New data source/integration: Baserow

Data Sources
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Hey team,

Saw the recently-announced SmartSuite integration—nice! A varied set of data sources is always helpful because it minimizes platform risk and allows for business continuity if and when something changes. :mechanical_arm:

Wondering if we could revisit Baserow as a data source.

I see Martin asked about it back in May, and Bastien here is also eagerly awaiting this integration.

In the spirit of full transparency, I’m part of the Baserow team, and we’ve run surveys on the integration before—but I’m actually writing this as a personal Softr user myself (again), having been using it for 3+ years, since back when Softr still had different pricing plans for websites and web apps (remember that?) :sweat_smile: How time has flown.

I’m looking to migrate No-Code Calendar and CookieSlayers off Airtable and into Baserow because Baserow is open source and self-hosted, which means—among other things—that there are no limits on databases, rows, storage, or row change history.

Even in Baserow Hosted, the limits are higher than Airtable and SmartSuite, which is beneficial to all of us Softr users.

Let’s make it happen, cap’n :crossed_fingers::grin:

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Yes, that would be great. It also has to be said that, in addition to the greater limits, self-hosting allows you to comply with European data management rules. Unfortunately, Airtable and Google do not comply with these rules, which makes it impossible for a European company to host legally with Softr.

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It could be good, yes. One year ago I was ok to say Baserow would be a good fit. And it still could be a good fit except that:

  1. The shift of Baserow to have its own frontend in the future might not be the best to talk to a front end app builder.
  2. Xano and the Rest API integration will allow a full compliance of GDPR (on the technical side) and users will be ok to use baserow too with the Rest API
  3. Regarding this, I can’t see Softr changing their new roadmap

As a reference, the new Softr Roadmap: https://www.softr.io/roadmap

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What does this mean? Is Baserow showing a desire to build its own frontend? I wasn’t aware of this.

As for the comment about Xano and the Rest API, I’m not technical enough to understand. Would that mean that Xano and Baserow would have to be synchronised with RestAPI? I’m not familiar with RestAPI either. In any case, this seems to be a long way from simple synchronisation between Airtable and Softr. The point of the application with Baserow is precisely to obtain a simplicity similar to Airtable by hosting on its server.

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Episode number 107 of Radio Contournement Podcast for Baserow willing to create a frontend (might be a basic one, I don’t know).

Xano = integrated directly in Softr.
Rest API: you can plug any datasource or so, self hosted, not self hosted, whatever.

Of course Xano is not as simple as Baserow.

The benefit of Baserow is clearly the ease of use + Full GDPR compliance.

I’m not saying that Baserow shouldn’t be integrated. I’m just saying that the Softr roadmap is, for the least, full and it starts to go fast. Smartsuite then Big Query then re-design of all blocks, conditional forms and many important things that lack in Softr.

I’m just saying that regarding this roadmap and the new speed they have, concentrating on a new integration might be a problem. Whatever is this integration.

Note also that the decided integrations may be also driven by business priorities. The more qualified clients it can bring, the best for Softr. Maybe Baserow didn’t align with it at some point, I don’t know.

Though, overall, Baserow could be a good fit. But Softr might have their reason to not integrate Baserow for now :man_shrugging:.

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Any updates for Baserow as data source roadmap? Recently, Supabase, Monday, Xano, SQL databases, BigQuery has been already provided direct first-party data source support. Baserow flags itself as a directly competitor equivalent of Airtable but open source. also more easier no-code solution than the recently supported alternative, has more generous tier, and all its other advantages. Why not consider reprioritizing it for support release. Hope this will be heard.

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Softr’s team considers Baserow to be a direct competitor since the release of Baserow’s builder application and doesn’t seem ready to collaborate with them. It’s a pity, but I have the impression that it’s too late now.

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seems reasonable and unfortunate :frowning:
but its fair to point out that Airtable did also have that comparable feature, Airtable App-like/Interface feature.
and Baserow has a developer api feature (just like airtable).
And Softr’s unique proposition offering strength is its front-end for irregardless backend data source.

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Interface is not (yet) a public app builder. You cannot invite external users.
However, it’s true that this will soon become possible and Airtable will therefore enter into direct competition with Softr, and it will become strange for Softr not to accept Baserow whereas they will accept Airtable.

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All good points being made.

@chrisquim

Any updates for Baserow as data source roadmap? Recently, Supabase, Monday, Xano, SQL databases, BigQuery has been already provided direct first-party data source support. Baserow flags itself as a directly competitor equivalent of Airtable but open source. also more easier no-code solution than the recently supported alternative, has more generous tier, and all its other advantages. Why not consider reprioritizing it for support release. Hope this will be heard.

Indeed, I think this is a win for Softr users first and foremost because of the higher capacities (even at the free tier) and other flexibility that Baserow provides on the backend. It’s not uncommon to hear about Airtable limitations, even with the API.

A more flexible and customizable data source → a better frontend/app experience

@bastien

Softr’s team considers Baserow to be a direct competitor since the release of Baserow’s builder application and doesn’t seem ready to collaborate with them. It’s a pity, but I have the impression that it’s too late now.

Baserow’s Application Builder is in beta, and Softr is a more mature product. Plus, as @chrisquim said, “Softr’s unique proposition offering strength is its front-end for irregardless backend data source.”

Interface is not (yet) a public app builder. You cannot invite external users.
However, it’s true that this will soon become possible and Airtable will therefore enter into direct competition with Softr, and it will become strange for Softr not to accept Baserow whereas they will accept Airtable.

Exactly. What happens when—not if—Airtable fully enters this space? If this is the reason for avoiding a Baserow integration, it seems a bit silly, as all platforms are at some level of competition with each other.

This doesn’t mean that we should devolve the user experience and try to keep them locked in—that would be hostile and detrimental to end users.

Bubble is full stack and at competition with frontend, backend, logic, automation, etc. Zapier started as integrations and automations, but now also has its own database/table offering. Its core strength is still in integrations and automations, but this is a good example.

I wouldn’t be surprised to find out that Softr is working on some native database functionality, which would be totally fine as well. I could see a scenario where it makes sense for Softr to have a basic native database, like for rapid prototyping.

I think what’s important is listening to the community, understanding concerns, and providing a solution that works best for users.

Baserow does databases exceptionally well. Softr does frontend exceptionally well. Even if Baserow has an application builder, and Softr has a native database, it feels detrimental to the user experience (and no-code movement as a whole) to have the platform create restrictions and tell its users how something should be built. My two pennies. :slight_smile:

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