Grist vs Microsoft Access
We give Grist a 3.4 GPA and Microsoft Access a 2.6, out of 4.0. Grist grades higher on the free plan and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, features and ease of use.
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
Microsoft Access
Windows desktop database app sold with Microsoft 365
How we grade them
| 3.4GPAGristVery good | 2.6GPAMicrosoft AccessGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BPro is $8 a user a month billed annually, or $10 monthly, a touch under the $9.99 this category typically starts at. It lifts you to 100,000 records a document and 3 years of snapshot history. Automations and priority email support need Business, at $24 with a 5-user minimum. | BIt comes with Microsoft 365 Personal at $9.99 a month or $99.99 a year, bang on what this category typically starts at, and Word, Excel, PowerPoint and 1 TB of storage come with it. On its own it's $179.99 once for 1 PC, about eighteen months of the subscription. |
| Free plan and trial | AUnlimited documents with up to 5,000 records each, 10 team members and 30 days of snapshot history. A small team could live here. The AI Assistant is the stingy part, at 100 one-time credits. And the self-hosted Community edition is free too. | CNo free version. There's a 1-month free trial of Microsoft 365 for individuals or of Business Standard, and whether it asks for a card isn't on record here. Don't look for Access in Business Basic, which has web and mobile apps only. |
| Features | ASeveral linked tables in one document, formulas in multi-line Python or Excel-style functions, and access rules for tables, columns, records and single cells. Pages are laid out from tables, cards, charts and forms, and summary tables do the job of pivot tables. | ATables, queries, forms, reports, macros and modules, built from templates or from scratch, with VBA to automate the dull bits. Data can live in SQL Server or Azure SQL, and Access supports up to 255 concurrent users. An Access file does stop at 2 GB. |
| Ease of use | BNo App Store rating on record, so a B is as high as we go. The hosted service means no server to run, and most Excel-like functions are supported. It does suit people who are comfortable with a bit of Python. | BNo App Store rating on record, so a B is as high as we go. You install it on a PC and can start from a template, and Microsoft pitches the design tools at people who aren't developers. It's still building an app, mind, not filling in a sheet. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, plus a separate open-source desktop app for Windows, macOS and Linux that works on spreadsheets stored locally. No phone apps are listed. It connects through Zapier, Make and n8n, and there's an API. | DWindows PCs only. Microsoft lists no Mac, web or mobile version, so a database can't follow you to a phone or a browser. It does link to SQL Server, Azure SQL and SharePoint lists. |
| Best for | a spreadsheet with linked tables and Python formulas | building a database app on a Windows PC |
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 Microsoft Access. How we grade
Where they differ
- Grist starts at $8 per user / month, billed annually. Microsoft Access starts at $9.99 / month, or $99.99 / year (Microsoft 365 Personal).
- Grist has a free plan. Microsoft Access does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Grist lists a web app.
- Only Grist lists macOS and Linux apps.
- Grist is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Microsoft Access can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Grist also covers spreadsheets.
- Microsoft Access also covers templates, app builder and reports.
At a glance
| Grist | Microsoft Access | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free trial |
| Starts at | $8 per user / month, billed annually | $9.99 / month, or $99.99 / year (Microsoft 365 Personal) |
| 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 | 1-month free trial of Microsoft 365 for individuals or of Microsoft 365 Business Standard |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| Made by | Grist Labs | Microsoft |
| Price read from | getgrist.com | microsoft.com |
| Checked | Oct 5, 2026 | Oct 5, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Grist
- Spreadsheet users who have outgrown a single sheet and need linked tables
- Teams that must limit what each collaborator can see in one document
- Organizations that want to self-host open-source software
- People comfortable writing Python in formulas
Microsoft Access
- Small businesses building their own database apps on Windows PCs
- Teams sharing a database over a local network
- Organizations that already license the Microsoft 365 desktop apps
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.
Microsoft Access
- Access is available for PC only; Microsoft lists no Mac, web or mobile version.
- It is not part of Office Home 2024 or Microsoft 365 Business Basic, which has web and mobile apps only.
- An Access database file is limited to 2 GB, minus the space needed for system objects.
- Storing data in SQL Server or Azure SQL requires a separate subscription to that service.
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.
Microsoft Access
- Database apps from templates or scratch
- Business apps are built from templates or from scratch with Access's design tools, which Microsoft pitches at people who are not developers.
- Tables, queries, forms and reports
- A database is made of tables for the data plus queries, forms, reports, macros and modules that sit on top of them and form the app's interface and logic.
- Visual Basic for Applications
- VBA code automates business processes and is used to build more capable forms and reports.
- SQL Server and Azure SQL storage
- Data can be stored in SQL Server or Microsoft Azure SQL instead of the Access file. Each requires its own subscription to that service.
- Connectors to other data sources
- The Access connector library shares data between Access and line-of-business apps, so combined data can be queried and charted inside Access.
- Multi-user sharing
- A database can be shared from a network folder, split into a back-end data file with a front-end copy per user, or linked to SharePoint lists. Access supports up to 255 concurrent users.
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.
Microsoft Access
Microsoft 365 Personal$9.99
per month, or $99.99 per year
For 1 person on up to 5 devices: Access (PC only) alongside the Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook desktop apps and 1 TB of cloud storage.
Microsoft 365 Apps for business$10.00
per user / month, paid yearly ($12.00 billed monthly)
Fully installed Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote and Access (PC only) for up to 300 employees, with 1 TB of cloud storage per user.
Microsoft 365 Family$12.99
per month, or $129.99 per year
Everything in Personal for 1 to 6 people, each able to sign in on up to 5 devices, with 1 TB of storage per person.
Microsoft 365 Business Standard$14.00
per user / month, paid yearly ($16.80 billed monthly)
Desktop, web and mobile apps including Access (PC only), plus business email, Microsoft Teams and 1 TB of cloud storage per user.
Microsoft 365 Premium$19.99
per month, or $199.99 per year
Everything in Family, plus extensive Copilot usage and agentic AI features such as advanced research and analytics.
Access$179.99
one-time purchase for 1 PC
Standalone Access for one PC running Windows 11 or Windows 10, bought once rather than by subscription.
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.
Microsoft Access
- Annual discount
Save up to 17% by paying yearly
Microsoft 365 Personal is $99.99 a year against $9.99 a month, Family $129.99 against $12.99 and Premium $199.99 against $19.99.
- Annual discount
Apps for business: $10 yearly, $12 monthly
Microsoft 365 Apps for business is $10.00 per user a month when paid yearly, or $12.00 per user a month on a monthly subscription.
- Education
Students save 50% on Microsoft 365 Personal
Verified college and university students get Microsoft 365 Personal, which includes Access, at half price. Student status has to be re-verified each year.
- Lifetime license
Standalone Access as a one-time purchase
$179.99 buys Access for 1 PC running Windows 11 or Windows 10, with no subscription.
