PasteSheet icon PasteSheet logo mark — a spreadsheet grid with a curly brace on a green rounded square PasteSheet

An Airtable alternative that keeps your Google Sheet

People move to Airtable to get an API and structure on top of a spreadsheet. If your data already lives in Google Sheets, PasteSheet gives you the API — and an MCP server for AI agents — without migrating anything or paying per seat.

Last updated

Key facts

  • The usual trigger for adopting a spreadsheet-database is simply "my sheet needs an API" — which does not require migrating the data anywhere. Your Google Sheet stays the source of truth.
  • PasteSheet's plans are flat, from $9/mo — priced per account, not per editor — and your team keeps editing the sheet in Google Sheets, which costs nothing.
  • A Google Sheet is capped at 10 million cells (or 18,278 columns), which is the real ceiling on using one as a database. source
  • The Google Sheets API allows 300 read requests per minute per project and 60 per minute per user. Past that it returns 429 RESOURCE_EXHAUSTED. source

Why people reach for Airtable

Airtable is a capable spreadsheet-database with a built-in REST API, views, and automations. Its Free plan is limited (5 editors, 1,000 records per base as of 2026) and paid plans are per seat — around $20/user/mo (Team) and $45/user/mo (Business) — which adds up fast for a team.

The common trigger for adopting it is simple: "my spreadsheet needs an API." But moving to Airtable means migrating your data into a new platform, learning its model, and paying per editor.

Where PasteSheet is different

If you only need the API part, PasteSheet gets you there without leaving Google Sheets:

  • No migration: your Google Sheet stays the source of truth. Paste its URL and it becomes a REST API instantly.
  • No per-seat pricing: plans are flat (from $9/mo), not billed per editor — your whole team edits the sheet in Google as usual.
  • MCP for agents: the same endpoint is a read-only MCP server, so Claude and ChatGPT can query your data.
  • Read-only and cached: the API is safe to expose publicly and edge-cached, so it never overwrites your data.

Which one you actually want

If you need Airtable's relational features, rich field types, views, and automations, it is worth the platform and the per-seat cost. If your data is already in Google Sheets and you mainly need an API plus agent access, PasteSheet delivers that without a migration.

See how a sheet works as a backend in Google Sheets as a database.

What it costs

MCP is included on the Free plan. Connect any public endpoint over MCP with no Google Cloud project and no credit card. Private endpoints and the account-wide workspace server need a paid plan (from Starter ($9/mo)) for the keys and OAuth they authenticate with.

Pro adds full-text search and aggregation (count, sum, avg, group_by) that your AI agent can call through query_rows.

Starter

For indie makers shipping a real app.

$9 /mo
Endpoints
10
Requests / mo
50,000
Row cap
5,000
  • MCP for AI agents
  • Private endpoints & keys
  • Schema drift alerts
Choose Starter
Compare plans Start free

Frequently asked questions

Is PasteSheet an alternative to Airtable?

For the "I need an API on my data" use case, yes. PasteSheet gives a Google Sheet a REST API and an MCP server without migrating to a new platform or paying per seat. It is not a full relational database like Airtable.

Do I have to move my data out of Google Sheets?

No. That is the point — your Google Sheet stays the source of truth. PasteSheet reads it from a pasted URL and serves it as an API and MCP server.

Is PasteSheet cheaper than Airtable for a team?

Usually, because PasteSheet plans are flat (from $9/mo) rather than per editor. Your team keeps editing the sheet in Google Sheets, which is free.

Sources

Related guides

Airtable vs Google Sheets for Developers

Airtable vs Google Sheets, compared on API access, row limits, pricing, and cost. Which one to build on when your app needs to read the data programmatically.

Rows Alternative: Google Sheets + MCP

With Rows winding down in 2026, PasteSheet is a Sheets-first alternative: turn a Google Sheet into a REST API and an MCP server for AI agents in minutes.

Baserow Alternative for Google Sheets

A Baserow alternative with no database migration or self-hosting: publish an existing Google Sheet as a read-only REST API and MCP server for AI agents.

How to Use Google Sheets as a Database

Use Google Sheets as a database: query rows over a cached REST API with filters, sorting, and paging — no backend. When it fits, when it doesn't, and how.

Turn your sheet into an API in minutes

Paste a Google Sheet URL and get a live REST API and MCP server — no backend, no code, free to start.

Start free See pricing