Quadratic vs Row Zero (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Row Zero grades higher than Quadratic: 2.6 against 2.4 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 6, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Quadratic grades higher on features. Row Zero grades higher on value for money and the free plan. They get the same grade on ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Quadratic
AI spreadsheet with Python, SQL and live data connections
Row Zero
Cloud spreadsheet for very large files and warehouse data
Which one is for you
Pick Quadratic if
- Fits if you're an analyst who wants Python and SQL next to your formulas
- Works for data that lives in Postgres or Snowflake and that you want to query from a sheet
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you're staying free, as AI messages, files, connections and sharing are all limited and there's no export
- Pricey if you just want a spreadsheet: $18 a seat a month is nearly twice what this category usually charges
- Not for you if you live in Safari or Firefox, which get second-tier support and are less performant
- Watch out: AI credits are a set $20 a seat a month on Pro, and only Business at $36 can buy more
- Skip it if you need single sign-on or a phone app: SSO is Enterprise only, priced on request, and no phone app is listed
Pick Row Zero if
- Fits if your CSVs are too big for Excel
- Works for analysts who want warehouse data in a grid
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you need more than one workbook, as Free allows 1
- Pricey if you want automated refresh or write-back, which need Business at $20 per user
- Watch out: version history and CSV export need Pro
- Watch out: the page says Databricks acquired Row Zero, so check roadmap and pricing before committing
- Skip it if you need a desktop or phone app, as it is browser only
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAQuadraticFair | 2.6GPARow ZeroGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | DPro is $18 a user a month billed annually, $20 monthly, against a $9.99 middle and a $13.00 dear quarter in this category. Exporting your own data to Excel or CSV is one of the things that needs it, which stings. Each seat does bring $20 in AI credits, and Business is $36. | CPro is $12 per user a month billed annually ($15 monthly), which is the middle of spreadsheet tools. Business is $20. |
| Free plan and trial | CThe Personal plan is free for individuals, but rationed: a monthly limit on AI messages and a limited number of editable files, connections and shares, with no numbers published for any of them. And no export to Excel, CSV or .grid, so your work stays inside it. | BFree gives 1 workbook, 10M+ rows, AI chat with weekly limits, pivot tables and charts, which one person could work on. |
| Features | AIt covers the whole job and does what no rival here does: cells running Python, SQL, JavaScript and formulas side by side, an AI that writes them from a plain-English question and shows its work, live connections to Postgres, Snowflake, BigQuery, QuickBooks and Plaid, MCP agents and an API that read and write a sheet. | BVery large files, Excel-compatible functions, warehouse connections and an AI agent. Refresh and write-back need Business, but nothing in the core job is missing. |
| Ease of use | CNo rating on record, and the listing shows the learning curve: the work is in Python and SQL cells and in database connections you set up yourself. You can ask in plain English, and generated cells can be opened and edited. Chromium browsers get first-tier support while Safari and Firefox lag. | CNo store rating on record. Connecting warehouses takes some setup, though a plain file opens straight away. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb plus a desktop app for macOS, Windows and Linux that stays in sync, an API, self-hosting with Docker or AWS, and plugs into Snowflake, Google Analytics and Mixpanel. No phone apps are listed, so an A is out. | BWeb only, with Snowflake, Databricks, BigQuery, Postgres, Redshift, Oracle, S3 and Athena links. No desktop or phone app is listed. |
| Best for | analysts who want Python and SQL in a spreadsheet | opening spreadsheets with millions of rows |
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: Quadratic and Row Zero. How we grade
Price against what you get
Quadratic starts at $18 a month for each person and scores 3.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Row Zero starts at $12 a month for each person and scores 2.7.
Quadratic scores higher, and starts $6 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other spreadsheet and database tools on the chart, 2 score higher than Quadratic for less, and 5 score higher than Row Zero 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
- Quadratic is self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Row Zero also covers reports.
At a glance
| Quadratic | Row Zero | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $18 per user / month, billed annually ($20 billed monthly) | $12 per user / month, billed annually ($15 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | Personal plan for individuals: a monthly AI message limit on the default model, with a limited number of editable files, connections and shares, and no file export. | 1 workbook, datasets of 10M+ rows (5GB per workbook), 400+ functions, AI chat, pivot tables and charts. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| Made by | Quadratic Growth Inc. | Row Zero, Inc. |
| Price read from | quadratichq.com | rowzero.com |
| Checked | Oct 6, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Quadratic
- The free Personal plan limits AI messages, editable files, connections and sharing, and has no export to Excel, CSV or .grid.
- Paid plans include a set AI credit allowance per user each month; only Business can buy more usage on demand.
- Single sign-on is listed only on the Enterprise plan, which is priced on request.
- Chrome and other Chromium browsers get first-tier support; Safari and Firefox are second-tier and less performant.
Row Zero
- The free plan is limited to 1 workbook, and version history and CSV export need Pro.
- Automated refresh and warehouse write-back need Business ($20 per user / month, billed annually).
- The page states that Row Zero was acquired by Databricks; check roadmap and pricing before committing.
- Runs in the browser only; no desktop or mobile apps are listed.
Key features
Quadratic
- AI analysis in the sheet
- Ask a question in plain English and the AI writes the formulas, Python or SQL cells and charts that answer it. Any generated cell can be opened and edited to check the work.
- Python, SQL, JavaScript and formulas
- Cells can run code as well as spreadsheet formulas, and the results are returned to the grid. The vendor says sorting, filtering and AI analysis stay fast at 100 million rows.
- Live data connections
- Connects to databases including Postgres, MySQL, Snowflake, BigQuery and MS SQL Server, and to QuickBooks, Plaid, Google Analytics and Mixpanel. CSV, Excel and PDF files can be imported.
- Real-time collaboration
- Teammates work in the same file at once and see each other's mouse movements. Sharing is limited on the Personal plan and unlimited from Pro.
- MCP and developer API
- MCP-enabled agents such as Claude, Cursor or ChatGPT can read and write a live sheet, and an API triggers AI runs and reads and writes cells from your own code.
- Desktop app and self-hosting
- A desktop app for macOS, Windows and Linux stays in sync with the web app. Quadratic can also be self-hosted with Docker or on AWS under a license key that is free for individuals.
Row Zero
- Very large datasets
- Opens files of tens of millions of rows (5GB per workbook) on every plan; Enterprise scales to 1 billion+ rows.
- Excel-compatible functions
- 400+ spreadsheet functions, pivot tables, charts, and imports of XLSX, CSV, Parquet and JSONL files.
- Warehouse connections
- Built-in connectors to sources such as Snowflake, BigQuery, Databricks, Postgres and S3, with SQL queries from the sheet.
- AI agent
- Chat for analyzing data in the sheet. The latest models are used with weekly limits on the Free, Pro and Business plans.
- Write-back and refresh
- Business adds scheduled data refresh and writing results back to the data warehouse.
- Security and compliance
- SOC 2 Type II, GDPR and HIPAA are listed for every plan; Enterprise adds SSO, SCIM and private hosting options.
Plans
Quadratic
Personal$0
For individuals: a monthly AI message limit on the default model, limited sharing, editable files and connections, and limited support.
Pro$18
per user / month, billed annually ($20 billed monthly)
$20 in AI credits per user a month, access to all AI models, extra privacy controls, file export, and unlimited sharing, files and connections.
Business$36
per user / month, billed annually ($40 billed monthly)
Everything in Pro with $40 in AI credits per user a month, plus the option to buy more AI usage on demand, billed at cost.
EnterpriseCustom
Custom AI usage, single sign-on, a self-hosting option and dedicated support.
Row Zero
Free$0
1 workbook, 10M+ rows, AI chat with weekly limits, built-in data connectors and real-time collaboration.
Pro$12
per user / month, billed annually ($15 billed monthly)
Everything in Free plus unlimited workbooks, version history and CSV export.
Business$20
per user / month, billed annually ($25 billed monthly)
Everything in Pro plus automated data refresh, write-back to the data warehouse and consolidated billing.
EnterpriseCustom
1 billion+ rows, bring-your-own-key AI, SSO and SCIM, workspaces, private hosting options. Sold through sales.
Ways to pay less
Quadratic
- Annual discount
Save 10% with yearly billing
Pro is $18 per user a month billed annually against $20 billed monthly, and Business is $36 against $40. The pricing toggle labels this as saving 10%.
- Education
Free Education plan
Students, teachers and researchers who sign up with a valid education email address get unlimited sheets, code, teammates and connections free. AI prompts are limited as on the free tier.
Row Zero
- Annual discount
Annual billing lowers the monthly rate
Pro is $12 a month on annual billing against $15 billed monthly; Business is $20 against $25.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Quadratic or Row Zero?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Row Zero is cheaper to start with: $12 a month for each person, against $18 a month for each person for Quadratic. Quadratic starts at $18 per user / month, billed annually ($20 billed monthly), and Row Zero starts at $12 per user / month, billed annually ($15 billed monthly).
Which has a free plan, Quadratic or Row Zero?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Quadratic and Row Zero have a free plan.
Which platforms do Quadratic and Row Zero run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Quadratic 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.