OpenBase documentation

OpenBase is a self-hosted alternative to Airtable for individuals and very small businesses: tables, linked records, formulas, grid / kanban / calendar / gallery / timeline / list / form views, automations, sharing and an Airtable-compatible API. It is one Rust program with the web app compiled in; the database, uploaded files and backups live in one folder on a server you control. It is dual licensed MIT OR Apache-2.0, with no paid tier and no license keys.

Start here

1. Quickstart: an empty VPS to a working, HTTPS OpenBase with your first admin account and an AI assistant connected.
2. Self-hosting: choosing a server, Docker Compose with Caddy, the systemd alternative, email, backups and restore, upgrades, account recovery and troubleshooting.
3. Connect AI assistants: OpenBase is also an MCP server. Claude, ChatGPT and other assistants can build and edit your bases within the access you give them.

Reference

• Automations: triggers, actions, {{...}} placeholders and webhooks.
• API: the Airtable-compatible REST API under /api/v1, and where it differs from Airtable.
• Security: the threat model, every limit, the administrator checklist and the accepted risks.

About these pages

These pages are the documentation files of the repository, rendered as they are: one source of truth, so the site and the files you get with a download never disagree. Each page has an “Edit page” link to its source file. Search works offline in your browser; nothing is sent to a server.

Questions and bug reports go to the issue tracker. Report security problems privately, as described under Reporting a problem.