The Mathesar Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Mathesar in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Mathesar
The Insider’s Guide
Open-source spreadsheet-like interface for Postgres
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among spreadsheet and database tools, read from Mathesar’s own pages.
Made by Mathesar Foundation · checked Nov 12, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Mathesar’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Mathesar’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Nov 12, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.0
GPA, above 8 of the 63 other spreadsheet and database tools we grade
Mathesar is an open-source interface for viewing, editing and querying PostgreSQL data in a spreadsheet-like UI. It runs on your own infrastructure, uses Postgres permissions for access control, and is maintained by a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. A hosted Mathesar Cloud is in early beta.
To get you started, here are 8 things to know about Mathesar, taken from its own pages and our grades.
You install it with Docker and point it at a database, so a technical person sets it up.
- 1
Best for a spreadsheet-like screen on your own Postgres database
You host it yourself, it only works with Postgres, and the hosted cloud is still an early beta with no price.
- 2
It is free
Mathesar has no paid plan at all.
- 3
It runs on Web
Web.
- 4
Spreadsheet-like editing
View, add and edit Postgres records in a grid, and import or export data in the UI.
- 5
Queries without SQL
Join tables, filter, sort, group and summarize data to make custom views.
- 6
Postgres permissions
Access control relies on native Postgres roles, schemas and tables rather than a separate layer.
- 7
A 2.0 GPA, above 8 of 63
That is against the other spreadsheet and database tools we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 8
Keep it
Mathesar is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
Mathesar at a glance
- Pricing
- Free
- Free plan
- It is free
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- Mathesar Foundation
- Category
- Spreadsheets & Databases
- Our grade
- 2.0 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for a spreadsheet-like screen on your own Postgres database
Mathesar is an open-source interface that lets you view, edit and query PostgreSQL data in a spreadsheet-like screen, using Postgres permissions for access. You host it yourself, it only works with Postgres, and the hosted cloud is still an early beta with no price.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | Free and open source, but you have to run it on a server of your own, and software that is only free if you host it yourself sits at a C. The cloud version has no published price. |
| Free plan and trial | B | There is no paid plan and no cap, so everything is free once you have somewhere to run it. The server is your cost. |
| Features | C | Spreadsheet-like editing, queries without SQL, Postgres permissions and single sign-on. It is a window onto Postgres and not a spreadsheet, so it only does that smaller job. |
| Ease of use | D | No store rating on record. You install it with Docker and point it at a database, so a technical person sets it up. |
| Platforms and integrations | C | Web only, and PostgreSQL only. No desktop or phone app is listed. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Mathesar is for
- 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
Who it is not for
- 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
Good to know
Good for
- Teams with a Postgres database who want a non-technical editing UI
- Organizations that must keep data on their own servers
Worth knowing
- 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.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
Free
No paid plan at all
Mathesar is free to use.
Free and open source, but you have to run it on a server of your own, and software that is only free if you host it yourself sits at a C.
Self-hosted
$0
Open-source software you install and host yourself, with Docker; no paid plan is listed.
Read from mathesar.org on Nov 12, 2026.
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
1
Place it runs: Web
Open-source spreadsheet-like interface for Postgres. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: open source, self-hostable, databases, forms, spreadsheets.
Spreadsheet-like editing, queries without SQL, Postgres permissions and single sign-on.
- 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.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
- PostgreSQL
Mathesar is made by Mathesar Foundation.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
8/63
Other spreadsheet and database tools it is graded above
Mathesar's GPA of 2.0 is higher than 8 of the 63 other spreadsheet and database tools we grade, and level with 8.
It stands best on free plan and trial (B, above 31 of 63) and worst on ease of use (D, above 0).
Mathesar has no paid plan.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 1.7 out of 4. Nothing scores higher for less, though at least one tool matches that score at a lower price.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 64 spreadsheet and database tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. Mathesar’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 12 of 63
- BFree plan and trialAbove 31 of 63
- CFeaturesAbove 5 of 63
- DEase of useAbove 0 of 63
- CPlatforms and integrationsAbove 3 of 63
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 59 spreadsheet and database tools. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Mathesar is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
Mathesar is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
And it is not the kind of software a weekend replaces. That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 47 of the 63 other spreadsheet and database tools grade higher.
What you could make
- Forms: an app builder makes this well.
What you could not
- A spreadsheet engine with its formulas.
- Databases with views, filters and links between them.
- What a company asks for before it lets staff use something: single sign-on and roles and permissions.
What this rests on. Mathesar’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
NocoDB, Baserow, Grist, Rowy and SeaTable
The 5 tools Mathesar is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.6GPA
NocoDB
Free plan · from $12/mo
No-code database with a spreadsheet interface, cloud or self-hosted.
- Mathesar is open source, according to its own site.
- Mathesar also covers spreadsheets.
- NocoDB also covers kanban boards, workflow automation and no-code.
- 2.6GPA
Baserow
Free plan · from $10/mo
Open-source no-code database and application builder.
- Mathesar also covers forms and spreadsheets.
- Baserow also covers workflow automation, app builder and no-code.
- 2.6GPA
Grist
Free plan · from $8/mo
Open-source relational spreadsheet with Python formulas.
- Only Grist lists Windows, macOS and Linux apps.
- Mathesar also covers forms.
- 2.2GPA
Rowy
Free plan · from $12/mo
Spreadsheet-style UI and low-code backend for Firebase.
- Mathesar also covers forms.
- Rowy also covers workflow automation.
- 2.6GPA
SeaTable
Free plan · from €7/mo
No-code database and app builder, in the cloud or self-hosted.
- Only SeaTable lists an Android app.
- Mathesar is open source, according to its own site.
- Mathesar also covers forms and spreadsheets.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
12
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Mathesar free?
Yes. Mathesar is free to use.
How much does Mathesar cost?
Mathesar lists one plan. Self-hosted: $0.
What platforms does Mathesar work on?
Mathesar is available on Web.
Does Mathesar have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Mathesar is listed for Web.
Does Mathesar have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Mathesar is listed for Web.
Is Mathesar open source?
Yes. Mathesar is open source, according to its own site.
What does Mathesar integrate with?
Mathesar's listing names PostgreSQL. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.
Who makes Mathesar?
Mathesar is made by Mathesar Foundation.
What are the alternatives to Mathesar?
The closest alternatives to Mathesar in our directory are NocoDB, Baserow, Grist, Rowy and SeaTable.
How does Mathesar compare with other spreadsheet and database tools?
Mathesar's GPA of 2.0 is higher than 8 of the 63 other spreadsheet and database tools we grade, and level with 8.
Is Mathesar good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Mathesar C for value for money. Mathesar has no paid plan.
Could I make my own version of Mathesar?
Mathesar is free, so making your own would save you nothing. And it is not the kind of software a weekend replaces.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Mathesar’s own pages on Nov 12, 2026, and the grades were given on Nov 12, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Mathesar's own pages on 12 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Mathesar Foundation. Prices change, so check mathesar.org before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
7,721
Tools graded, in 95 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
7,721
tools graded
95
categories
739
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Mathesar, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/mathesar
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Mathesar: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 12, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/mathesar
Know someone choosing between spreadsheet and database tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/mathesar/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded spreadsheet and database tools after Mathesar, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Spreadsheets & Databases Insider's GuideEvery one of the 64 spreadsheet and database tools we grade, compared
- Zoho Sheet Insider's GuideCollaborative online spreadsheet with a free version3.6 GPA
- Google Sheets Insider's GuideBrowser-based spreadsheet, free with a Google Account3.4 GPA
- Microsoft Excel Insider's GuideSpreadsheet app sold with Microsoft 365, free in the browser3.4 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Mathesar’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Mathesar is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Mathesar Foundation. Prices and plans change: check mathesar.org before you buy.