EtherCalc vs Grist (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, we pick Grist: it is third in our ranking of spreadsheet and database tools, though EtherCalc grades higher (3.2 against 2.6) on value for money, the free plan and ease of use.
Checked Oct 5, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Grist grades higher on features. They get the same grade on platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Grist
Open-source relational spreadsheet with Python formulas
Which one is for you
Pick EtherCalc if
- Fits if you need a quick shared sheet for a meeting without making accounts
- Works for developers who want to host a shared sheet on their own server
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if the data is private, as anyone who knows a sheet's URL can read and write it unless a key is set
- Skip it if you want a full spreadsheet, since it is a basic shared grid
- Watch out: self-hosting on the internet needs a reverse proxy for TLS and rate limits
- Watch out: the docs list only Safari, Chrome and Firefox as tested, and there are no phone or desktop apps
Pick Grist if
- Fits if your spreadsheets have become several that need linking together
- Works for teams where different people should see different rows or cells of one document
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a phone app, as there's only the web and a desktop app for local files
- Pricey if you need Automations, which start on Business at $24 a user with a 5-user minimum
- Tight if one document will pass 5,000 records on Free, or 100,000 on Pro
- Watch out: on Grist's servers, custom SSO, a custom domain and audit log streaming are Enterprise only
- Tight if you lean on the AI Assistant, with 100 one-time credits free and from 100 a month on Pro
How we grade them
| 3.2GPAEtherCalcVery good | 2.6GPAGristGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree at ethercalc.net with no account, and free to self-host. Nobody charges for it, so it is free and substantial. | CPro is $8 a user a month billed annually, $10 monthly, which lands in the ordinary band for this category: dearer than the $5.40 lowest quarter, a little under the $9.99 middle. Automations and priority support need Business at $24 with a 5-user minimum, and self-hosting the full edition is $24 a user too. |
| Free plan and trial | ANo plan and no cap on record: open a sheet and start. Self-hosting is optional. | BUnlimited documents with up to 5,000 records each, 10 team members and 30 days of snapshot history. The free self-hosted Community edition is there as well, and small organisations can ask for a free activation key. The AI Assistant gets 100 one-time credits. |
| Features | CShared editing by URL and a REST API. It is a basic shared sheet, and the listing shows no apps and nothing beyond the grid. | BIt covers the whole job of a spreadsheet-database: several linked tables in one document, formulas in multi-line Python or Excel-style functions, access rules for tables, columns, records and single cells, pages laid out from tables, cards and charts, summary tables doing pivot duty, and forms. |
| Ease of use | BNo store rating on record. Open a page and type; there is nothing to set up on the hosted site. | CNo rating on record, and the work here is building the document itself: tables to link, pages to lay out, access rules to write. Formulas are Python, which is a learning curve if you've come from Excel, though most Excel-like functions do work. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb only, with a documented REST API and a Drupal link. No desktop or phone app is listed. | BWeb, plus a separate open-source desktop app for Windows, macOS and Linux that works on spreadsheets stored locally, with Zapier, Make and n8n and an API. No phone apps are listed at all, so an A is out. |
| Best for | a spreadsheet you share by link with no sign-up | a spreadsheet with linked tables and Python formulas |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: EtherCalc and Grist. How we grade
Price against what you get
EtherCalc has no paid plan and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Grist starts at $8 a month for each person and scores 2.7.
They score the same, and EtherCalc starts $8 a month lower. Of the other spreadsheet and database tools on the chart, none scores higher than EtherCalc for less, and 4 score higher than Grist for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Grist is open source, according to its own site.
- Grist also covers databases.
At a glance
| EtherCalc | Grist | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | $8 per user / month, billed annually |
| Free plan | No plans or prices are published; the hosted site describes itself as needing no sign-up and no install. | Unlimited documents with up to 5,000 records each, 10 team members, 30 days of snapshot history and 100 one-time AI Assistant credits. The self-hosted Community edition is also free. |
| Free trial | None listed | 30-day trial of the Pro and Business plans |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| Made by | audreyt | Grist Labs |
| Price read from | github.com | getgrist.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Oct 5, 2026 |
Worth knowing
EtherCalc
- Access is anonymous by design: anyone who knows a sheet's URL can read and write unless a key is configured.
- Internet-facing self-hosting needs a reverse proxy for TLS and rate limits, per the README.
- The documentation lists browsers tested as Safari, Chrome and Firefox only.
- It has no desktop or mobile apps.
Grist
- Records per document are capped at 5,000 on Free, 100,000 on Pro and 150,000 on Business.
- Business has a 5-user minimum, and Automations and priority email support start on that plan.
- On Grist's own servers, custom SSO, a custom domain and audit log streaming are listed under Enterprise only.
- The desktop app is a separate open-source build for Windows, macOS and Linux that works on spreadsheets stored locally.
Key features
EtherCalc
- Shared editing by URL
- Anyone with a sheet's address can edit at the same time as others, per the site title.
- No account needed
- The repository describes it as a web spreadsheet with no sign-up and no install.
- REST API
- A documented API creates and reads sheets over HTTP.
- Self-hosting
- Runs with docker compose or an npm install, with no Cloudflare account required.
Grist
- Relational spreadsheet documents
- A Grist document is a relational spreadsheet-database with multiple tables, stored in SQLite format. Linked widgets pull up the details and related records of a selected row.
- Python and Excel-style formulas
- Formulas can be single or multi-line Python with the full standard library available, and most Excel-like spreadsheet functions are supported as well.
- Granular access rules
- Rules decide who can see or edit individual tables, columns, records and cells, so one document can be shared in part with team members, guests or public links.
- Custom layouts, charts and widgets
- Pages are arranged by dragging tables, cards and charts into place. Summary tables work as pivot tables, and custom widgets show data on a map or calendar.
- Forms
- Forms and surveys are built from a table and shared with a link, and the responses are analyzed in the same document as they arrive.
- AI Assistant
- Answers questions about data and formulas in plain language and can create or modify records and formulas. Usage is metered in credits, with extra packs from $10 a month on paid plans.
Plans
EtherCalc
Free$0
Hosted at ethercalc.net with no account, or self-hosted with Docker or npm.
Grist
Free$0
Unlimited documents with up to 5,000 records each, 10 team members, 30 days of snapshot history and 100 one-time AI Assistant credits.
Grist Community edition$0
Free and open-source edition hosted on your own server, with community support, custom domain and custom branding.
Pro$8
per user / month, billed annually ($10 billed monthly)
Up to 100,000 records per document, snapshot history going back 3 years and AI Assistant credits starting at 100 a month.
Business$24
per user / month, billed annually ($30 monthly); min. 5 users
Up to 150,000 records per document, 5 years of snapshot history, 2,000 AI Assistant credits a month, Automations and priority email support.
Grist (self-hosted)$24
per user / month, billed annually ($30 billed monthly)
Self-hosted edition with admin controls, the AI Assistant, Automations, custom SSO and audit log streaming, sold without support.
EnterpriseCustom
A dedicated server in a chosen region, or a supported self-hosted installation, with custom SSO, custom domain and audit log streaming.
Ways to pay less
EtherCalc
No public discounts listed.
Grist
- Annual discount
Save 20% by paying annually
Pro is $8 per user a month billed annually against $10 billed monthly, and Business is $24 against $30.
- Nonprofit
50% off Pro for nonprofits
Non- and not-for-profit organizations are eligible for a 50% discount on the Pro plan, requested by emailing a Letter of Determination before the free trial ends.
- Other savings
Free activation key for small self-hosters
Individuals and organizations with less than $1 million in total annual income may request a free activation key for self-hosted Grist.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, EtherCalc or Grist?
As of Nov 12, 2026, EtherCalc is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $8 a month for each person for Grist. EtherCalc is free, and Grist starts at $8 per user / month, billed annually.
Which has a free plan, EtherCalc or Grist?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both EtherCalc and Grist have a free plan.
Which platforms do EtherCalc and Grist run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Grist lists macOS, Windows and Linux apps. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.