Spreadsheets · head to head
Mathesar vs VerneMQ
Mathesar
Spreadsheets
Spreadsheet style interface that edits an existing PostgreSQL database directly, with no schema of its own
- 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: Mathesar there is no hosted offering of any kind, so a team without someone who can run and secure a server cannot use it at all.; 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: Mathesar covers Direct PostgreSQL editing, VerneMQ covers Erlang/OTP clustering.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Mathesar 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 Mathesar
- Direct PostgreSQL editing
- PostgreSQL permissions
- Schema editing
- Data exploration
- Relationship navigation
- Import of tabular files
- Self hosted only
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.
Mathesar
- A nonprofit or research group whose data is already in PostgreSQL and whose staff cannot write SQLnot VerneMQ
- Giving analysts a safe editing interface governed by database roles that already existnot VerneMQ
- Replacing a hand built Django or Rails admin screen that nobody wants to maintainnot VerneMQ
- Editing production reference data where an export, edit and reimport cycle would risk losing concurrent changesnot VerneMQ
VerneMQ
- An industrial operator that wants an MQTT broker with predictable memory behaviour and no data integration features it will not usenot Mathesar
- A team building from source to stay strictly under Apache 2.0 terms with no vendor licence entanglementnot Mathesar
- A deployment needing custom authentication logic implemented as a plugin in Lua or over a webhooknot Mathesar
- An organisation that wants a broker maintained by a small European company rather than by a vendor that keeps changing licencesnot Mathesar
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Mathesar
- There is no hosted offering of any kind, so a team without someone who can run and secure a server cannot use it at all.
- It works only with PostgreSQL, so a MySQL, SQL Server or SQLite estate is excluded outright.
- There are no automations, no webhooks and effectively no integration catalogue, so it edits data and does nothing else.
- Because it writes to the live database, a careless bulk edit or column type change is a production change with no staging step and no undo.
- Development is grant and community funded rather than commercially funded, so roadmap pace and long term continuity carry a different risk profile from a venture backed vendor.
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
Mathesar
Free- Self hosted open sourceFree
- No licence fee
- No hosted option offered
- Connects to your existing PostgreSQL database
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 Mathesar if
- You need direct postgresql editing.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Linux.
- You also want postgresql permissions.
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 Mathesar or VerneMQ better?
- Neither clearly leads. Mathesar 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, Mathesar or VerneMQ?
- Mathesar starts at Free and VerneMQ at Free.
- Does Mathesar or VerneMQ run on more platforms?
- Mathesar runs on Web, Linux. VerneMQ runs on Linux, Docker, macOS, Kubernetes.
- Can I use Mathesar for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Mathesar best used for?
- Mathesar is most often used for a nonprofit or research group whose data is already in postgresql and whose staff cannot write sql, giving analysts a safe editing interface governed by database roles that already exist, replacing a hand built django or rails admin screen that nobody wants to maintain, editing production reference data where an export, edit and reimport cycle would risk losing concurrent changes. Of those, a nonprofit or research group whose data is already in postgresql and whose staff cannot write sql and giving analysts a safe editing interface governed by database roles that already exist are not what VerneMQ is typically brought in for.
- What can Mathesar do that VerneMQ cannot?
- Mathesar covers Direct PostgreSQL editing, PostgreSQL permissions, Schema editing, Data exploration. VerneMQ covers Erlang/OTP clustering, MQTT 5.0 support, Plugin system, Backpressure handling.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Mathesar: Is there a cloud version?
No. Self hosting is the only option, and that is a deliberate project decision rather than a gap waiting to be filled.
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.
Mathesar: How does it handle permissions?
Through PostgreSQL roles and privileges directly, so there is no second permission model to keep in step.
VerneMQ: Is the project still maintained?
Yes. Octavo Labs AG in Zurich continues to publish 2.x releases, most recently in 2026.
Mathesar: What is the row limit?
Whatever PostgreSQL can handle. Mathesar adds no storage layer of its own.
VerneMQ: Does it have a managed cloud?
No. Every deployment is self-hosted, with commercial support available from Octavo Labs.
Mathesar: Does it support databases other than PostgreSQL?
No.
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.
Mathesar: Can it replace Airtable?
Only for editing and exploring data. There are no automations, apps or integrations.
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