Overview

Airtable combines relational data, app building and workflow tools in a cloud platform. It suits teams that need to turn shared records into governed business apps; the trade-off is that its record, API and collaboration caps make plan choice consequential.

Teams can build custom business apps without code and deploy AI agents inside them. Databases, interfaces, reporting, views and automations form the working toolkit, with integrations including Slack, Google Drive, Salesforce, Jira and Zendesk. Native integrations such as Dropbox, Box, Gmail and Typeform are available on Free and paid plans.

Airtable was founded in 2012 and is headquartered in San Francisco. The company says 500,000 companies build on the platform, alongside 50M+ apps and agents, 90% of the Fortune 100 and 10M active users.

Key features

Relational data and custom apps

Relational data is useful when teams need connected records as the basis for shared workflows, rather than a standalone task list. Interfaces, reporting and views help turn that data into tools for different users. AI app building extends this no-code approach to custom business apps and agents, though teams should weigh the plan limits against the scale of the system they intend to build.

Automation and connections

Automations support repeatable workflows, while native integrations link Airtable with services such as Slack, email, Dropbox, Box, Gmail, Google Drive and Typeform. Integrations with Salesforce, Jira and Zendesk are also listed. This breadth gives teams ways to connect their existing tools, but the Free plan's 1,000 API calls per workspace per month may be restrictive for API-heavy use.

Permissions and security

Customizable collaborator permissions, password-protected or email-domain-restricted share links, record-level revision history and two-factor authentication give teams meaningful controls over access and changes. Airtable states it has SOC 2 Type 2, ISO/IEC 27001:2022, ISO/IEC 27701:2019, HIPAA and TX-RAMP Level 2 coverage or certification information. Its privacy program is designed for GDPR, UK GDPR and CCPA/CPRA compliance.

Pricing

Airtable is freemium, with a 14-day trial and paid plans starting at $20/user/mo (annual). The Free plan can work for an individual or very small team, but its limits arrive quickly if the base becomes a busy shared system.

Free: 0.00 USD per free. Each base allows 1,000 records, 1 GB of attachments, 75 automations and two weeks of revision history; each workspace has 1,000 API calls per month. Collaboration includes unlimited read-only collaborators, up to five Editor or Creator collaborators and up to 50 Commenters. This is a sensible starting point for small, low-volume use, not a roomy production tier.
Team: 20.00 USD per month, billed annually. It raises each base to 50,000 records and 20 GB of attachments, provides 100,000 API calls per workspace per month and one year of revision and snapshot history. This is the natural fit for teams building apps for shared workflows, provided those quotas match expected use.
Business: 45.00 USD per month, billed annually. It includes 125,000 records and 100 GB of attachments per base, unlimited API calls per workspace and one year of revision and snapshot history. The higher ceiling makes it more appropriate for heavier use, but costs more than twice Team's stated monthly price.
Enterprise Scale: custom pricing. It offers scalable app building, governance and administration for organizations that need enterprise-level scale and controls.

Team and Business prices are billed annually; the pricing note gives paid pricing per user, so seat count matters to the total. Free's collaboration caps distinguish read-only users from editors and commenters, and its short revision history is a notable compromise for teams that need a durable change record.

Platforms

Airtable is available on web, macOS, Windows, iOS and Android, as well as through an API and extension. The desktop and mobile apps have minimum operating-system requirements: macOS 12, Windows 10 64-bit, iOS 16 and Android 7.

Who it's for

Airtable is strongest for individuals and small teams starting with structured data, or teams that need to shape records into apps and shared workflows. It is a better fit when relational data, interfaces, automation and permissions belong in one system than when a team only needs a basic project board. Larger or API-intensive deployments should compare expected records, storage, history and collaborator needs against the paid tiers before committing.

Pros and cons

Pro: Relational records, app interfaces, reporting and automation sit together, supporting workflows that need more than a simple list.
Pro: Granular sharing controls and record-level history give teams useful ways to manage access and accountability.
Pro: Native integrations span common communication, file-storage and form tools, with additional listed integrations for Salesforce, Jira and Zendesk.
Con: Free is capped at 1,000 records per base, 1 GB of attachments and 1,000 API calls per workspace monthly, which can constrain an expanding team.
Con: Free permits only five Editor or Creator collaborators, despite allowing unlimited read-only collaborators, so active contributors may require a paid plan.
Con: Team and Business are billed annually, and the per-user price means costs rise with the number of seats.

Alternatives

For a simpler project-centered choice, compare Basecamp: its Free plan is limited to one project, 1 GB of storage and five users, while Freelancer costs 25.00 USD per month for up to three active projects and 5 GB. ClickUp may suit teams prioritizing task volume and member access on a free tier: Free Forever includes unlimited tasks and unlimited free plan members, but has 60MB of storage and one form.

OpenProject is another freemium option, with a free Community plan offering no minimum users, community features and community support. For a board-oriented option, Trello Free allows up to 10 collaborators and 10 boards per Workspace. HacknPlan is a freemium alternative.

Teams comparing tools by use case can also browse Game Project Management Software, Marketing Planning Software and No-Code Database Software. Asana, Linear and Wrike are additional alternatives.

Verdict

Choose Airtable if your team needs relational data to power custom apps and workflows, with permissions and integrations in the same cloud platform. Its strongest case is the combination of structure and no-code app building; its main drawback is the need to budget by seat and manage plan ceilings, particularly on Free. Teams with modest needs can start there, while growing or API-intensive use should be evaluated against Team, Business or custom-priced Enterprise Scale.

	Airtable	SoloMode
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Free trial	Yes	Yes
Paid from	$20/mo	$14/mo
Open source	No	No
Platforms	Android, api, extension, iOS, macOS, Web, Windows	Web
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Paid from	20 /user/mo	—
Kanban boards	—	Yes

Airtable vs SoloMode

Airtable

SoloMode