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Spreadsheets · head to head

APITable vs Basis Theory

APITable logo

APITable

Spreadsheets

Open source spreadsheet database with an API first design and an embeddable widget system

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Basis Theory logo

Basis Theory

APIs

Developer tokenisation platform that holds card and sensitive data inside a PCI Level 1 environment you do not operate

From
$995/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only APITable has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: APITable records are held in the product own schema rather than as native database tables, so the practical row ceiling is a product limit and large tables should be load tested before commitment.; Basis Theory the Starter plan is 995 US dollars a month before any volume, which is a real floor for an early stage company and puts the product out of reach of teams tokenising a few thousand records.
  • They diverge on capability: APITable covers API first design, Basis Theory covers Tokenisation API.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which APITable and Basis Theory actually diverge.

Attributes where APITable and Basis Theory differ
AttributeAPITableBasis Theory
Starting priceFree$995/month
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feePer month by token volume
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, LinuxWeb, iOS, Android, Linux
CategorySpreadsheetsAPIs

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in APITable

  • API first design
  • Widget SDK
  • Embeddable views
  • Multiple view types
  • Linked records and formulas
  • Self hosting
  • Real time collaboration

Only in Basis Theory

  • Tokenisation API
  • Hosted elements
  • Outbound proxy
  • PCI attestation of compliance
  • Processor portability
  • Reactors
  • Access controls and audit
  • PII and PHI options

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

APITable

  • Embedding an editable table view inside a product you are building, rather than sending users to another toolnot Basis Theory
  • An internal platform where tables are read and written mostly by code through the API and only occasionally by peoplenot Basis Theory
  • A self hosted replacement for a per seat spreadsheet database where seat count is the cost drivernot Basis Theory
  • Building a custom dashboard widget that sits beside the data instead of in a separate reporting toolnot Basis Theory

Basis Theory

  • A payments company that wants card on file without bringing its own infrastructure into PCI scope and paying for the assessment that followsnot APITable
  • A merchant locked into a processor by that processor vault that wants to hold its own tokens and route to more than one acquirernot APITable
  • A fintech collecting bank account and identity data that needs it isolated from its application database before an enterprise security reviewnot APITable
  • A team that needs to send stored card data to a third party for a one-off integration without that data traversing its own serversnot APITable

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

APITable

  • Records are held in the product own schema rather than as native database tables, so the practical row ceiling is a product limit and large tables should be load tested before commitment.
  • The hosted free tier caps records per space, so evaluating on the cloud version gives a misleading picture of what the software can do when self hosted.
  • Automation is thin compared with the commercial alternatives, and most real workflows end up in an external automation tool.
  • The self hosted deployment is heavier than a single container, so running it properly means managing several services rather than one.
  • Documentation and community activity are uneven in English, and finding an answer to an operational problem can take longer than the problem itself deserves.

Basis Theory

  • The Starter plan is 995 US dollars a month before any volume, which is a real floor for an early stage company and puts the product out of reach of teams tokenising a few thousand records.
  • Starter is limited to the US region, so a company with European data residency requirements is pushed into a quoted Scale or Enterprise agreement immediately.
  • Log retention on Starter is 24 hours, which is well below what most security teams expect for a system holding cardholder data and forces an upgrade for reasons unrelated to volume.
  • Migrating away means moving card data out of the vault, which requires processor and assessor involvement and is slow, so the portability argument that attracts buyers cuts against them at exit.
  • An attestation of compliance covers the vendor environment, not your assessment; your assessor still decides what is in scope, and buyers occasionally discover their integration pattern pulled systems back into scope anyway.

Pricing, plan by plan

APITable

Free
  • Self hosted open sourceFree
    • No licence fee
    • No product record cap on self hosted deployments
    • Docker and Kubernetes deployment

Basis Theory

$995/month
  • Starter$995/month
    • 20,000 tokens included
    • Production PCI Level 1 environment
    • US region only
  • Scale$undefined/month
    • Quoted
    • Higher token volumes
    • Additional regions
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Quoted
    • Additional compliance options for PII and PHI
    • Responses for 95 percent of PCI SAQ D

Which should you pick?

Choose APITable if

  • You need api first design.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Linux.
  • You also want widget sdk.
APITable review

Choose Basis Theory if

  • You need tokenisation api.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, Linux.
  • You also want hosted elements.
Basis Theory review

Questions people ask

Is APITable or Basis Theory better?
Neither clearly leads. APITable starts at Free and Basis Theory at $995/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, APITable or Basis Theory?
APITable has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for APITable and $995/month for Basis Theory.
Does APITable or Basis Theory run on more platforms?
APITable runs on Web, Linux. Basis Theory runs on Web, iOS, Android, Linux.
Can I use APITable for free?
Yes. APITable has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Basis Theory starts at $995/month.
What is APITable best used for?
APITable is most often used for embedding an editable table view inside a product you are building, rather than sending users to another tool, an internal platform where tables are read and written mostly by code through the api and only occasionally by people, a self hosted replacement for a per seat spreadsheet database where seat count is the cost driver, building a custom dashboard widget that sits beside the data instead of in a separate reporting tool. Of those, embedding an editable table view inside a product you are building, rather than sending users to another tool and an internal platform where tables are read and written mostly by code through the api and only occasionally by people are not what Basis Theory is typically brought in for.
What can APITable do that Basis Theory cannot?
APITable covers API first design, Widget SDK, Embeddable views, Multiple view types. Basis Theory covers Tokenisation API, Hosted elements, Outbound proxy, PCI attestation of compliance.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

APITable: What is the record limit?

The self hosted edition has no product cap, but performance is bounded by the internal schema rather than by your database. Test at your expected size.

Basis Theory: Does this make us PCI compliant?

It removes cardholder data from your systems and gives you an AOC plus documented responses for most of a SAQ D. Your assessor still determines your scope, and a careless integration can pull systems back in.

APITable: Can I embed it in my own product?

Yes, and that is the main reason to choose it. Views embed and the widget SDK extends them.

Basis Theory: What does it cost to start?

995 US dollars a month on Starter, including 20,000 tokens, a production PCI Level 1 environment and US hosting. Higher tiers are quoted.

APITable: Is the hosted version representative?

No. Its free tier caps records per space, which is a commercial limit rather than a technical one.

Basis Theory: Can we switch payment processors without re-collecting cards?

Yes, that is the main non-compliance reason to buy it. You hold the tokens and detokenise into whichever processor you route to.

APITable: How hard is self hosting?

Harder than a single container. Plan for several services and someone to keep them running.

Basis Theory: Is data stored outside the United States?

Not on Starter, which is US only. Other regions require a Scale or Enterprise agreement.

APITable: Does it do automations?

Lightly. Expect to pair it with an external automation tool for anything multi step.

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