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Pyspread vs VisiData (2026): which should you pick?

As of Nov 13, 2026, Pyspread and VisiData share a 2.6 GPA, both are free, so the choice depends on which platforms you need.

Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA

They get the same grade on all five counts.

Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.

Pyspread

Free open-source spreadsheet where every cell holds Python code

Free
Full detailspyspread.gitlab.io

VisiData

Terminal spreadsheet-style tool for exploring tabular data

Free
Full detailsvisidata.org

Which one is for you

Pick Pyspread if

  • Fits if you know Python and want formulas that are real code
  • Works for people who need a free desktop sheet on Linux

Look elsewhere if

  • Skip it if you use a Mac, as macOS is currently unsupported
  • Not for you if you don't write Python, since every cell is code
  • Too light for heavy number-crunching, as long-running cells can lock it up
  • Tight if you want an easy install, since it needs Python and PyQt6

Pick VisiData if

  • Fits if you spend your day in a terminal and need a quick look at a data file
  • Works for people who know a little Python

Look elsewhere if

  • Not for you if you want a mouse and menus, since there is no graphical or browser interface
  • Skip it if you want Excel-style formulas, as calculation uses Python expressions
  • Watch out: Windows use goes through WSL or MSYS2's Python
  • Watch out: there is no phone or browser version

How we grade them

2.6GPAPyspreadGood2.6GPAVisiDataGood
Value for money
AFree under GPL v3 for anyone to download and run, with no paid plan.
AFree and open source under GPLv3, installed with pip, Homebrew, conda or a package manager. A program anyone can download and run counts as free and substantial.
Free plan and trial
AFree outright, with no cap and no paid tier.
AThe whole program is free with no cap and no account. Its pricing page mentions paid plans that fund development, which you don't need.
Features
CPython in cells, modules, charts, images and import and export. Long-running cells can lock the app, and it isn't built for heavy computation.
CMany file formats, keystroke analysis, Python expressions and replayable sessions. Calculation is done in Python, not Excel-style formulas, which is a gap for a spreadsheet.
Ease of use
DYou install it with pip or a system package and it needs Python and PyQt6. The project warns that cell code is a steep climb for non-programmers.
DNo store rating on record. It is a terminal program run from a command line and learned through keystrokes.
Platforms and integrations
CA program for computers only, on Linux and Windows. macOS is listed as unsupported, with links to NumPy, Matplotlib and R.
CMac and Linux, with Windows only through WSL or MSYS2. It is a program for computers, and Python, SQLite and pandas links.
Best fora free spreadsheet where every cell holds Pythonexploring CSV and JSON files from the terminal

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: Pyspread and VisiData. How we grade

Price against what you get

Pyspread has no paid plan and scores 1.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. VisiData has no paid plan and scores 1.7.

On this chart the two sit in the same place: the same score for the same starting price. Of the other spreadsheet and database tools on the chart, none scores higher than Pyspread for less, and none scores higher than VisiData for less.

Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged

D1.0C2.0B3.0A4.0Free$1$2$5$10$20$50$100$200$500$1k$2kMore for lessCosts more, scores moreCosts less, scores lessCosts more, scores lessPyspreadVisiData

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
The full chart of spreadsheet and database tools, and the best at every price

Where they differ

    In commonFree planLinuxOpen sourceSpreadsheets

    At a glance

    PyspreadVisiData
    PricingFreeFree
    Starts atFreeFree
    Free planNoneThe software is free and GPLv3-licensed.
    Free trialNone listedNone listed
    macOS
    Windows
    Linux
    Made byMartin Manns and the pyspread teamSaul Pwanson
    Price read frompyspread.gitlab.iovisidata.org
    CheckedNov 13, 2026Nov 12, 2026

    Worth knowing

    Pyspread

    • The project says people without Python experience may find the learning curve for code in cells too steep.
    • It is not built to parallelize heavy computation, and long-running cells can lock up the app.
    • The install page lists Linux, POSIX platforms and Windows, and says macOS is currently unsupported.
    • It needs Python and PyQt6, and is installed with pip or a system package.

    VisiData

    • It is a terminal program with no graphical or browser interface.
    • Windows use is through WSL or MSYS2's Python, per the install page.
    • The pricing page mentions paid plans that fund development, but their contents did not load in plain text, so their prices are not recorded here.
    • It is not built for formulas in the Excel sense; calculation is done in Python expressions.

    Key features

    Pyspread

    Python in cells
    Cells accept Python expressions, so no separate spreadsheet formula language is needed.
    Python modules available
    Cells can use modules such as NumPy, and a macro panel can import your own modules.
    Charts and images
    Cells can show text, markup, images, dates or charts; Matplotlib and R charts are supported, some through optional dependencies.
    Import and export
    Imports CSV, SVG and XLSX, and exports CSV, SVG and PDF; XLSX import needs optional dependencies and PDF is made by printing to file.
    Signed save files
    The pysu save format works with git, and blake2b signatures are meant to stop foreign code from running.

    VisiData

    Many file formats
    Opens CSV, TSV, JSON, Excel, HTML tables, SQLite, HDF5, YAML and more; the site says it handles millions of rows.
    Keystroke analysis
    Frequency tables and histograms come from one keystroke, and scatterplots are drawn in the terminal.
    Python expressions
    Compute a Python expression for each row to clean or derive columns.
    Replayable sessions
    Sessions can be saved and replayed, per the homepage.

    Plans

    Pyspread

    • Free$0

      Free software under the GPL v3 licence; no paid plans.

    VisiData

    • Free$0

      The open-source program, installed with pip, Homebrew, conda or a Linux package manager.

    Common questions

    Which is cheaper, Pyspread or VisiData?

    As of Nov 13, 2026, both Pyspread and VisiData are free to use.

    Which has a free plan, Pyspread or VisiData?

    As of Nov 13, 2026, both Pyspread and VisiData have a free plan.

    Which platforms do Pyspread and VisiData run on?

    As of Nov 13, 2026, only Pyspread lists a Windows app and only VisiData lists a macOS app. Both list a Linux 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.
    How we review and grade