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Timescale vs Grist

Timescale logo

Timescale

Software

PostgreSQL platform for time-series and analytical workloads

From
$30/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
G

Grist

Software

The evolution of spreadsheets

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Timescale it is built on Postgres, so it inherits Postgres's vertical-scaling limits compared to purpose-built distributed time-series systems.; Grist hosted plans run $10 to $29 per month per workspace, and the free self-hosted option requires running the software yourself to avoid that cost

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Timescale and Grist actually diverge.

Attributes where Timescale and Grist differ
AttributeTimescaleGrist
Starting price$30/monthOn request
Platformsweb, apiWeb

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

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 Timescale

  • Hypertables
  • Native compression
  • Continuous aggregates
  • Point-in-time recovery
  • Read replicas
  • Private networking

Only in Grist

Nothing recorded that Timescale does not also cover.

What people use each for

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

Timescale

  • IoT and sensor data storagenot Grist
  • Operational and infrastructure metricsnot Grist
  • Time-series analytics dashboardsnot Grist
  • Financial and market tick datanot Grist

Grist

No use cases recorded yet. See the Grist review.

Where each one falls short

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

Timescale

  • It is built on Postgres, so it inherits Postgres's vertical-scaling limits compared to purpose-built distributed time-series systems.
  • The free trial is time-limited (30 days) rather than a permanent free tier.
  • Enterprise features like HIPAA compliance and cross-region backups require custom-priced Enterprise plans, not available on entry tiers.
  • Multi-node horizontal scaling and read replicas are gated behind the higher-priced Scale plan.

Grist

  • Hosted plans run $10 to $29 per month per workspace, and the free self-hosted option requires running the software yourself to avoid that cost

Pricing, plan by plan

Timescale

$30/month
  • Performance$30/month
    • 4 database services
    • Up to 8 CPU / 32GB memory per service
    • Up to 16TB disk per service
  • Scale$36/month
    • Unlimited database services
    • Up to 32 CPU / 128GB memory per service
    • Up to 64TB disk per service
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Up to 64 CPU / 256GB memory per service
    • Cross-region backups
    • SAML SSO, HIPAA compliance

Grist

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Grist review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Timescale if

  • You need hypertables.
  • You work on web, api.
  • You also want native compression.
Timescale review

Choose Grist if

Nothing in the data separates Grist from Timescale on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

Grist review

Questions people ask

Is Timescale or Grist better?
Neither clearly leads. Timescale starts at $30/month and Grist at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Timescale or Grist?
Timescale starts at $30/month and Grist at On request.
Does Timescale or Grist run on more platforms?
Timescale runs on web, api. Grist runs on Web.
What is Timescale best used for?
Timescale is most often used for iot and sensor data storage, operational and infrastructure metrics, time-series analytics dashboards, financial and market tick data. Of those, iot and sensor data storage and operational and infrastructure metrics are not what Grist is typically brought in for.
What can Timescale do that Grist cannot?
Timescale covers Hypertables, Native compression, Continuous aggregates, Point-in-time recovery.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Timescale: What does Timescale (Tiger Data) cost?

Tiger Cloud starts at $30/month for the Performance plan (4 database services, up to 8 CPU/32GB RAM), $36/month for Scale (unlimited services, multi-node HA), and custom Enterprise pricing for larger deployments.

Source
Timescale: Is there a free trial and what does it include?

New users get a 30-day trial of the Performance plan with no credit card required, letting them test hypertables, compression and continuous aggregates before paying.

Source
Timescale: How is usage billed?

Billing is monthly in arrears with hourly-metered compute and storage based on average GB consumed per hour; mid-month plan changes are pro-rated and customers can cancel anytime.

Source
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