Free database software for small business: 8 options a non-technical team can use
Compare 8 free database software options for customers, jobs and stock: each free plan's record and user limits, who it suits, and what you pay to grow.
The best free database software for a small business depends on who uses it. LibreOffice Base is fully free for one person on one computer. For a team in a browser, Airtable, Baserow, Grist and NocoDB have free plans capped at 1,000 to 5,000 records, and Google Sheets with a Google Form costs nothing.
This guide is for the owner or office manager who wants one place for customers, jobs, stock or members, not a developer tool. It compares eight free options a non-technical team can really use, grouped by kind, with each free plan’s limits and what you pay to grow, then helps you choose. We make GoodTaco, so its entry is labeled.
How we researched this: in October 2026 we checked every free plan, limit and price in this guide on each vendor’s own pricing or help pages. Paid prices are US list prices for the cheapest paid plan, and plans change often.
Free database software for small business, compared
“Yearly” means the monthly price on a one-year plan.
| Tool | Free limits | What’s free | Works on | To grow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LibreOffice Base | No plan limits; one person at a time | All of it, open source | Windows, Mac, Linux | No paid version |
| Airtable | 1,000 records per base, 5 editors, 1 GB of files per base | Free plan | Browser; Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android apps | Team $20/user/month, yearly |
| Baserow | 3,000 rows per workspace, 2 GB of storage | Free plan; free to host yourself | Browser | Premium $10/user/month, yearly |
| Grist | 5,000 records per document, 10 members, 2 guests per document | Free plan; free to host yourself | Browser | Pro $8/user/month, yearly |
| NocoDB | 1,000 records per workspace, 3 editors, 1 GB of storage | Free plan; free to host yourself | Browser | Plus $12/user/month, yearly |
| Google Sheets + Google Forms | 20 million cells per spreadsheet | Free with a Google account | Browser, phone, tablet | Workspace $7/user/month, yearly |
| Zoho Creator | 1 app and 250 MB, for one person | Free plan | Browser, phone, tablet | Standard $8/user/month, yearly |
| GoodTaco (our product) | 1 app; records in your Google Sheet, or up to 100 in a built-in database | Free plan | Any browser, including a phone’s | From $9/month; Pro $49/month with 10 users |
Is free database software really free?
Free database programs come in three kinds:
- Free software. LibreOffice Base costs nothing and has no plans. You install it on your computer and keep the file yourself.
- Free to host yourself. Baserow, Grist and NocoDB publish free editions you run on your own server, and Baserow and NocoDB set no record limits on theirs. The software is free, but the server, updates and backups are your job, so you need someone technical.
- Free plans. Airtable, Baserow, Grist, NocoDB, Zoho Creator and GoodTaco host everything for you and cap records, people or apps. Past the cap, you pay, usually per user.
Google Sheets sits in between: it’s free with any Google account and holds far more than any free plan. But it’s a spreadsheet: it only checks what people type where you add data validation, and it doesn’t link records the way a database does. Our guide to the difference between a database and a spreadsheet explains when that starts to matter.
The cap that matters most is records. Before you pick, add up the customers, jobs, stock items or members you’d keep, plus a year of new ones.
In this example, the shop outgrows Airtable’s and NocoDB’s free plans on day one, and fits Baserow’s and Grist’s with room to spare. On GoodTaco, the shop can keep its records in its own Google Sheet, with no cap from GoodTaco.
Is there free database software for Windows and Mac?
Yes. LibreOffice Base is the one option here that runs on your own computer, with no account and no server.
1. LibreOffice Base
Base is the database program in LibreOffice, a free, open-source office suite. You build tables, forms, queries and reports in one place (LibreOffice).
- Best for: one person who wants a database on their own computer, such as a customer list or a parts log.
- What’s free: all of it. There’s no paid edition and no plan with a record cap.
- Works on: Windows 10 and 11, macOS 11 or newer, and Linux. Base needs Java installed (system requirements).
- Watch out for: a database made with Base’s built-in engine opens for one person at a time. To share it, you move the data to a database server, which takes someone technical (LibreOffice Base Guide). There’s no browser or phone version.
Which free no-code databases work like a spreadsheet?
A no-code database looks like a spreadsheet, but each column holds one kind of value, such as a date or a choice from a list, and records link to each other. You set it up by clicking, not coding. Our guide to Airtable alternatives compares these four and more on price per seat.
2. Airtable
Airtable is a no-code database: a grid with linked records, forms and views. Each database is called a base.
- Best for: a small team that wants an easy start and apps on their phones.
- Free plan: 1,000 records per base, up to 5 editors, 1 GB of attachments per base and 100 automation runs a month. People who only view records are free and unlimited (Airtable plans).
- Works on: any browser, plus apps for Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android (Airtable downloads).
- To grow: Team is $20 per user per month billed yearly, or $24 monthly, with 50,000 records per base.
- Watch out for: 1,000 records goes quickly once jobs pile up, and a sixth editor means moving to Team and paying for every editor.
3. Baserow
Baserow is an open-source database in the style of Airtable (Baserow pricing).
- Best for: a team that wants more free records in one database than Airtable allows, and the option to host it themselves later.
- Free plan: 3,000 rows per workspace, 2 GB of storage, and grid, form and gallery views. You invite people by email, and the pricing page lists no user limit for Free.
- Host it yourself: free, and Baserow says the version you host will never have limits on rows or storage.
- Works on: any browser.
- To grow: Premium is $10 per user per month billed yearly, or $12 monthly, with 50,000 rows per workspace.
- Watch out for: board, calendar and other views start on Premium.
4. Grist
Grist is a spreadsheet and a database in one, with spreadsheet-style formulas and a free Community edition you can host yourself (Grist pricing).
- Best for: teams that think in formulas, or need some people to see only some records, since access rules are on the free plan.
- Free plan: unlimited documents, up to 5,000 records per document, 10 team members, 2 guests per document and 1 GB of attachments per document.
- Works on: any browser.
- To grow: Pro is $8 per user per month billed yearly, or $10 monthly, with 100,000 records per document.
- Watch out for: the Free, Pro and Business plans all allow 2 guests per document, so sharing with many outside people, such as customers, gets awkward.
5. NocoDB
NocoDB is a no-code database with a free Community edition you can run on your own server (NocoDB pricing).
- Best for: a team with someone technical who wants to host it themselves, with no record or user limits.
- Free plan: 3 editors, 10 commenters, 1,000 records per workspace and 1 GB of storage.
- Host it yourself: the Community edition is free, with unlimited records and users.
- Works on: any browser.
- To grow: Plus is $12 per user per month billed yearly, or $15 monthly, with 50,000 records. A flat $108 a month, billed yearly, covers any number of users.
- Watch out for: the hosted free plan caps the whole workspace at 1,000 records, where Airtable’s cap is per base, so the edition you host yourself is the one that stands out.
Other free database tools
- Notion is a workspace for documents with simple databases inside. Its free plan is for individuals: a workspace with two or more members gets a limited number of blocks (Notion pricing).
- SeaTable is a spreadsheet-style database whose free plan covers up to 25 users and 10,000 rows (SeaTable pricing).
- Stackby is a spreadsheet-style database whose free plan allows 1,500 rows per stack (its word for a database) and 5 editors (Stackby pricing).
- Google AppSheet builds apps on Google Sheets. It’s free while you build and test with up to 10 people, and Starter is $5 per user per month (AppSheet pricing).
Is Google Sheets with Google Forms a good free option?
For one or two simple lists, yes. A Google Form adds the records and the sheet stores them. Our guide to using Google Sheets as a database shows how to set a sheet up so it holds together.
6. Google Sheets with Google Forms
A Google Form collects new records, such as job requests or member sign-ups, and saves the responses to a Google Sheet you choose (Google Forms help).
- Best for: a team already on Google that needs one or two simple lists.
- What’s free: all of it, with a Google account. A spreadsheet holds up to 20 million cells (Google Drive limits), and an account includes up to 15 GB of storage shared with Gmail, Google Drive and Google Photos (Google One help).
- Works on: any browser, phones and tablets (Google Sheets).
- To grow: Google Workspace Business Starter adds business email and 30 GB of storage per person for $7 per user per month with a one-year commitment.
- Watch out for: it’s still a spreadsheet. Anyone who can edit can type over a value or sort the whole sheet, and links between lists are lookup formulas that break when a name changes.
Which free app builders come with a database?
App builders give each job its own screen, such as booking a job or logging a part, instead of one big grid, and keep the records in their own database.
7. Zoho Creator
Zoho Creator is a low-code app builder from Zoho, with its own database, forms and reports (Zoho Creator pricing).
- Best for: one person who wants to try building a form-and-report app before paying for the team.
- Free plan: one app and 250 MB of storage, for one person: sharing apps with other users isn’t included (Zoho Creator plans).
- Works on: web, phones and tablets.
- To grow: Standard is $8 per user per month billed yearly, or $12 monthly, and still covers one app. Professional, at $20 per user per month billed yearly, has unlimited apps.
- Watch out for: it’s low-code, so expect to learn its form and report builder before the app does what you want.
8. GoodTaco (our product)
GoodTaco is an AI app builder for business teams. You describe what you need, or upload a spreadsheet, and it builds a working web app with screens, forms, search and sign-in in minutes. Records live in a built-in GoodTaco database or in your Google Sheet.
- Best for: a team that wants an app for each job, like booking work or checking stock, without building screens or learning a tool.
- Free plan: one app, with no credit card. Records stay in your Google Sheet, or the built-in database holds up to 100.
- Works on: any browser, including a phone’s.
- To grow: paid plans from $9 a month, and Pro at $49 a month includes 10 users. Bigger teams talk to us about Enterprise.
Which databases are free to use, like MySQL and PostgreSQL?
MySQL Community Edition, PostgreSQL, SQLite and Microsoft’s SQL Server Express are free. They’re database engines, the part inside other software that stores records, not apps you open and type into. Free, but you’d need someone technical to set up the tables, build screens to enter records and run the backups.
Microsoft Access isn’t free: it comes with some Microsoft 365 plans (Microsoft support). The free Access Runtime only runs databases someone already built, with its design tools removed or disabled (Access Runtime). Our guide to Microsoft Access alternatives compares the ways off it.
How to choose free database software
Start with who’ll use it and where they work.
Then check your finalists against these questions:
- How many records? Count every customer, job, item or member you’d keep, plus a year of new ones, and compare with each free plan’s cap in the table above.
- How many people add or change records? Airtable’s free plan allows 5 editors, NocoDB’s 3 and Grist’s 10. Zoho Creator’s free plan is for you alone.
- A grid or an app? Are the people adding records at a counter or on a job site? A screen built for one task, such as logging a job, is quicker than hunting for the right row.
Then price the step after free. Most tools charge per user, so here’s the cheapest paid plan for 10 and 15 people who add records, per month:
| Plan | 10 people | 15 people |
|---|---|---|
| Airtable Team | $200 | $300 |
| Baserow Premium | $100 | $150 |
| Grist Pro | $80 | $120 |
| NocoDB Plus | $108 | $108 |
| Zoho Creator Standard | $80 | $120 |
| GoodTaco Pro (our product) | $49 | Enterprise |
Prices are on a one-year plan where the vendor offers one; GoodTaco’s are monthly. NocoDB’s $108 covers any number of users, Zoho Creator’s Standard plan covers one app, and GoodTaco Pro includes 10 users. Google Sheets with Google Forms stays free as your team grows, and Workspace, at $7 per person, adds business email.
If you mostly need a customer list and a sales pipeline, a free CRM may fit better than a database. Whichever you pick, make sure you can export your records to a CSV or Excel file, so you can move later.
Turn your spreadsheet into a database app with GoodTaco
If the plumbing shop’s customers, jobs and parts already live in a spreadsheet, that file is the best place to start. Turn your spreadsheet into an app: upload the Excel or CSV file, with no account needed to try it, and GoodTaco puts each tab into a table in a built-in database, with job status as a dropdown. If the team works in Google Sheets, connect the sheet instead. The app reads and writes it live, and the sheet keeps holding the records.
Then ask for the screens each person needs. The office books jobs on a form that picks the customer from a list. A technician opens today’s jobs on a phone. Whoever orders parts sees the ones running low. GoodTaco builds each screen in minutes, and you change it by asking. Our page on database software for small business shows more of what teams build.
Rather start from a working example? The rental database template is a working app with customers, rental items, bookings that move from Quote to Booked, Out and Returned, and the payments on each booking. Its sample records come from an event-rental business. For a service business like the plumbing shop above, ask GoodTaco to rename bookings to jobs and rental items to parts, then replace the samples with your own records.
GoodTaco is free to start. Paid plans start at $9 a month, and Pro at $49 a month includes 10 users; bigger teams talk to us about Enterprise.
Give your customers, jobs and stock one home your whole team can open. Start free, no credit card needed.
Frequently asked questions
Is there any free database software?
Yes. LibreOffice Base is free desktop database software for Windows, Mac and Linux. Baserow, Grist and NocoDB have free editions you can host on your own server, and Airtable, Baserow, Grist, NocoDB, Zoho Creator and GoodTaco have free online plans with caps on records, users or apps. Google Sheets with Google Forms is free with a Google account.
What is the best free database software for a small business?
It depends on who uses it. For one person on one computer, LibreOffice Base. For a small team working in a grid in the browser, Grist's free plan allows 5,000 records per document and 10 members, and Baserow's allows 3,000 rows per workspace. For an app with screens and forms instead of a grid, Zoho Creator's free plan suits one person working alone, and GoodTaco builds your team an app that opens in any browser: free to start, with Pro at $49 a month for 10 users.
Can I create a database for free?
Yes. Install LibreOffice Base to keep a database on your own computer, or sign up for a free plan from Airtable, Baserow, Grist, NocoDB, Zoho Creator or GoodTaco and build one in your browser. Count your records first, because most free plans cap them, and check you can export to a CSV or Excel file in case you move later.
What is the easiest free database software to use?
For a small team, Airtable is the easiest start: a grid that works like a spreadsheet, with forms and phone apps, free for up to 5 editors and 1,000 records per base. For one or two simple lists, Google Sheets with a Google Form is easier still, because your team already knows it. If you'd rather not set up tables at all, GoodTaco builds the app from a description or an uploaded spreadsheet.
What is a no-code database?
A no-code database is one you set up by clicking instead of writing code. You make tables, pick a type for each column, such as a date or a dropdown, and link records to each other, in a screen that looks like a spreadsheet. Airtable, Baserow, Grist and NocoDB are no-code databases, and all four have free plans.
Do I need to know SQL to use a database?
No. No-code databases such as Airtable, Baserow, Grist and NocoDB, and app builders such as Zoho Creator and GoodTaco, let you set up tables and screens by clicking or by describing what you need. SQL only matters for database engines such as MySQL and PostgreSQL, which need someone technical.
Are MySQL and PostgreSQL free?
Yes. MySQL Community Edition and PostgreSQL are free and open source, and SQLite is in the public domain. They're database engines, not apps you open and type into, so you need someone technical to set up the tables, the screens for entering records and the backups.
Start from the rental database template
Get your own copy of a working rental database app with sample data, ready to make yours. Free to start.
Use the rental database template, free