# Baserow Basics - Open-Source No-Code Database Platform

> See how Baserow organizes work into workspaces, databases, tables, and views, plus what the free open-source edition covers for everyday teams.

Source: https://opennix.org/en/docs/baserow/getting-started/baserow-basics/


Baserow is an open-source no-code database platform: it pairs the familiar look of a spreadsheet with a relational data model, so teams can build their own databases, tables, and views without writing any code.

## What Baserow Is

Baserow handles the technical side of a relational database - relationships between tables, field types, access control - and presents it through an interface that looks and feels like a spreadsheet. Users work with rows and columns, while underneath Baserow stores the data in a full PostgreSQL database. The project ships under the MIT license, so it can be self-hosted and its free open-source features used without vendor lock-in.

## The Core Building Blocks

Before diving into day-to-day work, it helps to see the overall structure of the platform:

- **Workspace** - the top-level container that holds databases and team members.
- **Database** - a set of related tables covering one subject area, such as a CRM or a task tracker.
- **Table** - the structure of rows and fields inside a database.
- **Field** - a table column with a defined data type (text, number, date, a link to another table, and so on).
- **Row** - a single record in a table.
- **View** - a configurable way to display the data of one table without changing the underlying data itself.

Detailed definitions of each term, with examples, are covered in [Learn Baserow's Basic Concepts](/docs/baserow/getting-started/learn-baserow-basic-concepts/).

![Linked Baserow tables displayed as a spreadsheet](/images/baserow/getting-started/baserow-database-relations-overview.webp)

## What Baserow Is Good For

Thanks to its flexible data model, Baserow fits both personal lists and team workflows equally well:

- tracking customers and deals for sales and marketing teams;
- tracking tasks and projects for IT teams and operations;
- HR record-keeping, from open positions to employee onboarding;
- financial and inventory tracking for small and mid-sized companies.

None of these scenarios require paid modules - basic tables, views, filters, and formulas are all part of the open-source edition of Baserow.

## Importing Data and Integrations

Data can be brought into Baserow from CSV, Excel, and other spreadsheet formats through import, then exported back out - covered in the [Tables](/docs/baserow/tables/) section. For automation, Baserow exposes a REST API and webhooks that let it connect to external systems without manual data copying.

## Where to Go Next

The following articles in this section walk through the rest of the onboarding path:

1. [How to Get Started with Baserow](/docs/baserow/getting-started/how-to-get-started-with-baserow/) - a step-by-step path from deployment to your first database.
2. [Set Up Baserow](/docs/baserow/getting-started/set-up-baserow/) - installing the OpenNix image from the Yandex Cloud Marketplace.
3. [Learn Baserow's Basic Concepts](/docs/baserow/getting-started/learn-baserow-basic-concepts/) - a detailed glossary of platform terminology.

Once you are comfortable with the basic concepts, move on to [Workspaces](/docs/baserow/workspaces/) to set up collaboration for your team.