The best no-code databases in 2026
Spreadsheet-simple, database-strong: which one fits your team and your budget.
A no-code database lets you build linked tables, forms and views in the browser, the way you would in a spreadsheet, but with real relations between your data and no SQL to write. Here is the short answer.
For most teams: Baserow, free to start, $10 per user billed yearly, and open source. For the richest integrations: Airtable, from $20 per user billed annually. On top of a SQL database you already run: NocoDB. For a small team that wants to stay free: SeaTable, free for up to 25 users. For a portal with hundreds of outside users: Knack, priced per plan with unlimited users.
The ranking is editorial: a sponsored spot is always labeled on its entry, and no affiliate link changes a score.
The best no-code database for your case
8 no-code databases compared
The "10 users, 1 year" column is what a ten-person team pays for a year on the entry paid plan, billed annually. Per-seat tools grow with your team; Knack, Caspio and NocoDB's unlimited-seat plan don't.
| Best for | 10 users, 1 year | Free plan | Team size | Visit | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Baserow | overall no-code database | $1,200 | 4.3/5 | Free, Premium $10/user/mo billed yearly | ✓ | SMBs, self-hosters | Visit → |
| 2 | Airtable | for integrations and templates | $2,400 | 4.2/5 | Free, Team $20/user/mo billed annually | ✓ | Teams of any size | Visit → |
| 3 | NocoDB | on top of an existing SQL database | $1,296 (unlimited seats) | 4.1/5 | Free, Plus $12/seat/mo billed annually | ✓ | Technical teams | Visit → |
| 4 | SeaTable | free plan for a team | €840 | 4.0/5 | Free, Plus €7/user/mo billed annually | ✓ | Small teams | Visit → |
| 5 | Knack | for portals with many users | $588 (any team size) | 3.9/5 | Starter $59/mo billed monthly, $49 billed annually | — | Portals, many users | Visit → |
| 6 | Ninox | for small business apps in Europe | €3,000 | 3.8/5 | Free, Team €25/user/mo billed annually | ✓ | Small businesses | Visit → |
| 7 | Stackby | low-cost Airtable look-alike | $799 | 3.7/5 | Free, Business $8.3/user/mo billed annually (3 users) | ✓ | Small teams on a budget | Visit → |
| 8 | Caspio | for regulated industries | $3,240 (any team size) | 3.6/5 | Team $300/mo monthly term, $270 annual term | — | Regulated organizations | Visit → |
Entry paid plan, billed annually, before tax, read on each vendor's pricing page in 2026. SeaTable and Ninox quote in euros.
Is your tool missing from this page? Email us: hello@hackceleration.com
How we compared and scored
We started from what Google ranks for "no code database" in the US: vendor pages, a Reddit thread and roundups written by Blaze, Stackby, Zite, Bubble and others. Almost every roundup is written by a vendor that ranks itself, so we counted which tools they cite: Airtable, Knack and Baserow come up most, then Stackby, Softr, Glide, Xano and AppSheet. We reviewed sixteen tools on their official pricing pages, help centers and terms, and read user feedback on Reddit and Hacker News.
Each database gets five scores out of 5, weighted toward daily use: ease of use (30%) and features (25%), then the free plan, the price for a team and portability (self-hosting, export, open source), 15% each. We kept tools where the database itself is the product. Softr, Glide and Stacker build apps on top of a database, AppSheet builds apps on Google Sheets, and Xano is an API backend: they appear in the guide, not in the ranking.
- Ease of useHow fast a non-technical team builds tables, links and views.30%
- Free planRows, users and views you get without paying.15%
- Price for a teamWhat ten editors pay in a year on the entry paid plan.15%
- FeaturesViews, automations, API, permissions and app-building.25%
- PortabilitySelf-hosting, export and open source: how easily you can leave.15%
Baserow
Baserow looks and feels like Airtable: tables, linked records, forms and views, built in the browser without code. The difference is underneath. It is open source, it can run on your own server, and its cloud plans cost less per seat. Our full Baserow review goes through every plan, and the Airtable vs Baserow comparison puts the two side by side.
The free plan gives 3,000 rows per workspace and 2GB of storage, with Grid, Form and Gallery views. Premium costs $10 per user per month billed yearly, or $12 billed monthly, and lifts the cap to 50,000 rows per workspace. Advanced is $18 billed yearly ($22 monthly) for 250,000 rows, role-based permissions and audit logs. Read the row limit carefully: it counts per workspace, across all your databases, not per table.
The limit: Kanban, Calendar and Timeline views sit on paid plans, so a free workspace is a grid and a form. And the ecosystem of templates and integrations is smaller than Airtable's.
- Open source, self-hostable
- $10 per user billed yearly
- HIPAA, SOC 2 and GDPR compliance
- ✓Half Airtable's Team price per seat
- ✓Self-host edition for full data control
- ✓Familiar grid, easy for non-technical users
- ✗Row cap counts per workspace
- ✗Kanban and Calendar not on the free plan
- ✗Fewer integrations than Airtable
The best default for a team that would pick Airtable but wants a lower bill and a way out. Take Airtable instead if your team lives on its integrations and templates, or NocoDB if you already have a SQL database.
Airtable
Most roundups of no-code databases start with Airtable. It mixes a spreadsheet you already know how to use with real relational links, then adds automations, interfaces (simple apps built on your data) and AI on top. Our Airtable review covers each feature, and if you are thinking of leaving, our Airtable alternatives list the options.
The free plan allows unlimited bases, but only 1,000 records per base, up to 5 editors, 1 GB of attachments per base and 100 automation runs. Team costs $20 per user per month billed annually, $24 billed monthly, for 50,000 records per base and 25,000 automation runs. Business is $45 billed annually ($54 monthly). Read-only collaborators, form submissions and share links don't count as paid seats on Airtable, which keeps the bill down if most people only look.
The limit: the record cap per base forces plan jumps on growing data, and the free plan only gets 1000 API calls per workspace per month, which an integration can burn through fast.
- Huge ecosystem of integrations
- Interfaces and automations built in
- Read-only users are free
- ✓A polished, familiar interface
- ✓Templates for almost every use case
- ✓Strong automations and AI features
- ✗1,000 records per base on the free plan
- ✗$20 per editor adds up quickly
- ✗No self-hosted version
Pick Airtable when integrations and polish matter more than the bill. If you have more than a handful of editors on a tight budget, Baserow or NocoDB cover the same ground for less.
NocoDB
NocoDB turns a database into a spreadsheet interface. You can create tables from scratch in the cloud, or point it at an existing Postgres or MySQL database and give your team grid, Kanban, gallery, form, calendar and map views over the same data. That is why developers on Hacker News describe it as a universal database interface rather than one more spreadsheet tool.
The cloud free plan is for up to 3 users, with 1,000 records and 1 GB of storage. Plus is $12 per seat per month billed annually, and NocoDB offers a flat price instead: $108 a month billed annually for unlimited seats (the price of 9 seats on Plus). Business is $24 per seat, or $216 a month for unlimited seats. The self-hosted Community edition is free, with unlimited records and storage.
The limit: on Free and Plus, NocoDB's cloud connects one external Postgres or MySQL database for up to 100 records only, so really working on your own database in the cloud starts at Business, with 10 connections. Self-hosting is free, but updates and backups are your job.
- Connects to your existing SQL database
- Flat price for unlimited seats
- Free self-hosted Community edition
- ✓Unlimited seats at a fixed price
- ✓Nine view types, from Kanban to map
- ✓No vendor lock-in on your data
- ✗Free cloud plan capped at 3 users
- ✗External databases start on Business
- ✗Interface less polished than Airtable
The right tool when the data already lives in SQL, or when a team of more than ten wants a flat bill. For non-technical teams starting from zero, Baserow is gentler.
SeaTable
SeaTable is a European no-code database with the same grid-and-links approach as Airtable, plus a strong scripting side: you can run JavaScript and Python scripts on your tables, and the free plan already includes unlimited JavaScript runs and 100 Python runs. It also offers an on-premises edition for companies that need their data on their own servers.
The free cloud plan takes up to 25 users, with unlimited bases, 10,000 rows and 2 GB for files: for a small team that only needs a shared database, it can be enough for good. Plus costs 7 euros per user per month with annual billing, or 9 euros monthly, for 50,000 rows and 50 GB of files. Enterprise is 14 euros with annual billing, 18 euros monthly. SeaTable quotes its prices in euros, excluding VAT.
The limit: fewer native integrations and templates than Airtable, and a smaller community in the US, so you will find fewer tutorials in English.
- Free for up to 25 users
- Python and JavaScript scripts
- On-premises edition
- ✓10,000 rows free for the whole team
- ✓Low price per user
- ✓Good fit for European data rules
- ✗Prices in euros only
- ✗Smaller US community
- ✗Fewer ready-made integrations
The pick for a small team that wants a real shared database without paying. Go to Airtable for integrations, or Baserow for an open source edition you can host yourself.
Knack
Knack is a no-code database built to power web apps: you design your tables, then build pages, forms and logins on top, so customers, volunteers or partners can use the data through a portal. Knack doesn't charge per user: each app user simply counts as a record in your database.
Pricing is per plan, not per user. Starter covers up to 3 apps and is $59 per month billed monthly, or $49 a month billed annually, with unlimited users and roles and 20k database records. New customers pay $19 a month on Starter, but only for the first 3 months. Pro is $130 a month billed monthly ($110 billed annually) and removes Knack branding, adds a custom domain, 50k records and unlimited apps. Corporate starts at $300 a month billed monthly.
The limit: Knack has no free plan, only a free trial, and the record caps are low for a data-heavy app. It feels less like a spreadsheet than Airtable or Baserow, so day-to-day editing is slower.
- Unlimited users on every plan
- Built-in portal and app builder
- Per-plan pricing, not per user
- ✓No per-seat cost for big audiences
- ✓Logins and roles for external users
- ✓AI app builder included
- ✗No free plan, trial only
- ✗20k records on Starter
- ✗Promo price only for 3 months
The right choice when hundreds of people outside your team must log in. For an internal team of a few editors, a per-seat tool like Baserow or SeaTable costs less and is easier to edit day to day.
Ninox
Ninox is a European low-code database aimed at building complete business apps: tables, forms, printed documents, emails and automations in one place. It is popular with small companies that replace a stack of spreadsheets with one custom tool for quotes, invoices or stock.
The free plan is for up to 5 users, with up to 5,000 records, 100 MB of storage and 1,000 API calls a month, and it never expires. Team costs 25 euros per user per month billed annually, with 50,000 records per user and 10,000 API calls per user each month. Business is 40 euros per user billed annually. The pricing page also shows US dollar and pound prices for other markets.
The limit: at 25 euros per user on Team it costs more than three times SeaTable Plus, and building a good app takes time, closer to programming lite than to a shared spreadsheet.
- Generated documents from records
- Free plan that never expires
- Printed documents and email built in
- ✓Builds full business apps
- ✓Generous records per user on Team
- ✓Strong formulas and scripting
- ✗€25 per user on Team
- ✗Steeper learning curve
- ✗100 MB storage on the free plan
Worth it for a small business that wants one custom app for its operations. For a shared data table, Baserow or SeaTable do the job for far less.
Stackby
Stackby is a spreadsheet-style database whose signature feature is API connectors: a column can pull data from other services through their APIs and refresh it, without a separate automation tool. Marketing teams use it to track content, campaigns and leads in one table.
The free plan is free forever for up to 5 users, with 20 stacks (its word for bases) and 1500 rows per stack. Prices are shown for a 3-user team and drop per seat as the team grows (Business is $6.7 per user, $799 a year, for 10 users): Economy is $4.2 per user per month billed annually ($149 a year for 3 users, 7000 rows per stack), Business $8.3 per user billed annually ($299 a year for 3 users, 50,000 rows per stack), and Pro $12.5 ($449 a year). Monthly billing costs much more: Stackby advertises savings of up to 70% on annual plans.
The limit: a smaller company and community than Airtable, fewer native integrations, and the cheapest prices only on yearly plans.
- API connectors in columns
- Cheaper per seat as the team grows
- Free for up to 5 users
- ✓Low annual price per user
- ✓Data pulled from APIs without Zapier
- ✓Familiar Airtable-like layout
- ✗1500 rows per stack on free
- ✗Big gap between monthly and annual price
- ✗Smaller ecosystem
A good fit for a small marketing team on a budget. If you need more integrations or a larger community, pay more for Airtable; for open source, take Baserow.
Caspio
Caspio is a low-code database and app platform for organizations that publish data apps to many users: patient portals, student records, internal dashboards. It covers data import and export, visual table relationships and user permissions, and it sells compliance editions for regulated sectors.
There is no per-seat logic: Caspio's pricing page says there are no per-user fees, no hidden costs and no restrictions, so any number of employees or customers can use your apps. Team costs $300 a month on a monthly term or $270 a month on an annual term, Business $600 a month (or $540 on an annual term). Caspio offers a 10% discount for annual billing and has a free trial, not a free plan.
The limit: the entry price is far above the rest of this list, so it only makes sense when the number of users or the compliance needs justify it.
- Unlimited users on every plan
- HIPAA and compliance editions
- Embeds apps in your own website
- ✓Built for large user counts
- ✓Compliance options for regulated data
- ✓Mature platform with onboarding services
- ✗From $270 a month
- ✗No free plan, trial only
- ✗More app platform than spreadsheet
The right tool for a regulated organization with hundreds of app users. A small team with a few editors should take Baserow, Airtable or SeaTable instead.
What the free plans really allow
Six of the eight databases have a free plan, but each counts its limit in a different unit: per base, per workspace, per stack. Compare them on the same team.
SeaTable: 25 users, 10,000 rows
SeaTable's free plan takes up to 25 users, with unlimited bases and 10,000 rows. A small team that only shares a few tables can stay on it for a long time.
Ninox: 5 users, 5,000 records
Ninox allows up to 5 users and 5,000 records, but only 100 MB of storage: attachments fill it before the records do.
Baserow: 3,000 rows per workspace
Baserow counts 3,000 rows across the whole workspace. Split projects into separate workspaces if you want to stay free longer.
Airtable: 1,000 records per base, 5 editors
Unlimited bases, but each holds 1,000 records, and the free plan has 100 automation runs and 1000 API calls per workspace per month.
Stackby: 1500 rows per stack
Up to 5 users and 20 stacks, each capped at 1500 rows. Fine for trackers, short for a customer list.
NocoDB: 3 users in the cloud, unlimited self-hosted
The cloud free plan has 3 editors and 1,000 records. The self-hosted Community edition has no record or seat limit, if you can run a server.
How to pick your no-code database
Four questions settle most choices.
Do you need a database or an app?
If your team will edit the data itself, in a grid, take a database: Baserow, Airtable, NocoDB, SeaTable or Stackby. If people outside your team must log in and see only their own records, you need an app layer: Knack and Caspio include one, or you can put a front end like Softr or Glide on top of Airtable. Our ranking of no-code app builders covers that side.
How many people will edit?
Count editors, not viewers. At ten editors, a year costs $1,200 on Baserow Premium and $2,400 on Airtable Team, billed annually. Above about ten people, NocoDB's flat $108 a month for unlimited seats, or Knack and Caspio's flat plans with unlimited users, start to win.
How much data, and counted how?
Check the unit of the limit: Airtable counts records per base, Baserow rows per workspace, Stackby rows per stack, Ninox records per user. A team with one big customer table hits Airtable's base cap first; a team with many small projects hits Baserow's workspace cap first.
Can you leave?
Plan the exit before you start. Baserow and NocoDB are open source and can run on your own server; SeaTable has an on-premises edition; NocoDB can sit on a SQL database you keep if you stop using it. If you will need custom logic and APIs later, a backend like Xano or one of our backend as a service platforms is the next step.
Pay less and avoid the traps
What the pricing pages say in small print.
Keep viewers read-only on Airtable
Read-only collaborators, form submissions and share links don't count as paid seats on Airtable. Give edit rights only to the people who change data.
Read Knack's promo price twice
Knack Starter shows $19 a month, but that price is for new customers and only for the first 3 months. The real price is $59 billed monthly, or $49 billed annually.
Do the NocoDB seat maths
NocoDB Plus is $12 per seat billed annually, or $108 a month for unlimited seats. From ten editors, the flat plan is the better deal.
Never pay Stackby monthly
Stackby advertises savings of up to 70% on annual plans. Start on the free plan, then switch straight to yearly billing.
Self-hosting removes limits, not work
A Hacker News user put it simply in 2023: self-hosting an app like this lets you bypass API rate limits. Baserow and NocoDB both offer it, but backups, updates and security become yours.
No-code database · FAQ
What is a no-code database?
It is a database you build in the browser with tables, fields and links, the way you would build a spreadsheet, without writing SQL. Unlike a spreadsheet, records in one table link to records in another, so a customer can have many orders without copying data.
Is Airtable a no-code database?
Yes. Airtable is the tool most roundups start with: linked tables in a spreadsheet layout, plus automations and interfaces. Its free plan stops at 1,000 records per base, which is where many teams start looking at Baserow or NocoDB.
Is there a free no-code database?
Yes. Baserow, NocoDB, SeaTable, Airtable, Ninox and Stackby all have free plans. For a team, SeaTable's allows up to 25 users and 10,000 rows; the self-hosted editions of Baserow and NocoDB are free if you run your own server.
What is the best open source alternative to Airtable?
Baserow for non-technical teams, NocoDB if you want to connect an existing SQL database. Both can be self-hosted and both have cloud plans if you don't want to run a server.
Is Notion a no-code database?
Partly. Notion has databases inside its pages, which work well for notes, wikis and light tracking. For linked tables with thousands of records, automations and an API, a dedicated tool like Airtable or Baserow is stronger; our Notion vs Airtable comparison goes deeper.
Can a no-code database replace Microsoft Access?
Yes, for most small business uses. Caspio and Knack both target Access users, with web forms and logins, and Ninox builds similar desktop-style apps in the cloud. Plan the move table by table, and check record limits before you import.
Is a no-code database secure enough for business data?
The serious ones are. Baserow lists HIPAA, SOC 2 and GDPR compliance, Caspio sells HIPAA and compliance editions, and self-hosting Baserow or NocoDB keeps data on your own servers. Check permissions on the plan you buy: role-based access often starts on paid plans.
What is the difference between a no-code database and a no-code app builder?
The database stores and edits the data; the app builder puts screens, logins and workflows on top for other people. Airtable with Softr, or Baserow with its own application builder, combine both; Knack and Caspio come with both in one product.