# Baserow > Open-source Airtable alternative, as easy to use as a spreadsheet. - Page: https://cgt.octabyte.io/templates/baserow/ - Category: Docs & wikis - Replaces: Airtable - Ease of use: Easy. Ready to use right after setup. - App price: Free. To run it you need Cloudgate (hosted, or free to install yourself) and a server, which hosted Cloudgate can provide. - License: MIT - Good for: Teams that outgrew spreadsheets and want Airtable-style databases on their own server - Official website: https://baserow.io - Documentation: https://baserow.io/docs/installation/install-with-docker - Source code: https://github.com/baserow/baserow - Last updated: 2026-11-13 ## What is Baserow? Self-hosted Baserow: an open-source Airtable alternative. Build no-code databases that work like spreadsheets for customers, projects and stock. Baserow is an open-source no-code database that looks and feels like a spreadsheet but works like a database. Each table holds one kind of thing, such as customers, orders or equipment, and tables can be linked, so you can see every order a customer has placed straight from their row. You can filter, sort and group your data, look at it as a grid or as a gallery of cards, and share forms so people can add rows without seeing the rest. A small events company, for example, could keep its venues, suppliers and bookings in linked tables and collect new enquiries through a form on its website. Baserow imports Airtable bases from a share link, as well as CSV, Excel, JSON and XML files, and has ready-made templates for uses such as a CRM, a content calendar or a stock list. Its API and webhooks connect it to other apps, directly or through tools like Zapier, Make and n8n. There is no phone app, but it works in a phone's web browser. Board and calendar views and row comments are part of Baserow's paid plans. Cloudgate installs Baserow on a server Cloudgate provides or one you connect and gives it a secure web address. The first person to create an account becomes the admin and invites the rest of the team. ## What you can do with Baserow - **Work like a spreadsheet**: Rows and columns, with field types for dates, files, links, choices and formulas. - **Link your tables**: Connect customers to orders or products to suppliers, and see related rows in one click. - **See it your way**: Switch between grid and gallery views, with filters, sorting and grouping you can save. - **Collect data with forms**: Share a form, and every answer becomes a new row in your table. - **Work together live**: Colleagues edit the same tables at the same time and see each other's changes straight away. - **Start from a template**: Pick a ready-made database for a CRM, project tracker, content calendar or stock list. - **Connect other apps**: Use the built-in API and webhooks, or tools like Zapier, Make and n8n, to move data in and out. ## Replaces Airtable Baserow does the same job as Airtable. Here is what changes when you switch. ### What you gain - No price per editor - No row or storage caps from Baserow; your server's size is the limit - Your data stays on your own server ### What is different - Board, calendar and timeline views and row comments are in Baserow's paid plans - Fewer ready-made integrations and extensions than Airtable - There is no phone app; it works in the phone's web browser - Very large tables need a bigger server ## What happens when you click Deploy? Deploy link: https://cloudgate.octabyte.app/get-started?template=baserow 1. **Click Deploy and create your account.** Deploy takes you to Cloudgate. Create an account, or log in if you have one. Baserow itself is free. 2. **Choose a server.** No server? Get one from Cloudgate: pick a size and a country, and Cloudgate gets it ready. Already have one? Connect it instead. 3. **Cloudgate sets up Baserow.** It prepares the server, makes the passwords the app needs and starts it. There is nothing to install and nothing to write down. 4. **Open your app and sign in.** Your app gets a free web address to start, without https. Add your own domain, like app.yourshop.com, and Cloudgate secures it with https for you. ## Questions ### Is Baserow free? Yes. Baserow's self-hosted edition is free and open source under the MIT licence, and you pay only for hosting. Some extras, such as board and calendar views and row comments, need a paid Premium licence. ### Is Baserow a good alternative to Airtable? Yes, for teams that want Airtable-style linked tables, forms and an API without a price per editor. It has fewer integrations and extensions than Airtable, and some views Airtable includes are paid add-ons in Baserow. ### Can I import my data from Airtable? Yes. Baserow can import a whole Airtable base from its share link, including tables, fields and rows. It also imports CSV, Excel, JSON and XML files. ### How do I self-host Baserow? The simplest way is to install it with Cloudgate on a server Cloudgate provides or one you connect. Cloudgate sets up Baserow with a secure web address, and the first person to create an account becomes the admin. ### Is my data private with Baserow? Yes. Your tables, files and settings are stored on your own server, not with Baserow, and you decide who gets an account. ### What server size does Baserow need? Cloudgate installs Baserow on a server with at least 2 GB of memory, which suits a small team. Large tables, many users or heavy file use need more memory. ### Do I need technical skills? No. Click Deploy, create your Cloudgate account and choose a server, and Cloudgate sets up Baserow and gives it a web address. You use it in your browser like any other online tool. ### Do I need my own server? No. When you deploy Baserow, hosted Cloudgate can provide a server. If you already rent one, you can connect it instead.