Handsontable is a powerful spreadsheet-style component for vanilla JavaScript. It ships formulas, cell ranges, validators, fill handle—everything that makes it feel like Excel in the browser.
The catch is licensing. Handsontable's non-commercial license restricts use in commercial products without a paid commercial license (priced per developer per year). For SaaS, internal tools at companies, or any context where you're earning revenue, that's a real cost.
simple-table-core is source-available: free for pre-revenue teams, with a Pro/Enterprise license required for revenue-generating use. This article covers the licensing trade-off and how feature scope compares.
Quick comparison
| Feature | Handsontable (Vanilla JS) | Simple Table for Vanilla JS / TypeScript |
|---|---|---|
| License | Non-commercial / Commercial | Community License |
| Per-developer fees (commercial use) | From $999/dev/year (Standard) | $0 pre-revenue / Pro when you earn |
| Type of component | Spreadsheet UI | Data grid |
| TypeScript-first | Definitions exist | Yes (strict) |
| Cell formulas (=A1+B1) | Yes (HyperFormula) | No |
| Built-in row virtualization | Yes | Yes |
| Column pinning | Yes | Yes |
| Row grouping + aggregations | Manual | Built-in |
| Inline cell editing | Yes (full spreadsheet) | Per-column |
Stay with Handsontable when…
- You need an Excel-like spreadsheet UI (formulas, ranges, fill handle).
- You've already paid for the commercial license.
- Your use case is non-commercial (open source, internal academic, etc.).
- Pro features (HyperFormula, advanced formats) align with your roadmap.
Switch to simple-table-core when…
- You're building a commercial product and don't want to pay license fees.
- Your UX is closer to a data grid than a spreadsheet.
- You want source-available licensing that's free for pre-revenue teams, with Pro/Enterprise for revenue-generating use.
- Bundle size matters (84.6 kB gzipped) and grouping with aggregations is a primary feature.
Real-world scenarios
User-facing budget spreadsheet with formulas
Cells reference each other; users paste from Excel.
Stay with Handsontable—or use a spreadsheet engine like Univer.
SaaS dashboard table
Display tabular data with sort, filter, virtualization, pinning.
Switch to simple-table-core—source-available, free for pre-revenue teams.
Reporting view with grouping + aggregations
Group by region, sum revenue, virtualize 100k rows.
Switch to simple-table-core—aggregations are first-class.
Frequently asked questions
- Can I use Handsontable's free version commercially?
- Handsontable's non-commercial license is restrictive. Most SaaS or for-profit uses require a commercial license. Always check the current license text before relying on free terms.
- How does simple-table-core compare to a real spreadsheet?
- simple-table-core is a data grid, not a spreadsheet. If you need formulas and Excel-like cell mechanics, pair it with HyperFormula or use Handsontable. For tabular data with a column schema, simple-table-core is lighter and source-available (free for pre-revenue teams).
- How big is the migration?
- Hours to a few days per table. Map columns to ColumnDefs; convert renderer / editor functions to cellRenderer / cellEditor; replace afterChange hooks with onCellEdit handlers.
The verdict
Handsontable is the right pick if you genuinely need a spreadsheet UI and either pay for the license or qualify as non-commercial. simple-table-core is the right pick for data grids, and it's free for pre-revenue teams (source-available, with Pro/Enterprise for revenue-generating use).
The license is the headline difference; feature scope is the second consideration.