# Grist

> Open-source relational spreadsheet with Python formulas

Grist is a spreadsheet-database hybrid: each document holds several linked tables, and pages are laid out from tables, cards, charts and forms. Formulas accept Python as well as Excel-style functions, and access rules can restrict who sees or edits data down to a single cell. It is offered as a hosted service with a free plan and as open-source software to self-host.

- **Category:** Spreadsheets & Databases
- **Made by:** Grist Labs (since 2014)
- **Website:** https://www.getgrist.com
- **Runs on:** Web, Windows, macOS, Linux
- **Facts last checked:** Oct 5, 2026

## Pricing

Grist has a free plan. Paid plans start at $8 per user / month, billed annually.

- **Pricing model:** Free plan
- **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.
- **Free trial:** 30-day trial of the Pro and Business plans.

| Plan | Price | What you get |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 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. |
| Enterprise | Custom | A dedicated server in a chosen region, or a supported self-hosted installation, with custom SSO, custom domain and audit log streaming. |

Read from https://www.getgrist.com/pricing/ on Oct 5, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Grist before buying.

## Ways to pay less

- **Save 20% by paying annually** (Annual discount): Pro is $8 per user a month billed annually against $10 billed monthly, and Business is $24 against $30. Source: https://www.getgrist.com/pricing/
- **50% off Pro for nonprofits** (Nonprofit): 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. Source: https://www.getgrist.com/pricing/
- **Free activation key for small self-hosters** (Other savings): Individuals and organizations with less than $1 million in total annual income may request a free activation key for self-hosted Grist. Source: https://www.getgrist.com/pricing/

## Key features

- **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.

## Good for

- 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

## Worth knowing

- 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.

## Works with

Zapier, Make, n8n, Pabbly Connect, Integrately

**Tags:** Spreadsheets, Databases, Open source, Self-hostable, Real-time collaboration, AI features, Public API

## Alternatives

- [Baserow](https://toolgpa.com/tools/baserow): Open-source no-code database and application builder. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/baserow-vs-grist)
- [NocoDB](https://toolgpa.com/tools/nocodb): No-code database with a spreadsheet interface, cloud or self-hosted. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/grist-vs-nocodb)
- [Airtable](https://toolgpa.com/tools/airtable): Relational database platform for building team workflows and apps. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/airtable-vs-grist)
- [Google Sheets](https://toolgpa.com/tools/google-sheets): Browser-based spreadsheet, free with a Google Account. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/google-sheets-vs-grist)
- [Microsoft Excel](https://toolgpa.com/tools/microsoft-excel): Spreadsheet app sold with Microsoft 365, free in the browser. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/grist-vs-microsoft-excel)

## Sources

The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Oct 5, 2026:

- https://www.getgrist.com/pricing/
- https://www.getgrist.com/
- https://www.getgrist.com/about/
- https://support.getgrist.com/integrators/
- https://github.com/gristlabs/grist-core
- https://github.com/gristlabs/grist-desktop

Page: https://toolgpa.com/tools/grist
Listed by ToolGPA (toolgpa.com).