Google Sheets API alternatives: SheetDB, Sheet Best, Sheety, Stein and datatomcp
By Killian Helf, founder of datatomcp · Updated 19 October 2026. Prices and features come from each vendor's public pricing page and documentation on that date; "not stated" means we couldn't find it there, not that it's missing. Check their sites before you decide.
Google's own Sheets API is free, but you need a Google Cloud project and credentials, and it returns raw cell values that your code has to filter and total. The tools below wrap a sheet in a simpler API. They split into two groups. Some treat the sheet as a small database you read and write, which suits forms and websites. Others treat it as data to query, which suits dashboards, automations and AI agents.
| Google Sheets API | SheetDB | Sheet Best | Sheety | Stein | datatomcp | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free tier | Free, within quota (300 reads a minute per project) | 500 requests a month, 2 APIs | None; 30-day trial | 200 requests a month, 100 rows per sheet | Free hosted plan; open source (MIT) | 3 datasets × 100,000 rows, 1,000 queries a day |
| Paid plans from | Free | $29.99 a month: 10,000 requests | $9.99 a month: 15,000 requests | $9.99 a month: 50,000 requests, 1,000 rows | Self-host for free | $12 or €12 a month: 25 datasets × 2M rows |
| Write rows back to the sheet | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No, read-only by design |
| Filters | No (you filter in code) | Yes (search) | Not stated on pricing page | Not stated on pricing page | Yes (search) | Yes: 13 operators |
| Group-by and totals on the server | No | Not documented | Not documented | Not documented | Not documented | Yes: count, distinct, sum, avg, min, max |
| MCP server for AI agents | Build it yourself | Not listed | Yes, from the Personal plan | Not listed | No | Yes, with OAuth, on every plan |
| Setup | Google Cloud project, credentials, code | Paste the sheet link | Paste the sheet link | Connect the sheet | Connect or self-host | Pick the sheet in Google's file picker |
Google Sheets API
The official API, free within its quota: 300 read requests per minute per project and 60 per minute per user. It's the most flexible option and the most work. You create a Google Cloud project, set up OAuth or a service account, and write the filtering and totals yourself. Choose it if you're a developer who needs full control, including formatting and formulas.
SheetDB
A REST API for a sheet in a couple of clicks, with reads, writes and a search endpoint. The free plan covers 500 requests a month on 2 APIs; paid plans start at $29.99 a month for 10,000 requests. Good for websites and forms that store submissions in a sheet.
Sheet Best
A CRUD API over Google Sheets, with an MCP connection on its Personal plan and up. There's no free plan, only a 30-day trial; plans start at $9.99 a month for 15,000 requests and 2 connections. Excel uploads come with the Premium plan.
Sheety
Turns a sheet into a REST API with read, write, edit and delete. The free plan allows 200 requests a month and 100 rows per sheet; $9.99 a month raises that to 50,000 requests and 1,000 rows. It's a quick way to prototype. The row limits rule it out for larger sheets on the cheaper plans.
Stein
Open source (MIT) with a free hosted option, so you can run it yourself. It reads, searches and writes rows. Its public repository hasn't changed since December 2022, so weigh that if you need ongoing support.
datatomcp
Built for querying, not editing. You pick the sheet in Google's file picker, which grants access to that file only. datatomcp imports it into a database and reports anything odd, like numbers stored as text or mixed date formats. Apps then query it over REST, and AI agents over MCP, with filters, group-by and totals computed on the server. Large tabs (up to 100,000 rows free, 2 million on Pro) cost the same per query as small ones. Pro syncs the sheet every hour.
It doesn't write back to the sheet. If your app needs to add rows, use one of the CRUD tools above alongside it, or instead of it.
Which one to choose
- A form or website that saves rows into a sheet: SheetDB, Sheet Best or Sheety.
- Full control and no extra vendor: the Google Sheets API, or self-hosted Stein.
- Dashboards, automations or AI agents asking questions of a big sheet: datatomcp. See Google Sheets as a read-only API and Google Sheets MCP server.