4 self-hosted options
Self-hosted alternatives to Microsoft Access
The best open-source alternative to Microsoft Access is Budibase (GPL-3.0, 28,362 GitHub stars, Docker image). Teable stands out for the most recent release (release.2026-10-27T02-17-21Z.3593, October 2026), and Grist stands out for a permissive Apache-2.0 license.
NocoDB is also listed but is source-available, so it comes after the open-source picks.
About Microsoft Access: Microsoft's desktop database for building tables, forms and reports.
Updated · data from GitHub, refreshed daily
Top picks
- Rank 1:
Budibase
Budibase/budibase
Build and automate internal tools, admin panels, dashboards, CRUD apps, and more, in minutes (alternative to Outsystems, Retool, Mendix, Appian).
Active · last commit Oct 28, 2026
Low-code & BackendTypeScriptDockerStands out for the most commits in the last 12 months (13,982).
- Rank 2:
Teable
teableio/teable
Next-gen Airtable alternative with a Postgres-backed spreadsheet UI.
Active · last commit Oct 28, 2026
Database ManagementTypeScriptDockerStands out for the most recent release (release.2026-10-27T02-17-21Z.3593, October 2026).
- Rank 3:
Grist
gristlabs/grist-core
Next-generation spreadsheet with relational structure, formula-based access control, and a portable, self-contained format (alternative to Airtable).
Active · last commit Oct 28, 2026
Office SuitesTypeScriptDockerStands out for a permissive Apache-2.0 license.
At a glance
Microsoft Access alternatives compared
Open-source apps come first, then source-available ones and apps whose license appsgit could not verify; within each group, projects with at least 12 commits in the last 12 months come before less active or archived ones, then by GitHub stars.
| App | Stands out for | License | GitHub stars | Commits (12 mo) | Last commit | Docker image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Budibase | the most commits in the last 12 months (13,982) | GPL-3.0 | 28,362 | 13,982 | Oct 28, 2026 | Yes |
| Teable | the most recent release (release.2026-10-27T02-17-21Z.3593, October 2026) | AGPL-3.0 | 21,933 | 652 | Oct 28, 2026 | Yes |
| Grist | a permissive Apache-2.0 license | Apache-2.0 | 12,004 | 1,215 | Oct 28, 2026 | Yes |
| NocoDB | the most GitHub stars | source-available, Sustainable Use License 1.0 | 65,369 | 7,195 | Oct 28, 2026 | Yes |
Full list
All 4 Microsoft Access alternatives
Open any app for live stats, license details and a deploy option.
- 1
Budibase
Build and automate internal tools, admin panels, dashboards, CRUD apps, and more, in minutes (alternative to Outsystems, Retool, Mendix, Appian).
Low-code & BackendDockerStands out for the most commits in the last 12 months (13,982). Budibase has 28,362 GitHub stars, uses the GPL-3.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 13,982 commits in the last year.
- 2
Teable
Next-gen Airtable alternative with a Postgres-backed spreadsheet UI.
Database ManagementDockerStands out for the most recent release (release.2026-10-27T02-17-21Z.3593, October 2026). Teable has 21,933 GitHub stars, uses the AGPL-3.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 652 commits in the last year.
- 3
Grist
Next-generation spreadsheet with relational structure, formula-based access control, and a portable, self-contained format (alternative to Airtable).
Office SuitesDockerStands out for a permissive Apache-2.0 license. Grist has 12,004 GitHub stars, uses the Apache-2.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 1,215 commits in the last year.
- 4
NocoDB
No-code platform that turns any database into a smart spreadsheet (alternative to Airtable and Smartsheet).
Source-availableDatabase ManagementDockerStands out for the most GitHub stars. NocoDB has 65,369 GitHub stars, is source-available under the Sustainable Use License 1.0 (not an open-source license), ships a Docker image and had 7,195 commits in the last year.
Is there a free alternative to Microsoft Access?
Yes. 3 of the 4 apps on this page are open source; 1 is source-available. The open-source ones are free to self-host without per-user fees; source-available licenses add conditions such as user caps or limits on hosted use, so read them before you commit.
Can I self-host an alternative to Microsoft Access with Docker?
Yes. All 4 apps here publish a Docker image, including Budibase, Teable and Grist, so you can run them on a home server or VPS with Docker Compose.
Which Microsoft Access alternative is the most actively developed?
Budibase (GPL-3.0), with 13,982 commits in the last 12 months. Activity is a good sign that bugs and security issues get fixed.
How is this list ranked?
Open-source apps come first, then source-available ones and apps whose license appsgit could not verify; within each group, projects with at least 12 commits in the last 12 months come before less active or archived ones, then by GitHub stars.