head to head · open source
NocoDB vs HelixDB
NocoDB has 64,998 GitHub stars, 5,054 forks, 710 open issues and last shipped yesterday. HelixDB has 5,915 stars, 350 forks, 26 open issues and last shipped yesterday. NocoDB leads on adoption by 999% (64,998 vs 5,915 stars). NocoDB is written in TypeScript under a custom or non-standard licence; HelixDB is written in Rust under Apache-2.0. NocoDB has attracted 8% as many forks as stars, HelixDB 6%. HelixDB 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 | HelixDB | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 65K | ★ 5.9K |
| License | Custom / other | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | TypeScript | Rust |
| Last push | 2026-09-17 | 2026-09-17 |
| Forks | ⑂ 5.1K | ⑂ 350 |
| 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 HelixDB if
- You want the HelixDB 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 HelixDB 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 HelixDB
HelixDB is an Apache 2.0 licensed, Rust built OLTP graph database with native vector and full text search that lets teams building AI applications keep knowledge graphs, agent memory and application data in a single self hostable store rather than stitching together separate graph, vector, relational and application databases.
read the full HelixDB overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is NocoDB or HelixDB more popular?
NocoDB has 64,998 GitHub stars and HelixDB has 5,915. NocoDB has the larger community by that measure.
Are NocoDB and HelixDB free?
Both are open source. NocoDB has no licence declared in this registry, and HelixDB is licensed under Apache-2.0. Both are free to self-host.
What is the difference between NocoDB and HelixDB?
NocoDB is written in TypeScript and HelixDB 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 HelixDB?
Choose NocoDB if you want the larger community (64,998 stars) or its Custom / other licence terms. Choose HelixDB if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.