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Last Updated: 07-09-2026 05:07 PM (UTC)

Grist

A spreadsheet whose formula language is real Python - full syntax plus the standard library, alongside familiar all-caps Excel functions: Grist is an open-source relational spreadsheet. Data lives in tables with typed columns and reference links, queried in formulas through lookupRecords and lookupOne, so one document can model what would otherwise take several joined spreadsheets. Trigger formulas compute values on conditions you define (timestamps, authorship, data cleanup, smart defaults), and an AI Formula Assistant generates formulas via OpenAI, Llama, or any OpenAI-compatible endpoint. Each document is a self-contained SQLite file, readable by any SQLite tool and trivially portable between hosts, with automatic snapshots and full-history exports. Layouts combine card, table, and chart widgets into dashboards, and granular role-based access rules restrict who sees which rows and columns - a design that made Grist a foundation of France's sovereign LaSuite workspace with 20,000+ government users. The Apache-2.0 grist-core edition ships SSO via OIDC and SAML, a REST API, webhooks, and forms; formula execution can be sandboxed with gVisor so untrusted documents cannot reach the network or each other.

Grist

Benefits

  • Formulas Without a Ceiling
  • When Excel functions run out, drop into full Python with the standard library - no plugin system or scripting add-on required.
  • Your Data Is Just SQLite
  • Every document is a standard SQLite file: back it up, query it with any tool, move it between hosts, restore it with confidence.
  • Share the Sheet, Not the Secrets
  • Row- and column-level access rules let one document serve many audiences without exporting filtered copies that drift out of date.
  • Proven at Government Scale
  • Trusted as an open-source foundation of France's LaSuite digital workspace, serving 20,000+ users across agencies.

Features

  • Python Formula Engine
  • Full Python syntax and standard library plus Excel-style functions, trigger formulas, and a formula performance timer.
  • Relational Data Model
  • Typed columns, reference links, and lookupRecords queries replace fragile VLOOKUP chains across sheets.
  • Portable SQLite Documents
  • Self-contained .grist files with snapshot history, full exports, and CSV/TSV/XLSX table downloads.
  • Granular Access Rules
  • Role-based restrictions down to individual rows and columns, enforced on exports too.
  • AI Formula Assistant
  • Formula generation via OpenAI, Llama, or any OpenAI-compatible endpoint.
  • SSO, API, and Sandboxing
  • OIDC/SAML login, REST API, webhooks, forms, and gVisor-isolated formula execution.