Softwr

Spreadsheets · head to head

Redash vs Rowy

Redash logo

Redash

Spreadsheets

Connect and visualize your data

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: Redash pricing model not disclosed on dedicated pricing page; 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: Redash covers SQL Query Editor, Rowy covers Firestore backed grid.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Redash and Rowy actually diverge.

Attributes where Redash and Rowy differ
AttributeRedashRowy
Pricing modelfreemiumOpen source, no licence fee
PlatformsWeb, Self-hosted, CloudWeb
Founded2013Unknown

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 Redash

  • SQL Query Editor
  • Multiple Data Sources
  • Visualizations
  • Dashboards
  • Alerts
  • PostgreSQL
  • MySQL
  • BigQuery

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.

Redash

  • Data visualization and business intelligence for analyticsnot Rowy
  • Query result sharing and collaborative dashboard creationnot Rowy

Rowy

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

Where each one falls short

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

Redash

  • Pricing model not disclosed on dedicated pricing page
  • Open-source offering may require self-hosting technical expertise
  • Managed hosting or commercial support pricing not published

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

Redash

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Full Features
    • Self-hosted
    • Community Support
  • Cloud$49/month
    • Managed Hosting
    • Automatic Updates
    • Support

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 Redash if

  • You need sql query editor.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Self-hosted, Cloud.
  • You also want multiple data sources.
Redash 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 Redash or Rowy better?
Neither clearly leads. Redash 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, Redash or Rowy?
Redash starts at Free and Rowy at Free.
Does Redash or Rowy run on more platforms?
Redash runs on Web, Self-hosted, Cloud. Rowy runs on Web.
Can I use Redash for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Redash best used for?
Redash is most often used for data visualization and business intelligence for analytics, query result sharing and collaborative dashboard creation. Of those, data visualization and business intelligence for analytics and query result sharing and collaborative dashboard creation are not what Rowy is typically brought in for.
What can Redash do that Rowy cannot?
Redash covers SQL Query Editor, Multiple Data Sources, Visualizations, Dashboards. Rowy covers Firestore backed grid, Browser authored cloud functions, Typed columns, Runs in your Google Cloud project.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Redash: What is Redash's pricing?

Redash is a popular open-source project with no pricing tiers listed on the pricing page. The project emphasizes no vendor lock-in and community contribution. Paid managed hosting or commercial support options may be available but are not published on this page.

Source
Rowy: Where is my data stored?

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

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.

Rowy: Can it do joins across collections?

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

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.

Share

Related pages

More on Redash

More on Rowy

Keep looking

Other head to heads