Can I vibecode Stackby?

KINDA · weekend project
price $9/moyou'd save $108/yrbuild time multi-daycategory 🗄️ databasesreplaced by 0 people

The core loop is buildable, but a dependable replacement becomes a real weekend or multi-day project. For Stackby, build a small table-based operational tracker with views and API columns. The hard boundary is templates, integrations, api columns, collaboration, and hosted sync, plus data model flexibility, collaboration, and integrations.

the prompt
Build a personal replacement for Stackby in an empty repository.
Use Next.js 15, TypeScript, PostgreSQL, Drizzle ORM, and Docker Compose; do not offer alternative stacks.
The core loop is: build a small table-based operational tracker with structured records, provide grid, form, kanban, and filtered views, and expose a documented API.
Make the first run work locally with one documented command.
Store all user data locally by default and make export straightforward.
Put secrets in .env, ship .env.example, and never commit credentials.
Create workspaces, bases, tables, fields, records, attachments, relations, and saved views.
Support text, number, currency, date, boolean, select, formula-lite, and relation field types.
Build grid, form, kanban, and record-detail views from one canonical schema.
Add role-based permissions, optimistic concurrency checks, audit history, and trash restore.
Provide CSV import or export and a token-authenticated REST API generated from the schema.
Ship migrations, seed data, backups, health checks, and a schema export format.
Include clear empty, loading, success, and recoverable error states.
Add input validation, safe filenames, and graceful handling of unavailable APIs.
Write focused tests for the core transformation and one end-to-end happy path.
Create a README with setup, architecture, permissions, data location, and backup steps.
Do not add accounts, billing, telemetry, analytics, or a hosted control plane.
Deliberately leave out full spreadsheet formula compatibility.
Deliberately leave out hundreds of automations and integrations.
Deliberately leave out large-enterprise governance and vendor-managed scale.
Finish by running the tests and listing the exact commands used.

$ open in your agent (prompt prefilled, you press enter) or copy it raw · this prompt is generated from the build plan · improve it via PR

why people still pay

People still pay for Stackby because teams pay when a flexible database becomes a shared operational system with integrations and years of accumulated business logic. The recurring cost buys schema changes, formulas, permissions, imports, attachments, views, APIs, concurrency, backups, and migrations, not just the visible interface.

what you lose

xtemplates, integrations, API columns, collaboration, and hosted sync

xreal-time multiplayer

xautomation and integration breadth

xscale and formula depth

xenterprise permissions

share on X ↗"I just replaced Stackby ($9/mo) with one prompt"
the escape hatch

Don't feel like building it? These folks already made it free.

Stackby FreeThe same product's free plan does the actual job: 20 stacks, 1,500 rows each, two API columns, views, and 100 automations.$0free

no votes, no pay-to-list · just what's real

the numbers

Stackby pricing

planmonthlyannual (per mo)what you get
free$0/workspace$0/workspace5 editors plus 50 read-only guests; 20 stacks; 1,500 rows/stack; 2 GB attachments/stack; 100 internal automations; 2 MB uploads; 1 app/stack; 2-week history; 2 linked API columns.
economy$9/user$4.20/user25 stacks; 7,000 rows/stack; 6 GB attachments/stack; 1,000 internal automations; 500 automatic API runs; 5 MB uploads; 3 apps/stack; 6-month history.
business$18/user$8.30/user50 stacks; 50,000 rows/stack; 20 GB attachments/stack; 25,000 internal automations; 1,000 automatic API runs; 25 MB uploads; 10 apps/stack; 1-year history.
pro$35/user$12.50/user100 stacks; 100,000 rows/stack; 50 GB attachments/stack; 100,000 internal automations; 5,000 automatic API runs; 50 MB uploads; 20 apps/stack; 1-year history.
enterprisecustomUnlimited stacks; 250,000 rows/stack; 250,000 internal automations; 10,000 automatic API runs; 3-year history.

free tier5 editors, 50 read-only guests, 20 stacks, 1,500 rows/stack, 2 GB attachments/stack, 100 internal automations, 2 MB uploads, 1 app/stack, 2-week history and 2 linked API columns

billingmonthly + annual; annual plans are sold in fixed team-size increments beginning at 3 users and advertise savings up to 70%

hidden costsAnnual checkout requires 3, 6, 10, 15 or larger preset seat quantities; paid editor/creator seats added mid-cycle are prorated; portal add-ons start at $60, $100 or $150 per 10 portal guests/month depending on plan; exceeding automation/API limits stops further runs.

verified 2026-08-11 · source ↗

questions
Can I vibecode Stackby?

Kinda. The core of Stackby is buildable in a weekend with the prompt on this page, but there are real gaps: templates, integrations, API columns, collaboration, and hosted sync, real-time multiplayer. Read the honest list above before committing.

How much does Stackby cost?

Stackby costs about $9/month (Economy, checked 2026-08-11), which is $108 per year.

What do I lose by replacing Stackby?

Honestly: templates, integrations, API columns, collaboration, and hosted sync; real-time multiplayer; automation and integration breadth; scale and formula depth; enterprise permissions. If any of those are load-bearing for you, keep paying.

Is there an open-source alternative to Stackby?

Yes: Stackby Free (The same product's free plan does the actual job: 20 stacks, 1,500 rows each, two API columns, views, and 100 automations.) The prompt is for when you want it exactly your way.

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