Spreadsheet, but also a database—and a database that still feels spreadsheet-like. It’s very useful and makes it easy to connect data, which has improved my workflow a lot compared with using a traditional spreadsheet. At the same time, it remains intuitive for non-programmers who want to work with a database that looks and behaves like a spreadsheet. I’ve tried several no-code database tools like Budibase, NocoDB, and NocoBase, as well as full ERP systems like ERPNext and Dolibarr. For my needs, I think Grist hits the sweet spot.

Grist acts as the ideal compromise between heavy-duty relational databases and classic Excel spreadsheets. For those used to working in Excel, the learning curve is minimal, and you can get up to speed very quickly. Additionally, Grist has become a great alternative for me, sitting right between Obsidian and Notion. It takes the best of both worlds: offering powerful table relationships (like Notion) and supporting flexible custom widgets (like Obsidian), all while remaining an open and non-proprietary solution. 1. Open-source & Self-hosting: Complete independence, control over your own data, and active community support. 2. Python under the hood: All logic, formulas, and relationships run on Python, making the system incredibly flexible. 3. Custom widgets: Excellent interface customization. For instance, you can use widgets to set up convenient previews for attached files (like images or documents). 4. Smart attachment handling: Unlike Excel, attaching files directly to columns here is very convenient. To prevent the database file itself from bloating and taking too long to load, Grist features a brilliant option to offload attachments to external storage (S3).

Grist is available in a self-hosted version, and all its vast functionality is available to us for free, without limitations. Related widgets on one page are very easy to configure. Our small trading and manufacturing company uses Grist as a CRM, customized to our specifics and business processes. Grist allows us to very flexibly account for the specifics of our sales funnel. We are very pleased that we chose Grist. The built-in neural network in Grist also helped a lot with the initial setup.