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Spreadsheets · head to head

NocoDB vs StarRocks

NocoDB logo

NocoDB

Spreadsheets

Open-source no-code database platform with REST and GraphQL APIs

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
StarRocks logo

StarRocks

Databases

Apache 2.0 MPP analytical database built for joins on open table formats

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: NocoDB the free cloud tier is capped at 3 editor seats, 1,000 records and 1 GB of storage; StarRocks self-hosting is a genuine operations job: frontend and backend node roles, tablet distribution, compaction and materialised view refresh all need an owner, and there is no small-team-friendly single-binary mode.
  • They diverge on capability: NocoDB covers REST API, StarRocks covers Cost-based optimiser.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which NocoDB and StarRocks actually diverge.

Attributes where NocoDB and StarRocks differ
AttributeNocoDBStarRocks
Pricing modelfreemiumOpen source, no licence fee
PlatformsCloud, Self-hosted, DockerLinux, Docker, Kubernetes
CategorySpreadsheetsDatabases
Founded2020Unknown

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 NocoDB

  • REST API
  • GraphQL API
  • No-code database
  • Multiple SQL databases
  • Webhooks
  • Automation
  • Cloud support
  • Self-hosted support

Only in StarRocks

  • Cost-based optimiser
  • Lakehouse query engine
  • Primary key tables
  • Materialised views
  • Shared-data mode
  • MySQL wire protocol

What people use each for

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

NocoDB

  • Self-hosting an open source alternative to a spreadsheet databasenot StarRocks
  • Putting a spreadsheet interface over an existing Postgres or MySQL databasenot StarRocks
  • Building internal tools on structured data with an APInot StarRocks
  • Team bases with per-field and per-table permissions on the paid tiersnot StarRocks

StarRocks

  • Customer-facing analytics where queries join a fact table to several dimensions and must return in well under a secondnot NocoDB
  • Querying an Iceberg lakehouse directly without copying data into a proprietary warehouse formatnot NocoDB
  • Replacing a ClickHouse deployment that has become unmanageable because every new question needs another denormalised tablenot NocoDB
  • Real-time analytics fed by change data capture where rows must be updated in place rather than appendednot NocoDB

Where each one falls short

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

NocoDB

  • The free cloud tier is capped at 3 editor seats, 1,000 records and 1 GB of storage
  • Records are the metering unit on cloud, so Plus covers 50K and Business 300K rather than scaling by seat alone
  • Row-level security, audit log retention and team hierarchy require the Scale tier
  • SCIM provisioning and air-gapped deployment are Enterprise only
  • The self-hosted Community edition is unlimited on records and seats but does without workflows, scripts and dashboards, which start at the paid self-hosted tiers

StarRocks

  • Self-hosting is a genuine operations job: frontend and backend node roles, tablet distribution, compaction and materialised view refresh all need an owner, and there is no small-team-friendly single-binary mode.
  • CelerData is by far the dominant contributor despite Linux Foundation stewardship, so the practical roadmap risk is the same as any single-vendor open source project.
  • It inherits a MySQL-flavoured SQL dialect from its Doris ancestry, so queries written for PostgreSQL, Snowflake or Trino need rewriting rather than porting.
  • Ecosystem support is thinner than ClickHouse or Trino: fewer client libraries, fewer managed hosting options and a much smaller pool of engineers who have run it in production.
  • Memory pressure under concurrent large joins is a common production failure, and the tuning knobs for query memory limits are unforgiving compared with a cloud warehouse that just scales.

Pricing, plan by plan

NocoDB

Free
  • Free (Cloud)Free
    • 3 editor seats
    • 10 commenter seats
    • 1 GB storage
  • Plus$12/month
    • Unlimited seats
    • 50,000 records
    • 20 GB storage
  • Business$24/month
    • Unlimited seats
    • 300,000 records
    • 100 GB storage
  • Scale$45/month
    • Minimum 3 seats required
    • 1,000,000 records
    • 150 GB storage

StarRocks

Free
  • StarRocksFree
    • Apache 2.0 licence
    • Linux Foundation governance
    • No usage or node limits
  • CelerData Cloud$undefined/year
    • Managed StarRocks from the primary contributor
    • BYOC and serverless deployment options
    • Enterprise support and SLAs

Which should you pick?

Choose NocoDB if

  • You need rest api.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Cloud, Self-hosted, Docker.
  • You also want graphql api.
NocoDB review

Choose StarRocks if

  • You need cost-based optimiser.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes.
  • You also want lakehouse query engine.
StarRocks review

Questions people ask

Is NocoDB or StarRocks better?
Neither clearly leads. NocoDB starts at Free and StarRocks at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, NocoDB or StarRocks?
NocoDB starts at Free and StarRocks at Free.
Does NocoDB or StarRocks run on more platforms?
NocoDB runs on Cloud, Self-hosted, Docker. StarRocks runs on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes.
Can I use NocoDB for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is NocoDB best used for?
NocoDB is most often used for self-hosting an open source alternative to a spreadsheet database, putting a spreadsheet interface over an existing postgres or mysql database, building internal tools on structured data with an api, team bases with per-field and per-table permissions on the paid tiers. Of those, self-hosting an open source alternative to a spreadsheet database and putting a spreadsheet interface over an existing postgres or mysql database are not what StarRocks is typically brought in for.
What can NocoDB do that StarRocks cannot?
NocoDB covers REST API, GraphQL API, No-code database, Multiple SQL databases. StarRocks covers Cost-based optimiser, Lakehouse query engine, Primary key tables, Materialised views.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

NocoDB: Is NocoDB free?

Yes, NocoDB offers a free cloud plan with 3 editor seats, 1,000 records, 1 GB storage, and 1,000 API calls per month. A free self-hosted Community edition with unlimited records and seats is also available.

Source
StarRocks: Is StarRocks open source?

Yes, Apache 2.0, governed under the Linux Foundation since 2023.

NocoDB: How much does NocoDB Plus cost?

NocoDB Plus costs $12 per seat per month (billed annually) or $15 per seat per month (monthly). For unlimited seats, it costs $108/month annually or $180/month monthly. Plus includes 50,000 records, 20 GB storage, and 100,000 API calls per month.

Source
StarRocks: How does it differ from ClickHouse?

StarRocks is built for joins across a star schema with a cost-based optimiser; ClickHouse is fastest on denormalised single tables.

NocoDB: What is the difference between NocoDB Plus and Business plans?

Plus ($12/seat annual) includes 50,000 records and 100,000 API calls per month. Business ($24/seat annual) includes 300,000 records, 1,000,000 API calls per month, external database connections, SAML SSO, and table/field permissions.

Source
StarRocks: Who maintains it?

CelerData, formerly StarRocks Inc, is the dominant contributor and sells the managed service.

NocoDB: Can I self-host NocoDB for free?

Yes, NocoDB's Community edition is free for self-hosting. It includes unlimited records, storage, and seats, with all core features including webhooks and 6 view types.

Source
StarRocks: Can it query Iceberg tables directly?

Yes, along with Hudi, Delta Lake, Hive and Paimon, with a local cache for repeat queries.

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