Mathesar Cloud
intuitive open source UI built on Postgres
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What is Mathesar Cloud?
Mathesar Cloud is a hosted, spreadsheet-like workspace that gives users an intuitive way to view, edit, explore, and connect their data backed by PostgreSQL. It lets technical and non-technical users collaborate directly with the same relational data without requiring SQL knowledge or database expertise. Users can create, edit, filter, and explore data using a familiar spreadsheet interface they already know, making database work accessible to everyone.
Key features include a spreadsheet-like UI for viewing and editing data, the ability to link related records to each other, filtering and sorting capabilities, PostgreSQL-backed storage for reliability and scalability, granular access control with robust permissions, asset and inventory management tools, and no setup required since it's fully hosted. The tool also supports importing and exporting data, building queries without SQL through a Data Explorer, and creating new PostgreSQL databases or connecting existing ones.
Mathesar Cloud is designed for solo projects, prototyping, inventory management, asset tracking, data entry tasks, and users who want database power without installing or maintaining infrastructure. It's ideal for non-technical users who need to view and edit database data, small teams prototyping data solutions, organizations evaluating Mathesar for larger deployments, and anyone who wants a spreadsheet alternative with actual database reliability. The project is maintained by a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and is 100% open source.
Mathesar Cloud pricing
Pricing model: Freemium
Mathesar Cloud currently offers a free plan that is great for solo projects, prototyping, and evaluating Mathesar for larger deployments. The free plan is scoped to a single database per user. There are no paid plans available yet. The team is working on launching more plans with feature parity to self-hosted Mathesar, including collaboration features, control over Postgres roles and permissions, and connecting existing databases. Mathesar itself is free under GPLv3 license with no paid plans for the self-hosted version.
Mathesar Cloud pros
- No installation or servers to manage
- Spreadsheet-like interface familiar to everyone
- No SQL required for data operations
- Backed by battle-tested PostgreSQL database
- 100% open source with no open core
- Maintained by nonprofit organization
- Free plan available for solo projects
- Start working in minutes after sign-up
- Granular access control with robust permissions
- Link related records to each other easily
- Filter, sort, and group data intuitively
- Import and export data seamlessly
- Create new Postgres databases or connect existing ones
- Data Explorer builds queries without SQL
- Postgres-based access control using existing roles
Mathesar Cloud cons
- Currently only supports PostgreSQL databases
- Free plan limited to single database per user
- Public beta still launching more plans
- Collaboration features not fully available yet
- Limited control over Postgres roles in cloud version
- Connecting existing databases still under development
- No paid plans currently available
- Feature parity with self-hosted version not complete
Frequently asked questions about Mathesar Cloud
What is Mathesar Cloud?
Mathesar Cloud is a hosted version of Mathesar that gives users a spreadsheet-like interface to PostgreSQL databases. It lets you create, edit, explore, and connect your data without installing, hosting, or maintaining anything. Users can work with a database in minutes after sign-up with no technical skills needed.
Do I need SQL knowledge to use Mathesar Cloud?
No SQL knowledge is required. Mathesar Cloud provides a familiar spreadsheet-like interface where you can view, edit, filter, and explore data without writing queries or learning database tools. The Data Explorer even lets you build queries without knowing SQL or joins.
What databases does Mathesar Cloud support?
Mathesar Cloud only works with PostgreSQL databases. You can either create a new PostgreSQL database while setting up Mathesar or use the UI to interact with an existing PostgreSQL database. The application does not currently support MySQL, SQLite, Oracle, MongoDB, or other database types.
Is Mathesar Cloud free to use?
Yes, Mathesar Cloud currently has a free plan that is great for solo projects, prototyping, and evaluating Mathesar for larger deployments. The free plan is scoped to a single database per user. There are no paid plans available yet, but more plans are being developed.
Who maintains Mathesar Cloud?
Mathesar Cloud is run by the Mathesar maintainers through a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that already maintains the open source project. They are committed to keeping Mathesar 100% open source with no open core, nonprofit, and treating self-hosting as a first-class citizen.
Can I connect my existing PostgreSQL database to Mathesar Cloud?
Currently, connecting existing databases is still under development and not fully available. The team is working on launching this feature as part of new plans with feature parity to self-hosted Mathesar. Right now, you can create a new PostgreSQL database while setting up Mathesar.
What is the difference between Mathesar Cloud and self-hosted Mathesar?
Mathesar Cloud is the hosted version that requires no infrastructure management, while self-hosted Mathesar requires you to install and run it yourself. The cloud version is currently in public beta with a free plan limited to one database per user. Self-hosted Mathesar is free under GPLv3 with no paid plans and gives you full control over Postgres roles and permissions.
Can multiple users collaborate on the same database in Mathesar Cloud?
Collaboration features are not fully available yet in the cloud version. The team is working on launching more plans that include collaboration as part of feature parity with self-hosted Mathesar. Currently the free plan is scoped to a single database per user.
How does Mathesar Cloud handle permissions and access control?
Mathesar Cloud uses PostgreSQL roles and permissions directly for its permissions system. It provides granular access control with robust permissions. The self-hosted version lets you use existing Postgres roles within Mathesar's UI or set up your own, but cloud version control over Postgres roles is still being developed.
What use cases is Mathesar Cloud good for?
Mathesar Cloud is ideal for asset or inventory management (books, parts, equipment), data entry tasks, prototyping data solutions, solo projects, evaluating Mathesar for larger deployments, and any scenario where non-technical users need to view and edit database data. It works as a robust alternative to typical spreadsheet-based solutions while keeping data in a scalable PostgreSQL database.