Replace / Google Sheets
Replace Google Sheets with Grist
The best open-source alternative to Google Sheets is Grist, self-hosted on Railway. Spreadsheets you host. Grist core is Apache-2.0 — Google Sheets without the workbook in someone else's building.
Estimated save $1,200 a year.
Open the stackStart on Railway
How Google Sheets compares
| Google Sheets | Grist | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Hosted subscription | Open-source or fair-code license; you pay the host |
| Hosting | Vendor cloud | Self-hosted on Railway or any VPS |
| Rough monthly cost | Public list price not verified this run | Hosting only — no SaaS seat meter in this repo |
- Grist
Apache-2.0 spreadsheet-database (grist-core / self-host)
FAQ
- Is it free?
- The Grist licenses are open source or fair-code. You still pay hosting (Railway or any VPS) and any APIs the stack calls. There is no Google Sheets seat or task bill on this path.
- Can I migrate from Google Sheets?
- Yes. Start with the workflows or data you actually use, then cut over. The Grist stack page has the agent prompt and the cost table; most teams rebuild the slice that matters and leave old Google Sheets links until they expire.
- How do I deploy it?
- Open the Grist stack, copy the agent prompt, and deploy on Railway (one service, PORT, and a volume when the app needs disk). Placeholder: Grist core (gristlabs/grist-oss) plus a volume for documents. Bind HTTP to 0.0.0.0:$PORT. No one-click template in this repo yet — Start on Railway. Airtable-shaped bases stay on /stacks/baserow-appsmith.
- What does this replace?
- Google Sheets. The published small-team estimate on this stack is $1,200 a year.
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