About Totum
Totum is a small-code database for people who are not programmers. It is described as a hybrid of a database and a spreadsheet with a ready-made interface for desktop and mobile, a simple syntax for logic, automatic actions, access rules, logging and more. The aim is to let organizations build complex internal applications quickly, using the database itself as the interface. It runs on your own server, and this repository is the free MIT version of Totum PRO.
Tables, fields and settings are created and managed with the mouse, and development and operation happen in the same environment. Developers can hide the developer interface to see what users see, or switch to a particular user. Access is two-level, separating developers and users. The README lists example solutions such as production management, cadastre accounting, financial accounting, order management, stocks, CRM and equipment inventory. A documentation site and a training course aim to get you to a first working table in about thirty minutes.
Installation is a one-click native installer for a clean Ubuntu 24.04 system, which installs both the MIT and PRO versions. PRO works without a license when only the admin user exists, and a free PRO license for two additional users is available. The API is a PRO feature. The stack is PHP and PostgreSQL, with documentation in English, Russian, Spanish and German.
Key features
- Database and spreadsheet hybrid
- Ready-made desktop and mobile interface
- Simple scripting for business logic
- Automatic actions and access rules
- Logging and reports
- Developer and user access levels
- One-click Ubuntu installer
Good fit for
- →Building CRM, order or inventory tools without coding
- →Replacing spreadsheets with a controlled internal database
- Tags
- low-code
- database
- spreadsheet
- internal-tools
- erp
- crm
- self-hosted
- postgresql
Totum: questions and answers
- What is Totum used for?
- Totum is a self-hosted database-spreadsheet hybrid with a built-in simple scripting language for non-programmers to build internal business apps. It is a good fit for building CRM, order or inventory tools without coding; and replacing spreadsheets with a controlled internal database.
- Is Totum open source?
- Yes. Totum is open source under the MIT licence. Its source code is on GitHub at totumonline/totum-mit and is written mainly in PHP.
- Is Totum free?
- Yes. Totum is open source, so the software itself is free to use.
- Can I self-host Totum?
- Yes. Totum can be self-hosted on your own server or infrastructure.
- What is Totum an alternative to?
- Totum is an open-source alternative to Airtable, SmartSuite, Ninox and Quickbase. Other open-source alternatives to Airtable include NocoDB, Teable and AITable.
- Is Totum actively maintained?
- The most recent commit to Totum was on 30 May 2026, and the latest release is 7.17.63.0, published on 12 June 2025. The project has 980 stars on GitHub.
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