# 10 Best Open Source Alternatives for Stackby Canonical: https://caniforkit.com/stackby Last updated: 2026-11-07 Looking for the best open source alternative for Stackby? Compare 10 verified free and open source alternatives to Stackby (Baserow, NocoDB, NocoBase) with license details, self-hosting requirements, and practical trade-offs. ## Stackby Overview & Subscription Cost - **Product**: Stackby - **Category**: [forms](https://caniforkit.com/category/forms) - **Paid Subscription Price**: $15/month per seat - **1-Seat Annualized Cost**: $180/year - **5-Person Team Annualized Cost**: $900/year - **10-Person Team Annualized Cost**: $1,800/year - **Can I Vibe-Code / Rebuild It Myself?**: NO (use a free alternative, save the tokens) - **Rebuild Verdict**: Instead of paying recurring SaaS fees for Stackby or rebuilding it from scratch, deploy one of the 10 battle-tested open-source alternatives like Baserow. ## Verified Free & Open Source Alternatives | Alternative | Type | License | Runs On | GitHub Stars | Head-to-Head | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Baserow](https://caniforkit.com/fork/baserow) | Open Source | MIT | Self-host | ★ 6.3k | [Compare vs Stackby](https://caniforkit.com/vs/stackby-vs-baserow) | | [NocoDB](https://caniforkit.com/fork/nocodb) | Open Source | Open Source | Self-host | ★ 65.4k | [Compare vs Stackby](https://caniforkit.com/vs/stackby-vs-nocodb) | | [NocoBase](https://caniforkit.com/fork/nocobase) | Open Source | NocoBase Community | Self-host | ★ 24.9k | [Compare vs Stackby](https://caniforkit.com/vs/stackby-vs-nocobase) | | [Teable](https://caniforkit.com/fork/teable) | Open Source | AGPL-3.0 | Self-host | ★ 22k | [Compare vs Stackby](https://caniforkit.com/vs/stackby-vs-teable) | | [AITable](https://caniforkit.com/fork/apitable) | Open Source | Open Source | Local | ★ 15.7k | [Compare vs Stackby](https://caniforkit.com/vs/stackby-vs-apitable) | | [Grist](https://caniforkit.com/fork/grist) | Open Source | Apache-2.0 | Self-host | ★ 12.1k | [Compare vs Stackby](https://caniforkit.com/vs/stackby-vs-grist) | | [Mathesar](https://caniforkit.com/fork/mathesar) | Open Source | Open Source | Self-host | ★ 5.2k | [Compare vs Stackby](https://caniforkit.com/vs/stackby-vs-mathesar) | | [Rowy](https://caniforkit.com/fork/rowy) | Open Source | Open Source | Local | ★ 6.8k | [Compare vs Stackby](https://caniforkit.com/vs/stackby-vs-rowy) | | [undb](https://caniforkit.com/fork/undb) | Open Source | Open Source | Self-host | ★ 3k | [Compare vs Stackby](https://caniforkit.com/vs/stackby-vs-undb) | | [Busabase](https://caniforkit.com/fork/busabase) | Open Source | Open Source | Self-host | ★ 725 | [Compare vs Stackby](https://caniforkit.com/vs/stackby-vs-busabase) | ## In-Depth Alternative Profiles ### Baserow - **Fork Page**: [Baserow Profile](https://caniforkit.com/fork/baserow) - **Head-to-Head Comparison**: [Stackby vs Baserow](https://caniforkit.com/vs/stackby-vs-baserow) - **Official Website**: https://baserow.io/ - **Source Code Repository**: https://github.com/baserow/baserow - **License**: MIT - **Runs On**: Self-host - **GitHub Stars**: 6.3k - **Maintenance Activity**: nov 2026 - **Supported Platforms**: web, self-hosted, docker to self-host - **Summary**: Open-source platform for building databases, internal apps, and automated workflows without writing code. Available on cloud or self-hosted. - **The Catch vs Stackby**: Baserow can hold project rows but does not match Smartsheet's Gantt dependencies, critical-path planning, portfolio reporting, and resource management. - **Installation**: Hosted signup, or Docker/Docker Compose for self-hosting - **Setup**: Self-hosting requires Docker, persistent volumes, secrets, and public-URL/TLS configuration - **Data Storage**: Cloud workspaces live in Baserow Cloud; self-hosted records live in PostgreSQL and uploaded files in the mounted Baserow data volume; CSV export is available ### NocoDB - **Fork Page**: [NocoDB Profile](https://caniforkit.com/fork/nocodb) - **Head-to-Head Comparison**: [Stackby vs NocoDB](https://caniforkit.com/vs/stackby-vs-nocodb) - **Official Website**: https://nocodb.com - **Source Code Repository**: https://github.com/nocodb/nocodb - **License**: Open Source - **Runs On**: Self-host - **GitHub Stars**: 65.4k - **Maintenance Activity**: nov 2026 - **Supported Platforms**: web, self-hosted, docker to self-host - **Summary**: Convert any database into a no-code platform with spreadsheet interface. Connect PostgreSQL/MySQL or use hosted database. Scale to millions of rows effortlessly. - **The Catch vs Stackby**: Requires self-hosting setup, updates, and server maintenance compared to managed Stackby. - **Installation**: Clone https://github.com/nocodb/nocodb or deploy with Docker Compose - **Setup**: Deploy via Docker or binary release from GitHub and configure environment variables. - **Data Storage**: All application data and configuration live on your own server or local database. ### NocoBase - **Fork Page**: [NocoBase Profile](https://caniforkit.com/fork/nocobase) - **Head-to-Head Comparison**: [Stackby vs NocoBase](https://caniforkit.com/vs/stackby-vs-nocobase) - **Official Website**: https://www.nocobase.com - **Source Code Repository**: https://github.com/nocobase/nocobase - **License**: NocoBase Community - **Runs On**: Self-host - **GitHub Stars**: 24.9k - **Maintenance Activity**: nov 2026 - **Supported Platforms**: web, self-hosted, docker to self-host - **Summary**: Open-source no-code platform for creating tailored business applications quickly, with full customization and easy deployment options. - **The Catch vs Stackby**: It is a self-hosted database web-app platform rather than a turnkey offline mobile app builder, making mobile field work the largest loss. - **Installation**: NocoBase CLI or Docker deployment with MySQL, MariaDB, or PostgreSQL - **Setup**: Requires a database, secrets, and deployment administration; the community license also preserves NocoBase branding and restricts some uses - **Data Storage**: Business data lives in standard relational tables in the configured MySQL, MariaDB, or PostgreSQL database; files use configured local or object storage ### Teable - **Fork Page**: [Teable Profile](https://caniforkit.com/fork/teable) - **Head-to-Head Comparison**: [Stackby vs Teable](https://caniforkit.com/vs/stackby-vs-teable) - **Official Website**: https://teable.io - **Source Code Repository**: https://github.com/teableio/teable - **License**: AGPL-3.0 - **Runs On**: Self-host - **GitHub Stars**: 22k - **Maintenance Activity**: nov 2026 - **Supported Platforms**: web, self-hosted, docker to self-host - **Summary**: Open-source platform combining powerful database capabilities with a user-friendly spreadsheet interface for efficient data management and collaboration. - **The Catch vs Stackby**: Teable is an Airtable-like database rather than a project execution suite, so dependencies, portfolio reporting, and resource management are substantially weaker. - **Installation**: Hosted signup, or Docker Compose/Kubernetes for self-hosting - **Setup**: Self-hosting needs Docker, at least 4 GB RAM, PostgreSQL, secrets, storage, and a public URL; the full AI/App Builder stack is materially heavier than the standalone deployment - **Data Storage**: Cloud records live in Teable Cloud; self-hosted records live in PostgreSQL, with attachments in local, MinIO, S3, or Aliyun object storage; bases export as .tea backups and tables as CSV ### AITable - **Fork Page**: [AITable Profile](https://caniforkit.com/fork/apitable) - **Head-to-Head Comparison**: [Stackby vs AITable](https://caniforkit.com/vs/stackby-vs-apitable) - **Official Website**: https://aitable.ai/ - **Source Code Repository**: https://github.com/apitable/apitable - **License**: Open Source - **Runs On**: Local - **GitHub Stars**: 15.7k - **Maintenance Activity**: nov 2026 - **Supported Platforms**: desktop, cross-platform, one-click install - **Summary**: AITable.ai offers a visual database platform that simplifies workflow automation and connects to over 6,000 apps through integrations like Zapier and Make. - **The Catch vs Stackby**: Community-driven open source project without dedicated enterprise SLAs. - **Installation**: Clone https://github.com/apitable/apitable or deploy with Docker Compose - **Setup**: Download the native package or installer for your operating system. - **Data Storage**: All application data lives locally on your own machine. ### Grist - **Fork Page**: [Grist Profile](https://caniforkit.com/fork/grist) - **Head-to-Head Comparison**: [Stackby vs Grist](https://caniforkit.com/vs/stackby-vs-grist) - **Official Website**: https://www.getgrist.com/ - **Source Code Repository**: https://github.com/gristlabs/grist-core - **License**: Apache-2.0 - **Runs On**: Self-host - **GitHub Stars**: 12.1k - **Maintenance Activity**: nov 2026 - **Supported Platforms**: web, self-hosted, docker to self-host - **Summary**: A versatile data management platform combining spreadsheet simplicity with relational database capabilities for efficient data organization and analysis. - **The Catch vs Stackby**: Self-hosting preserves the product but gives up the paid hosted service's managed upgrades, backups, secure sharing, support, and operational reliability. - **Installation**: Hosted signup, desktop app, or Docker container for self-hosting - **Setup**: None for hosted or desktop use; shared self-hosting requires Docker, authentication, backups, a public URL, and safe Python-formula sandboxing - **Data Storage**: Each document is a .grist SQLite database containing table data, attachments, document metadata, and recent history; CSV/Excel exports are also available ### Mathesar - **Fork Page**: [Mathesar Profile](https://caniforkit.com/fork/mathesar) - **Head-to-Head Comparison**: [Stackby vs Mathesar](https://caniforkit.com/vs/stackby-vs-mathesar) - **Official Website**: https://mathesar.org - **Source Code Repository**: https://github.com/mathesar-foundation/mathesar - **License**: Open Source - **Runs On**: Self-host - **GitHub Stars**: 5.2k - **Maintenance Activity**: nov 2026 - **Supported Platforms**: web, self-hosted, docker to self-host - **Summary**: A self-hosted tool that provides an intuitive, spreadsheet-style interface for viewing, editing, and querying PostgreSQL databases without technical expertise. - **The Catch vs Stackby**: Requires self-hosting setup, updates, and server maintenance compared to managed Stackby. - **Installation**: Clone https://github.com/mathesar-foundation/mathesar or deploy with Docker Compose - **Setup**: Deploy via Docker or binary release from GitHub and configure environment variables. - **Data Storage**: All application data and configuration live on your own server or local database. ### Rowy - **Fork Page**: [Rowy Profile](https://caniforkit.com/fork/rowy) - **Head-to-Head Comparison**: [Stackby vs Rowy](https://caniforkit.com/vs/stackby-vs-rowy) - **Official Website**: https://rowy.io - **Source Code Repository**: https://github.com/buildship-ai/rowy - **License**: Open Source - **Runs On**: Local - **GitHub Stars**: 6.8k - **Maintenance Activity**: nov 2026 - **Supported Platforms**: desktop, cross-platform, one-click install - **Summary**: A low-code platform for creating robust backends, complete with a spreadsheet UI for easy data management and custom functions. - **The Catch vs Stackby**: Community-driven open source project without dedicated enterprise SLAs. - **Installation**: Clone https://github.com/buildship-ai/rowy or deploy with Docker Compose - **Setup**: Download the native package or installer for your operating system. - **Data Storage**: All application data lives locally on your own machine. ### undb - **Fork Page**: [undb Profile](https://caniforkit.com/fork/undb) - **Head-to-Head Comparison**: [Stackby vs undb](https://caniforkit.com/vs/stackby-vs-undb) - **Official Website**: https://undb.io - **Source Code Repository**: https://github.com/undb-io/undb - **License**: Open Source - **Runs On**: Self-host - **GitHub Stars**: 3k - **Maintenance Activity**: nov 2026 - **Supported Platforms**: web, self-hosted, docker to self-host - **Summary**: Build and manage custom databases with ease, create type-safe APIs, and develop applications quickly - **The Catch vs Stackby**: Requires self-hosting setup, updates, and server maintenance compared to managed Stackby. - **Installation**: Clone https://github.com/undb-io/undb or deploy with Docker Compose - **Setup**: Deploy via Docker or binary release from GitHub and configure environment variables. - **Data Storage**: All application data and configuration live on your own server or local database. ### Busabase - **Fork Page**: [Busabase Profile](https://caniforkit.com/fork/busabase) - **Head-to-Head Comparison**: [Stackby vs Busabase](https://caniforkit.com/vs/stackby-vs-busabase) - **Official Website**: https://busabase.com/ - **Source Code Repository**: https://github.com/busabase/busabase - **License**: Open Source - **Runs On**: Self-host - **GitHub Stars**: 725 - **Maintenance Activity**: nov 2026 - **Supported Platforms**: web, self-hosted, docker to self-host - **Summary**: Busabase gives AI agents a shared database, knowledge base, and skills registry where every proposed change goes through human review before becoming canonical data. - **The Catch vs Stackby**: Requires self-hosting setup, updates, and server maintenance compared to managed Stackby. - **Installation**: Clone https://github.com/busabase/busabase or deploy with Docker Compose - **Setup**: Deploy via Docker or binary release from GitHub and configure environment variables. - **Data Storage**: All application data and configuration live on your own server or local database. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is the best free alternative to Stackby? The top free alternative to Stackby is Baserow (open source, MIT). Open-source platform for building databases, internal apps, and automated workflows without writing code. Available on cloud or self-hosted. Other popular Stackby replacements include NocoDB, NocoBase, Teable. ### How much does switching from Stackby to a free alternative save? Stackby starts at $15/month per seat ($180/year). Switching a 5-person team to a free alternative like Baserow saves $900 per year in software subscription fees. ### What is the catch when switching away from Stackby? While Baserow replaces core Stackby features without subscription fees, the real-world trade-off is: Baserow can hold project rows but does not match Smartsheet's Gantt dependencies, critical-path planning, portfolio reporting, and resource management. ## Related - [forms Software Category Hub](https://caniforkit.com/category/forms) - [All Paid SaaS Alternatives Index](https://caniforkit.com/alternatives) - [Self-Hosted Software Directory](https://caniforkit.com/self-hosted) - [Homepage](https://caniforkit.com)