Airtable Reviews

Pros

Airtable brings actual structure to our working environment. We use for a team of 15 to track tasks, projects, and even for lightweight documentation of work done or where stuff is. I really like the flexibility and the ability to create just about anything with it and still make the finished product look nice. The UI is what people first comment on when I invite them to our shared set of bases--either "it looks great" or "this is easy" or something like that. I especially love the integration with Zapier so that if you need to go outside an Airtable base, you probably won't have to do manual entry--it can sync with your other app.

Cons

With the free version, you will hit the record limit will pretty easily. I wish they had a lower-priced plan that was above the free version, but below their much more expensive tiers.
A second huge miss is that there was really no way to do rich text. That severely limits the usefulness for using Airtable as any kind of repository for content or anything like that. Basically you convert everything to HTML markup and store it as plain text in Airtable, but like I said they have promised to fix this . . .

Pros

Airtable is a simple, collaborative database app. As long as the engineering team isn't too huge, working together on a bill of materials (BOM) is straightforward. One of my favorite features is the ability to create filtered views that are unique to each user.

Cons

When a company's workforce size increases, Airtable's price tag skyrockets. The options for exporting are restricted. Airtable is not the place to store documents. Airtable does not support complicated equations. The user interface isn't always the most obvious.

Pros

The basic interface was very aesthetically pleasing and easy to understand. Great for simple project management tasks and tracking progress.

Cons

Filtering was frustrating. It was very frustrating when you created a new entry, and it disappeared before you were able to complete it because of the filters in place. Ended up with a lot of half-empty, duplicated entries. Overall, it was easy to use when there were only a few people editing, but difficult to track changes when there was a lot of changes at the same time.

Pros

When I first started to use Airtable, I came away deeply frustrated with it's usability. It's sometimes slow, straightly obtuse to use and has many "pending features" that would be extremely helpful for some of the simplest of tasks.

However, there came a time when I had to organise a league table for a tournament over the internet, and all of sudden, Airtable clicked.

What Airtable is good at is creating a database of entries for a specific use, so for example, making an internet registration form where a user can enter data and "register" their interest in a particular thing is so quick and easy to do.

I created an application form which auto stored the data into a highly organised table that I could then use however I wanted (I created a league table from the registered users with ease and shared the results of the league as the scoring progressed) - all via the internet, I don't know of a way that I could have achieved this without AirTable, Google Docs would have been a possible solution, but Airtable allows you to add attachments easily (so images, etc) as well as allowing you to manipulate (And hide) data in any way you can think of using Rollups and Lookups - two of it's most powerful features.

Once you get used to it, Airtable becomes useful, and I can see myself using it again and again when I want to organise a very specific and distributed task on the internet.

Cons

Don't think this is Excel in a different disguise, it's not, it's not as adaptable and not as powerful as Excel. You couldn't use it to track a project or manage a holiday system or anything like that, but creating a full customer list for a newsletter? Yep, easy, that's the kind of thing it DOES do really well.

It could use a few more features on the free tier of the software (the paid tier unlocks "blocks" - which is a strange name for plugins, which allow you to view the data in different visual ways but ultimately it's not as well integrated as it should be and therefore has a limited use)

Another thing is that Airtables mobile interface is woeful compared to it's desktop version, and for some reason you can't access the desktop website via mobile. I have no idea what compelled them to make this decision but it's something they need to address in the future. The mobile layout is next to useless.

Pros

A lot of templates to start with. Highly customizable.

Cons

Pricing depends on the number of users. A free account allows you up to 1000 registrations.

Alternatives Considered

BuzzStream and ClickUp

Reasons for Choosing Airtable

Looking for a solution with more options.

Switched From

Trello

Reasons for Switching to Airtable

Scalable paying options and the price is competitive.

Pros

Great user interface, and incredibly flexible.

Cons

In order to have better record views, one must upgrade.

Pros

I enjoyed the ease of use for this software. The simplicity and design of the webpage is very pleasant. I liked how easy it was to collaborate with coworkers and manage projects together. All around a great app!

Cons

The only thing is the limitations with the different plans that there are. Seems like once you upgrade, you have to give up some tools to get different ones. Other than that it is still great.

Pros

I have had the opportunity to use Airtable on multiple video production teams, and it has made project/production coordination a breeze. The ability to track tasks and statuses and to have different views into project details has been incredibly helpful in keeping us on point and on budget. It is also very useful for reviewing project efficiency and profitability after the work is complete.

Cons

Because it has expanded so much over the past few years, it's gotten a bit of a learning curve - but Airtable has done a good job of providing support for that.

Pros

I like how projects are always managed properly using Airtable.
Also it is the best since it has excellent and unique functionalities that has made it easier for teams to share data and resources that are relevant with their projects.

Cons

Airtable is really great, no dislike towards it.

Pros

Being able to tag coworkers to review copy, graphics, and videos. Easy to upload content or create new updates for each day. Love the color coordination, helps when building our content for two brands.

Cons

Can be hard to review with multiple pieces of content slotted on day. Wish you could slide/move content around vs deleting and recreating.

Pros

I love that this works as an Excel document, but you can also do so much more with it - attach documents, check boxes, drop down options, and so many more things. It has great integrations with other platforms, and is easy to set up for various different functions that Excel could never offer. I also love the extra blocks you can use that give you more options for functions, such as creating pivot tables, sending texts, keeping an organizational chart, and even setting a countdown! It makes me want to explore more ways I can use this to help make our workflow better within my work team.

Cons

It does take a little getting used to at first if you are used to excel. It's not quite a replacement for Excel if you are trying to make a traditional sheet with borders, and it also isn't as easy to highlight select cells and copy/paste them in other places like in an Excel sheet. It also doesn't really support traditional Microsoft formatting which is kind of annoying when you try to copy information in. But seeing as how this is a better system for containing information, its pros outweigh the cons and you can easily use Excel and Airtable at the same time to support your various needs.

Alternatives Considered

Microsoft Excel

Reasons for Switching to Airtable

This was a step up from our old method of using a Google sheet to keep information in one place. It hasn't completely replaced Google Docs or Excel, but it has been a great service for us to keep certain records that are harder to keep track of on other less complex platforms.

Pros

First: It's a database that is actually aesthetically attractive. AND it's easier to use and manipulate than Excel. AND you can custom build what you need, rather than finagling a pre-built CRM for your specific needs. Also all of the different visual ways of looking at the data/records are key.

Cons

There are some features that are still lacking. Like the ability to read what's in a cell and do something with that information. It's also quite expensive, especially for a non-profit like us.

Alternatives Considered

Blackbaud Raiser's Edge NXT

Reasons for Choosing Airtable

So much easier to manipulate and search for constituents and records. The sortability, filterability, beautiful views, etc.

Switched From

Microsoft Excel

Reasons for Switching to Airtable

Raiser's Edge didn't really match our needs for very detailed and specific data collection. It also wouldn't have been as easy to onboard all of our staff, as queries and reports are a bit more difficult and less intuitive to run than simply sorting on Airtable or filtering.

Pros

One of my favorite features is the ability to personalize each of my boards. Not only that, but I have the ability to work closely with my team by syncing and discussing our respective projects and making use of our shared notes. It's incredible how many wonderful things there are in the Universe. Airtable helps me plan out my monthly social media posts in advance. I'm able to keep on top of things and make timely social media posts because I plan ahead. My knowledge and experience have taught me to be more methodical and cooperative in my job.

Cons

Every once in a while, things aren't as user-friendly as they could be. Sometimes I'll make my own template, but first I'll look at tens of others to get ideas. Be patient with the procedure; it will take some time to complete. Once set up, the interface is typically straightforward.

Pros

Just the variaties of ways to show data - table, kanban, gallery, calendar, timeline, form! Its incredibly versatile and means you can craft it to many different types of people from CEO, to Marketing, to Finance.

Cons

The only downside I can see is that the per-seat amount can get high for multiple team members, I wish this could be lower or to only include core team members in that amount while having 'visitors' that have less access in the document.

Alternatives Considered

Jotform

Reasons for Choosing Airtable

Excel really feels like software from another century, undoubtedly it is powerful, but it is also exteremely limited in its capabilities.

Switched From

Microsoft Excel

Reasons for Switching to Airtable

Jorform was seen more from the forms functionality, but Airtable had more powerful options for table views.

Pros

The flexibility to add data from multiple devices and also multiple persons at the the same time.We used AirTable mainly for our Inventory tracking which is very dynamic as most of our assets change hands frequently so we can easily update who is assigned what device and for our recurring IT expenses we are able to easily track every recurring expense and see at any time the total expense for the month.

Cons

We have been using Airtable for over two years and to date we do not have any feature missing. Our experience has been very favorable.

Pros

Airtable is an extremely powerful and flexible database management tool that allows me to quickly capture, organize, and access data across multiple platforms. Its intuitive interface makes it easy to set up and manage my database, and its powerful features allow me to customize my database to fit my needs.

Cons

Despite its powerful capabilities, Airtable does have some drawbacks. Its pricing structure can be confusing and expensive for some users, and its customization options can be overwhelming. Additionally, some users may find its learning curve to be steep.

Pros

We really enjoy having a lot of different features available that we can explore, mainly stuff like document management, database, and data workflows. It lets you cover different needs without having to get a few separate tools and ten have to sync them together. The ability to consolidate all those feature sunder one roof is also good for the budget of course.

Cons

I'm not sure if it rises up to the level of tools like Monday and Asana for project management. There aren't as many project customization options and it tends to get a bit all over the place when the number of projects starts to increase. It would be good to have more views for projects and more customizations on the project level.

Alternatives Considered

Smartsheet

Reasons for Switching to Airtable

We were looking for something that was easy to use that we wouldn't have to spend a lot of time learning how to use it. And Airtable looked a lot more intuitive and easy to use compared to Smartsheet which looked a bit complex and clunky

Pros

Airtable has the power and functionality of a database but is as easy to use as a spreadsheet! As someone who sells software (saas), Airtable allowed me to essentially create programs for my clients even though I do not code. Airtable sets the new gold standard for what a spreadsheet should be able to do. i cannot go back to a normal spreadsheet now.

Cons

There are a few critical features you'll run into that stop this software from being perfect unfortunately. It's a shame too because they seem very obviously needed and demanded; things like having storage space increase option past premium plan limit, writing formula across cells from multiple tables instead of just the same table, etc. I have hope these things will be part of the development roadmap soon though.

Alternatives Considered

Microsoft Excel

Reasons for Switching to Airtable

Airtable is a database, not just a spreadsheet. It allows me to build more complex programs complete with automations, integrations, & an API. A normal spreadsheet just can't match that.

Pros

Ease of use, basically a database without the complexity of being one. No more managing of tabulated data via spreadsheet or simple table in word processing software. I also like the fact that I can do data entry in expanded and table views (I have a base called “Ideas”, where each column correspond to an area of interest in idea generation, e.g. Problem, Market, Competition, Elevator Pitch etc. - which the preferred data entry method is in the Expanded Jew; where as for base such as my “Bank Transactions Tracker”, the table field is better.

I also like how they aren’t just focusing on being American (yay to company that bother to cater to ALL date format under the sky) although for some other colum type they haven’t got down to it yet (telephone number etc.).

Personally I am a big fan of the Pro feature Blocks, which I used to create performace dashboards for my freelance subscription business. The Blocks feature is the only reason I opt to pay, although I am paying mostly out of my credits accumulated during the earlier days of Airtable.

Also like the community that’s building on top of it, forum is very active and lots of power users to learn from.

Combine with with other IaaS tool such as Zapier and you get a really powerful tool.

Cons

Insufficient control (can be easy to make mistake such as accidental typing etc.), lack of data validation (upon data entry), and interface could use more customization (e.g. lots of empty/white spaces in Card views, can’t have multiple lines in field header etc.).

Pros

We came to airtable because we were looking for a solution to index the massive amounts of files in our google drive and make them SEARCHABLE by many different criteria. (We were frustrated that google drive, dropbox, etc did not use real TAGS - and even what they did offer was not searchable by our clients who are not logged in)

Airtable blows everything I've found out of the water in terms of types of fields (from URLs to emails to multi-select text options, etc) linked records, dates, etc. And they are all wonderfully searchable and sortable.

We also love the ability to link records, create forms, etc.

In short- airtable gave us the ONLY solution we could find that also was at a price that was VERY reasonable.

Cons

The embeddable PUBLIC view has a major problem for us (and MANY others if you read the forums)

We CAME to airtable for this function of being able to give our customers an embedded view (in our website) of our tables. And I'm thrilled that it WORKS WELL.

I'd love to give them a bit prettier options to sort and filter. (The functions work GREAT but non-savvy clients might take a while to figure it out)

My main complaint - and a complaint of MANY airtable users on the forums - is that the "public view" has both a non-removable branding logo on the bottom of the embed (even in the highest paid tiers) and it ALSO has a non-removable "View larger version" link at the bottom of the embed.

If you click the "View larger version" link... it opens up a new browser window and exposes the URL of the public view of the table. So if your content is SUPPOSED to be behind a paywall for your customers... they can now see the URL, copy it, bookmark it, cancel their subscription, and still have access to all of your content. Or they can share that URL with anyone else they want!

Airtable has been asked to remove these from the embed window for years. Personally I don't care at all that the logo is there. But we REALLY need to remove the "View larger version" link.

We would go with the 3rd party miniExtensions - their portals look GREAT - but unfortunately our platform at Mighty Networks does not accept their iframe embeds. (but it DOES work with airttable iframes!)

Pros

The visual element of this software really sets itself apart from others. This was an easy transition coming from an entertainment background where most everything was done on note cards. Here's a brief list of the good:

- There are multiple views catering to organizational preferences of whichever user is utilizing the software.
- Alerts are set up easily and can be automated to limit the amount personal email communication needed. Meaning that when a cell is altered a member of the team can get an instant notification.
- Data management is a breeze, attaching files to the Airtable sheet is as simple as drag and drop and allows for multiple people to edit the same documents.
-Labels and color coordination help to add order to projects with lots of moving parts.

The bottom line is that this software is near-perfect for a team to work collaboratively on a common goal and limits the amount of needless communication that usually drains a companies productivity.

Cons

Permissions could be a little cleaner when working in a dual authentication paradigm. The learning curve is pretty steep, rightly so, in that this is a very versatile software with lots of bells and whistles and it would behoove the user to watch some of the Airtable produced learning content.

Pros

I found it very easy to get started building useful bases. There are a lot of features and the possibilities are almost limitless, but the basics are fairly easy to understand, and very flexible, so once you get used to the way the tools work you can modify things and build out your bases quickly.

A key feature is the library of example bases. You can install a clone of any of them into your own account and use it as a starting point for your own project, or just explore how it's built to learn how everything works.

I really appreciate how easy it is to move existing data into Airtable bases, and to export them. Again, very flexible.

I find the app quite intuitive, and the help docs are excellent when questions come up. It's a huge time saver when compared to what would be required to build a database and web app interface from scratch.

Cons

I haven't find much to dislike. Early on I did hit the limits for the number of records available in a free account, but since it's free it's not really a complaint, just a limitation to be aware of.

I have found it a bit challenging to set up some more complex field relationships, for example calculations based on summaries of grouped records, but the newer add on functionalities allowing scripted manipulation of data in fields and conditional operations make it possible to do just about anything you can think of, so if you're ready for a paid account you can find a way to do most anything.

Pros

This is the case, when I can only tell cons, however I am using Airtable every day, organizing all my business with it.
It's not a powerful database like Caspio for example, there are lots of things don't work as should. BUT it's a handy, internet based database, allowing you to easy create views, and see information sorted, to hide fields ot group by a field it's probably the best way in my opinion, you can view the information the way its most productive for you.
check boxes, multi-select or single select fields, autonumbering and a range of colors you can use to see information , easy way to introduce colaboration with "Make" - ex- Integromat , and Zapier and Jotforms and more makes Airtable a handy tool.
I would not give 5 starts to any of its features. And still is the application I use everyday to plan my jobwork.

Cons

Deduplication fields. Guys, please: I need to deduplicate all lines, pressing one button. Why can't you include the option 'dedup all' - on my own risk and I have to do it one-by-one and ask me if i agree?
And the 'merge option' is buggy.
Automations are buggy. It's a feature supposed to run javascript code, that's not exactly working here.
Also, to combine tables and fields, as they say it's handy but doing many things here one by one, and can't press to apply some rule to all , is really missing.
However, if you do small tasks, it's probably the best app.

Pros

1. Easy to Use: Airtable is a user-friendly software that is designed to make it easy to create and manage databases. It has a drag and drop interface that allows users to quickly create tables, add fields, and enter data. 2. Flexible: Airtable offers a wide range of features that can be used to customize and manage databases. It is also compatible with a variety of platforms, including web, mobile, and desktop. 3. Collaboration: Airtable makes it easy to collaborate with others on projects. It allows users to share tables, collaborates in real time, assign tasks, and manage projects. 4. Security: Airtable has a variety of security measures in place to keep data safe. It offers encryption, two-factor authentication, and other tools to ensure that data is secure. 5. Integrations: Airtable can be integrated with a variety of third-party applications, such as Google Sheets, Slack, and Zapier. This makes it easy to extend the functionality of Airtable and automate processes.

Cons

1. Limited customization options - Airtable does not offer as much customization as some other platforms.2. Limited features - Airtable does not offer features such as reporting, advanced analytics, and workflow automation.3. Limited mobile support - Airtable does not offer a mobile version of its interface.4. Limited scalability - Airtable is limited in its ability to scale, as it can only handle a certain number of records and fields.5. High cost - Airtable is one of the more expensive options for database software.

Pros

The capacity you have got to speed up work and open potential with effective apps that interface your information, workflows and groups, makes collaboration more effective and makes a difference keep a great record of all exercises performed during work . What I just like the most around Airtable is its client interface since it takes after that of a spreadsheet; it has made it simpler to get it, I like its effortlessness and the wide assortment of apparatuses it offers; permits you to effortlessly make basic programs and custom databases in minutes without coding. It's a awesome out-of-the-box arrangement for those looking to upgrade from Exceed expectations and Google Docs, my company was seeking out for a stage to store and oversee numerous of our information sets and workflows.

Cons

Some tools or settings are still in the Beta phase, which might cause some confusion; although being straightforward and simple to use, some features impose a tiny learning curve, and the mobile application interface is not that simple. We began utilizing Airtable for a single solution but it was incredibly expensive; as we worked out how to utilize it for many more applications, the expense became justified.