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Spreadsheets · head to head

Rowy vs Stacker

Rowy logo

Rowy

Spreadsheets

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Stacker logo

Stacker

No-Code

Permissioned portals over data that stays in Airtable, Salesforce or Postgres

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Rowy has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: 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.; Stacker there is no source export and no self-hosting, so leaving means rebuilding the entire interface and permission model elsewhere, even though the underlying records remain yours.
  • They diverge on capability: Rowy covers Firestore backed grid, Stacker covers Per-record permissions.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Rowy and Stacker actually diverge.

Attributes where Rowy and Stacker differ
AttributeRowyStacker
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feequote
Free tierYesNo
CategorySpreadsheetsNo-Code

Identical on both: platforms (Web), 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 Rowy

  • Firestore backed grid
  • Browser authored cloud functions
  • Typed columns
  • Runs in your Google Cloud project
  • Role based access
  • Form view
  • Open source

Only in Stacker

  • Per-record permissions
  • External user portals
  • Live connection to the source
  • Page and layout builder
  • Workflow actions
  • Custom domains and branding
  • User onboarding
  • Role based navigation

What people use each for

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

Rowy

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

Stacker

  • Giving clients a login that shows only their own records inside an internal Airtable basenot Rowy
  • Contractor or franchisee portals where each account must see one slice of a shared datasetnot Rowy
  • Replacing a spreadsheet emailed to partners with a permissioned live view of the same datanot Rowy
  • Putting a usable interface on a Salesforce or Postgres dataset for users who should never see the underlying systemnot Rowy

Where each one falls short

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

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.

Stacker

  • There is no source export and no self-hosting, so leaving means rebuilding the entire interface and permission model elsewhere, even though the underlying records remain yours.
  • Performance is bounded by the data source, so an Airtable base near its row limit or an API under rate limiting produces a slow portal that no amount of Stacker configuration will fix.
  • Pricing distinguishes internal editors from external portal users, so a portal that succeeds by adding hundreds of light-touch external users can end up costing more than the internal system it fronts.
  • Custom logic is limited to the actions and conditions the builder exposes, so anything resembling a calculation engine or a branching multi-step approval hits a wall and needs an external automation tool bolted on.
  • It is a portal and CRUD tool by design, with no offline mode, no native mobile application and no real reporting layer, so it will not be the only system a growing operation runs.

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Stacker

On request
  • Stacker$undefined/month
    • Priced by workspace tier with caps on apps and users
    • External portal users charged differently from internal editors
    • Higher tiers add permission depth and support

Which should you pick?

Choose Rowy if

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

Choose Stacker if

  • You need per-record permissions.
  • You also want external user portals.
Stacker review

Questions people ask

Is Rowy or Stacker better?
Neither clearly leads. Rowy starts at Free and Stacker at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Rowy or Stacker?
Rowy has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Rowy and On request for Stacker.
Does Rowy or Stacker run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Rowy for free?
Yes. Rowy has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Stacker starts at On request.
What is Rowy best used for?
Rowy is most often used for a firebase application that needs an internal admin interface without building one, operations staff correcting production records in firestore without developer involvement, attaching a small transformation or notification function to a field change without a full deployment pipeline, a content team populating documents that a mobile application reads directly from firestore. Of those, a firebase application that needs an internal admin interface without building one and operations staff correcting production records in firestore without developer involvement are not what Stacker is typically brought in for.
What can Rowy do that Stacker cannot?
Rowy covers Firestore backed grid, Browser authored cloud functions, Typed columns, Runs in your Google Cloud project. Stacker covers Per-record permissions, External user portals, Live connection to the source, Page and layout builder.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Rowy: Where is my data stored?

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

Stacker: Where does my data live?

In the source you connect: Airtable, Salesforce, HubSpot, Google Sheets or your own Postgres. Stacker reads and writes to it rather than becoming the system of record.

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.

Stacker: Can I export the app if I cancel?

No. The data stays in your source system, but the interface, permissions and workflows are Stacker configuration and do not come with you.

Rowy: Can it do joins across collections?

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

Stacker: Is it suitable for hundreds of external users?

Technically yes; check the pricing arithmetic first, because external portal users are charged separately and that is where the bill grows.

Rowy: Is there a row limit?

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

Stacker: Will it replace Airtable?

No, it sits in front of Airtable. If the base itself is at its limits, the fix is moving the data to Postgres rather than changing the portal.

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

No. It is specifically a Firestore interface.

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