KendoReact Licensing & Pricing
KendoReact Free: $0 (50 components, unlimited production use, no license required)
KendoReact Subscription: $649-$1,199/year per developer
- Base ($649): Lite Support, 72h response
- Recommended ($749): Priority Support, 24h response
- Ultimate ($1,199): Phone support, remote assistance
Note: Grid component requires paid subscription (not in free tier).
You're evaluating React data grids and found KendoReact Grid by Progress/Telerik—a commercial component library from one of the most established enterprise UI vendors. Telerik has been building developer tools since 2002, serving thousands of enterprise customers worldwide.
KendoReact Grid is part of a comprehensive 120+ component suite. The Grid itself offers 100+ features including virtualization, editing, grouping, Excel/PDF export, and React Server Components support. KendoReact targets enterprise teams that value vendor accountability, professional support, and design system consistency.
Simple Table offers a free tier for zero-revenue companies (MIT licensed) and a Pro plan ($85/month or $850/year) for revenue-generating businesses. At 42KB with zero dependencies, it provides core data grid functionality—virtualization, grouping, pinning, filtering, sorting—at dramatically lower costs than KendoReact. For broader comparisons, see our guide to free React data grids.
This comparison explores when KendoReact's enterprise features and Telerik support justify the $649-$1,199/year cost, and when Simple Table's free, open-source model provides everything you need. We'll examine pricing tiers, feature gaps, vendor lock-in, and real-world scenarios.
Quick Comparison at a Glance
| Criteria | KendoReact Grid | Simple Table |
|---|---|---|
| License | Commercial ($649-$1,199/year) | MIT (Free) |
| Free Tier | 50 components (Grid NOT included) | Everything included |
| Annual Cost (5 devs) | $3,245-$5,995/year | $0 |
| Bundle Size | Large (120+ components) | 42 kB |
| Tech Support | ✓ Official (24h-72h) | Community/Discord |
| Component Count | 120+ premium | Table only |
| Best For | Enterprise with support needs | Cost-conscious, standalone |
Total Cost Analysis: Free Tier vs Paid vs Simple Table
KendoReact offers three pricing tiers. Let's break down what each includes and the real cost over time:
KendoReact Pricing Breakdown
KendoReact Free: $0
- ✓ 50+ components (Grid NOT included)
- ✓ Unlimited production use
- ✓ Four professional themes + Figma kits
- ✗ No Grid, no premium features
KendoReact Subscription
- Base ($649/year): Lite Support, 72h response, unlimited incidents
- Recommended ($749/year): Priority Support, 24h response
- Ultimate ($1,199/year): Phone support, remote assistance
- ✓ Includes 120+ premium components, Grid, ThemeBuilder
- ✓ Perpetual license (continue use after expiration, no updates)
- ✓ Renewal: ~50% of original price
5-Developer Team: 3-Year Cost
- Base tier: $3,245/year × 3 = $9,735
- Recommended tier: $3,745/year × 3 = $11,235
- Ultimate tier: $5,995/year × 3 = $17,985
Simple Table: Flexible Pricing
- FREE: $0 for zero-revenue companies (MIT License)
- PRO: $85/month or $850/year for revenue-generating companies
- 3-year savings: $7,185-$15,435 vs KendoReact (per product, not per-developer)
- All features included: No premium/free tiers, no paywalls
- No vendor lock-in: Open-source, fork/modify anytime
Free Tier Caveat
KendoReact Free excludes the Grid component. You can't use the data grid without a paid subscription. Simple Table includes all features with no restrictions—no free tier limitations, no upgrade prompts.
Feature Comparison: Premium vs Essential
KendoReact Grid offers 100+ features. Simple Table focuses on core data grid essentials:
| Feature | KendoReact Grid | Simple Table |
|---|---|---|
| Core Table Features | ||
| Sorting | ✓ Multi-column | ✓ |
| Filtering | ✓ Row/menu/Excel | ✓ |
| Pagination | ✓ | ✓ |
| Virtualization | ✓ Row/column | ✓ Built-in |
| Grouping | ✓ | ✓ |
| Row Selection | ✓ | ✓ |
| Advanced Features | ||
| Column Resizing | ✓ | ✓ |
| Column Reordering | ✓ | ✓ |
| Column Pinning | ✓ | ✓ |
| Inline Editing | ✓ Cell/row modes | ✓ Via custom cells |
| Excel/PDF Export | ✓ Built-in | ✓ Via callbacks |
| Enterprise Extras | ||
| React Server Components | ✓ Premium | ✗ |
| Chart Integration | ✓ | ✗ |
| ThemeBuilder Tool | ✓ | ✗ |
| Figma UI Kits | ✓ | ✗ |
| Official Support | ✓ Guaranteed | Community |
When premium features matter: KendoReact's React Server Components mode, chart integration, and ThemeBuilder are valuable for large enterprises. For core data grid needs, Simple Table delivers the essentials without the $749/year price tag.
Decision Framework: When to Pay vs Go Free
Choose KendoReact When:
- Need guaranteed support with 24-72h SLAs
- Want 120+ components from Progress/Telerik
- Require React Server Components mode
- Budget allows $649-$1,199/year per developer
- Enterprise compliance requires vendor accountability
Choose Simple Table When:
- Want $0 cost (save $9,735-$17,985 over 3 years)
- Only need a data grid, not full component suite
- Prefer open-source freedom (no vendor lock-in)
- Community support via Discord/GitHub is sufficient
- Core features meet your needs (no React Server Components required)
The Verdict: Enterprise Budget vs Open-Source Savings
KendoReact Grid and Simple Table target different organizational priorities:
KendoReact Grid: Commercial Enterprise
- ✓ $649-$1,199/year per developer (120+ components)
- ✓ Guaranteed support (24h-72h response)
- ✓ React Server Components, chart integration
- ✓ ThemeBuilder, Figma kits, enterprise tools
- ✗ Not free (Grid excluded from free tier)
- ✗ Annual renewals required for updates
- ✗ Vendor lock-in and licensing overhead
Simple Table: Affordable Open-Source
- ✓ FREE for zero-revenue companies (MIT license)
- ✓ PRO: $850/year for commercial use (vs $3,245-$5,995/year for KendoReact 5-dev team)
- ✓ 42KB bundle, zero dependencies
- ✓ All core features (virtualization, grouping, pinning, filtering)
- ✓ No vendor lock-in, open-source freedom
- ✓ Saves $7,185-$15,435 over 3 years vs KendoReact
- △ Community support (FREE) or Priority support (PRO)
Our recommendation: KendoReact justifies its cost if you need the full 120+ component suite, require guaranteed support SLAs, or want React Server Components mode. But for most teams—especially startups and developers who only need a data grid—Simple Table's flexible pricing ($0 for startups, $850/year for commercial use) saves thousands annually. At $850/year vs $3,245-$5,995/year for a 5-dev KendoReact team, Simple Table delivers all essential features at a fraction of the cost.
For other commercial alternatives, see DevExtreme Grid, AG Grid pricing, or our complete guide to free React data grids.