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Grist vs Microsoft Access: catalog facts
Grist	Microsoft Access
Freemium Open-source self-hosting is free; the hosted service has a free plan and paid tiers.	Paid Available through Microsoft 365 plans; a free trial is offered.
Web, Self-hosted	Windows
Relational tables in a spreadsheet interface Cell-level access rules	Builds desktop databases and custom database apps Forms and reports for working with data without writing code
Relational model takes some learning for plain spreadsheet users Some features depend on the hosted plans	Requires a paid Microsoft license Desktop-focused rather than a web database
Web application, Self-hosted	Downloadable app
Open source	Closed source
License not stated	License not stated
Not stated if an account is needed	Account needed
Not stated if it works offline	Works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 23, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked October 1, 2026

Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.