Spreadsheets · head to head
APITable vs VerneMQ
APITable
Spreadsheets
Open source spreadsheet database with an API first design and an embeddable widget system
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
VerneMQ
Databases
Erlang MQTT broker whose source is Apache 2.0 but whose official binaries need a paid subscription
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- 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.; VerneMQ the official binaries and Docker images are not Apache 2.0 but sit under a EULA requiring a yearly commercial subscription, a distinction easy to miss and awkward to discover during a licence audit.
- They diverge on capability: APITable covers API first design, VerneMQ covers Erlang/OTP clustering.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which APITable and VerneMQ actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 VerneMQ
- Erlang/OTP clustering
- MQTT 5.0 support
- Plugin system
- Backpressure handling
- Bridge support
- Metrics export
- MQTT over WebSockets
- Pluggable auth backends
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 VerneMQ
- An internal platform where tables are read and written mostly by code through the API and only occasionally by peoplenot VerneMQ
- A self hosted replacement for a per seat spreadsheet database where seat count is the cost drivernot VerneMQ
- Building a custom dashboard widget that sits beside the data instead of in a separate reporting toolnot VerneMQ
VerneMQ
- An industrial operator that wants an MQTT broker with predictable memory behaviour and no data integration features it will not usenot APITable
- A team building from source to stay strictly under Apache 2.0 terms with no vendor licence entanglementnot APITable
- A deployment needing custom authentication logic implemented as a plugin in Lua or over a webhooknot APITable
- An organisation that wants a broker maintained by a small European company rather than by a vendor that keeps changing licencesnot 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.
VerneMQ
- The official binaries and Docker images are not Apache 2.0 but sit under a EULA requiring a yearly commercial subscription, a distinction easy to miss and awkward to discover during a licence audit.
- Octavo Labs is a very small company, so support depth, response times and the bus factor on the codebase are materially thinner than at HiveMQ or EMQ.
- There is no data integration or rule engine layer, so routing messages into a database means writing and operating your own consumer service.
- Operating an Erlang cluster requires runtime knowledge that most teams do not have and will use for nothing else in their stack.
- There is no vendor-managed cloud offering, so every deployment is self-operated with the infrastructure and on-call cost that implies.
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
VerneMQ
Free- Source buildFree
- Apache 2.0 licensed source from GitHub
- Full clustering and plugin capability
- You compile and package it yourself
- Binary packages and Docker images$undefined/year
- Covered by the VerneMQ EULA, not Apache 2.0
- Yearly usage subscription expected for commercial use
- Official builds and Docker images
- Commercial support$undefined/year
- Evaluation, customisation and operations assistance
- Custom development
- Long-term maintenance agreements
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.
Choose VerneMQ if
- You need erlang/otp clustering.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Linux, Docker, macOS, Kubernetes.
- You also want mqtt 5.0 support.
Questions people ask
- Is APITable or VerneMQ better?
- Neither clearly leads. APITable starts at Free and VerneMQ at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, APITable or VerneMQ?
- APITable starts at Free and VerneMQ at Free.
- Does APITable or VerneMQ run on more platforms?
- APITable runs on Web, Linux. VerneMQ runs on Linux, Docker, macOS, Kubernetes.
- Can I use APITable for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- 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 VerneMQ is typically brought in for.
- What can APITable do that VerneMQ cannot?
- APITable covers API first design, Widget SDK, Embeddable views, Multiple view types. VerneMQ covers Erlang/OTP clustering, MQTT 5.0 support, Plugin system, Backpressure handling.
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.
VerneMQ: Is VerneMQ free?
The source is Apache 2.0 and free. The official binary packages and Docker images are covered by a separate EULA that expects a yearly fee for commercial use.
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.
VerneMQ: Is the project still maintained?
Yes. Octavo Labs AG in Zurich continues to publish 2.x releases, most recently in 2026.
APITable: Is the hosted version representative?
No. Its free tier caps records per space, which is a commercial limit rather than a technical one.
VerneMQ: Does it have a managed cloud?
No. Every deployment is self-hosted, with commercial support available from Octavo Labs.
APITable: How hard is self hosting?
Harder than a single container. Plan for several services and someone to keep them running.
VerneMQ: How does it compare to EMQX?
Narrower in features and without a rule engine, but with a simpler licence story for source builds after EMQX moved to BSL.
APITable: Does it do automations?
Lightly. Expect to pair it with an external automation tool for anything multi step.
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