# 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: 2026-07-11 · Source: * ## 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](https://support.google.com/drive/answer/37603)) - 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](https://developers.google.com/workspace/sheets/api/limits)) ## 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](https://pastesheet.com/guides/google-sheets-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](https://pastesheet.com/guides/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 — $9/month.** For indie makers shipping a real app. - Endpoints: 10 - Requests: 50,000 / month - Rows per endpoint: 5,000 - Tabs per endpoint: 5 - Rate limit: 300 / minute ## 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 - [Files you can store in Google Drive (size limits)](https://support.google.com/drive/answer/37603) — Google - [Usage limits — Google Sheets API](https://developers.google.com/workspace/sheets/api/limits) — Google ## Related guides - [Airtable vs Google Sheets for Developers](https://pastesheet.com/guides/airtable-vs-google-sheets) — 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](https://pastesheet.com/guides/rows-alternative) — 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](https://pastesheet.com/guides/baserow-alternative) — 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](https://pastesheet.com/guides/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. --- [PasteSheet](https://pastesheet.com) turns any Google Sheet into a live REST API and MCP server for AI agents — no backend, no code. 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