SheetDB compared: Google Sheets API, Apps Script and Sheety

Short answer: there are three common ways to read and write a Google Sheet over HTTP besides SheetDB. The official Google Sheets API is free and complete but needs a Google Cloud project, OAuth or a service account, and your own caching. Google Apps Script web apps are free and flexible but you write and maintain the API code. Sheety is a hosted REST API like SheetDB with a simpler feature set and a row limit per plan. SheetDB is a hosted REST API that returns rows as JSON objects, with search, caching and access controls, and a free plan.

	SheetDB	Google Sheets API	Apps Script	Sheety
Setup	Paste sheet URL	Cloud project + credentials	Write and deploy a script	Connect sheet
OAuth in your code	No	Yes (or service account)	No, but auth is DIY	No
JSON objects per row	Yes	No, cell arrays	If you code it	Yes, camelCased
Search with operators	Yes	No	If you code it	Exact match
Built-in caching	Yes	No	If you code it	Not documented

Comparisons

SheetDB vs Google Sheets API: setup, OAuth, quotas (60 reads and 60 writes per minute per user by default), caching and the same task in Node.js.
SheetDB vs Google Apps Script: a doGet/doPost web app next to a ready REST API, including CORS and auth pitfalls.
SheetDB vs Sheety: two hosted Google Sheets REST APIs, JSON format, filters, write support and free plan limits.

Every page states what the other tool does better. Facts about other products come from their public documentation and are dated. If you spot something out of date, and we will fix it.

Not sure what you need yet? Start with using Google Sheets as a database or browse the integrations and tutorials.

FAQ

What is the easiest way to get Google Sheets data as JSON?

Use a hosted REST API such as SheetDB: sign in with Google, paste the spreadsheet URL and you get an endpoint that returns every row as a JSON object keyed by the header row. There is no Google Cloud project, OAuth client or script to deploy.

Is SheetDB a replacement for the Google Sheets API?

For row-based reading and writing, yes: SheetDB covers reading, searching, adding, updating and deleting rows. For formatting, charts, formulas across ranges or bulk spreadsheet administration, the official Google Sheets API is the right tool. See SheetDB vs Google Sheets API.

Is there a free way to turn a Google Sheet into an API?

Yes. The Google Sheets API and Google Apps Script cost nothing but require setup and code. SheetDB has a free plan with 2 APIs and 500 requests per month, no credit card required.

Try SheetDB on your own sheet

Create free API

[
  {
    "id": "1",
    "name": "Tom"
  }, …
]