A Baserow alternative with nothing to self-host
Baserow is open source and you own the data. But self-hosting means a server, Docker, Postgres, and a weekend you never get back. Dosirak puts the database in a folder on your desk.
The self-hosting tax
Running Baserow means running a server. A typical setup requires:
- A Linux VPS (DigitalOcean, Hetzner, AWS), $5-20 per month.
- Docker and Docker Compose to manage the containers.
- A PostgreSQL database and a Redis cache.
- A reverse proxy (Nginx or Caddy) with TLS certificates.
- Regular backups of the Postgres data directory.
- OS updates, container upgrades, and uptime monitoring.
For a development team with DevOps experience, this is routine. For a solo operator running a photography studio or managing three rental units, it is overhead that has nothing to do with their actual work.
What Dosirak does instead
Install the desktop app. Open a folder.
A Dosirak project is a folder bundle: TOML files for the schema and views, a SQLite database for the records. It does not need a container, a daemon, or a port.
The file format is the backup. Copy the folder to an external drive, put it in a Git repository, or sync it with any file service. Restoring from backup means opening the folder.
Baserow and Dosirak, side by side
| Baserow | Dosirak | |
|---|---|---|
| Deployment | Docker on a Linux server | Desktop app, install and run |
| Storage engine | PostgreSQL | SQLite |
| Offline use | No (browser to server) | Full, no internet required |
| License | MIT (open source) | Proprietary (pricing not set) |
| Multi-user | Yes, with RBAC | Single operator + agents |
| Agent access | REST API | Embedded MCP server |
| Backup | pg_dump, volume snapshots | Copy the folder |
| Maintenance | OS updates, Docker upgrades, TLS renewal | App updates |
Open data without the ops
Both Baserow and Dosirak give you access to your data. The difference is what that looks like in practice.
Baserow stores records in PostgreSQL. To get your data out, you run pg_dump or export each table through the web interface. The dump is a SQL file tied to Baserow's internal schema.
Dosirak stores records in SQLite with a TOML schema sitting next to it. The SQLite file opens in any SQLite tool: DB Browser, the sqlite3 CLI, Python, or a hundred other readers. The TOML files are plain text. You do not need Dosirak installed to inspect your data.
Moving a Baserow database over
- Export each table from the Baserow web interface as CSV.
- Create matching tables in Dosirak with corresponding field types.
- Import the CSV records.
What carries over: text, number, date, single select, boolean, URL, email, and phone fields.
What requires manual work: link-to-table fields need to be recreated as Dosirak relationships. File fields (attachments) need to be downloaded from the server and re-attached locally. Formula fields need to be rewritten as calc expressions.
Where Baserow still wins
- Multi-user access with role-based permissions. A team of five with concurrent browser access and granular controls.
- Browser access from anywhere. Baserow runs in any browser on any device. Dosirak is a desktop application.
- Row-level permissions and team workspaces. Baserow is built for shared access.
- Pluggable PostgreSQL backend. Baserow can connect to an existing Postgres cluster. Dosirak uses SQLite exclusively.
Dosirak is not for teams that need a centralized web portal with role-based access. It is for solo operators who value data ownership but want it without the server, the Docker Compose file, and the Saturday spent debugging TLS certificate renewals.
Questions
Is Dosirak open source?
No. Dosirak is a proprietary desktop application. Your data is stored in open standards (SQLite and TOML), but the application itself is not open source. Pricing is not yet set.
Can I access my Dosirak database remotely?
The desktop app runs locally. The MCP server also runs on your machine. Remote access would require a file-sync service or transferring the project folder to another machine.
Does Dosirak replace a self-hosted server?
For single-operator use cases, yes. If you were self-hosting Baserow or NocoDB primarily for personal or small-business use, Dosirak removes the server requirement entirely. For team-wide deployments, a server is still the right architecture.
Can multiple agents connect at the same time?
Yes. The MCP server accepts connections from multiple agents. All agents work against the same SQLite database, and all operations are transactional.
How does Dosirak handle backups?
The project is a folder on your disk. You control the backup strategy: copy the folder, use Time Machine, put it in Git, or sync it with any cloud file service.