---
title: 'NocoDB Documentation'
description: 'NocoDB Documentation'
position: 0
category: 'Getting started'
menuTitle: 'Introduction'
---

## Welcome!

NocoDB is an open source Airtable alternative.

NocoDB works by connecting to any relational database and transforming them into a smart spreadsheet interface! This allows you to build no-code applications collaboratively with teams. NocoDB currently works with MySQL, PostgreSQL, Microsoft SQL Server, SQLite, Amazon Aurora & MariaDB databases.

Also NocoDB's app store allows you to build business workflows on views with combination of Slack, Microsoft Teams, Discord, Twilio, Whatsapp, Email & any 3rd party APIs too. Plus NocoDB provides programmatic access to APIs so that you can build integrations with Zapier / Integromat and custom applications too.

<img src="https://static.scarf.sh/a.png?x-pxid=c12a77cc-855e-4602-8a0f-614b2d0da56a" />

## Features

### Rich Spreadsheet Interface
- ⚡ &nbsp;Search, sort, filter, hide columns with uber ease
- ⚡ &nbsp;Create Views : Grid, Gallery, Kanban, Gantt, Form
- ⚡ &nbsp;Share Views : public & password protected
- ⚡ &nbsp;Personal & locked Views 
- ⚡ &nbsp;Upload images to cells (Works with S3, Minio, GCP, Azure, DigitalOcean, Linode, OVH, BackBlaze)!!
- ⚡ &nbsp;Roles : Owner, Creator, Editor, Commenter, Viewer, Commenter, Custom Roles.
- ⚡ &nbsp;Access Control : Fine-grained access control even at database, table & column level.

### App Store for workflow automations
- ⚡ &nbsp;Chat : Microsoft Teams, Slack, Discord, Mattermost
- ⚡ &nbsp;Email : SMTP, SES, Mailchimp
- ⚡ &nbsp;SMS : Twilio
- ⚡ &nbsp;Whatsapp
- ⚡ &nbsp;Any 3rd Party APIs

### Programmatic API access via
- ⚡ &nbsp;REST APIs (Swagger) 
- ⚡ &nbsp;GraphQL APIs.
- ⚡ &nbsp;Includes JWT Authentication & Social Auth
- ⚡ &nbsp;API tokens to integrate with Zapier, Integromat.


## Architecture - Simple Overview

<img src="architecture.png" style="background: white;border-radius:4px;padding :10px">

<br>
<br>

| Project Type | Metadata stored in | Data stored in |
|---------|-----------|--------|
| Create new project | NC_DB | NC_DB |
| Create new project with external DB | NC_DB | External database |

## Project Structures

We use ``Lerna`` to manage multi-packages. We have the following [packages](https://github.com/nocodb/nocodb/tree/master/packages).

- ``packages/nc-cli`` : A CLI to create NocoDB app.

- ``packages/nc-common``: A common library package used internally.

- ``packages/nc-gui``: NocoDB Frontend.

- ``packages/nc-lib-gui``: The build version of ``nc-gui`` which will be used in ``packages/nocodb``.

- ``packages/nc-migrator-archived``: SQL based schema migrations or evolutions.

- ``packages/nc-plugin``: Plugin template.

- ``packages/noco-blog``: NocoDB Blog which will be auto-released to [nocodb/noco-blog](https://github.com/nocodb/noco-blog).

- ``packages/noco-book``: NocoDB Handbook which will be auto-released to [nocodb/noco-book](https://github.com/nocodb/noco-book).

- ``packages/noco-docs``: NocoDB Documentation which will be auto-released to [nocodb/noco-docs](https://github.com/nocodb/noco-docs).

- ``packages/nocodb``: NocoDB Backend, hosted in [NPM](https://www.npmjs.com/package/nocodb).


## Contributions

All contributions are welcome. NocoDB projects can be found in the [NocoDB](https://github.com/nocodb) Github organization. Our core uses [The AGPL V3 license](https://github.com/nocodb/nocodb/blob/master/LICENSE) and all contributors should read the [contribution guides](https://github.com/nocodb/nocodb/tree/master/contribute) before making your first contribution. 

You can also share your thoughts and discuss with our community members via [discord](https://discord.gg/5RgZmkW) or [Github Discussion](https://github.com/nocodb/nocodb/discussions). We also share our [Immediate Roadmap](https://github.com/nocodb/nocodb/projects/1) and all opinions are welcome.

## Support

If you have any issues or questions, you can reach out for help in our [discord](https://discord.gg/5RgZmkW).