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Spreadsheets · head to head

Equals vs SeaTable

Equals logo

Equals

Spreadsheets

A real spreadsheet with SQL result sets landing in its cells, now sold only on annual contracts starting at 24,000 USD

From
$24000/year
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
SeaTable logo

SeaTable

Spreadsheets

German-hosted database-spreadsheet hybrid from the team behind Seafile, with a self-hosted server edition

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only SeaTable has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Equals the price list now starts at 24,000 USD a year with no monthly billing and no self-serve signup, having offered a free plan in 2023 and 39 USD per seat in 2024, so any team that evaluated it previously is looking at a different product commercially.; SeaTable the free self-hosted Developer Edition is capped at three users, so the pattern that makes Baserow and NocoDB attractive, running it yourself for free at real headcount, is not available and any serious on-premises deployment needs a paid per-user licence.
  • They diverge on capability: Equals covers Connected sheets, SeaTable covers Typed column database.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Equals and SeaTable actually diverge.

Attributes where Equals and SeaTable differ
AttributeEqualsSeaTable
Starting price$24000/yearFree
Pricing modelPer year by connector count and refresh frequencyPer user per month
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, APIWeb, iOS, Android, Linux

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

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 Equals

  • Connected sheets
  • Real spreadsheet mechanics
  • Cell references into SQL
  • Equals Warehouse
  • Views
  • Writeback

Only in SeaTable

  • Typed column database
  • Multiple views
  • Universal app builder
  • Python and JavaScript scripting
  • Self-hosted server
  • German data centres

What people use each for

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

Equals

  • A revenue operations team that wants software metrics computed in a spreadsheet rather than defined in a BI semantic layernot SeaTable
  • Analysts who need a SQL result and manual assumptions in the same file, with the assumptions visible as cellsnot SeaTable
  • Joining Stripe, Salesforce and a production database without building a warehouse and pipeline firstnot SeaTable
  • Distributing a recurring numbers pack to Slack, email or a wall display without rebuilding it as a dashboardnot SeaTable

SeaTable

  • A German or Austrian company that needs a shared operational database but cannot put customer records on a US-hosted servicenot Equals
  • Replacing a sprawl of Excel files used by several departments with one permissioned base and per-view sharingnot Equals
  • Running a small internal tool, such as an equipment register or an application tracker, without commissioning a bespoke buildnot Equals
  • Teams already using Seafile that want structured data alongside their file sync platformnot Equals

Where each one falls short

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

Equals

  • The price list now starts at 24,000 USD a year with no monthly billing and no self-serve signup, having offered a free plan in 2023 and 39 USD per seat in 2024, so any team that evaluated it previously is looking at a different product commercially.
  • Your data is copied out of your infrastructure by design, into a Snowflake warehouse that Equals operates, with Fivetran holding non-SQL source data in transit, and no self-hosted or bring-your-own-warehouse option is documented.
  • The financial function category contains only IRR, NPV and PMT, with no XIRR, XNPV, FV, PV, RATE or NPER, and there is no LAMBDA, LET, OFFSET or INDIRECT, so a substantial class of existing spreadsheet models cannot be ported without rework.
  • No documentation of importing or exporting Excel files exists anywhere in the docs index; the supported file sources are CSV and Google Sheets and the only documented export is dashboards as PDF, which is a notable gap for a product positioning itself as a successor to Excel.
  • Data freshness is a pricing lever rather than a setting, at six hours on Essential, one hour on Business and fifteen minutes on Enterprise, and the feature that removes row limits is itself gated above the entry tier, so the Essential row ceiling is neither published nor unlimited.

SeaTable

  • The free self-hosted Developer Edition is capped at three users, so the pattern that makes Baserow and NocoDB attractive, running it yourself for free at real headcount, is not available and any serious on-premises deployment needs a paid per-user licence.
  • Row limits are counted across the whole account rather than per base, so the free plan ceiling of 10,000 rows and the Plus ceiling of 50,000 rows arrive sooner than people expect once a few tables hold historical records.
  • The integration catalogue is short compared with Airtable, and many connections have to be routed through Zapier, Make or n8n, which adds a second subscription and a second failure point.
  • English documentation and community content lag the German material, so non-German teams hit thinner tutorials and fewer worked examples when they get to scripting and the app builder.
  • The vendor is a small German company rather than a venture-funded platform, which is a stability advantage but means a slower feature pace and fewer third-party consultants available to hire if a project needs outside help.

Pricing, plan by plan

Equals

$24000/year
  • Essential$24000/year
    • Unlimited viewers and unlimited editors
    • 3 connectors
    • Data sync every 6 hours
  • Business$36000/year
    • Unlimited viewers and unlimited editors
    • 5 connectors or a warehouse connection
    • Data sync every hour
  • Enterprise$60000/year
    • Unlimited viewers and unlimited editors
    • Unlimited connectors or a warehouse connection
    • Data sync every 15 minutes
  • Connector add-ons$199/month
    • 199 USD per month for each additional database or import script connector
    • 699 USD per month for each additional connector of any other type
    • Available on Business and Enterprise

SeaTable

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Up to 25 users
    • 10,000 rows in total
    • 2 GB storage
  • Plus$7/month
    • Billed annually, 9 EUR if billed monthly
    • 50,000 rows
    • 50 GB storage
  • Enterprise$14/month
    • Billed annually, 18 EUR if billed monthly
    • Unlimited rows
    • 100 GB storage
  • Dedicated Cloud$undefined/year
    • Quoted, minimum 100 users
    • Dedicated instance
    • Unlimited rows

Which should you pick?

Choose Equals if

  • You need connected sheets.
  • You work on Web, API.
  • You also want real spreadsheet mechanics.
Equals review

Choose SeaTable if

  • You need typed column database.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, Linux.
  • You also want multiple views.
SeaTable review

Questions people ask

Is Equals or SeaTable better?
Neither clearly leads. Equals starts at $24000/year and SeaTable at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Equals or SeaTable?
SeaTable has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $24000/year for Equals and Free for SeaTable.
Does Equals or SeaTable run on more platforms?
Equals runs on Web, API. SeaTable runs on Web, iOS, Android, Linux.
Can I use SeaTable for free?
Yes. SeaTable has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Equals starts at $24000/year.
What is Equals best used for?
Equals is most often used for a revenue operations team that wants software metrics computed in a spreadsheet rather than defined in a bi semantic layer, analysts who need a sql result and manual assumptions in the same file, with the assumptions visible as cells, joining stripe, salesforce and a production database without building a warehouse and pipeline first, distributing a recurring numbers pack to slack, email or a wall display without rebuilding it as a dashboard. Of those, a revenue operations team that wants software metrics computed in a spreadsheet rather than defined in a bi semantic layer and analysts who need a sql result and manual assumptions in the same file, with the assumptions visible as cells are not what SeaTable is typically brought in for.
What can Equals do that SeaTable cannot?
Equals covers Connected sheets, Real spreadsheet mechanics, Cell references into SQL, Equals Warehouse. SeaTable covers Typed column database, Multiple views, Universal app builder, Python and JavaScript scripting.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Equals: Is it a real spreadsheet or a modelling tool with a grid?

A real spreadsheet. A1 references, absolute reference locking, pivot tables and spilling array formulas all work, and SQL results land in ranges that ordinary cells reference.

SeaTable: Where is SeaTable cloud data actually stored?

In data centres in Germany, under German and EU law, with a standard GDPR processing agreement available.

Equals: What does it actually cost?

24,000 USD a year for Essential, 36,000 for Business and 60,000 for Enterprise, billed annually. There is no monthly option and no self-serve signup; the trial is negotiated per customer.

SeaTable: Is SeaTable open source?

No. Seafile, from the same team, is open source. SeaTable is a commercial product with a free self-hosted edition limited to three users.

Equals: Are seats charged?

No. Viewers and editors are unlimited on every plan. The meters are connector count, refresh frequency and AI spend, with additional connectors at 199 or 699 USD a month.

SeaTable: How does it compare with Airtable on price?

Plus is 7 EUR per user per month billed annually against Airtable Team at 20 USD, but SeaTable applies hard row ceilings on every plan below Enterprise.

Equals: Does my data stay in my own warehouse?

No. Connecting more than one source syncs data into a Snowflake warehouse that Equals runs, and non-SQL sources pass through Fivetran. There is no documented self-hosted option.

SeaTable: Can I move an existing Airtable base across?

Yes, SeaTable imports Airtable bases and Excel files, though formula fields and automations usually need rebuilding by hand.

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