Flatfile alternative: open-source CSV import at 1/10th the price

Flatfile wants you to call their sales team before they tell you what their CSV importer costs. That pricing call leads to quotes starting at $6,000/year, scaling up to $50,000+ based on your employee headcount, not your actual usage.

If you're looking for a Flatfile alternative with transparent pricing, open-source options, and the same AI-powered column mapping, you have several choices. This guide compares the best Flatfile alternatives, with detailed pricing breakdowns and a migration guide to help you switch.

Quick comparison

How much does Flatfile cost?

Flatfile uses a sales-led pricing model with no public pricing page. Based on user reports and industry data:

The pricing model has three significant problems:

Employee-based scaling: Flatfile charges based on your company headcount, not actual usage. A startup with 50 employees pays more than one with 10, even if they import the same number of files.

No transparency: You cannot see prices without talking to sales. Multiple calls and demos are required before you get a quote.

Unpredictable growth costs: As your company grows, your Flatfile bill grows too, regardless of whether you're importing more data.

Flatfile free tier limitations

Flatfile Portal offers a limited free tier: 50 files per month with 10 million PDV (processed data values). This works for evaluation but lacks the customization and features most production apps need.

5 best Flatfile alternatives

1. ImportCSV

ImportCSV is an open-source CSV import component for React applications. It processes data locally in the browser before sending only validated records to your server.

Pricing:

• Free: 100 imports/month, 10,000 rows
• Pro: $49/month (unlimited imports)
• Team: $149/month (team features)
• Enterprise: Custom pricing

Key features:

• MIT-licensed frontend (self-host on your infrastructure)
• AI column mapping with 95% accuracy
• Local data processing (data never leaves your servers in self-hosted mode)
• 10,000 rows/second processing speed
• React, Vue, Angular, and vanilla JS support

Best for: Teams that want transparent pricing, open-source flexibility, and data privacy through self-hosting.

2. OneSchema

OneSchema is a direct Flatfile competitor with similar features and enterprise focus.

Pricing: Not publicly listed (sales-led, similar to Flatfile)

Key features:

• AI-powered column matching
• Custom validation rules
• Embedded and hosted options

Best for: Enterprise teams with budget for another sales-led solution.

3. CSVBox

CSVBox offers a hosted CSV import solution with simpler pricing than Flatfile.

Pricing:

• Free: 100 imports/month
• Growth: $195/month
• Business: $495/month

Key features:

• 16+ integrations
• White-label option
• No-code setup

Best for: Teams wanting a hosted solution without complex self-hosting requirements.

4. YoBulk

YoBulk is an open-source AI-powered data onboarding platform.

Pricing: Free (open source)

Key features:

• AI column mapping
• Self-hosted option
• Template system

Best for: Teams with engineering resources who want full control over their data pipeline.

5. React CSV Importer

react-csv-importer is a lightweight open-source option for basic CSV import needs.

Pricing: Free (open source, MIT license)

Key features:

• Minimal bundle size
• Column mapping UI
• No external dependencies

Best for: Projects needing basic CSV import without AI features or advanced validations.

ImportCSV vs Flatfile: complete comparison

Pricing comparison

Feature comparison

When to choose Flatfile

Flatfile makes sense if you:

• Have enterprise budget ($50K+/year for data tools)
• Need SOC 2 Type I certification today
• Want vendor-managed infrastructure
• Prefer sales-led procurement processes

When to choose ImportCSV

ImportCSV makes sense if you:

• Want transparent, usage-based pricing
• Need to self-host for data privacy requirements
• Prefer open-source with MIT licensing
• Want to integrate in minutes, not weeks

How to migrate from Flatfile to ImportCSV

Migrating from Flatfile to ImportCSV takes about 30 minutes for most implementations. Here's a step-by-step guide.

Step 1: Install ImportCSV

npm install @importcsv/react

Step 2: Map your existing schema

Convert your Flatfile field definitions to ImportCSV schema format:

// Flatfile schema
const flatfileFields = [
  { key: 'email', label: 'Email Address', validators: [{ validate: 'required' }] },
  { key: 'firstName', label: 'First Name' },
  { key: 'lastName', label: 'Last Name' },
];

// ImportCSV schema
const importCSVSchema = [
  { key: 'email', label: 'Email Address', type: 'email', required: true },
  { key: 'firstName', label: 'First Name', type: 'string' },
  { key: 'lastName', label: 'Last Name', type: 'string' },
];

Step 3: Replace the component

// Before (Flatfile)
import { FlatfileButton } from '@flatfile/react';

function ImportButton() {
  return (
    <FlatfileButton
      licenseKey="your-license-key"
      customer={{ userId: '12345' }}
      settings={{
        type: 'contacts',
        fields: flatfileFields,
      }}
      onData={(results) => {
        console.log(results.data);
      }}
    />
  );
}

// After (ImportCSV)
import { ImportCSV } from '@importcsv/react';

function ImportButton() {
  return (
    <ImportCSV
      schema={[
        { key: 'email', label: 'Email Address', type: 'email', required: true },
        { key: 'firstName', label: 'First Name', type: 'string' },
        { key: 'lastName', label: 'Last Name', type: 'string' },
      ]}
      onComplete={(data) => {
        console.log(data.validRows);
      }}
    />
  );
}

Step 4: Handle validation and transformations

ImportCSV supports custom validation functions that replace Flatfile's Data Hooks:

import { ImportCSV } from '@importcsv/react';

function ContactImporter() {
  return (
    <ImportCSV
      schema={[
        {
          key: 'email',
          label: 'Email',
          type: 'email',
          required: true,
          validate: (value) => {
            if (!value.includes('@company.com')) {
              return 'Must be a company email address';
            }
            return null;
          }
        },
        {
          key: 'phone',
          label: 'Phone',
          type: 'string',
          transform: (value) => {
            // Strip non-numeric characters
            return value.replace(/\D/g, '');
          }
        },
      ]}
      onComplete={async (data) => {
        // Send validated data to your API
        await fetch('/api/contacts/import', {
          method: 'POST',
          body: JSON.stringify(data.validRows),
        });
      }}
    />
  );
}

Why developers choose ImportCSV over Flatfile

Transparent pricing from day one: No sales calls, no NDAs, no surprise quotes. See exactly what you'll pay on the pricing page.

Open source with self-hosting: MIT-licensed frontend means you can inspect the code, contribute improvements, and self-host on your own infrastructure. Your customers' data never has to touch third-party servers.

Minutes to integrate, not weeks: Drop in a React component with your schema. No SDK initialization, no license key management, no complex configuration.

Built for developers: TypeScript definitions, modern React patterns, and backward-compatible APIs. Flatfile's G2 reviews mention "unreliable" behavior and "cryptic errors." ImportCSV processes data locally in the browser, reducing server dependency issues.

Get started

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