Spreadsheets · head to head
Rowy vs Teable
Rowy
Spreadsheets
Spreadsheet interface for Google Cloud Firestore with cloud functions written in the browser
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
Teable
Spreadsheets
Spreadsheet interface over real PostgreSQL tables, so the data stays queryable by anything that speaks SQL
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- 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.; Teable the automation builder is far less capable than the established commercial alternatives, so multi step workflows usually end up in an external tool that must be paid for and maintained separately.
- They diverge on capability: Rowy covers Firestore backed grid, Teable covers PostgreSQL native storage.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Rowy and Teable 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 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 Teable
- PostgreSQL native storage
- Multiple views
- Linked records and rollups
- Generated REST API
- Real time collaboration
- Self hosting via Docker
- Field level permissions
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 Teable
- Operations staff correcting production records in Firestore without developer involvementnot Teable
- Attaching a small transformation or notification function to a field change without a full deployment pipelinenot Teable
- A content team populating documents that a mobile application reads directly from Firestorenot Teable
Teable
- A team that has hit the record ceiling of a hosted spreadsheet database and does not want to move to raw SQLnot Rowy
- Operational data that a business intelligence tool must also read directly, without an export or a sync jobnot Rowy
- A regulated or data resident organisation that needs the underlying database inside its own infrastructurenot Rowy
- An internal tool where a grid interface and a REST API over the same table are both requirednot 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.
Teable
- The automation builder is far less capable than the established commercial alternatives, so multi step workflows usually end up in an external tool that must be paid for and maintained separately.
- Self hosting moves PostgreSQL backups, version upgrades, connection pooling and capacity planning onto your team, and the licence saving disappears if that time is costed honestly.
- The integration catalogue is small, so connecting to a common business system often means writing against the REST API rather than installing a connector.
- The project is young relative to the products it replaces, and interface and API changes still arrive at a pace that requires reading release notes before upgrading.
- Storing every table as a real PostgreSQL table means schema changes are real migrations, so a careless field type change on a large table can lock it far longer than a spreadsheet user would expect.
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
Teable
Free- Self hosted open sourceFree
- No licence fee
- Unlimited rows subject to your PostgreSQL capacity
- Docker deployment
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.
Choose Teable if
- You need postgresql native storage.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Linux.
- You also want multiple views.
Questions people ask
- Is Rowy or Teable better?
- Neither clearly leads. Rowy starts at Free and Teable at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Rowy or Teable?
- Rowy starts at Free and Teable at Free.
- Does Rowy or Teable run on more platforms?
- Rowy runs on Web. Teable runs on Web, Linux.
- Can I use Rowy for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- 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 Teable is typically brought in for.
- What can Rowy do that Teable cannot?
- Rowy covers Firestore backed grid, Browser authored cloud functions, Typed columns, Runs in your Google Cloud project. Teable covers PostgreSQL native storage, Multiple views, Linked records and rollups, Generated REST API.
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.
Teable: How many rows can it actually hold?
As many as your PostgreSQL instance can serve. There is no product imposed record limit on the self hosted edition, which is the main reason to choose it.
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.
Teable: Can I query the data with SQL directly?
Yes. Tables are real PostgreSQL tables, so any SQL client or reporting tool can read them.
Rowy: Can it do joins across collections?
Not really. Firestore does not support joins, and no interface layer can add them.
Teable: Is self hosting genuinely free?
The licence is. The database server, backups and the engineer maintaining them are not.
Rowy: Is there a row limit?
Not from Rowy. The limits that bite are Firestore document size and per document write throughput.
Teable: Does it replace Airtable feature for feature?
No. Views and field types are close; automations, apps and the integration catalogue are not.
Rowy: Is it suitable if I am not on Firebase?
No. It is specifically a Firestore interface.
Teable: What happens to my data if the project stops?
It remains in a standard PostgreSQL database that you control, which is a materially better exit than a proprietary export format.
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