Grist vs Mathesar (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, we pick Grist: it is third in our ranking of spreadsheet and database tools, and it grades higher too, 2.6 against 2.0.
Checked Oct 5, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Grist grades higher on features, ease of use and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money and the free plan.
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 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
Pick Mathesar if
- Fits if you run Postgres and want non-technical people to edit rows
- Makes sense if you want a database screen under your own control
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you don't have a Postgres database, as it works with nothing else
- Skip it if you don't want to run a server, since you host it with Docker
- Watch out: Mathesar Cloud is described as early beta and has no published price
- Watch out: no desktop or phone apps are listed
How we grade them
| 2.6GPAGristGood | 2.0GPAMathesarFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | 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. | CFree and open source, but you have to run it on a server of your own, and software that is only free if you host it yourself sits at a C. The cloud version has no published price. |
| Free plan and trial | 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. | BThere is no paid plan and no cap, so everything is free once you have somewhere to run it. The server is your cost. |
| Features | 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. | CSpreadsheet-like editing, queries without SQL, Postgres permissions and single sign-on. It is a window onto Postgres and not a spreadsheet, so it only does that smaller job. |
| Ease of use | 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. | DNo store rating on record. You install it with Docker and point it at a database, so a technical person sets it up. |
| Platforms and integrations | 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. | CWeb only, and PostgreSQL only. No desktop or phone app is listed. |
| Best for | a spreadsheet with linked tables and Python formulas | a spreadsheet-like screen on your own Postgres database |
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: Grist and Mathesar. How we grade
Price against what you get
Grist starts at $8 a month for each person and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Mathesar has no paid plan and scores 1.7.
Grist scores higher, and starts $8 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other spreadsheet and database tools on the chart, 4 score higher than Grist for less, and none scores higher than Mathesar 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
- Mathesar also covers forms.
At a glance
| Grist | Mathesar | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free |
| Starts at | $8 per user / month, billed annually | Free |
| Free plan | 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. | None |
| Free trial | 30-day trial of the Pro and Business plans | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| Made by | Grist Labs | Mathesar Foundation |
| Price read from | getgrist.com | mathesar.org |
| Checked | Oct 5, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
Mathesar
- It works only with PostgreSQL databases.
- You host it yourself; Mathesar Cloud is noted in the documentation as early beta and no price is published.
- No mobile or desktop apps are listed; it is a web interface.
Key features
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.
Mathesar
- Spreadsheet-like editing
- View, add and edit Postgres records in a grid, and import or export data in the UI.
- Queries without SQL
- Join tables, filter, sort, group and summarize data to make custom views.
- Postgres permissions
- Access control relies on native Postgres roles, schemas and tables rather than a separate layer.
- Self-hosting
- Installs with Docker Compose in minutes, with guides for DigitalOcean and Railway.
- Single sign-on
- The administrator guide documents SSO configuration.
Plans
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.
Mathesar
Self-hosted$0
Open-source software you install and host yourself, with Docker; no paid plan is listed.
Ways to pay less
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.
Mathesar
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Grist or Mathesar?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Mathesar is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $8 a month for each person for Grist. Grist starts at $8 per user / month, billed annually, and Mathesar is free.
Which has a free plan, Grist or Mathesar?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Grist and Mathesar have a free plan.
Which platforms do Grist and Mathesar 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.