Key Takeaways
- Baserow (baserow.io) is an open-source, no-code database and application builder positioned as an Airtable alternative
- Core is MIT-licensed; the premium/ and enterprise/ directories in the same repository ship under their own separate license files, confirmed via the repository's own LICENSE file
- Self-hosted deployment via Docker, Docker Compose, Helm/Kubernetes, or Cloudron; no native desktop app exists as of this review
- The AI field supports OpenAI, Anthropic, Ollama, OpenRouter, and Mistral on self-hosted instances, configured via environment variables or the admin panel β Ollama support lets AI-field prompts run entirely on your own hardware
- The AI field is gated behind a Premium plan (cloud, from $10/user/month billed yearly) or a purchased self-hosted Premium/Enterprise license β it is not part of the free MIT edition
- 5,933 GitHub stars as of this review (github.com/baserow/baserow, verified via GitHub API)
- Developed by Baserow B.V.; per Baserow's own marketing, over 150,000 users rely on the platform β this review could not independently verify that figure
π In One Sentence
Baserow is an open-source (MIT-core), no-code database and application builder, an Airtable alternative, whose AI field β a Premium-tier feature on both cloud and self-hosted instances β can be pointed at a self-hosted Ollama endpoint instead of only OpenAI, Anthropic, Mistral, or OpenRouter.
π¬ In Plain Terms
Baserow is a spreadsheet-like database you build apps on top of, without writing code. Its AI field can fill in a cell β a summary, a category, an extracted value β using an AI model. If you self-host Baserow and have a Premium license, you can point that AI field at your own local Ollama server instead of sending the prompt to OpenAI or Anthropic, so the data stays on your own infrastructure.
πNote: This review is the deep-dive companion to Baserow's entry in the Local LLM Software Directory β see that page for how Baserow compares at a glance to dozens of other local AI tools.
What Is Baserow?
Baserow is a no-code database and application builder: a spreadsheet-like grid that also functions as a relational database, with views, automations, and app-building on top. Its own GitHub description calls it a platform to "build databases, automations, apps & agents with AI β no code," positioning it as "the best Airtable alternative."
- Product type: a web application β cloud-hosted at baserow.io, or self-hosted on your own infrastructure via Docker
- Company: Baserow B.V.
- Repository: github.com/baserow/baserow, 5,933 stars as of this review, verified via GitHub API
- License: MIT for the core "Baserow Open Source Edition," per the repository's own LICENSE file; the
premium/andenterprise/directories inside the same repository are covered by their own separate license files, not MIT - Documentation: the
docs/directory is licensed separately under Creative Commons CC BY-SA 4.0 - Why it is in a local-AI directory: the AI field, on a self-hosted instance, can call a local Ollama model instead of a cloud provider β the specific feature this review focuses on
Baserow's Project History and Version Milestones
Baserow's GitHub repository carries a copyright notice dating to 2019, and the project has shipped continuously since, expanding from a database grid into automations, an application builder, and β most recently β AI fields and an AI assistant ("Kuma") for building bases from natural-language instructions.
- 1Early releases (2019β2021): Core grid database
Why it matters: Baserow launched as an open-source, self-hostable alternative to Airtable, focused on a spreadsheet-like grid database with a REST API. - 2Views expansion: Gallery, Kanban, Calendar, Form, Timeline
Why it matters: Added multiple ways to visualize the same underlying data, a core differentiator from a plain spreadsheet. - 3Automations introduced
Why it matters: Added native workflows with triggers, branches, conditions, and loops, moving Baserow from a database into a lightweight workflow tool. - 4Application builder introduced
Why it matters: Let users build front-end apps on top of a Baserow database without writing code, extending the product beyond data storage. - 5AI field and Kuma AI assistant introduced
Why it matters: Added the AI field (per-cell AI generation, classification, and extraction) and Kuma, a natural-language assistant for building bases and automations β both gated to Premium and above. - 6v2.3.4 β current stable Docker tag as of this review
Why it matters: The `baserow/baserow:latest` Docker Hub tag pointed to 2.3.4 at the time of this review's research, with the image actively re-pushed within days β check [Docker Hub](https://hub.docker.com/r/baserow/baserow/tags) directly for the current tag before deploying.
What Can You Do With Baserow?
Baserow's feature set centers on a relational database with multiple views, extended by automations, a no-code application builder, and β the reason it is covered here β an AI field that can run against a local model.
- Multiple views on one dataset β Grid, Gallery, Kanban, Calendar, Timeline, Form, and Survey views over the same underlying table, per Baserow's own product pages
- AI field β a field type that generates text (summaries, descriptions, drafts), classifies rows into predefined categories, or extracts values from referenced documents and images (PDF, Word, Markdown, PNG β files up to 10 MB) using a configured AI provider
- Ollama support in the AI field β on self-hosted instances, an admin can point the AI field at a local Ollama server by host URL, alongside or instead of OpenAI, Anthropic, Mistral, and OpenRouter, so AI-field prompts run on infrastructure you control
- Kuma AI assistant β a natural-language assistant, available on Premium and above, that Baserow describes as building databases, automations, and applications from a text prompt
- Application builder β build a front-end app (forms, pages, buttons wired to database actions) on top of a Baserow database without writing code
- Automations β native workflows with triggers, branches, conditions, and loops, consuming "automation credits" that scale with the pricing tier
- Dashboards β charts and summary views built from table data
- Integrations β connects to Postgres, Jira, GitLab, GitHub, and imports CSV, XML, JSON, and Excel files, per Baserow's own integrations documentation
Usage Examples: Three Ways to Use Baserow's Local AI Field
These are concrete workflows built from Baserow's documented AI field behavior β not hypothetical use cases.
Get Baserow: Cloud Signup or Self-Hosted Docker
Baserow has no native desktop app β despite being requested by users, Baserow's own team has described one as a long-considered but not actively developed feature. Use it either as a cloud-hosted SaaS product or as a self-hosted deployment on your own infrastructure.
Source | Link |
|---|---|
| Cloud signup (hosted by Baserow, no install) | baserow.io |
| Self-hosted install docs (Docker, Compose, Helm, Cloudron) | baserow.io/docs/installation |
| GitHub repository (source code, MIT core) | github.com/baserow/baserow |
| Docker image | hub.docker.com/r/baserow/baserow |
Official self-hosted install command, per Baserow's own Docker installation docs: docker run -v baserow_data:/baserow/data -p 80:80 -p 443:443 baserow/baserow:2.3.4. To use the AI field with Ollama on a self-hosted instance, you also need: (1) a Premium or Enterprise license key activated under Admin tools > Manage licenses, and (2) an Ollama server reachable from the Baserow container, configured with its host URL under AI provider settings. Verify the current recommended Docker tag on Docker Hub before deploying, since tags update independently of GitHub release notes.
Baserow Pricing: What Does the AI Field Actually Cost?
Baserow's core database is free and open source, but the AI field β including its Ollama support β requires a Premium plan or higher, on cloud or self-hosted. Pricing below is for Baserow Cloud, per baserow.io/pricing as reviewed for this article; self-hosted Premium/Enterprise licensing is sold separately and was not listed with a fixed public price at the time of this review β contact Baserow directly for a self-hosted license quote.
- Even on a self-hosted instance with a Premium license, you must still supply your own AI provider credentials β an API key for a cloud provider, or a reachable Ollama host URL β Baserow does not bundle free cloud AI usage into a self-hosted license
- Baserow Cloud's Free tier includes no AI field access at any usage level
- Automations, application-builder actions, and Kuma AI assistant requests all draw from a shared "automation credits" pool that scales by plan
Free
- Cloud price:
- $0/month β 3,000 rows, 2 GB storage per workspace
- AI field included?:
- No
Advanced
- Cloud price:
- $18/user/month billed yearly ($22/month billed monthly)
- AI field included?:
- Yes, plus AI agent nodes
Enterprise
- Cloud price:
- Custom pricing, contact sales
- AI field included?:
- Yes, plus SSO and audit logs
This review treats the AI field's Ollama support as the headline local-AI feature, but it is worth being explicit: local-model support here reduces where your data is sent, not what Baserow charges for the feature itself. Budget for a Premium license in addition to whatever hardware runs your Ollama server.
Baserow vs. Airtable
Baserow and Airtable solve the same basic problem β a spreadsheet-like database with views and automations β but differ sharply on self-hosting, licensing, and AI-provider choice. Airtable is the more established, cloud-only product; Baserow is the open-source option with a self-hosted path.
Self-hosting
- Baserow:
- Yes β Docker, Compose, Helm, Cloudron
- Airtable:
- No, cloud-only
Source availability
- Baserow:
- Core is MIT-licensed and open source
- Airtable:
- Closed source
Local/self-hosted AI model support
- Baserow:
- Yes, via Ollama on self-hosted instances
- Airtable:
- No local-model option found
Free tier
- Baserow:
- 3,000 rows/workspace, no AI field
- Airtable:
- Free tier exists; verify current limits on airtable.com
Native desktop app
- Baserow:
- No β web only
- Airtable:
- No β web and mobile apps, no desktop client either
If keeping AI-field prompts off a cloud provider's servers matters to your compliance posture, Baserow's self-hosted-plus-Ollama path is the differentiator; Airtable has no equivalent local-inference option that this review could find. If you do not need self-hosting or local-model support, Airtable's longer track record and larger integration ecosystem are worth weighing directly against Baserow's feature set β verify current details on each product's own site before deciding.
Who Should Use Baserow?
Whether Baserow fits depends on whether you need a self-hostable, no-code database, and specifically whether keeping AI-field prompts on local infrastructure via Ollama matters to you.
Competitors and Alternatives
Within workflow and no-code tools that can run against a local model, Baserow is most directly comparable to n8n and the Self-Hosted AI Starter Kit β both let you keep AI processing on your own infrastructure, but as workflow-automation tools rather than a database-first product.
n8n
- Best known for:
- Self-hostable workflow automation platform with native Ollama node support
- Link:
- n8n Review
Articles about n8n (8)
- n8n Review 2026: AI Workflow Automation With Local Ollama SupportUpdated September 12, 2026
- DreamServer Review: One-Command Local AI Server Stack (2026)Updated September 19, 2026
- LongMemory Review: A Temporal Memory Engine for AI AgentsUpdated September 19, 2026
- Self-Hosted AI Starter Kit Review 2026: n8n + Ollama + Qdrant in One Compose FileUpdated September 19, 2026
- Best AI Agent Framework 2026: LangGraph vs CrewAI vs n8nUpdated August 28, 2026
- Local AI Agents for Business Workflows: EU Compliance Guide (2026)Updated August 27, 2026
- Local AI for Email and Calendar: Triage Without Sending Data to Google (2026)Updated August 27, 2026
- Replace Zapier With Local AI Agents: 5 Workflows That Save $30/Month (2026)Updated August 27, 2026
Also mentioned in:
- Baserow Review 2026: A No-Code Database With a Local-AI FieldUpdated September 19, 2026
Self-Hosted AI Starter Kit
- Best known for:
- One Docker Compose stack bundling n8n, Ollama, and Qdrant for local AI workflows
This is not an exhaustive list of no-code or workflow tools with local-AI options β see the Local LLM Software Directory for the full, regularly updated catalog, including Baserow's own directory entry.
Common Mistakes When Evaluating Baserow
Most confusion about Baserow comes from assuming the AI field is a free MIT-core feature, or assuming a desktop app exists.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Baserow?
Baserow (baserow.io) is an open-source, no-code database and application builder positioned as an Airtable alternative, with a self-hosted deployment option and an AI field that can run against local or cloud AI models.
Does Baserow support local AI models like Ollama?
Yes, on self-hosted instances with a Premium license or higher. The AI field can be configured to call a local Ollama server instead of, or alongside, OpenAI, Anthropic, Mistral, or OpenRouter.
Is Baserow free?
The core "Baserow Open Source Edition" is free and MIT-licensed. The AI field, Kuma AI assistant, and other Premium-tier features require a paid plan β $10/user/month billed yearly on Baserow Cloud, or a separately purchased license for self-hosted Premium/Enterprise.
Does self-hosting Baserow make the AI field free?
No. Self-hosting avoids Baserow Cloud subscription fees for hosting, but the AI field still requires a purchased Premium or Enterprise license key even on a self-hosted instance.
How do I install Baserow for self-hosting?
Per Baserow's own documentation, the simplest method is Docker: docker run -v baserow_data:/baserow/data -p 80:80 -p 443:443 baserow/baserow:2.3.4. Docker Compose, Helm/Kubernetes, and Cloudron are also officially supported β verify the current recommended Docker tag on Docker Hub before deploying.
Is there a Baserow desktop app?
No. Baserow is a web application only. Its own team has described a native desktop app as a long-considered but not actively developed feature request, per the Baserow community forum.
What can the AI field actually do?
It can generate text (summaries, descriptions, drafts), classify a row into predefined categories, or extract values from referenced documents and images (PDF, Word, Markdown, PNG, up to 10 MB), using whichever AI provider is configured for that field.
What license is Baserow under?
The core "Baserow Open Source Edition" is MIT-licensed, per the repository's own LICENSE file. The premium/ and enterprise/ directories in the same repository ship under their own separate, non-MIT license files, and the docs/ directory is under Creative Commons CC BY-SA 4.0.
How many GitHub stars does Baserow have?
5,933 stars as of this review (github.com/baserow/baserow), verified via GitHub API.
Has PromptQuorum independently tested Baserow's claims?
This review is based on Baserow's own site, documentation, GitHub repository, and community forum, rather than hands-on load-testing or compliance auditing by PromptQuorum.