In the digital age, businesses are increasingly looking for solutions to better manage the constant flow of their databases. In the past, Google Sheets might have done the trick. Today, however, more is needed to stay in step with market developments and demands.

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Nocodb, a no-code database management tool, is available to everyone to develop internal solutions that meet your most demanding needs. It integrates with external tools and allows you to call and manipulate data from your spreadsheet.

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What is Nocodb? What can it really be used for? What are its advantages and disadvantages? In this review, we take you on a complete journey through Nocodb.

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History of Nocodb

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Why Nocodb? Here's a brief overview of the tool and the problems it solves.

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Who created Nocodb?

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Developed in 2021 and founded by Naveen R, Nocodb is an open-source, no-code database platform designed to help businesses manage their data and has proven to be an alternative to Airtable. There was a time when it was very difficult for businesses to keep track of their business operations.

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Although solutions such as spreadsheets existed, it was still difficult to manage the enormous amount of data flow. Meanwhile, SaaS (Software as a Service) offerings came along to provide an effective solution to the problem.

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But this also implies a dependence on suppliers. Another constraint is that companies don't really have control over their data, and the fluctuating prices of these offers don't really improve the situation.

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It was in response to these various challenges and the ongoing needs of businesses that nocodb was created. Its mission is to provide a tool accessible to everyone, whether an individual or an application development specialist, and to reach thousands of people. The no-code concept means that the tool requires no coding expertise to use.

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Nocodb is both open source and easy to use. Its spreadsheet-like interface makes it easy to access, manage, and analyze data quickly and efficiently. All in an environment that encourages creativity and collaboration.

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What is Nocodb?

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Nocodb, an open source alternative to Airtable, is a no-code database management tool. It's suitable for both developers and non-developers. It allows you to develop powerful tools while using a smart spreadsheet-based editor. This allows you to create innovative solutions in the form of internal applications to enable businesses or individuals to optimize their management methods for greater productivity.

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With Nocodb, there's truly no limit to the number of databases you can connect to. The no-code platform supports relational data systems such as MySQL, PostgreSQL, Microsoft SQL Server, SQLite, Amazon Aurora, and MariaDB.

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It also seamlessly interacts with third-party APIs as well as network applications like Slack, WhatsApp, and other apps like Discord, Twilio. It is feature-rich and can be used to do many other things you can't imagine.

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What does he actually do?

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All no-code tools have their own unique features and can be used to create solutions to a wide range of problems. As we mentioned earlier, the first advantage of Nocodb is that it helps you read any type of database, transforming it into a readable spreadsheet.

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This allows you to more easily perform manipulations as you wish, without having to be an expert in SQL (Structured Query Language), a programming language dedicated to relational databases.

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Second, Nocodb offers you greater flexibility thanks to its advanced data sorting, searching, and filtering features. More specifically, instead of scrolling through your tables to find a specific piece of data, you can save time by searching, categorizing, and filtering your information more easily.

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Nocodb can help you automate your website workflow to make it more logical. You can configure a multitude of actions in your database.

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To make these actions more dynamic, you can add specific conditions or events. The potential benefit of this feature is that you can easily add or update data without constraints.

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Nocodb Pricing

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Unlike competing tools like Budibase or Airtable , which offer different pricing models, Nocodb is completely free. For a tool that offers a multitude of features, this may sound too good to be true, but it is.

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In fact, you can collaborate in real time with your team and make rapid progress in data interaction. You can even manage data access and only authorize the people you choose.

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Additionally, others who don't have an account on the nocodb platform can view your work using the shared view integration feature. For added security, you can assign a password to protect your most sensitive information.

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In addition to these useful features, Nocodb allows you to simplify the automation of your business workflow. It also integrates seamlessly with other applications, thanks to its support for API tokens. If you've never heard of them, API tokens are keys that allow access to specific features in another application.

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In other words, it is an authentication key that allows you to interact with a third-party application while remaining within the limits of the data you can access.

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Finally, Nocodb's vision and promise is to maintain this free model in order to democratize access to the use of databases (internal and external databases) for thousands of people around the world. It also plans to offer a free service to businesses, including:

• single sign-on (SSO) for simplified user management,
• Service Level Agreements (SLAs) to ensure optimal availability and performance of the tool,
• an audit to guarantee the security and confidentiality of your data,
• a hosting system,
• and many other things.

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Advantages and disadvantages of Nocodb

Advantage of Nocodb

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Nocodb offers several advantages that make it one of the best no-code tools for data management.

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Importing data from an Airtable source

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If you want to import your data from Airtable, Nocodb can help you import to other databases such as MySQL Database, Postgres, SQLite, and SQL Server. The process is quick and only takes a few minutes. Although this option is in beta, all you have to do is provide your Airtable credentials and enter the sharing credentials.

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The second step is to access the menu, then click on "Add/Import " and then on the Airtable option. Finally, all you have to do is confirm the import by entering your previous information (API key and sharing ID).

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Possibility of integration

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Nocodb easily integrates with a variety of tools. When it comes to communication apps, Nocodb integrates well with tools like Discord and Slack. These tools can be used to establish communication links with other users or to coordinate tasks.

When it comes to sending emails, we can mention services such as MailerSend, Gmail SMTP server, AWS SES. With these services, you can automate all your emails, manage notifications, reports, and much more from Nocodb.

Nocodb integrates with services like AWS S3, Google Cloud Storage, and Minio. Nocodb hasn't developed its own cloud services yet. However, you can still store, manage, and sync your data as you go with these options.

Multilingual

When the founder of nocodb says he wants to reach billions of people, he means it. The tool supports around twenty languages, including French for French-speaking environments, English, Spanish, German, Italian, and many more.

The default language on the Nocodb interface is English. However, you can change the language by accessing the dashboard, specifically by clicking on "language." It's then up to you to choose the language that suits you best to easily communicate with the tool.

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Disadvantage of Nocodb

Some limitations with Nocodb.

Cloud unavailable

So far, Nocodb hasn't deployed its cloud system to backup all your data, from the newest to the oldest, unlike Budibase. To store or manage your data, you'll need to integrate an external service with Nocodb.

Complex learning curve

Although Nocodb's interface is intuitive, it can seem a bit complex for users without a minimum of technical knowledge. For example, someone who is not familiar with spreadsheets such as Excel may be lost at first.

Conclusion

Nocodb offers a promising solution for businesses, allowing them to manage and analyze their data efficiently, without the need for coding skills. As a no-code application, it simplifies access to source database management, offering an alternative to more expensive and vendor-dependent solutions.

With its user-friendly, spreadsheet-like interface, Nocodb encourages creativity and collaboration. It offers a variety of advanced features, such as importing data from Airtable and integrating with other apps.

Frequently asked questions

What is Nocodb?

Nocodb is a no-code database management tool that allows you to build powerful applications without the need for programming skills.

What types of databases does Nocodb support?

Nocodb supports relational databases such as MySQL, PostgreSQL, Microsoft SQL Server, SQLite, Amazon Aurora, and MariaDB.

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What integrations does Nocodb offer?

Nocodb integrates with communication apps like Slack and Discord, email services like MailerSend and AWS SES, and file storage services like AWS S3 and Google Cloud Storage.

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Does Nocodb offer a multilingual interface?

Nocodb is completely free, offering access to all its features without hidden costs.

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How much does Nocodb cost?

Nocodb is completely free, offering access to all its features at no hidden cost.

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How does Nocodb make data management easier for businesses?

Nocodb simplifies data management for businesses by providing a user-friendly spreadsheet interface, allowing data to be read, manipulated, and analyzed without the need for advanced programming skills.

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