Hey everyone! I’m working with Python and JavaScript at an intermediate level and want to build a web app that works like a spreadsheet but with database features. Think of it as creating something similar to Airtable but simpler.
I need to include these main features:
Moving rows around with drag and drop
Different viewing options like kanban boards and gallery layouts
File attachments that users can click to view
Switch between spreadsheet view and individual form view
Multiple people working on it at the same time
Creating pivot tables for data analysis
Making reports with charts and data exports
I found some paid component libraries that might work but I’m not sure if mixing different vendors would cause problems. Should I go with commercial widgets or look for free open source options instead? Has anyone here built something like this before?
Would really appreciate any advice from developers who have experience with this type of project. What approach worked best for you?
I did this exact project last year. Skip building the spreadsheet engine from scratch - use Ethercalc or OnlyOffice instead. Both handle core spreadsheet functions well and you’ll save months on formula parsing and cell rendering. For the database, I went with a traditional REST API + PostgreSQL over newer real-time solutions. The trick was treating each spreadsheet as structured records instead of syncing individual cell changes. This made the form view way easier since you’re already working with complete records. Commercial vs open source - file attachments and pivot tables are worth paying for if you can. I wasted tons of time building a file preview system when Filestack or Uploadcare do it better. The drag and drop options others mentioned work fine for free alternatives. One heads up: user permissions get messy fast with both spreadsheet and form views. Design your access control early because adding it later sucks.
honestly just use react-spreadsheet or x-spreadsheet for the base grid and build evrything else around it. I tried building my own spreadsheet component and it was a disater - way more edge cases than you’d think. for realtime stuff firebase actually works pretty well if you dont want to deal with websocket headaches. biggest tip: dont overthink the architecture early on, just get something working first then refactor when you understand the actual requirements better.
Built something similar 2 years ago and went through this exact decision process.
Went with a hybrid approach that worked great. Used Luckysheet (open source) for the core spreadsheet stuff - handles the grid, formulas, and basic interactions.
For advanced features, I added:
React Beautiful DnD for drag and drop (works great with rows)
Custom kanban component using react-beautiful-dnd again
File attachments were trickier than expected. Built a simple upload system with AWS S3 storage and thumbnails in cells. Users click to open in a modal.
Pivot tables were the biggest pain. Ended up using WebDataRocks (commercial component) just for that feature. Sometimes paying for one solid piece beats dealing with buggy alternatives.
Mixing vendors isn’t bad, but watch out for bundle size and styling conflicts. I spent a week fixing CSS issues between libraries.
One thing I learned - nail the spreadsheet view first before adding kanban and gallery views. Your early data structure decisions will impact everything else.
Real time collaboration is complex. If you’re intermediate level, use something like Yjs or ShareJS instead of building from scratch. I tried building my own operational transform system and it was a nightmare.
Last month I shipped something similar and learned a bunch of lessons the hard way.
Skipped the spreadsheet engine debate entirely and went straight to Grist. It’s open source and handles most of your requirements without the integration headaches. The API’s solid and you can embed it or build around it.
For what Grist doesn’t cover well, I bolted on:
Custom kanban using react-kanban-board
Enhanced file handling with react-dropzone
Better charting with Recharts
Real-time collaboration worked out of the box - saved me weeks compared to rolling my own websocket setup.
Biggest gotcha nobody mentioned - data migration between view types. When users switch from spreadsheet to kanban, your column mappings need to make sense. I built a view configuration system that maps database fields to different display contexts.
Pivot tables are brutal to build yourself. Just pay for a commercial component like WebDataRocks or Flexmonster. Your time’s worth more than the license cost.
One more thing - start with read-only views first. Adding edit capabilities to multiple view types simultaneously will make you want to quit. Get users looking at data in different ways before letting them change it everywhere.
I did something similar last year and wish I’d started differently. Don’t build from scratch - I used ag-Grid as the foundation since it handles most spreadsheet functionality and has solid APIs for customization. For the database, I went with Supabase which gave me real-time subscriptions out of the box. Way easier than managing websockets myself. The pivot table stuff was actually pretty straightforward with their PostgreSQL views. My biggest mistake was underestimating how complex the form view would be. Users expect validation and field types to work the same way in both spreadsheet and form modes. I ended up building a unified schema system that defines field types once and renders them properly in both contexts. For commercial vs open source - start with open source for core functionality and only pay for specialized components where the free alternatives genuinely suck. Those drag and drop libraries from the previous answer are solid. The biggest technical challenge wasn’t the UI components but handling concurrent edits and keeping data consistent. If you’re planning multi-user support, spend time understanding conflict resolution patterns early.