Knack and Caspio alternative
The Knack and Caspio alternative built this decade
Knack and Caspio have been turning databases into web apps for well over a decade, and many small businesses still run on them. Their builders show their age, and their pricing scales with records or data pages, so the bill grows with the database rather than with how many people use the app.
Emberblocks is the same category rebuilt: a fast grid editor, a database you own, a readable formula language, workflows, roles and versioned publishing, priced by the people who use the app.
Builders are always free. Facts about Knack on this page were last checked on against Knack's own site. Tell us if something is out of date: hello@emberblocks.com.
Why people look for a Knack or Caspio alternative
Pricing by records
Knack plans are tiered by records and storage; Caspio by DataPages and data. Emberblocks prices by app users and never charges for builders.
The editor
Both builders predate drag-and-drop grids. Emberblocks is a live canvas with a parts-based inspector and undo everywhere.
Your database
Knack and Caspio keep your data in their database. Emberblocks can too, or connect your own Postgres so rows never leave your server.
Formulas and workflows
A spreadsheet-style formula language with autocomplete, and workflows that trigger on row changes, schedules and buttons.
Phones
Published apps are responsive, install on a phone's home screen, and queue edits made offline until the connection is back.
AI
Ember drafts a first version of an app from a plain-language description, and end users can ask questions of the data in plain language when you turn it on.
Emberblocks vs Knack at a glance
| Capability | Emberblocks | Knack |
|---|---|---|
| Built-in database | Yes | Yes |
| Connect your own Postgres | Yes | No |
| Airtable as a source (two-way) | Yes | No |
| Google Sheets as a live source | No | import |
| No code required | Yes | Yes |
| Formula language | Yes | equations and text formulas |
| Field-level permissions | Yes | user roles |
| Workflows and automations | Yes | tasks and email |
| Versioned publishing with rollback | Yes | unverified |
| Public links without accounts | Yes | public pages |
| Offline edits queued on phones | Yes | No |
| AI drafts the first version | Yes | unverified |
| Builders never pay | Yes | No |
| Paid plans priced by | app users | records and storage |
| Custom domains | not yet | Yes |
| SSO / SAML | not yet | unverified |
Emberblocks cells reflect what ships today. Knack cells were checked against Knack's public pages on the date shown at the top of this page; "unverified" means we could not confirm it and would rather say so than guess.
What you get in Emberblocks
Your data, live
Start on a built-in database, your own Postgres (Supabase, Neon, RDS, anything that speaks Postgres) or an Airtable base. Apps read and write live rows, so there are no exports to keep in sync.
Blocks on a grid
Drag tables, cards, record pages, kanban boards, calendars, maps, timelines, charts, stats, forms, buttons, comments, activity feeds, file viewers, signatures, barcodes and embeds onto a grid and wire them to tables. What you arrange is exactly what your team gets.
Real field types
Fields include text, email, phone, URL, number, boolean, date, date-time, time, duration, select, multi-select, reference, multi-reference, image, file, signature, address and JSON. Barcode scanning and signatures work in the browser without a native app.
Workflows
Workflows run when a row is created, updated or deleted, on a schedule, or from a button; steps update records, send email, call webhooks, branch on conditions and run code.
Roles and permissions
Roles decide which views a user sees and which fields they can read or edit; app users can be loaded from a table in your own data.
Publishing like software
Every publish is a versioned snapshot you can inspect and roll back, with a stable and a latest channel.
Phones and offline
Published apps are responsive, install on a phone's home screen, and queue edits made offline until the connection is back.
AI where it helps
Ember drafts a first version of an app from a plain-language description, and end users can ask questions of the data in plain language when you turn it on.
Where Knack or Caspio may still be the better pick
- Custom domains and embedding an app on your own website. Emberblocks does not offer custom domains yet.
- Compliance paperwork: Caspio markets HIPAA-ready plans. Emberblocks does not claim HIPAA, SOC 2 or similar.
- Very large databases with millions of records on a fixed budget: compare the row allowances on the pricing page before you decide.
How to move from Knack or Caspio
- 1
Bring the data
Connect the Postgres database the data already lives in, point Emberblocks at the Airtable base, or export a CSV and import it into a built-in table. Column types are detected on import.
- 2
Let Ember draft the app
Describe the tool in a sentence or two. Ember proposes tables, views and workflows; you review the plan before anything is created.
- 3
Rebuild the screens you actually use
Most teams find a third of their old views were never opened. Rebuild the ones that matter as blocks on a grid; the table, kanban, calendar and map blocks cover most of them.
- 4
Set roles, then publish
Decide who sees which views and fields, publish a versioned snapshot and send the link. Roll back in one click if something is off.
Questions
- How do I get my Knack or Caspio data out?
- Both export tables as CSV. Import each CSV into an Emberblocks table; column types are detected, and references between tables can be rebuilt with the reference field type.
- Does Emberblocks limit records?
- Plans include a monthly row allowance for the built-in database. Rows in your own Postgres are not counted; the database is yours.
- How is Emberblocks priced?
- Builders are always free. Paid plans are priced by the number of people who sign in to your published apps: Starter $29, Pro $79 and Business $199 a month billed yearly. Every new workspace starts with a 14-day Pro trial, no card needed, and there is a free plan after that. Full details on the pricing page.
- Where does my data live?
- Wherever you want it. Use the built-in database, connect your own Postgres so rows never leave your server, or point an app at an Airtable base. Airtable bases are mirrored into Postgres and kept in sync both ways.
- What does Emberblocks not do yet?
- Custom domains, SSO and an Enterprise plan are not available yet. There is no live Google Sheets connector (import the sheet as CSV instead). Apps run in the browser and install to the home screen; there are no App Store or Play Store builds.
Try it on your own data.
Every workspace starts with a 14-day Pro trial without a card. You can also open a template in the editor first and sign up only when you want to keep it.