Quick answer
Baserow - Baserow wins for most builders who want the simplest free no-code database with fewer usage limits to hit, while NocoDB Cloud wins if you need a more generous free seat allowance and built-in API/webhook usage.
How the free tiers compare
These two free tiers serve similar jobs, but they fail in different places. Baserow gives you unlimited databases and more room for data growth inside each workspace: 3,000 rows and 2 GB storage on free, then a clean step up to 50,000 rows on Premium and 250,000 on Advanced. It is better if you are organizing data first and do not need many built-in API or automation quotas. NocoDB Cloud is more app-like and more operationally bounded: the free tier is smaller on records and storage, but it includes 3 editor seats, 10 commenter seats, 100 webhook runs, and 1,000 API calls per month. That makes it stronger when you need multiple collaborators and light integrations right away. Both are per-seat once paid, but NocoDB’s paid tiers add much more API and webhook capacity.
Baserow vs NocoDB Cloud free tier, side by side
| BaserowFTV 44 | NocoDB CloudFTV 41 | |
|---|---|---|
| Free databases / workspacesBaserow allows unlimited databases; NocoDB’s free tier is seat-limited rather than database-count-limited. | Unlimited databases | 1 workspace with up to 3 users |
| Free data capNocoDB’s free tier is stricter on record count. | 3,000 rows per workspace | 1,000 records |
| Free storageBoth cap storage on free, with Baserow allowing more. | 2 GB per workspace | 1 GB |
| Free collaborationOnly NocoDB gives explicit free seat counts in the supplied data. | Not specified in the provided free tier items | 3 editor seats, 10 commenter seats |
| Free automation / APINocoDB exposes built-in usage limits for automation and API traffic on free. | Not specified in the provided free tier items | 100 webhook runs per month, 1,000 API calls per month |
| Free views / interfaceNocoDB offers a broader set of view types on free. | Grid, Form, Gallery | Grid, kanban, gallery, form, calendar, map, timeline, list |
After you outgrow the free tier
Both products use per-seat pricing once you leave the free tier. Baserow is simpler and cheaper at the first step, starting with Premium at $10 per user/month billed yearly, then Advanced at $18. NocoDB Cloud starts at Plus for $15 per seat/month billed monthly or $12 annually, then Business at $30 monthly or $24 annually, with Enterprise starting at $1000/month and requiring contact sales. The main divergence is that NocoDB ties paid value to much higher record, API, and webhook limits plus seats, while Baserow emphasizes workspace storage and row caps at a lower entry price.
Cost at real usage
| Usage | Baserow | NocoDB Cloud |
|---|---|---|
| 1 seat, 1 workspace, light useBaserow’s first paid tier is cheaper at the same rough team size. | $10/mo | $15/mo |
| 2 seatsBoth are per-seat at the first paid tier, so cost scales linearly with users. | $20/mo | $30/mo |
| 5 seatsAnnual billing for NocoDB Plus is $12 per seat/month, but the supplied pricing only states that rate when billed annually; this scenario uses the monthly-billed Plus price. | $50/mo | $75/mo |
| 10 seatsAt higher seat counts, the gap stays proportional because both use per-seat pricing. | $100/mo | $150/mo |
Estimates, not quotes. Usage-based rates change - verify with the vendor's pricing page before committing.
When to pick each one
Pick Baserow when…
- You want unlimited databases on the free tier and expect to organize many separate projects in one workspace.
- Your main constraint is row count or storage per workspace, not seats or API volume.
- You are building a simple internal database, tracker, or form workflow without heavy automation.
- You want the cheaper first paid step: Premium starts at $10 per user/month billed yearly.
Pick NocoDB Cloud when…
- You need a free tier with real collaboration, including 3 editor seats and 10 commenter seats.
- You plan to use REST APIs or webhooks from day one and want explicit monthly limits.
- You want record, API, and webhook quotas that step up more clearly on paid plans.
- You expect to share the app with a small team before paying, rather than staying solo.
Bottom line
For the most common builder use case, Baserow is the better free-tier starting point if you want a database-first tool with more room before you pay. NocoDB Cloud is the better free choice if you care more about collaboration, APIs, and webhooks than raw row capacity. Once paid, both scale by seat, but Baserow stays cheaper at the entry level while NocoDB gives you more operational features per tier.
Read the full listings: Baserow and NocoDB Cloud. Scores use the FTV methodology at /ftv. Browse more head-to-heads on /compare, or see the top-ranked free tiers on /top.