# NocoDB — Open Source No-Code Database Platform

> NocoDB turns any SQL database into a smart spreadsheet with REST APIs. Open-source Airtable alternative with views, automations, and team collaboration.

## Install

Save in your project root:

## Quick Use

```bash
docker run -d --name nocodb -p 8080:8080 nocodb/nocodb:latest
```

Open `http://localhost:8080` — sign up and start building your first database.

## Intro

**NocoDB** is an open-source no-code platform that turns any MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQL Server, SQLite, or MariaDB database into a smart spreadsheet. It serves as a self-hosted Airtable alternative, providing spreadsheet-like views, forms, kanban boards, galleries, and auto-generated REST APIs on top of your existing databases.

With 62.7K+ GitHub stars, NocoDB is the most popular open-source Airtable alternative, empowering teams to manage data visually without coding while maintaining standard SQL database reliability underneath.

## What NocoDB Does

- **Spreadsheet Interface**: Familiar grid view with sorting, filtering, grouping, and conditional formatting
- **Multiple Views**: Grid, Kanban, Gallery, Form, and Calendar views for the same data
- **Connect Any Database**: Works with existing MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQL Server, SQLite, and MariaDB databases
- **Auto-Generated API**: REST and GraphQL APIs created automatically for every table
- **Field Types**: 20+ types including text, number, date, attachment, checkbox, rating, barcode, QR code, and formula
- **Automations**: Webhook triggers and workflow automations for notifications and integrations
- **Collaboration**: Real-time multi-user editing with comments and audit trail
- **Forms**: Public forms for data collection with customizable fields and validation
- **Import/Export**: Import from Airtable, CSV, Excel, and JSON

## Architecture

```
┌──────────────┐     ┌──────────────┐     ┌──────────────┐
│  Web UI      │────▶│  NocoDB      │────▶│  Your SQL DB │
│  (Vue.js)    │     │  Server      │     │  MySQL /     │
└──────────────┘     │  (Node.js)   │     │  PostgreSQL /│
                     └──────────────┘     │  SQLite      │
                                          └──────────────┘
```

## Self-Hosting

### Docker Compose

```yaml
services:
  nocodb:
    image: nocodb/nocodb:latest
    ports:
      - "8080:8080"
    environment:
      NC_DB: "pg://db:5432?u=nocodb&p=nocodb&d=nocodb"
    depends_on:
      - db
    volumes:
      - nocodb-data:/usr/app/data

  db:
    image: postgres:16-alpine
    environment:
      POSTGRES_USER: nocodb
      POSTGRES_PASSWORD: nocodb
      POSTGRES_DB: nocodb
    volumes:
      - pg-data:/var/lib/postgresql/data

volumes:
  nocodb-data:
  pg-data:
```

### Connect Existing Database

```bash
# Connect to your existing PostgreSQL
docker run -d --name nocodb 
  -p 8080:8080 
  -e NC_DB="pg://your-db-host:5432?u=user&p=password&d=dbname" 
  nocodb/nocodb:latest
```

NocoDB reads your existing tables and presents them as spreadsheets — no data migration needed.

## Key Features

### Views

| View | Best For |
|------|----------|
| Grid | Spreadsheet-like data editing |
| Kanban | Project management, status tracking |
| Gallery | Visual cards (products, contacts) |
| Form | Data collection, surveys |
| Calendar | Date-based scheduling |

### Formula Fields

```
// String operations
CONCAT({First Name}, " ", {Last Name})
UPPER({Email})
LEFT({Phone}, 3)

// Date operations
DATEADD({Start Date}, 30, "days")
DATETIME_DIFF({End Date}, {Start Date}, "hours")

// Conditional
IF({Status} = "Active", "✅", "❌")
SWITCH({Priority}, "High", "🔴", "Medium", "🟡", "Low", "🟢")
```

### REST API

```bash
# List records
curl "http://localhost:8080/api/v1/db/data/noco/project/table" 
  -H "xc-token: YOUR_API_TOKEN"

# Create record
curl -X POST "http://localhost:8080/api/v1/db/data/noco/project/table" 
  -H "xc-token: YOUR_API_TOKEN" 
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" 
  -d '{"Name": "New Item", "Status": "Active"}'

# Filter and sort
curl "http://localhost:8080/api/v1/db/data/noco/project/table?where=(Status,eq,Active)&sort=-Created" 
  -H "xc-token: YOUR_API_TOKEN"
```

### Airtable Migration

One-click import from Airtable:
1. Get your Airtable API key
2. Paste it in NocoDB import wizard
3. Select bases to import
4. All data, views, and field types are preserved

## NocoDB vs Alternatives

| Feature | NocoDB | Airtable | Teable | Baserow |
|---------|--------|----------|--------|---------|
| Open Source | Yes | No | Yes | Yes (MIT) |
| GitHub Stars | 62.7K | N/A | 21.1K | 12K |
| Connect existing DB | Yes | No | External only | No |
| Auto API | REST + GraphQL | REST | REST | REST |
| Self-hosted | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Row limit | Unlimited | 125K/base | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Airtable import | Yes | N/A | No | Limited |

## FAQ

**Q: How does NocoDB differ from Teable?**
A: NocoDB connects to existing databases and adds a visual UI on top, making it great for adding a frontend to legacy systems. Teable uses PostgreSQL as native storage so you can query data directly with SQL. Their positioning differs slightly.

**Q: Will connecting to an existing database modify my data?**
A: Read-only connections won't modify anything. If you edit data through the NocoDB UI, changes are written directly to your database. NocoDB creates a small number of metadata tables (prefixed with `nc_`) in your database.

**Q: How does it handle performance on large tables?**
A: NocoDB uses pagination and virtual scrolling, so browsing large tables (millions of rows) stays smooth. Query performance depends on the underlying database and its indexes.

## Sources & Credits

- GitHub: [nocodb/nocodb](https://github.com/nocodb/nocodb) — 62.7K+ ⭐
- Website: [nocodb.com](https://nocodb.com)

---
Source: https://tokrepo.com/en/workflows/dddaecfa-34b7-11f1-9bc6-00163e2b0d79
Author: AI Open Source