head to head · open source
DBeaver vs Grist
DBeaver has 51,791 GitHub stars, 4,371 forks, 3,334 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Grist has 11,815 stars, 644 forks, 727 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. DBeaver leads on adoption by 338% (51,791 vs 11,815 stars). DBeaver is written in Java under Apache-2.0; Grist is written in TypeScript under Apache-2.0. DBeaver has attracted 8% as many forks as stars, Grist 5%. DBeaver was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 1 topic tag (database), so they are genuine substitutes rather than adjacent tools.
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
| DBeaver | Grist | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 52K | ★ 12K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | Java | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-09-17 | 2026-09-16 |
| Forks | ⑂ 4.4K | ⑂ 644 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick DBeaver if
- You weight community size — 52K stars and counting
- You want the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Java
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick Grist if
- You want the Grist feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and Grist fits your workflow better
About DBeaver
DBeaver is a free, multi platform database management tool built in Java, designed for developers, SQL programmers, database administrators, and analysts. It operates across Windows, macOS, and Linux and integrates with the Eclipse based plugin ecosystem via OSGi and Eclipse RCP frameworks.
read the full DBeaver overview →
About Grist
Grist is a modern relational spreadsheet that combines spreadsheet flexibility with database robustness. It lives in the open source database and spreadsheet ecosystem, and the grist core repository provides the server needed to host spreadsheets. The project is positioned as an open alternative to Airtable and Microsoft Excel. Grist Community edition is also known as grist core.
read the full Grist overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is DBeaver or Grist more popular?
DBeaver has 51,791 GitHub stars and Grist has 11,815. DBeaver has the larger community by that measure.
Are DBeaver and Grist free?
Both are open source. DBeaver is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Grist under Apache-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between DBeaver and Grist?
DBeaver is written in Java and Grist in TypeScript. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, DBeaver or Grist?
Choose DBeaver if you want the larger community (51,791 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose Grist if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.