Grist vs Twenty
| Tagline | Modern relational spreadsheet combining the flexibility of a grid with a real database | Modern open-source CRM built as an alternative to Salesforce |
| Category | Databases & Spreadsheets | CRM & Sales |
| Replaces | Airtable, Google Sheets, Smartsheet | Salesforce, Pipedrive, Airtable |
| GitHub stars | 12k | 57k |
| Language | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| License | Apache-2.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Self-host difficulty | 2/5 Easy | 3/5 Moderate |
| Deploy options | One-Click Docker Docker Compose Manual | Docker Docker Compose Manual |
| Managed hosting | ||
| Last updated | yesterday | yesterday |
| View repo | View repo |
Where each falls short
The honest trade-offs — what you give up with each, versus the proprietary tools they replace.
Grist
- UI is more spreadsheet-centric and less polished than Airtable for app-style use.
- Fewer pre-built view types (no native kanban/gallery as rich as Airtable).
- Real-time multi-user collaboration is less fluid than Google Sheets.
- Smaller ecosystem of integrations and marketplace widgets.
Twenty
- Smaller ecosystem of integrations and marketplace apps versus Salesforce/AppExchange
- Workflow automation, reporting, and analytics are still maturing
- No mature mobile apps
- Younger product, so APIs and data model still evolve between releases
Bottom line
Choose Grist if you want the lower-effort setup; choose Twenty for the larger community and ecosystem. Open each guide below for deploy steps and the full feature gap.
Grist
Modern relational spreadsheet combining the flexibility of a grid with a real database