Spreadsheets · head to head
Rowy vs SeaTable
Rowy
Spreadsheets
Spreadsheet interface for Google Cloud Firestore with cloud functions written in the browser
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
SeaTable
Spreadsheets
German-hosted database-spreadsheet hybrid from the team behind Seafile, with a self-hosted server edition
- 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.; SeaTable the free self-hosted Developer Edition is capped at three users, so the pattern that makes Baserow and NocoDB attractive, running it yourself for free at real headcount, is not available and any serious on-premises deployment needs a paid per-user licence.
- They diverge on capability: Rowy covers Firestore backed grid, SeaTable covers Typed column database.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Rowy and SeaTable actually diverge.
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 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 SeaTable
- Typed column database
- Multiple views
- Universal app builder
- Python and JavaScript scripting
- Self-hosted server
- German data centres
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 SeaTable
- Operations staff correcting production records in Firestore without developer involvementnot SeaTable
- Attaching a small transformation or notification function to a field change without a full deployment pipelinenot SeaTable
- A content team populating documents that a mobile application reads directly from Firestorenot SeaTable
SeaTable
- A German or Austrian company that needs a shared operational database but cannot put customer records on a US-hosted servicenot Rowy
- Replacing a sprawl of Excel files used by several departments with one permissioned base and per-view sharingnot Rowy
- Running a small internal tool, such as an equipment register or an application tracker, without commissioning a bespoke buildnot Rowy
- Teams already using Seafile that want structured data alongside their file sync platformnot 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.
SeaTable
- The free self-hosted Developer Edition is capped at three users, so the pattern that makes Baserow and NocoDB attractive, running it yourself for free at real headcount, is not available and any serious on-premises deployment needs a paid per-user licence.
- Row limits are counted across the whole account rather than per base, so the free plan ceiling of 10,000 rows and the Plus ceiling of 50,000 rows arrive sooner than people expect once a few tables hold historical records.
- The integration catalogue is short compared with Airtable, and many connections have to be routed through Zapier, Make or n8n, which adds a second subscription and a second failure point.
- English documentation and community content lag the German material, so non-German teams hit thinner tutorials and fewer worked examples when they get to scripting and the app builder.
- The vendor is a small German company rather than a venture-funded platform, which is a stability advantage but means a slower feature pace and fewer third-party consultants available to hire if a project needs outside help.
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
SeaTable
Free- FreeFree
- Up to 25 users
- 10,000 rows in total
- 2 GB storage
- Plus$7/month
- Billed annually, 9 EUR if billed monthly
- 50,000 rows
- 50 GB storage
- Enterprise$14/month
- Billed annually, 18 EUR if billed monthly
- Unlimited rows
- 100 GB storage
- Dedicated Cloud$undefined/year
- Quoted, minimum 100 users
- Dedicated instance
- Unlimited rows
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 SeaTable if
- You need typed column database.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android, Linux.
- You also want multiple views.
Questions people ask
- Is Rowy or SeaTable better?
- Neither clearly leads. Rowy starts at Free and SeaTable at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Rowy or SeaTable?
- Rowy starts at Free and SeaTable at Free.
- Does Rowy or SeaTable run on more platforms?
- Rowy runs on Web. SeaTable runs on Web, iOS, Android, 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 SeaTable is typically brought in for.
- What can Rowy do that SeaTable cannot?
- Rowy covers Firestore backed grid, Browser authored cloud functions, Typed columns, Runs in your Google Cloud project. SeaTable covers Typed column database, Multiple views, Universal app builder, Python and JavaScript scripting.
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.
SeaTable: Where is SeaTable cloud data actually stored?
In data centres in Germany, under German and EU law, with a standard GDPR processing agreement available.
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.
SeaTable: Is SeaTable open source?
No. Seafile, from the same team, is open source. SeaTable is a commercial product with a free self-hosted edition limited to three users.
Rowy: Can it do joins across collections?
Not really. Firestore does not support joins, and no interface layer can add them.
SeaTable: How does it compare with Airtable on price?
Plus is 7 EUR per user per month billed annually against Airtable Team at 20 USD, but SeaTable applies hard row ceilings on every plan below Enterprise.
Rowy: Is there a row limit?
Not from Rowy. The limits that bite are Firestore document size and per document write throughput.
SeaTable: Can I move an existing Airtable base across?
Yes, SeaTable imports Airtable bases and Excel files, though formula fields and automations usually need rebuilding by hand.
Rowy: Is it suitable if I am not on Firebase?
No. It is specifically a Firestore interface.
Related pages
Other head to heads
- Rowy vs Baserow
- Rowy vs Mathesar
- Rowy vs Budibase
- Rowy vs APITable
- Rowy vs Teable
- Rowy vs Quadratic
- Rowy vs Fibery
- Rowy vs Google Sheets
- Rowy vs Numbers
- Rowy vs Zoho Sheet
- Rowy vs Coefficient
- Rowy vs Sigma Computing
- Rowy vs Equals
- Rowy vs Cube Software
- Rowy vs NocoDB
- Rowy vs Tableau
- SeaTable vs Baserow
- SeaTable vs Mathesar
- SeaTable vs Budibase
- SeaTable vs APITable
- SeaTable vs Teable
- SeaTable vs Quadratic
- SeaTable vs Fibery
- SeaTable vs Google Sheets
- SeaTable vs Numbers
- SeaTable vs Zoho Sheet
- SeaTable vs Coefficient
- SeaTable vs Sigma Computing
- SeaTable vs Equals
- SeaTable vs Cube Software
- SeaTable vs NocoDB
- SeaTable vs Tableau