svelte-headless-table is the headless approach to Svelte data grids: it gives you state, derivations, and column models, and you build the UI. It's a great fit when you want full control over markup and the design tokens.
Simple Table for Svelte is the batteries-included approach: virtualization, column pinning, row grouping with aggregations, and inline editing all ship in one MIT package. Svelte 4 today, Svelte 5 with runes ready.
This article compares the two so you can pick the one that fits your team's appetite for building UI from primitives.
Quick comparison
| Feature | svelte-headless-table | Simple Table for Svelte |
|---|---|---|
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Approach | Headless (BYO UI) | Batteries-included |
| Svelte 4 support | Yes | Yes |
| Svelte 5 / runes support | Partial / community | Yes |
| SvelteKit SSR | Yes | Yes |
| Built-in row virtualization | No (BYO virtualizer) | Yes |
| Built-in column pinning | No (BYO) | Yes |
| Row grouping + aggregations | Plugin: groupBy (manual aggregation) | Built-in |
| Inline cell editing | BYO | Built-in |
| Setup time to first table | Hours / days | Minutes |
Stay headless when…
- You want pixel-level control over markup and tokens.
- Your design system imposes a unique table layout.
- You're comfortable wiring virtualization (svelte-virtual-list, etc.) yourself.
- Your team has the bandwidth to maintain UI primitives long-term.
Switch to Simple Table for Svelte when…
- You want virtualization, pinning, grouping with aggregations, and editing in one package.
- You'd rather ship a Svelte 5 / runes-ready grid than build one.
- You want a single engine across React / Vue / Angular / Solid / Vanilla.
- Your team is small and time-to-feature beats absolute UI control.
Real-world scenarios
Hand-built design system for a marketing-led product
Custom row layout, animations, gestures.
Stay headless—you'll get exactly the markup you want.
Reporting tool, 100k rows, grouping + aggregations
Sum/avg footers, virtualization required, time-to-feature matters.
Switch to Simple Table—the heavy lifting is built in.
Greenfield SvelteKit project on Svelte 5
Want a forward-looking grid that won't outgrow rune-based stores.
Pick Simple Table for Svelte—runes-ready and batteries-included.
Multi-stack platform (React + SvelteKit)
Want one engine and one mental model across two apps.
Choose Simple Table—same engine, framework adapters.
Frequently asked questions
- Is svelte-headless-table dead?
- No—it's still maintained, but Svelte 5 / runes support has lagged the broader ecosystem. Simple Table for Svelte ships runes-friendly bindings now.
- Can I migrate gradually?
- Yes. Replace one table at a time. Map your column models to HeaderObject entries; replace your virtualization wiring with rowsPerPage; convert your grouping plugin to Simple Table's built-in grouping.
- What about TanStack Table for Svelte?
- TanStack is also headless. Simple Table for Svelte is batteries-included by design—same trade-off as headless vs batteries-included in React.
The verdict
Both are MIT, both are Svelte-native, and both are maintained. The choice is philosophy.
If you want primitives and full UI control, stay on svelte-headless-table. If you want virtualization, pinning, grouping with aggregations, and editing without building them, switch to Simple Table for Svelte.