NocoDB

NocoDB turns a MySQL, Postgres or SQLite database into an Airtable-style spreadsheet interface with grid, kanban, gallery, form and calendar views, and is used by teams that want Airtable ergonomics on data they own. There are two free routes: the cloud Free plan at $0 per user, and the self-hosted Community edition, which is free forever under a fair-code licence.

What the free plan gives you

On NocoDB Cloud, Free includes 3 editor seats, unlimited bases, 1,000 records, 1 GB of storage, 1,000 API calls a month, 100 automation runs, 1 extension and 1 interface with up to 3 pages. Self-hosting the Community edition removes every one of those numbers: unlimited seats, records, storage, API calls, automations and bases. NocoDB also ships an Airtable importer that the vendor says handles 20k+ record bases.

Where the free plan stops

On the cloud plan, 1,000 records is the wall. A modest CRM or inventory table crosses it in weeks, and 1,000 API calls a month rules out any integration that polls. The Plus plan lifts these limits at $15 per user a month billed monthly ($12 annually); Business is $30 per user monthly ($24 annually). For self-hosters, the Community edition has no usage caps, but Business-only features like advanced permissions and SSO cost $30 per editor a month.

Who it suits

If you can run a Docker container, self-hosted NocoDB is one of the most generous free databases around and a fair Airtable replacement for internal tools. If you need a hosted, zero-maintenance option, the cloud Free plan works for prototypes and personal trackers but not for a live team database, where Plus at $15 a user is the realistic entry point.