# NocoDB

> Turn any SQL database into a no-code, spreadsheet-style app

- Category: App UIs & Builders / Low-Code & No-Code Builders
- Repository: https://github.com/nocodb/nocodb
- Website: https://nocodb.com
- Canonical page: https://ai-tldr.dev/tools/nocodb/

## In short

NocoDB is an open-source tool that puts a spreadsheet-style interface on top of a SQL database. You point it at a database (or let it create one for you) and work with your tables as grids, forms, and other views, without writing SQL for everyday tasks. It sits in the Low-Code & No-Code Builders category of the App UIs & Builders tools.

## Overview

NocoDB is an open-source tool that puts a spreadsheet-style interface on top of a SQL database. You point it at a database (or let it create one for you) and work with your tables as grids, forms, and other views, without writing SQL for everyday tasks.

It is aimed at teams and developers who want a self-hosted alternative to hosted no-code platforms like Airtable. Because you run it yourself and connect your own database, your data stays on infrastructure you control.

Within the low-code / no-code category, NocoDB fits the case where you already have relational data and want a quick, shareable UI on top of it rather than building a full custom app from scratch.

## What it does

- Spreadsheet-style interface over a real SQL database
- Self-hosted, open-source alternative to hosted no-code platforms like Airtable
- Works with SQLite out of the box and connects to PostgreSQL
- Ships as a Docker image for quick setup and upgrades
- Auto-upstall script provisions PostgreSQL, Redis, a Traefik gateway, and SSL via Docker Compose
- Standalone binaries available for macOS, Linux, and Windows for local testing

## Getting started

The quickest way to try NocoDB is to run the official Docker image, then open the web UI in your browser.

1. Run NocoDB with Docker (SQLite)

   Start a container that stores its data in a local nocodb folder and exposes the app on port 8080.

```bash
docker run -d \
  --name noco \
  -v "$(pwd)"/nocodb:/usr/app/data/ \
  -p 8080:8080 \
  nocodb/nocodb:latest
```

2. Open the app

   Once the container is running, visit http://localhost:8080 in your browser to create your first base and tables.

3. Connect PostgreSQL instead of SQLite

   To back NocoDB with Postgres, pass a connection string via NC_DB and a JWT secret when starting the container.

```bash
docker run -d \
  --name noco \
  -v "$(pwd)"/nocodb:/usr/app/data/ \
  -p 8080:8080 \
  -e NC_DB="pg://host.docker.internal:5432?u=root&p=password&d=d1" \
  -e NC_AUTH_JWT_SECRET="569a1821-0a93-45e8-87ab-eb857f20a010" \
  nocodb/nocodb:latest
```

4. Set up for production (auto-upstall)

   For a production server, the auto-upstall script installs NocoDB with PostgreSQL, Redis, Traefik, and SSL via an auto-generated Docker Compose setup. Re-running it upgrades to the latest version.

```bash
bash <(curl -sSL http://install.nocodb.com/noco.sh) <(mktemp)
```

## When to use it

- Give a non-technical team an editable, spreadsheet-style view of an existing PostgreSQL or SQLite database
- Self-host an Airtable-style workspace so data stays on your own infrastructure
- Quickly build internal tools, forms, and trackers on top of relational data without writing CRUD UI
- Prototype a database-backed app locally using the SQLite Docker image or a standalone binary