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Spreadsheets · head to head

Quadratic vs Rowy

Quadratic logo

Quadratic

Spreadsheets

Infinite-canvas spreadsheet that runs Python, SQL and formulas in the same grid

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Rowy logo

Rowy

Spreadsheets

Spreadsheet interface for Google Cloud Firestore with cloud functions written in the browser

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Quadratic aI usage is metered as a dollar allowance rather than a flat entitlement, so a team that adopts the agent enthusiastically will exhaust 20 USD per user per month quickly and the true cost per seat becomes unpredictable.; 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: Quadratic covers Multi-language cells, Rowy covers Firestore backed grid.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Quadratic and Rowy actually diverge.

Attributes where Quadratic and Rowy differ
AttributeQuadraticRowy
Pricing modelPer user per monthOpen source, no licence fee
PlatformsWeb, macOS, Windows, LinuxWeb

Identical on both: starting price (Free), 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 Quadratic

  • Multi-language cells
  • Infinite canvas
  • Direct database connections
  • AI agent in the sheet
  • WebAssembly engine
  • Python package support

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.

Quadratic

  • An analyst who wants a SQL result, a Python transformation and a set of manual assumptions visible in one file instead of three toolsnot Rowy
  • Ad hoc modelling where part of the logic is genuinely code and part is a judgement call typed into a cellnot Rowy
  • Sharing a reproducible analysis with a colleague who will only ever open a spreadsheet, not a notebooknot Rowy
  • Prototyping a data pull against a warehouse before committing it to a scheduled pipelinenot Rowy

Rowy

  • A Firebase application that needs an internal admin interface without building onenot Quadratic
  • Operations staff correcting production records in Firestore without developer involvementnot Quadratic
  • Attaching a small transformation or notification function to a field change without a full deployment pipelinenot Quadratic
  • A content team populating documents that a mobile application reads directly from Firestorenot Quadratic

Where each one falls short

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

Quadratic

  • AI usage is metered as a dollar allowance rather than a flat entitlement, so a team that adopts the agent enthusiastically will exhaust 20 USD per user per month quickly and the true cost per seat becomes unpredictable.
  • Self-hosting is available only on the Enterprise plan, so an organisation that cannot send data to the vendor cloud has to enter a sales negotiation rather than run a container.
  • Excel and Google Sheets compatibility is partial, so files with heavy conditional formatting, pivot tables or macros do not survive a round trip and have to be rebuilt.
  • The product is young and the connector list is short, covering the main relational databases and two warehouses, so anything else has to be reached through Python code you write and maintain yourself.
  • There is no real mobile editing experience, which matters more than it sounds for a spreadsheet because approvals and quick checks routinely happen on a phone.

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

Quadratic

Free
  • PersonalFree
    • Limited AI usage
    • Limited files and connections
    • Limited sharing
  • Pro$18/month
    • Billed annually
    • 20 USD of AI credits per month
    • Unlimited files
  • Business$36/month
    • Billed annually
    • 40 USD of AI credits per month
    • Advanced permissions
  • Enterprise$undefined/year
    • Quoted
    • Self-hosting option
    • Custom AI usage

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 Quadratic if

  • You need multi-language cells.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, macOS, Windows, Linux.
  • You also want infinite canvas.
Quadratic review

Choose Rowy if

  • You need firestore backed grid.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want browser authored cloud functions.
Rowy review

Questions people ask

Is Quadratic or Rowy better?
Neither clearly leads. Quadratic 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, Quadratic or Rowy?
Quadratic starts at Free and Rowy at Free.
Does Quadratic or Rowy run on more platforms?
Quadratic runs on Web, macOS, Windows, Linux. Rowy runs on Web.
Can I use Quadratic for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Quadratic best used for?
Quadratic is most often used for an analyst who wants a sql result, a python transformation and a set of manual assumptions visible in one file instead of three tools, ad hoc modelling where part of the logic is genuinely code and part is a judgement call typed into a cell, sharing a reproducible analysis with a colleague who will only ever open a spreadsheet, not a notebook, prototyping a data pull against a warehouse before committing it to a scheduled pipeline. Of those, an analyst who wants a sql result, a python transformation and a set of manual assumptions visible in one file instead of three tools and ad hoc modelling where part of the logic is genuinely code and part is a judgement call typed into a cell are not what Rowy is typically brought in for.
What can Quadratic do that Rowy cannot?
Quadratic covers Multi-language cells, Infinite canvas, Direct database connections, AI agent in the sheet. Rowy covers Firestore backed grid, Browser authored cloud functions, Typed columns, Runs in your Google Cloud project.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Quadratic: Do I need to know Python to use it?

No, formulas work on their own, but the reason to choose Quadratic over Google Sheets is the code cells, so a team with no Python will not get the value.

Rowy: Where is my data stored?

In your own Firestore instance inside your own Google Cloud project. Rowy does not hold a copy.

Quadratic: What happens when the AI credits run out?

Prompting stops until the next monthly reset or until you move up a plan; the spreadsheet itself keeps working normally.

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.

Quadratic: Can it replace a BI tool?

Not for scheduled distribution or governed metrics. It is for exploratory work by one person or a small team, not for dashboards a hundred people read.

Rowy: Can it do joins across collections?

Not really. Firestore does not support joins, and no interface layer can add them.

Quadratic: Is my database query sent to the vendor?

Connections run through the vendor service on all plans except Enterprise self-hosting, which is the option to take if that is unacceptable.

Rowy: Is there a row limit?

Not from Rowy. The limits that bite are Firestore document size and per document write throughput.

Rowy: Is it suitable if I am not on Firebase?

No. It is specifically a Firestore interface.

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