head to head · open source
NocoDB vs Chroma
NocoDB has 65,016 GitHub stars, 5,058 forks, 710 open issues and last shipped today. Chroma has 29,333 stars, 2,522 forks, 843 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. NocoDB leads on adoption by 122% (65,016 vs 29,333 stars). NocoDB is written in TypeScript under a custom or non-standard licence; Chroma is written in Rust under Apache-2.0. NocoDB has attracted 8% as many forks as stars, Chroma 9%. NocoDB was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| NocoDB | Chroma | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 65K | ★ 29K |
| License | Custom / other | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | TypeScript | Rust |
| Last push | 2026-09-20 | 2026-09-18 |
| Forks | ⑂ 5.1K | ⑂ 2.5K |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick NocoDB if
- You weight community size — 65K stars and counting
- You want the Custom / other license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick Chroma if
- You want the Chroma feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Rust
- You evaluated both and Chroma fits your workflow better
About NocoDB
NocoDB is a free and self hostable open source Airtable alternative that turns an existing relational database into an intuitive spreadsheet interface, built for teams who want no code data management without moving their data into a hosted SaaS product.
read the full NocoDB overview →
About Chroma
Chroma is an open source vector database designed to store, index, and retrieve embeddings for AI applications. It runs as a local Python or JavaScript client or in client server mode, providing a lightweight infrastructure layer for AI search and retrieval workloads. Built in Rust and licensed under Apache 2.0, it targets developers building RAG, agents, and other embedding dependent systems.
read the full Chroma overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is NocoDB or Chroma more popular?
NocoDB has 65,016 GitHub stars and Chroma has 29,333. NocoDB has the larger community by that measure.
Are NocoDB and Chroma free?
Both are open source. NocoDB has no licence declared in this registry, and Chroma is licensed under Apache-2.0. Both are free to self-host.
What is the difference between NocoDB and Chroma?
NocoDB is written in TypeScript and Chroma in Rust. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, NocoDB or Chroma?
Choose NocoDB if you want the larger community (65,016 stars) or its Custom / other licence terms. Choose Chroma if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.