I’m working with Python and JavaScript at an intermediate level and want to create a web app similar to database-spreadsheet tools like Airtable. I don’t need all the features, just the core ones.
The main features I want to include are:
Drag and drop functionality for rows and items
Different view modes like kanban boards and galleries
File attachments that users can link and preview
Switching between spreadsheet view and form input view
Multiple users working together in real time
Pivot tables for data analysis
Creating reports with charts and data exports
I found some commercial widget libraries that offer parts of what I need. There are kanban board components, project management templates, and pivot table widgets available for purchase.
I’m wondering if I should buy these ready-made components or look for free open source options instead. Another concern is whether different paid widgets from various companies will work well together in one application.
Should I build everything from the ground up or use existing libraries? Has anyone here created something similar? What approach worked best for you?
In my experience, building a similar application required a balanced approach. For the spreadsheet functionality, I utilized Luckysheet, which is open-source and supports real-time collaboration effortlessly. For the drag-and-drop feature, SortableJS was a perfect fit and integrated seamlessly. I opted for Django paired with Django Channels to handle real-time updates and PostgreSQL for data storage. Creating pivot tables proved challenging, so I turned to pandas for complex data manipulations and Chart.js for data visualization. When considering paid solutions, I advise caution as different libraries can lead to integration issues. If going commercial, it’s wise to commit to a single vendor for consistency. However, open-source options often deliver excellent results with more flexibility, provided you’re willing to invest time in integration.
Just use Airtable’s API and build your own frontend. I tried building this exact thing last year - the complexity gets insane, especially when users want Excel-level features. Saved myself months by wrapping Airtable with a custom UI that fit my needs.
Skip buying a bunch of widgets from random vendors. You’ll end up in integration hell when they need to talk to each other.
I built something similar three years ago and learned this the hard way. Started with a patchwork of paid components and spent more time fighting compatibility issues than building features.
Here’s what worked: Pick ONE good commercial library for your most complex feature. For me that was pivot tables because building that from scratch takes forever. Everything else went open source.
For tech stack, I used React with react-dnd for drag and drop, Express with Socket.io for real-time stuff, and MongoDB for flexible data storage. The kanban view was surprisingly easy once you have drag and drop working.
File attachment previews are trickier than they look. You need different handling for images, PDFs, documents. I ended up using react-file-viewer for previews and storing files on AWS S3.
Prototype first with free tools. You’ll quickly find your pain points and can make smarter decisions about where to spend money. Most of these features aren’t as complex as they seem once you break them down.
I’d mix approaches here - use ag-grid for the spreadsheet functionality (free version works great) and socket.io for real-time updates. Built something similar last year and combining free/paid tools saved me tons of time. Just don’t go overboard with vendors or you’ll regret it when stuff breaks.
Data modeling for this stuff is way trickier than it looks. I built something similar 8 months back and made the classic mistake - spent all my time on frontend while ignoring the database design. Had to scrap and rebuild the entire data layer when my schema couldn’t handle dynamic fields properly. For real-time collaboration, just go with Supabase or Firebase. Their realtime subscriptions do the work for you instead of wrestling with WebSockets manually. Steep learning curve but saves you tons of headaches. Library-wise: Tanstack Table for data grids, Recharts for charts. Both have solid TypeScript support, which you’ll need as things get complex. Here’s what no one tells you - testing collaborative features is a nightmare. You’ll need multiple browser windows open and rock-solid state management, or you’ll never figure out what’s breaking.
Went through this exact challenge two years ago. The real bottleneck isn’t UI components - it’s data synchronization. I started with full open-source but ended up buying Tabulator for the spreadsheet view. Wasted too much time on cell editing and validation edge cases. Performance was way better with larger datasets too. For real-time collaboration, operational transforms are incredibly complex. Consider ShareJS or Yjs for conflict resolution instead of building your own WebSocket solution. File handling becomes a nightmare with multiple users uploading at once - I ended up using a separate microservice just for that. My advice: use proven libraries for the complex stuff like data sync and file management, build the simpler UI elements yourself.
I did something similar about 18 months ago and went mostly open source with just one paid tool. Here’s what I learned: real-time collaboration is way harder than the UI stuff. React with react-beautiful-dnd worked perfectly for drag and drop. I used FastAPI for the backend since it handles WebSockets way better than Django. The only thing I paid for was Handsontable for spreadsheet views - their data validation and cell editing actually beats the free options. Built everything else with open source: D3.js for charts, etc. My advice? Prototype with free tools first, then see where you’re actually struggling before spending money. Mixing different vendors creates integration nightmares, so choose carefully.