SVAR (Webix) ships a polished suite of Svelte components, of which DataGrid is the flagship. It's feature-rich and well-supported, but adopting it tends to mean adopting the rest of SVAR's ecosystem and styling conventions.
Simple Table for Svelte is a focused alternative: an MIT-licensed Svelte data grid that doesn't assume any larger design system, ships virtualization and grouping built in, and works on Svelte 4 today and Svelte 5 with runes ready.
This article compares both on bundle, virtualization, grouping, editing, and standalone fit.
Quick comparison
| Feature | SVAR DataGrid | Simple Table for Svelte |
|---|---|---|
| License (DataGrid) | MIT | MIT |
| Standalone usage | Assumes SVAR ecosystem | Yes |
| Svelte 4 support | Yes | Yes |
| Svelte 5 / runes support | Mixed / evolving | Yes |
| Bundle size (gzipped) | 100–200+ kB (suite) | ~70 kB |
| Built-in row virtualization | Yes | Yes |
| Column pinning | Yes | Yes |
| Row grouping + aggregations | Yes (suite-tied) | Built-in |
| Inline cell editing | Yes | Built-in |
Stay with SVAR DataGrid when…
- You're adopting the SVAR component suite broadly.
- Your team is familiar with SVAR's styling conventions and skin system.
- You want a vendor-coordinated set of Svelte components.
Switch to Simple Table for Svelte when…
- You want a standalone, focused MIT data grid without a suite.
- You're targeting Svelte 5 / runes today.
- You also build React / Vue / Angular / Solid surfaces and want one engine.
- Bundle size matters and you don't want SVAR's runtime if you only need the grid.
Real-world scenarios
All-in on SVAR's suite
Using SVAR's calendars, charts, and forms across the app.
Stay with SVAR DataGrid—the suite stays coherent.
Just need a focused data grid
Tailwind for design, tested forms, only need the grid.
Switch to Simple Table—skip the suite tax.
Greenfield Svelte 5 SvelteKit app
Want runes-friendly bindings now.
Pick Simple Table—runes-ready today.
Frequently asked questions
- Is SVAR DataGrid free?
- The Svelte DataGrid is open source under MIT. Some SVAR products (calendars, scheduler) have commercial editions; check each component's license.
- How big is the migration?
- Hours per table. Map column definitions to HeaderObject entries and convert custom cell render functions to Svelte cellRenderer components.
- Does Simple Table support tree data?
- Yes—expandable / nested rows with virtualization are first-class.
The verdict
If SVAR's ecosystem fits your team, SVAR DataGrid is solid. If you want a standalone, runes-ready, lightweight MIT alternative, Simple Table for Svelte is the focused choice.
Both are MIT and Svelte-native. The choice is suite vs focused, and runes maturity.