TablePress can’t let users edit
from the frontend. NMR jsGrid can.
TablePress is great for static data. But if you need logged-in users to filter, edit, or insert rows without touching the WordPress admin — you need a different tool.
The Core Difference
One plugin edits in admin. The other edits on the page.
TablePress stores data in WordPress and renders a static HTML table. Editing only happens in the WordPress admin. The author has been clear about this:
“Unfortunately, editing tables is only possible from TablePress screens within the WordPress admin dashboard.” — TablePress support forum
NMR jsGrid renders an interactive grid — powered by your SQL database, a JSON array, or a custom AJAX endpoint — via shortcode on any page. Users can filter, sort, paginate, and (if enabled) edit, insert, or delete rows without leaving the frontend.
Feature Comparison
Free versions, head to head.
| Feature | TablePress (free) | NMR jsGrid (free) |
|---|---|---|
| Display tabular data via shortcode | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Frontend sorting | ✓ Yes (via extension) | ✓ Yes (built-in) |
| Frontend filtering | ✓ Yes (via extension) | ✓ Yes (built-in) |
| AJAX pagination (server-side) | ✗ No | ✓ Yes |
| Frontend row editing | ✗ No | ✓ Yes |
| Frontend row insert | ✗ No | ✓ Yes |
| Frontend row delete | ✗ No | ✓ Yes |
| SQL query as data source | ✗ No | ✓ Yes |
| Static JSON data source | ✓ Yes (manually entered) | ✓ Yes |
| Custom AJAX endpoint | ✗ No | ✓ Yes |
| Data hidden from page source | ✗ No (data in HTML) | ✓ Yes (AJAX loaded) |
| Tables / grids on free plan | Unlimited | 10 |
Which One Fits?
TablePress is the right call for a lot of use cases — just not this one.
Use TablePress if…
- You need a simple static table — pricing, specs, comparison
- Data is entered manually and doesn’t change often
- Users don’t need to edit anything from the frontend
- You don’t have a database backend to connect to
Use NMR jsGrid if…
- You have MySQL data and want to display it without exporting to CSV
- Logged-in users (staff, clients, members) need to edit rows from the frontend
- You have hundreds or thousands of rows and need server-side pagination
- You want filtering and sorting without a page reload
- You don’t want all data exposed in the page HTML source
- You need inventory, employee directory, member list, or similar live data
Real Example: Inventory Table
A warehouse team needs to update stock quantities from a password-protected WordPress page — no admin credentials.
With TablePress
Not possible. The plugin author has confirmed this repeatedly in their support forum.
With NMR jsGrid
Five steps, done.
Install NMR jsGrid from WordPress.org
Create a new grid → Data Source: SQL
Enter your SELECT query:
SELECT id, product_name, quantity, location FROM inventoryEnable Editing and Inserting in grid settings
Drop shortcode on any page:
Your team now sees a live, filterable, editable table. Changes go directly to the database via AJAX. No WordPress admin needed.
Free
- Up to 10 grids
- SQL, JSON, and AJAX data sources
- Full frontend CRUD
- Server-side filtering, sorting, pagination
Pro — one-time payment
- Unlimited grids
- Select field type
- Auto column detection from data source
- Priority support
Need frontend editing? TablePress won’t do it.
NMR jsGrid free covers up to 10 grids with full CRUD. Pro removes the limit. One-time payment.