Spreadsheets · head to head
APITable vs Rowy
APITable
Spreadsheets
Open source spreadsheet database with an API first design and an embeddable widget system
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
Rowy
Spreadsheets
Spreadsheet interface for Google Cloud Firestore with cloud functions written in the browser
- 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.; Rowy every Firestore limit is inherited, including the one megabyte per document ceiling and roughly one sustained write per second per document, which surprises users who expect spreadsheet behaviour.
- They diverge on capability: APITable covers API first design, Rowy covers Firestore backed grid.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which APITable and Rowy actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (Open source, no licence fee), free tier (Yes), 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 APITable
- API first design
- Widget SDK
- Embeddable views
- Multiple view types
- Linked records and formulas
- Self hosting
- Real time collaboration
Only in Rowy
- Firestore backed grid
- Browser authored cloud functions
- Typed columns
- Runs in your Google Cloud project
- Role based access
- Form view
- Open source
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 Rowy
- An internal platform where tables are read and written mostly by code through the API and only occasionally by peoplenot Rowy
- A self hosted replacement for a per seat spreadsheet database where seat count is the cost drivernot Rowy
- Building a custom dashboard widget that sits beside the data instead of in a separate reporting toolnot Rowy
Rowy
- A Firebase application that needs an internal admin interface without building onenot APITable
- Operations staff correcting production records in Firestore without developer involvementnot APITable
- Attaching a small transformation or notification function to a field change without a full deployment pipelinenot APITable
- A content team populating documents that a mobile application reads directly from Firestorenot 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.
Rowy
- Every Firestore limit is inherited, including the one megabyte per document ceiling and roughly one sustained write per second per document, which surprises users who expect spreadsheet behaviour.
- Firestore has no joins, so linking tables in the grid is a convenience layer rather than a relational feature and reports across collections still need a separate query.
- It is useful only to teams already on Firebase, so choosing it effectively locks the operational tooling to one cloud vendor.
- Query costs are billed by document read, and an unfiltered grid on a large collection can generate a bill that a spreadsheet user has no intuition for.
- Development activity has slowed relative to the broader category, so evaluate current maintenance before making it load bearing for internal operations.
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
Rowy
Free- Open source self hostedFree
- No licence fee
- Deploys into your own Google Cloud project
- You pay Google Cloud for Firestore reads, writes and storage
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 Rowy if
- You need firestore backed grid.
- You want to start without paying.
- You also want browser authored cloud functions.
Questions people ask
- Is APITable or Rowy better?
- Neither clearly leads. APITable starts at Free and Rowy at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, APITable or Rowy?
- APITable starts at Free and Rowy at Free.
- Does APITable or Rowy run on more platforms?
- APITable runs on Web, Linux. Rowy runs on Web.
- 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 Rowy is typically brought in for.
- What can APITable do that Rowy cannot?
- APITable covers API first design, Widget SDK, Embeddable views, Multiple view types. Rowy covers Firestore backed grid, Browser authored cloud functions, Typed columns, Runs in your Google Cloud project.
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.
Rowy: Where is my data stored?
In your own Firestore instance inside your own Google Cloud project. Rowy does not hold a copy.
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.
Rowy: What does it cost to run?
No licence fee. You pay Google Cloud for Firestore reads, writes, storage and function invocations, and an open grid on a big collection reads a lot.
APITable: Is the hosted version representative?
No. Its free tier caps records per space, which is a commercial limit rather than a technical one.
Rowy: Can it do joins across collections?
Not really. Firestore does not support joins, and no interface layer can add them.
APITable: How hard is self hosting?
Harder than a single container. Plan for several services and someone to keep them running.
Rowy: Is there a row limit?
Not from Rowy. The limits that bite are Firestore document size and per document write throughput.
APITable: Does it do automations?
Lightly. Expect to pair it with an external automation tool for anything multi step.
Rowy: Is it suitable if I am not on Firebase?
No. It is specifically a Firestore interface.
Related pages
Other head to heads
- APITable vs Baserow
- APITable vs NocoDB
- APITable vs Teable
- APITable vs SeaTable
- APITable vs Mathesar
- APITable vs Cube Software
- APITable vs Sigma Computing
- APITable vs Numbers
- APITable vs Tableau
- APITable vs Metabase
- APITable vs Looker
- APITable vs Equals
- APITable vs Coefficient
- APITable vs Budibase
- APITable vs Quadratic
- APITable vs Fibery
- APITable vs Google Sheets
- APITable vs Zoho Sheet
- Rowy vs Baserow
- Rowy vs NocoDB
- Rowy vs Teable
- Rowy vs SeaTable
- Rowy vs Mathesar
- Rowy vs Cube Software
- Rowy vs Sigma Computing
- Rowy vs Numbers
- Rowy vs Tableau
- Rowy vs Metabase
- Rowy vs Looker
- Rowy vs Equals
- Rowy vs Coefficient
- Rowy vs Budibase
- Rowy vs Quadratic
- Rowy vs Fibery
- Rowy vs Google Sheets
- Rowy vs Zoho Sheet