Baserow unique advantage in no code community?

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So the issue is whenever I speak with my clients for application building process I first of all recommend then baserow for using it as an external database for example if they are using bubble and are not wishing to stay in lock with bubble inbuilt database then going with baserow is a good way. They hear it first then they ultimately settle with other platforms specially supabase and xano.

This happened with me a lot of times and so ultimately I tried to dig into the points which they(clients) think while choosing their database.

So whenever they are choosing supabase.com they are going with it because it is picturing itself as an alternative to Firebase but in a very easy to use manner because using firebase in no code applications is way harder and complex.
Also supabase is giving the sense of freedom to clients when they switch to other platform for example it is more compatible in JS and react etc as well as API, also provide native SDK features which is like having a future proof solution for MVP or startup. Plus supabase has a generous pricing for free tier

And xano on the other hand is bringing a pure no code database feeling while picturing itself.
Clients are using it because they find it more and more people are talking about it, using it, the founders are also active in the forms of other platforms. They are providing more how to videos on YouTube based on bubble and flutterflow, weweb etc.
Also checking out their features they providing are way more good. Their actively releasing new feature like in every week.

Therefore I have a clear picture that whenever application is built by people who have a developer background they are choosing supabase, and other people are using xano.
But the picture I am providing over here is from the no code community.

There are various things which needs to be done in order to make baserow stand out in the no code community for sure. But I don’t see that progress in a way other platform other platforms are going.

One more essential thing I would like to speak about is what make this platform baserow different is that you can actually self host and it is open source but according to my experience with my clients in the no code atmosphere, people don’t actually care about this feature, they literally don’t know how to install a docker. They don’t give importance to the open source and self host feature. Because yeah there from the nocode community, and for them the cloud hosting price of baserow is not suitable once the compare with other platforms which I am mentioned above.

Again there is one platform which is like in the middle of what supabase offers and what xano offers it’s appwrite.io appwrite is also gaining momentum in the community of developers and also no code community. This platform is new but growing fast.

So in the end of the day my clients plus my potential clients whom I do meeting with in order to build application or for consultation purposes are not willing to go with baserow, even after my explanation and introduction to the platform they are rejecting it.

One of my clients said that Baserow is just an open source alternative to Airtable! (I told this client to research about baserow for a day and then on the other day he said me this), I know this is not truly correct but clients after researching about xano, supabase and baserow are indeed not in favour of baserow.

Another client of mine said that after using AWS db’s he is only being comfortable with supabase, he is not getting the “feel” in baserow.

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Thank you for sharing this, @Siddharth. We don’t consider Supabase or Xano as direct competitors to Baserow, but it’s interesting to understand why people might choose other tools over Baserow.

What changes/upgrades do you think we could make to Baserow to make it stand out better as a backend solution?

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Hey @Siddharth, tell us more about your prospects/clients who have not chosen Baserow. What industries are they in? How big are they? Are they teams, or mostly individuals? What are their backgrounds?

It seems like they’re very technical and dev-focused, if they’re looking at Supabase and Xano, but you also said that they’re not always recognizing the importance of open source and self-hosting—which I’m having trouble wrapping my head around, since technical creators usually do understand the importance of owning your data, being scalable, removing vendor lock-in, etc. You also mentioned Docker.

As Olga said, Supabase and Xano are not exactly direct competitors—they require far more technical knowledge (and thus have a much steeper learning curve) than Baserow.

Baserow is API-first and dev friendly, but it’s still a no-code platform, whereas the others you mentioned are a lot more technical (low-code +).

Here are some Baserow USPs:

  • User-friendly interface: With Baserow, you don’t need to be a tech wizard to create powerful
    databases. Its intuitive drag-and-drop interface makes it a breeze for anyone on your team to design, customize, and manage data without any hassle.
  • Easy collaboration: Teamwork makes the dream work, and Baserow knows it! Multiple users can work on the same database in real-time, ensuring everyone’s always on the same page. Share your progress with teammates, assign tasks, and watch your projects flourish with seamless collaboration.
  • Fully customizable: Your team is unique, and your database should be too. Tailor every aspect of your database to fit your specific needs. From custom fields to personalized views, Baserow gives you the freedom to build a database that’s as individual as your team.
  • Open source advantage: Being open source means Baserow is continuously improving with
    contributions from its community. You get a reliable, secure platform that grows with you, plus the flexibility to modify it as you see fit.
  • No vendor lock-in: Unlike platforms that are designed to keep you locked into proprietary
    formats, Baserow makes it easy to move your data to and from the platform. Plus, ensure business continuity, regardless of whatever happens.
  • Scalability at your fingertips: Whether you’re a startup or a large enterprise, Baserow scales with your ambitions. Handle increasing amounts of data without breaking a sweat, ensuring
    your applications run smoothly no matter how big your dreams get. Baserow Self-Hosted removes all row, storage, and history limits.
  • Full data ownership: Self-host Baserow on premise or to the infrastructure of your choice to fully own your data and maintain even the strictest legal and compliance needs.
  • API-first approach: Automate tasks and connect to other systems with Baserow’s REST API. It’s designed for developers and non-developers alike to extend functionality.
  • Regular updates: Benefit from a platform that’s always getting better. Regular updates
    mean new features, improved performance, and a more robust system overall.
  • Thriving community: Join an active community of users and contributors. Get help, share ideas, and find inspiration from like-minded database builders.
  • Privacy-focused: With Baserow, your data privacy is paramount. Host your data on your servers and stay in control of sensitive information.
  • Extensive documentation: Never feel lost with comprehensive guides and tutorials. Whether you’re starting out or looking to master advanced features, Baserow’s documentation has you covered.

Looking forward to learning more about the conversations you’re having with prospects/clients and how we can stand out more.

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Mostly they are professionals in their respective fields, and they don’t have that much idea of application development or they don’t have much they don’t have that much ideas of dev part.
Most of them are individual but quite of them were teams also mainly 1 or more team member being a dev.
If you say about the industry I can’t name few specific because from every diverse sector from entertainment to education to automobile to corporates corporate.

A majority of them are not technical and not at all dev focused.

If they don’t know the importance of open source than this feature is not appealing to them, simple, as majority being non teche.

Speaking of supabase it’s a firebase alternative but in easy way.
Even non technical founders and users know about firebase and as Supabase is picturing itself as a firebase alternative, more people are liking to go there. They actually provide a picture that no code fellow can use it easily for a MVP once they have something native in their hands then also they can use it to scale.

Speaking of xano, it is 100% non technical it is purely advertising it as the most simple way to create an scale a database for no coders, the big picture I see there is lots and lots of unique features and founder engagement and communities engagement even in other platforms such as bubble and flutterflow.

I also mentioned about appwrite which is something in between you can check it out, increasing popularity among devs and non tech people.

If you check xano or supabase it’s not low code at all, very api friendly. (Supabase is directly low and no code combination but no code to firebase).

I think even you don’t consider it as direct competitors they are surely taking away majority of potential users in no code space.

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I like the potential option of using Baserow as a UI shell for Supabase or our own Postgres server. I think this will open Baserow up to a ton of Postgres users.

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