---
draft: false
title: "The Database You Can Work With"
cateogry: productivity
date: 2026-07-07T00:00:00+08:00
---

# Meet Baserow: The Open Source Airtable Alternative That Doesn't Hold Your Data Hostage

If your team is living in Airtable and wincing at the per-user pricing, hitting row limits at the enterprise tier, or just uncomfortable with the fact that there's no way to run it on your own infrastructure — Baserow is the exit ramp you've been looking for. And if you're still managing critical business data in spreadsheets, it's the upgrade your team has needed for a while.

Baserow is a no-code, open source database and application builder used by over 200,000 active users. It's MIT licensed, fully self-hostable, and built for teams that need data collaboration power without sacrificing control, compliance, or predictable costs.

## It's More Than a Database

At its core, Baserow lets you structure, visualize, and collaborate on data the way a proper database tool should — with grid, gallery, kanban, calendar, timeline, form, and survey views out of the box. But it goes well beyond that.

The **Application Builder** lets non-developers compose pages, dashboards, and workflows on top of their data without writing code. Think custom internal tools — task management, risk assessment, asset tracking, CRM, ESG management — built by your ops team without waiting on engineering. For organizations building on top of their data, this is the feature that changes the conversation from "we need a database" to "we can replace that whole custom app."

**Automations** handle the workflow layer: visual logic with triggers, branches, conditions, and loops; native actions for HTTP, email, and webhooks; third-party connectors; and audit-ready logs for compliance requirements. And **Dashboards** let you surface that data as dynamic charts for management visibility.

## AI That Actually Does Something Useful

Baserow ships with Kuma, an AI assistant you can describe your data management needs to — and it builds the database structure for you. Beyond that, AI fields let you enhance your data with AI-generated insights inline, there's an MCP server for agent integration, and AI agents can interact with your Baserow data programmatically. If your team is starting to think about how AI fits into your workflows, Baserow is building this in rather than bolting it on.

## Compliance-Ready Out of the Box

Baserow is certified for GDPR, HIPAA, and SOC 2 Type II. For teams in regulated industries — healthcare, finance, real estate, manufacturing — this matters enormously and is often the first question on the procurement checklist. It's not an add-on or an enterprise-only feature; it's built into the platform.

## An API for Every Database

The API is first-class and makes every feature an integration endpoint, so whether you're connecting via Zapier, Make, n8n, or building directly against the REST API, Baserow plays well with the rest of your stack. Frontend and backend plugins are both supported if you need to customize further.

## The Bottom Line

If you're running on Airtable, Google Sheets, Smartsheet, or a patchwork of spreadsheets and need a platform that scales with your team — gives you real database power, application building, automations, and dashboards — without per-user pricing cliffs or data sovereignty concerns, Baserow is the most complete open source answer in the space.

One operations manager summed it up: *"Switching to Baserow was a game-changer. It gives us full control without the expensive per-user fees."*

---

Learn more at [federated.computer](https://federated.computer). Want to offer Baserow to your customers or partners? Check out [Federated Enterprise](https://enterprise.federated.computer).
