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43108868) `hackernews` — 2025-02-19
  - [Nocodb.com is a OSS airtable alternative (GOT CREATED)](https://community.n8n.io/t/nocodb-com-is-a-oss-airtable-alternative-got-created/6111) `discourse` — 2021-06-02
  - [Alternative to Airtable in n8n workflow](https://community.n8n.io/t/alternative-to-airtable-in-n8n-workflow/4137) `discourse` — 2021-02-02

## Where the opening is

*Model estimate*

- The data does not show a clear gap for a generic Airtable clone; APITable and Baserow already cover the broad “self-hosted, no-code, Airtable-like” position.
  - [apitable/apitable](https://github.com/apitable/apitable) `github` — 2022-08-17
  - [baserow/baserow](https://github.com/baserow/baserow) `github` — 2020-07-20
  - [No-code open source database & application builder | Baserow](https://baserow.io) `tavily`
  - [GitHub - nocodb/nocodb: 🔥 🔥 🔥 A Free & Self-hostable Airtable Alternative · GitHub](https://github.com/nocodb/nocodb) `tavily`
- The most visible complaints are about missing depth in permissions, user management, and developer ergonomics, not about a lack of another spreadsheet UI.
  - [Show HN: Baastronaut – open-source Airtable alternative built on PostgREST](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=35356736) `hackernews` — 2023-03-29
  - [Alternative to Airtable in n8n workflow](https://community.n8n.io/t/alternative-to-airtable-in-n8n-workflow/4137) `discourse` — 2021-02-02
  - [Open-Source Airtable alternative with all features?](https://www.reddit.com/r/selfhosted/comments/16u9ri4/opensource_airtable_alternative_with_all_features) `tavily`
- A plausible wedge is workflow-first deployment into tools like n8n, plus simpler managed storage and better API access, because those show up in the complaints.
  - [Nocodb.com is a OSS airtable alternative (GOT CREATED)](https://community.n8n.io/t/nocodb-com-is-a-oss-airtable-alternative-got-created/6111) `discourse` — 2021-06-02
  - [Alternative to Airtable in n8n workflow](https://community.n8n.io/t/alternative-to-airtable-in-n8n-workflow/4137) `discourse` — 2021-02-02
  - [What Airtable alternatives do people actually use](https://community.n8n.io/t/what-airtable-alternatives-do-people-actually-use/301571/2) `discourse` — 2026-06-30
- Another possible wedge is compliance-heavy self-hosting for regulated teams, since healthtech and BAA concerns came up, but the signals are thin.
  - [Bad Experience with NoCoDB](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43108868) `hackernews` — 2025-02-19

## How big the market might be

*Model estimate*

- This search found 3 named projects, with 1 active, 1 slow, and 1 unknown; the main ones are APITable and Baserow.
  - [apitable/apitable](https://github.com/apitable/apitable) `github` — 2022-08-17
  - [baserow/baserow](https://github.com/baserow/baserow) `github` — 2020-07-20
  - [baastronaut/baastronaut](https://github.com/baastronaut/baastronaut) `github` — 2023-03-27
  - [zero12a/nocodb](https://github.com/zero12a/nocodb) `github` — 2022-02-01
- The largest monthly usage figure in the signals was 398,582 pulls for Airbyte’s `source-airtable` Docker image.
  - [docker: airbyte/source-airtable](https://hub.docker.com/r/airbyte/source-airtable) `registries`
- There were 9 first-hand complaints and 0 unsolved Stack Exchange questions or stated wants in the counted facts, so the pain is real but the direct “I want this now” demand is modest in this sample.
  - [Show HN: Baastronaut – open-source Airtable alternative built on PostgREST](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=35356736) `hackernews` — 2023-03-29
  - [Bad Experience with NoCoDB](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43108868) `hackernews` — 2025-02-19
  - [Alternative to Airtable in n8n workflow](https://community.n8n.io/t/alternative-to-airtable-in-n8n-workflow/4137) `discourse` — 2021-02-02
  - [Open-Source Airtable alternative with all features?](https://www.reddit.com/r/selfhosted/comments/16u9ri4/opensource_airtable_alternative_with_all_features) `tavily`
- Matching discussion appeared in at least community.n8n.io and meta.discourse.org, which suggests the problem shows up in workflow and no-code communities.
  - [What Airtable alternatives do people actually use](https://community.n8n.io/t/what-airtable-alternatives-do-people-actually-use/301571/2) `discourse` — 2026-06-30
  - [Nocodb.com is a OSS airtable alternative (GOT CREATED)](https://community.n8n.io/t/nocodb-com-is-a-oss-airtable-alternative-got-created/6111) `discourse` — 2021-06-02
  - [Alternative to Airtable in n8n workflow](https://community.n8n.io/t/alternative-to-airtable-in-n8n-workflow/4137) `discourse` — 2021-02-02
- HN attention is real: the NocoDB Show HN alone had 562 points and 157 comments, and APITable had 303 points and 78 comments.
  - [Show HN: NocoDB – Open-Source Airtable Alternative](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27303783) `hackernews` — 2021-05-27
  - [APITable: open-source Airtable alternative](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34127804) `hackernews` — 2022-12-25

## What could go wrong

*Model estimate*

- The biggest risk is building a me-too product in a crowded category where the best-known open-source options are already live and maintained.
  - [apitable/apitable](https://github.com/apitable/apitable) `github` — 2022-08-17
  - [baserow/baserow](https://github.com/baserow/baserow) `github` — 2020-07-20
  - [Show HN: NocoDB – Open-Source Airtable Alternative](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27303783) `hackernews` — 2021-05-27
  - [APITable: open-source Airtable alternative](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34127804) `hackernews` — 2022-12-25
- Another risk is that the market may split into many adjacent categories: database UI, app builder, knowledge base, automation node, and self-hosted compliance stack.
  - [What Airtable alternatives do people actually use](https://community.n8n.io/t/what-airtable-alternatives-do-people-actually-use/301571/2) `discourse` — 2026-06-30
  - [To replace Notion&Miro, we build a next-gen open-source knowledge base](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=32340975) `hackernews` — 2022-08-04
  - [No-code open source database & application builder | Baserow](https://baserow.io) `tavily`
  - [Open-Source Airtable alternative with all features?](https://www.reddit.com/r/selfhosted/comments/16u9ri4/opensource_airtable_alternative_with_all_features) `tavily`
- If you pitch “open source Airtable alternative” without a sharper promise, you will compete on breadth against APITable, Baserow, and NocoDB, which is a hard place to win.
  - [apitable/apitable](https://github.com/apitable/apitable) `github` — 2022-08-17
  - [baserow/baserow](https://github.com/baserow/baserow) `github` — 2020-07-20
  - [NocoDB: Open-Source Airtable Alternative](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27320306) `hackernews` — 2021-05-28
  - [NocoDB: The Open Source Airtable Alternative](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39159054) `hackernews` — 2024-01-27
  - [GitHub - nocodb/nocodb: 🔥 🔥 🔥 A Free & Self-hostable Airtable Alternative · GitHub](https://github.com/nocodb/nocodb) `tavily`

## What to do this week

*Model estimate*

- Pick one wedge from the signals: n8n-native Airtable replacement, compliance-first self-hosting, or simpler managed storage with a strong API.
  - [What Airtable alternatives do people actually use](https://community.n8n.io/t/what-airtable-alternatives-do-people-actually-use/301571/2) `discourse` — 2026-06-30
  - [Bad Experience with NoCoDB](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43108868) `hackernews` — 2025-02-19
  - [Nocodb.com is a OSS airtable alternative (GOT CREATED)](https://community.n8n.io/t/nocodb-com-is-a-oss-airtable-alternative-got-created/6111) `discourse` — 2021-06-02
  - [Alternative to Airtable in n8n workflow](https://community.n8n.io/t/alternative-to-airtable-in-n8n-workflow/4137) `discourse` — 2021-02-02
- Interview the people behind the n8n and Discourse complaints first, because they already named the pain in their own words.
  - [What Airtable alternatives do people actually use](https://community.n8n.io/t/what-airtable-alternatives-do-people-actually-use/301571/2) `discourse` — 2026-06-30
  - [Nocodb.com is a OSS airtable alternative (GOT CREATED)](https://community.n8n.io/t/nocodb-com-is-a-oss-airtable-alternative-got-created/6111) `discourse` — 2021-06-02
  - [Alternative to Airtable in n8n workflow](https://community.n8n.io/t/alternative-to-airtable-in-n8n-workflow/4137) `discourse` — 2021-02-02
- Differentiate on one hard feature the incumbents lack, such as permissions depth, user management, or setup simplicity.
  - [Show HN: Baastronaut – open-source Airtable alternative built on PostgREST](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=35356736) `hackernews` — 2023-03-29
  - [Open-Source Airtable alternative with all features?](https://www.reddit.com/r/selfhosted/comments/16u9ri4/opensource_airtable_alternative_with_all_features) `tavily`
- Do not start by cloning Airtable’s surface area; start by building the smallest workflow that removes a current manual step in n8n or self-hosted teams.
  - [What Airtable alternatives do people actually use](https://community.n8n.io/t/what-airtable-alternatives-do-people-actually-use/301571/2) `discourse` — 2026-06-30
  - [Nocodb.com is a OSS airtable alternative (GOT CREATED)](https://community.n8n.io/t/nocodb-com-is-a-oss-airtable-alternative-got-created/6111) `discourse` — 2021-06-02
  - [Alternative to Airtable in n8n workflow](https://community.n8n.io/t/alternative-to-airtable-in-n8n-workflow/4137) `discourse` — 2021-02-02

## Competitor strength

| Project | Stars | Downloads/mo | Activity |
|---|---:|---:|---|
| [apitable/apitable](https://github.com/apitable/apitable) | 15,438 | — | slow |
| [baserow/baserow](https://github.com/baserow/baserow) | 5,489 | — | active |
| [docker: airbyte/source-airtable](https://hub.docker.com/r/airbyte/source-airtable) | — | 398,582 | unknown |

## Domain names

- `airtablealternative.com` — available
- `airtablealternative.io` — available
- `airtable.com` — taken
- `getairtable.com` — available

---

Sources searched: hackernews (30), github (17), githubissues (3), discourse (6), intent (none), stackexchange (none), registries (13), tavily (7), devto (10)

Generated by Shows Its Work — https://showsitsworks.com/idea/an-open-source-alternative-to-airtable
Findings link to their sources. Estimates are marked as estimates.