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

A SheetDB alternative that adds MCP for AI agents

SheetDB is a well-known way to turn a Google Sheet into a REST API. PasteSheet covers the same job — a hosted, cached JSON endpoint from a pasted URL — and adds a read-only MCP server so Claude, Cursor, and ChatGPT can query the same sheet.

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Key facts

  • MCP is an open protocol built on JSON-RPC 2.0. A server exposes Resources, Prompts and Tools to any MCP client — Claude, Cursor, ChatGPT, VS Code and Windsurf all speak it. source
  • The durable difference is not price, it is surface: PasteSheet serves the same sheet as a REST API and an MCP server from one query engine, so an agent and your app read identical rows.
  • PasteSheet's MCP server exposes three tools — list_tabs, get_schema and query_rows — and is read-only by design: an agent can query your sheet but can never modify it.
  • PasteSheet's Free plan covers 3 endpoints and 2,000 requests a month, with MCP included — no credit card, no expiry.

What SheetDB does

SheetDB is one of the original "spreadsheet as an API" tools: connect a Google Sheet and it serves the rows as a REST API you can read and write over HTTP. It is a solid, focused product — the free tier is limited, and paid plans (roughly $29.99–$129.99/mo as of 2026) unlock more requests and features.

Where it stops is AI. SheetDB gives you a REST API; it does not expose your sheet as an MCP server, which is how modern agents like Claude and ChatGPT pull live data.

Where PasteSheet is different

PasteSheet is built around the same "paste a URL, get an endpoint" idea, then goes further:

  • REST + MCP from one engine: the same sheet is a JSON REST API and a read-only MCP server — one query engine backs both.
  • MCP on the free plan: connect any public endpoint to an agent with no credit card. The free tier gives 3 endpoints and 2,000 requests a month.
  • Typed query engine: exact filters, contains matches, full-text search, sort, and aggregation (count, sum, avg, group_by) as URL params or agent tool calls.
  • Read-only by design: agents and public embeds can read every row but can never modify the sheet — safe to hand over.

SheetDB vs PasteSheet, side by side

Both turn a Google Sheet into an API from a pasted URL. The split is read-write automation versus a read-only, agent-ready data source:

SheetDB PasteSheet
Setup Connect a Google Sheet Paste a share URL
REST API Yes Yes — same endpoint
Writes to the sheet Yes No — read-only by design
MCP for AI agents No Yes — Claude, Cursor, ChatGPT
Query engine Basic filtering Filters, contains, full-text search, sort, paginate
Aggregation (count/sum/group_by) No Yes (Pro)
Free tier Limited 3 endpoints · 2,000 req/mo · MCP included
Paid from ~$29.99/mo $9/mo (Starter)

Which one you actually want

If you specifically need to write rows back to a sheet over an API, SheetDB (or another read-write tool) is the right pick — PasteSheet is deliberately read-only. If you want a sheet to be readable — by your app, a website, or an AI agent — with less setup and MCP built in, PasteSheet is the better fit.

See how the same endpoint powers an agent in the Google Sheets MCP guide, or compare the MCP-first tools.

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
  • Full-text search
  • Count, sum, avg & group by
Choose Starter
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Frequently asked questions

Is PasteSheet a good SheetDB alternative?

Yes, if you want a read-only Google Sheets REST API plus an MCP server for AI agents. PasteSheet includes MCP on the free plan and a typed query engine; SheetDB is REST-only and defaults to read-write.

Can PasteSheet write to my Google Sheet like SheetDB?

No. PasteSheet is read-only by design, so it is safe to embed publicly or hand to an agent. If you need to write rows over an API, a read-write tool like SheetDB fits better.

Does PasteSheet work with Claude and ChatGPT?

Yes. Every endpoint is also an MCP server, so Claude, Cursor, and ChatGPT can list tabs, read the schema, and query rows in plain English — something SheetDB does not offer.

Sources

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