csv-api vs SheetDB
Google Sheets-backed JSON/XML API.
SheetDB turns a Google Sheet into a REST API. It's a great fit if your data already lives in Sheets and your team edits it there. csv-api is the better fit if you want a real database underneath, faster queries, AI-powered prompts, and a hosted dashboard you can share with non-technical teammates.
Feature comparison
| Capability | SheetDB | csv-api |
|---|---|---|
| Source of truth | Google Sheets (rate-limited by Google) | Postgres-backed dynamic table |
| Read API w/ filters & sort | Yes | Yes |
| Write API (POST / PATCH / DELETE) | Yes | Yes |
| Bulk upserts | Yes | Yes — up to 1,000 rows / request |
| Aggregation (sum / avg / count / group) | Partial | Yes |
| Natural language queries | No | Yes — `?prompt=…` |
| MCP server (AI assistant access) | No | Yes — ChatGPT, Claude, etc. |
| Per-dataset OpenAPI / Swagger UI | No | Yes |
| Branded public shared pages | No | Yes |
| Formula-injection-safe exports | Partial | Yes |
Why pick csv-api
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Your data lives in a real Postgres table, so reads aren't bottlenecked by Google's Sheets API quotas.
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Ask questions in plain English with `?prompt=…` — no other competitor in this category has this.
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Enable MCP and let ChatGPT or Claude query your data directly — no copy-pasting into prompts.
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Every dataset ships with a per-dataset OpenAPI 3.0.3 spec and an interactive Swagger UI.
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Public shared pages let you hand a filtered, branded view to a teammate or client without giving them an API key.
Try it in under a minute
Upload a CSV or Excel file and your REST API is live. No credit card required.