[opensourcedex]

Mathesar is a free, open source databases project written in Svelte and released under GPL-3.0. It has 5,124 GitHub stars, 485 forks and 317 open issues, and was last pushed 25 hours ago. On this registry it ranks #58 of 81 tracked projects in Databases, with 5 head-to-head comparisons available. It gained 2 stars over the last 6 tracked days.

What is Mathesar?

Mathesar is a self-hosted, open-source web application that provides a spreadsheet-like interface for PostgreSQL databases, designed for users of all technical skill levels to view, edit, query, and collaborate on data without writing code.

What it is

Mathesar is a web application that makes working with PostgreSQL databases both simple and powerful. It empowers users of all technical skill levels to view, edit, query, and collaborate on data with a familiar spreadsheet-like interface, with no code needed. The project is 100% open source and maintained by Mathesar Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. It is self-hosted and can be deployed in minutes.

The concrete problem Mathesar solves is giving non-technical users direct access to Postgres data without requiring SQL knowledge or additional abstractions. It works directly with PostgreSQL databases, schemas, and tables, so it replaces the need for a separate spreadsheet-like database tool such as Airtable while keeping data in an existing Postgres ecosystem. Because access control is based on Postgres roles and privileges, the database remains secure without adding unnecessary risk. It integrates into existing infrastructure and supports any size or complexity of data, making it ideal for workflows involving production databases.

Key capabilities

  • Spreadsheet-like interface to view, create, update, and delete table records.
  • Data Explorer query builder to construct queries without knowing SQL or joins.
  • Forms builder to build and share forms for data entry.
  • Filter, sort, and group data to quickly slice it in different ways.
  • Postgres-based access control using existing Postgres roles within the UI.
  • Schema and table management to create and update Postgres data models.
  • Docker-based installation for deployment in minutes.

Who uses it and how

  • Teams with existing PostgreSQL production databases that need non-technical members to view and edit data without SQL.
  • Organizations that require self-hosted data control so that data never leaves their servers.
  • Collaborators who need to work together on Postgres data with permissions managed through native Postgres roles.
  • Workflows involving any size or complexity of data, as Mathesar is as scalable as Postgres.
  • Groups migrating from Airtable-like tools to a Postgres-native, open-source alternative.

Getting started

Install Mathesar on your own server using Docker, following the documentation at docs.mathesar.org. Alternatively, Mathesar Cloud offers a hosted option in early beta with a free plan.

How it compares

Mathesar is tagged as an airtable-alternative, so it fits among similar tools as a Postgres-native alternative to Airtable. It differs by being 100% open source and self-hosted, with native Postgres access control rather than a proprietary hosted data store.

When to use it — and when not to

Use Mathesar when you have a PostgreSQL database and need a spreadsheet-like interface for users of all technical skill levels, especially for production data that must remain self-hosted. A self-hoster must operate the Docker deployment and provide a PostgreSQL database. Avoid it if you require a fully mature, widely adopted product, because Mathesar is currently in public beta and not yet marked as public for widespread production use.

project readme (upstream, from github) — read inline

Mathesar logo

Intuitive spreadsheet-like interface that lets users of all technical skill levels view, edit, query, and collaborate on Postgres data directly—self hosted, with native Postgres access control.

License GitHub closed issues GitHub commit activity

Website • Docs • Mathesar Cloud • Matrix (chat) • Discord • Contributor Wiki • Roadmap

Mathesar

Mathesar is a web application that makes working with PostgreSQL databases both simple and powerful. It empowers users of all technical skill levels to view, edit, query, and collaborate on data with a familiar spreadsheet-like interface, with no code needed. It’s self hosted, can be deployed in minutes, and works directly with PostgreSQL databases, schemas, and tables without extra abstractions. The project is 100% open source and maintained by Mathesar Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

Mathesar is as scalable as Postgres and supports any size or complexity of data, making it ideal for workflows involving production databases. It requires minimal setup, and integrates into your existing infrastructure. Because Mathesar is self-hosted, your data never leaves your servers, and access control based on Postgres roles and privileges keeps your database secure without adding unnecessary risk.

Table of Contents

Status

  • Public Alpha: You can install and deploy Mathesar on your server. Go easy on us!
  • Public Beta: Stable and feature-rich enough to implement in production
  • Public: Widely used in production environments

We are currently in the public beta stage.

Install Mathesar

Please see our documentation for instructions on installing Mathesar on your own server.

Want to use Mathesar without installing it? Mathesar Cloud is in now early beta and has a free plan.

Join our community

The Mathesar team is on Matrix (chat service). We also have mailing lists and the core team discusses day-to-day work on our developer mailing list.

Contribute to Mathesar

We actively encourage contribution! Get started by reading our Contributor Guide.

Features

  • Built on Postgres: Connect to an existing Postgres database or set one up from scratch.
  • Install in minutes: Install using Docker in minutes, integrate into any existing infrastructure.
  • Postgres-based access control: Use existing Postgres roles within Mathesar's UI, or set up your own.
  • Interoperable with other tools: Mathesar works harmoniously alongside your database and thousands of other tools in the Postgres ecosystem.
  • Set up your data models: Easily create and update Postgres schemas and tables.
  • Data entry: Use our spreadsheet-like interface to view, create, update, and delete table records.
  • Filter, sort, and group: Quickly slice your data in different ways.
  • Query builder: Use our Data Explorer to build queries without knowing anything about SQL or joins.
  • Forms: Build and share forms to collect data from anyone via a unique link, with submissions automatically saved as new records.
  • Import and export data: Import and export data into Mathesar easily to work with your data elsewhere.
  • Schema migrations: Transfer columns between tables in two clicks.
  • Uses Postgres features: Mathesar uses and manipulates Postgres schemas, primary keys, foreign keys, constraints and data types. e.g. "Relationships" in the UI are foreign keys in the database.
  • Custom data types: Custom data types for emails and URLs, validated at the database level.

Screenshots

Connecting a database

Adding collaborators

Viewing a Postgres schema

Working with tables

Finding a nested record

Linking two tables together

Managing table permissions

Viewing a single record with related records

Building a form

Filling out a form

Viewing an Exploration (query result)

Building an Exploration (query)

Disconnecting a database

Mathesar confirmation dialog for disconnecting the showc</article> </details> </section> <p class= readme truncated — read the full docs on github

Frequently asked questions

Is Mathesar free to use?

Mathesar is open source under the GPL-3.0 licence. There is no licence fee and no seat count — you can self-host it or, where the project offers one, pay a vendor for a managed version instead.

What does Mathesar do?

Spreadsheet-like interface for PostgreSQL databases

What is Mathesar written in?

Mathesar is primarily written in Svelte. Its source is publicly available at https://github.com/mathesar-foundation/mathesar, and it has 5,124 GitHub stars.