Mathesar vs NocoDB (2026): which should you pick?

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

Pick NocoDB if

• Fits if you already have a Postgres or MySQL database and want a spreadsheet view of it
• Works for teams of more than 9, since Plus and Business stop billing at 9 seats

Look elsewhere if

• Tight if you're staying on the cloud Free plan, which stops at 1,000 records, 3 editors and 1,000 API calls a month
• Pricey if you want to connect your own database on the cloud, as that starts on Business at $24 a seat
• Not for you if you need an open-source licence, as the Community edition is under the Sustainable Use License
• Watch out: AI features, extensions and advanced forms are limited to the cloud and paid self-hosted versions
• Skip it if you want a phone or desktop app, as it's browser only; Scale also has a 3-seat minimum

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.

NocoDB

• The cloud Free plan stops at 1,000 records, 1 GB of storage, 3 editors and 1,000 API calls a month.
• The self-hosted Community edition is released under the Sustainable Use License, which NocoDB describes as fair-code.
• External database connections are not supported on the cloud Plus plan; they start at Business, with 10 connections.
• NocoDB says AI features, extensions and advanced form options are limited to its cloud and paid self-hosted versions.

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.

NocoDB

Spreadsheet interface for databases

Create an online database from scratch or connect an existing Postgres or MySQL database, then sort, filter and group records in a spreadsheet-like grid.

Multiple view types

The same data can be shown as a Grid, Form, Gallery, Kanban, Calendar or Map view, and the documentation also lists Timeline, Gantt and List views.

Workflows, scripts and webhooks

A visual workflow builder with triggers, actions, conditions and loops, JavaScript scripts with API access to a base, and webhooks that fire when records change.

Interfaces

Interfaces are focused apps built on the data in a base, with pages for dashboards, forms, tables and record detail. The cloud Free plan allows 1 interface of up to 3 pages.

Roles and access control

Five roles from Owner to Viewer, with access control at workspace, base, table, field and record level. Row-level security and audit logs are part of the Scale plan.

APIs and imports

Meta and Data APIs give programmatic access to bases, and data can be imported from Airtable, Excel, CSV and JSON files.

Mathesar

• Self-hosted$0

  Open-source software you install and host yourself, with Docker; no paid plan is listed.

NocoDB

• Community$0

  Self-hosted fair-code edition with unlimited records, storage and seats, 6 view types, record comments and webhooks, and up to 2 workflows per base.

• Free$0

  Cloud plan for up to 3 editors and 10 commenters: 1,000 records, 1 GB of storage, 100 automation runs, 1 extension and 1 interface.

• Plus$12

  per seat / month, billed annually ($15 billed monthly)

  50,000 records, 20 GB of storage and 30,000 automation runs. Billing stops at 9 seats ($108 a month); seats beyond that are free.

• Business$24

  per seat / month, billed annually ($30 billed monthly)

  300,000 records, 100 GB of storage, 10 external database connections, private bases and SAML single sign-on. Billing is capped at $216 a month.

• Scale$45

  per seat / month, billed annually ($54 billed monthly)

  1 million records, 150 GB of storage, 5 million API calls a month, row-level security and audit logs. Listed with a 3-seat minimum.

• EnterpriseCustom

  SCIM and SSO, team hierarchy, priority support and invoice-based payments, with a dedicated customer success manager.

Mathesar

No public discounts listed.

NocoDB

• Annual discount

  20% off with annual billing

  NocoDB's pricing FAQ gives a 20% discount for annual billing: Plus is $12 per seat a month against $15 billed monthly, and Business $24 against $30.