Straight answers
The questions that decide whether you try it.
If something is missing, open an issue on GitHub. The answers here match the current development build, not a future roadmap.
Is TabTool free?
The source code is MIT-licensed, so you can read it, build it, and change it at no cost. Pricing for the signed App Store build will be published with the 1.0 release.
When can I download it?
TabTool 1.0 for macOS 14+ and iOS 17+ is in development. Watch the GitHub repository for the first build and the App Store listing. There is no public download yet.
How large a file can it open?
The tested ceiling is a 5 GiB file with 68.2 million rows and 8 columns. It was fully indexed 2.7 seconds after launch, using about 91 MB of memory. Files at or above the large-file threshold open in a read-only structure mode with background indexing; the threshold is a setting, 100 MiB by default.
Does TabTool upload my data?
No. The app is sandboxed and has no network entitlement. There is no analytics, no crash reporting SDK, and no account. Saving writes to the file you opened, and export writes a new file you choose.
Which formats and encodings does it support?
CSV, TSV, and plain text with automatic detection of encoding, separator, quotes, escape character, decimal mark, and header row. Encodings include UTF-8/16/32, MacRoman, Windows Latin 1 and 2, GBK, ISO Latin 2, Cyrillic, Greek, Turkish, and Japanese. XLSX, ODS, JSON, and database formats are not supported.
Does it have formulas, styles, or charts?
No, by design. TabTool is a CSV editor: cells, rows, columns, sorting, filters, and format conversion. For formulas and charts, a spreadsheet is the right tool.
Does it work offline?
Yes. Every feature works without a connection. The app does not contact a server at any point.
What about Windows, Linux, and Android?
Windows and Linux will be written in Rust. Android is planned with no language chosen yet. Each platform needs its own editor UI, file handling, and tests, so no dates are promised until a build exists; follow the repository for announcements.
Is the iOS app a companion or a full editor?
It is a full editor for cells, rows, columns, sorting, filtering, and format changes. Large-file mode on iOS is limited to browsing and cell edits, like the Mac.
How do I contribute?
Open an issue or a pull request on GitHub. Translations live in a String Catalog; native-speaker reviews are especially welcome because the ten non-English translations are machine-generated.
Can I use it commercially?
The MIT license allows commercial use of the source. If you redistribute a build, keep the copyright and permission notice with it.
How is this different from a spreadsheet?
A spreadsheet stores formulas, styles, and a calculation model. TabTool stores nothing but the delimited text you give it, detects the format on open, and writes the same bytes back. The comparison pages cover specific CSV editors.
Next
Still deciding?
Read how TabTool compares with TableTool, Modern CSV, CSViewer, and Tablecruncher, including the cases where the other app wins.