handsontable

What is handsontable?

Handsontable is a JavaScript/HTML5 data grid component with a spreadsheet look & feel. It is designed to handle large volumes of data and provides a wide range of features for data manipulation and visualization.

What are handsontable's main functionalities?

Data Grid

Handsontable provides a powerful data grid component that can be easily integrated into web applications. The code sample demonstrates how to create a basic data grid with row and column headers.

const container = document.getElementById('example');
const hot = new Handsontable(container, {
  data: Handsontable.helper.createSpreadsheetData(6, 10),
  rowHeaders: true,
  colHeaders: true
});

Data Validation

Handsontable supports data validation to ensure that the data entered into the grid meets certain criteria. The code sample shows how to set up a numeric validator for an 'age' column.

const hot = new Handsontable(container, {
  data: Handsontable.helper.createSpreadsheetData(6, 10),
  columns: [
    {data: 'id', type: 'numeric'},
    {data: 'name', type: 'text'},
    {data: 'age', type: 'numeric', validator: (value) => value > 0}
  ],
  rowHeaders: true,
  colHeaders: true
});

Custom Cell Rendering

Handsontable allows for custom cell rendering, enabling developers to change the appearance of cells based on their data. The code sample demonstrates how to change the background color of cells in the 'age' column if the value is greater than 50.

const hot = new Handsontable(container, {
  data: Handsontable.helper.createSpreadsheetData(6, 10),
  columns: [
    {data: 'id', type: 'numeric'},
    {data: 'name', type: 'text'},
    {data: 'age', type: 'numeric'}
  ],
  cells: function (row, col) {
    const cellProperties = {};
    if (col === 2) {
      cellProperties.renderer = function (instance, td, row, col, prop, value, cellProperties) {
        Handsontable.renderers.TextRenderer.apply(this, arguments);
        if (value > 50) {
          td.style.backgroundColor = 'red';
        }
      };
    }
    return cellProperties;
  },
  rowHeaders: true,
  colHeaders: true
});

Other packages similar to handsontable

ag-grid

AG Grid is a fully-featured and highly customizable JavaScript data grid. It offers a wide range of features similar to Handsontable, such as data sorting, filtering, and editing. AG Grid is known for its performance and flexibility, making it suitable for large datasets and complex use cases.

react-table

React Table is a lightweight, fast, and extendable data grid built for React applications. It provides basic features like sorting, filtering, and pagination. Compared to Handsontable, React Table is more focused on being a simple and flexible solution for React developers, without the spreadsheet-like features.

slickgrid

SlickGrid is a JavaScript grid/spreadsheet component that is known for its performance with large datasets. It offers features like virtual scrolling and column resizing. While it provides similar functionalities to Handsontable, it is more focused on performance and less on providing a spreadsheet-like experience.

README

Handsontable is a JavaScript Data Grid with a spreadsheet-like look and feel.

Use it with JavaScript, TypeScript, or frameworks such as React, Angular, and Vue. With its spreadsheet-like editing features, it’s perfect for building data-rich internal apps. It allows users to enter, edit, validate, and process data from various sources. Common use cases include resource planning software (ERP), inventory management systems, digital platforms, and data modeling applications.

Website   —   Documentation   —   Themes   —   API   —   Community

✨ Key Features

  ✅  Built-in themes
  ✅  Flexible API
  ✅  Virtualization
  ✅  IME support
  ✅  Internationalization
  ✅  RTL support
  ✅  Accessibility
  ✅  Keyboard shortcuts
  ✅  Sorting data
  ✅  Filtering data
  ✅  400 built-in formulas
  ✅  Configurable selection
  ✅  Data validation
  ✅  Conditional formatting
  ✅  Merged cells
  ✅  Frozen rows and columns
  ✅  Hiding rows and columns
  ✅  Right-click context menu

🪄 Installation

Below, you'll find the installation guide for the JavaScript component. If you're using a specific framework, refer to its dedicated wrapper for installation instructions:

• React functional component
• React class component
• Angular
• Vue

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Install with npm

You can also use Yarn, NuGet or load the package from CDN.

npm install handsontable

Provide an HTML container

<!-- Set the container's ID and apply the desired theme -->
<div id="handsontable-example" class="ht-theme-main-dark-auto"></div>

Setup

import Handsontable from 'handsontable';
// Base CSS rules
import 'handsontable/styles/handsontable.min.css';
// Main theme variables
import 'handsontable/styles/ht-theme-main.min.css';

const element = document.getElementById('handsontable-grid');

new Handsontable(element, {
  data: [
    { company: 'Tagcat', country: 'United Kingdom', rating: 4.4 },
    { company: 'Zoomzone', country: 'Japan', rating: 4.5 },
    { company: 'Meeveo', country: 'United States', rating: 4.6 },
  ],
  columns: [
    { data: 'company', title: 'Company', width: 100 },
    { data: 'country', title: 'Country', width: 170, type: 'dropdown', source: ['United Kingdom', 'Japan', 'United States'] },
    { data: 'rating', title: 'Rating', width: 100, type: 'numeric' },
  ],
  rowHeaders: true,
  navigableHeaders: true,
  tabNavigation: true,
  multiColumnSorting: true,
  headerClassName: 'htLeft',
  licenseKey: 'non-commercial-and-evaluation',
});

CDN-based setup

  Show/Hide code

If your environment does not support imports, you can use the code below to quickly set up and run a data grid with basic configuration options.

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
  <head>
    <meta charset="UTF-8" />
    <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0" />
    <title>Handsontable - JavaScript Data Grid Example</title>
    <link
      rel="stylesheet"
      href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/handsontable/styles/handsontable.min.css"
    />
    <link
      rel="stylesheet"
      href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/handsontable/styles/ht-theme-main.min.css"
    />
  </head>
  <body>
    <div id="handsontable-grid" class="ht-theme-main-dark-auto"></div>
    <script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/handsontable/dist/handsontable.full.min.js"></script>
    <script>
      const element = document.getElementById("handsontable-grid");

      new Handsontable(element, {
        data: [
          { company: "Tagcat", country: "United Kingdom", rating: 4.4 },
          { company: "Zoomzone", country: "Japan", rating: 4.5 },
          { company: "Meeveo", country: "United States", rating: 4.6 },
        ],
        columns: [
          { data: "company", title: "Company", width: 100 },
          { data: "country", title: "Country", width: 170, type: "dropdown", source: ["United Kingdom", "Japan", "United States"] },
          { data: "rating", title: "Rating", width: 100, type: "numeric" },
        ],
        rowHeaders: true,
        navigableHeaders: true,
        tabNavigation: true,
        multiColumnSorting: true,
        headerClassName: "htLeft",
        licenseKey: "non-commercial-and-evaluation",
      });
    </script>
  </body>
</html>

🚀 Resources

• Website
• Demo
• Documentation
• npm
• CDN
• Forum
• Blog
• Contact support team
• Get a quote

🤔 Is Handsontable a Data Grid or a Spreadsheet?

Handsontable is a data grid component written in JavaScript, not a spreadsheet. However, it brings in many features typically found in spreadsheet software. We designed it this way because spreadsheet-like patterns are often the most user-friendly when it comes to data entry and management.

Spreadsheet-like features in Handsontable:

• Keyboard shortcuts compliant with either Google Sheets or Excel
• 400 spreadsheet formulas via native integration with HyperFormula
• Keyboard navigation across headers that can be disabled, making only cells navigable
• TAB navigation across cells that can be disabled
• Built-in undo-redo functionality
• Powerful clipboard capabilities for copy-paste operations
• Ability to scroll the grid within the container (div) or window
• Data binding in the form of an array of objects or arrays of arrays
• Built-in cell editors like a date picker or dropdown list

At first glance, it might seem that a data table, spreadsheet, and data grid are just different names for the same thing - an interactive table displaying data. In reality, these tools serve different purposes and offer distinct functionalities, designed to meet specific needs. Handsontable sits comfortably in the data grid category while incorporating many of the best aspects of spreadsheet software.

🛟 Support

We're here to help!

If you're using Handsontable with a free, non-commercial license, you can:

• Join the conversation on GitHub Discussions to share ideas, suggest features, or discuss changes.
• Report any bugs you find on our GitHub Issue Board.
• Connect with other developers and find answers on our Developer Forum.

If you have a commercial license, feel free to contact us directly at [e-mail] or use our contact form.

📖 Licenses

Handsontable is available under two licensing options, allowing you to choose the one that best fits your needs. Each license comes with its own terms and conditions, as outlined below:

① Free license for non-commercial use, and evaluation purposes

This license is available for non-commercial purposes such as teaching, academic research, or evaluation. It allows you to use Handsontable free of charge under the terms specified in the non-commercial license agreement.
Learn more here.

② Commercial license

For commercial use, a paid license is required. This license includes support and maintenance to ensure you get the most out of Handsontable. The commercial license can be purchased directly from Handsoncode or through an authorized reseller. See the pricing page for details.

🔑 License Key

For projects covered by the free non-commercial license, simply use the phrase 'non-commercial-and-evaluation' as your license key.

If you're using Handsontable in a project that supports commercial activities, you'll need to purchase a license key at handsontable.com/pricing. You can find more details in our documentation.

🙌 Contributing

Contributions are welcome, but before you make them, please read the Contributing Guide and accept the Contributor License Agreement.

Created and maintained by the Handsontable Team 👋

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© 2012 - 2025 Handsoncode