Best "Excel-as-a-database" alternative? reddit / selfhosted ---------------------------------------------------------------------- zrad603 · 2023-12-10 19:45 We've all worked somewhere that has those massive Excel spreadsheets that should be a database, which are accessed by multiple people. One user goods up and messes up the entire "database", etc. What's the best open-source+self-hosted alternative for situations like that? Something easy to setup, and hopefully convert the existing spreadsheet. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Open_Resolution_1969 · 2023-12-10 19:55 today I discovered [https://directus.io/](https://directus.io/) I don't have hands on experience with it, yet. \---- I do have with this one, though: https://www.metabase.com/product/csv- uploads ---------------------------------------------------------------------- naamval · 2023-12-10 19:58 NocoDB and Baserow ---------------------------------------------------------------------- vrsrsns · 2023-12-10 19:59 Baserow is nice for sure. Very Airtable-ish ---------------------------------------------------------------------- nodejsdev · 2023-12-10 20:05 I am a lead software dev, our accounting team has dozens of these Excel spreadsheets that should be backed by proper databases. Anytime there is talks about migrating away from Excel, they resist to an extreme extent. These guys live and breath excel and you can't take it away from them. I ended up writing a simple VBA script in the Excel file that does some basic CRUD tasks for any data that crucial to be in our database. It uses Window authentication to access the DB and users have restricted access. I know this isn't the answer you are looking for, just wanted to share my story. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- abite · 2023-12-10 21:16 Just getting into baserow and it's very clean. Very much like air table. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- natermer · 2023-12-10 21:49 Excel can work with SQL as a datasource. This is how 'big boys' did it in the banking industry. That was years and years ago I don't know if they moved on, but it is incredibly powerful. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- helmut72 · 2023-12-10 21:59 Grist https://getgrist.com Last releases supports OpenID Connect, which is easier to setup. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Faith-in-Strangers · 2023-12-10 22:15 The best thing to do is to ingest it in a database. You can self host a plethora of SQL DBs. Stop playing with fire if you care about this data. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- dudeskeeroo · 2023-12-10 22:33 The great thing about directus is that it doesn't alter your existing tables. All the directus stuff sits in tables outside your business data and can be deleted without affecting your data (of you decide to move away from directus). ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Quack66 · 2023-12-10 23:04 I’ve deployed Directus last week for a side project and I have nothing but good things to say ! ---------------------------------------------------------------------- SillyLilBear · 2023-12-10 23:11 Was going to check out baserow, do you self host it? What you use it for? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- BakGikHung · 2023-12-11 00:18 I use it for an online CRM, and also a note taking app for language lessons. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ddpbsd · 2023-12-11 00:19 I use sqlite for everything i can ---------------------------------------------------------------------- fprof · 2023-12-11 00:28 Depends on what you do in your Excel file. There is no all-in-one solution. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- sidusnare · 2023-12-11 01:53 You need to describe the data and it's use cases. Can't make any recommendations about a data engine without the data's spec. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- limskey · 2023-12-11 02:05 I just started messing with this. I like how I can mess with the UI. Baserow is obviously similar but I need to mess with the UI ---------------------------------------------------------------------- neumaticc · 2023-12-11 03:46 postgres 🗿 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- vrsrsns · 2023-12-11 03:47 I track installed plugins on my music studio computer, used it for job hunting before, and for a CRM-type application that tracks clients. The cool thing about Baserow is that you can apply it to any database so in theory if you are using mysql/maria for another application, you can use baserow for analytics as well as a better alternative to something like PHPmyAdmin (do this with caution, of course). ---------------------------------------------------------------------- itbytesbob · 2023-12-11 07:50 Those big boys probably moved over to powerBI ---------------------------------------------------------------------- itbytesbob · 2023-12-11 07:52 If they're somewhat smart the excel sheet is only used to maintain some kind of master data and everyone else using it is looking to it as a source ---------------------------------------------------------------------- RydRychards · 2023-12-11 08:34 Retool and postgres ---------------------------------------------------------------------- AncientSecond245 · 2023-12-11 10:28 Been using NocoDB, it's nice. I can run easily. I can connect to external datasource on-the-fly. Fuctionality-wise, it's okay. "I wish it's a bit fast" is the only cons I've been struggling with. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- CosineTau · 2023-12-11 11:08 Sqlite ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Big_Booty_Pics · 2023-12-11 13:19 Is their Docker Compose still just completely broken? I remember when I first tried using it, all the containers start up but the UI is basically unusable because you can't log in, can't use templates, can't save any views, etc. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- liotier · 2023-12-11 14:39 And Business Objects, and Tableau, and all the other enterprisey reporting torment nexii... ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Jaycuse · 2023-12-11 16:49 I'll have to add this to the list. I'm still using Notion for it's DB table stuff. The one thing that always falls short when looking at Notion replacements is people always just focus on the notes part but not as much on the fact that it does no-code databases. It's been on my todo list to find a replacement and this looks like it will do the job nicely. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rakn · 2023-12-11 19:18 I'm curious what you use it for. It's one of those tools which I find fascinating, but don't know what to use it for. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- aft_punk · 2023-12-11 19:34 I’ve used Directus for years. I have nothing but awesome things to say about it! That said, I would classify it more of a database as an API, and doesn’t necessarily have the same functionality as one would expect from a spreadsheet type substitute. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Citadel5_JP · 2023-12-12 00:58 You can take a look at GS-Base, especially if there are some calculations/analyses involved. It's a database with a spreadsheet-like interface and functions (up to 256 million rows; typical 16GB RAM should be sufficient to work comfortably with 1 - 1.5 billion cells). You can password-protect and encrypt individual columns so that others will be only able to edit the unencrypted ones. Supported file formats, including xlsx, can be used in-place so you don't have to convert or "import" anything. It's also easy to automatically aggregate the data from files edited/used by others. Not open source, but if it's about the price, it's very inexpensive. Requires around 10MB, can be also used as a portable setup for example on a USB flash drive. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- AncientSecond245 · 2023-12-12 03:09 have you use something like google spreadsheet or microsoft excel? I am using nocodb to replace them. I have a form, each time someone submit to my form, I will send those data to this NocoDB. so that I don't have to check various services. NocoDB itself has a form feature, but I am not really comfortable using it. Since I already put all my data in NocoDB through a form, webhook or API, I still can insert them manually through their interface, including update and deletion. Now I can share the view to someone through a public URL. I've been using it for managing a cash (for community so that its available in public the cash history), registration form, and job application tracker. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- somebodyknows_ · 2023-12-12 21:33 What are advantages instead of using say orm solutions such as prisma? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- dudeskeeroo · 2023-12-12 21:58 Directus isn't an ORM. It's a system that allows you to create turns to access your data, as well as an user management system to control who has what access to the forms. Basically, directus turns your data into a fully fledged app really quickly. It also gives you REST and GraphQL endpoints to your data, should you want API endpoints. I'm assuming with Prisms you'd still need to write the entire app around your data. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- helmut72 · 2023-12-14 07:06 Use your docker-compose that fits your environment. Every environment is a bit different. I have Grist running since 1 year very stable. Grist is what I expect from something like Excel, because I can access my tables from anywhere as a human and from an API for other server apps or scripts. Some great sheets doesn't help me if they are save on my Macs SSD if I can't access it. Any complete file sync with WebDAV isn't what I need with my tables. A computer is there to help fill my tables, not so much error prone and lazy like me \*lol\*