Datasette was definitely a huge influence for this and I'm a big of @simonw and his work.
However, there's a couple of major differences:
- Datasette - to me - is a tool for devs - it takes a fair bit of tech know-how to understand how to load new data in datasette, install plugins and deploy an instance. I wanted Pretzel to have a "low-ceiling, high-floor" - meaning the tool should work well for non-technical folks but also shouldn't hinder technical folks and power users
- Datasette has a unique way to explore data based on "facets" where you can dig through data. It's a powerful way to explore but I personally don't think Datasette is the best tool for complex data transforms - its strengths lie in exploring datasets instead.
- For accessibility and speed, we wanted something browser local and fast - hence the focus on DuckDB and canvas rendered tables. Datasette requires setting up an instance and that's additional friction for non-tech folks and isn't particularly designed for large datasets (is my impression - I might be wrong)
- Lastly, we have ton of future plans - including in-browser python support via WASM (Pyodide), local LLM support, ability to connect databases etc.
