Airtable's platform built its reputation as the spreadsheet-database hybrid that made relational data accessible. It works beautifully for organizing information, linking records, and creating custom views. But growing teams keep running into the same walls: per-seat pricing that punishes collaboration, and an interface builder that can't quite become the custom application you actually need.
The right alternative depends entirely on what you're trying to ship. Some teams need better data organization. Others need project tracking that doesn't require database workarounds. And some have outgrown data management entirely: they need to build actual applications.
This progression from organizing data to shipping applications is how teams actually build today. What started as spreadsheets became databases, and now databases are becoming full applications.
The rise of vibe coding, which involves using AI tools to describe what you want and watching it build, has accelerated this shift dramatically. Non-technical founders can now move from idea to deployed application in hours instead of months. The eight Airtable alternatives below span this entire spectrum, from better data organization to complete application development.
1. Notion: Best for Knowledge-First Teams
Notion's workspace combines documentation, wikis, and lightweight databases in a single workspace where text comes first and data structure follows.
How Notion Works
The platform treats databases as one component of a larger knowledge system rather than the central feature. Every page consists of modular blocks: text, to-do lists, images, code snippets, embeds, that teams arrange however they think. Notion's knowledge management documentation describes how databases work together as an integrated documentation system, supported by thousands of templates.
This architecture makes Notion ideal for documentation-focused teams where collaborative knowledge management matters more than complex relational databases. Real-time collaborative editing keeps everyone working in the same space without version control headaches. Comments, mentions, and 30-day page history on paid plans keep asynchronous collaboration smooth across time zones.
Pricing: Free plan available for individuals. Plus plan costs $12 per user monthly (billed annually). Business plan runs $20 per user monthly with advanced permissions and unlimited AI features. Enterprise pricing available for larger organizations requiring compliance guarantees.
Watch out for: Notion handles lightweight database tracking well, but it lacks the relational power for complex data structures. Teams needing advanced data relationships or heavy automation workflows will find it limiting.
2. Baserow: Best for Open-Source Flexibility
Baserow's platform is an open-source database builder that teams can self-host on their own servers for complete data sovereignty, though technical expertise is required for deployment and maintenance.
Technical Architecture
The platform provides a spreadsheet-like interface familiar to Airtable users with direct import capability for migrating existing data. As an open-source solution, it offers access to source code for customization and no API call limitations: a notable contrast that eliminates rate-limit concerns for heavy integration users.
Pricing: Baserow offers both cloud-hosted and self-hosted options. Cloud Premium starts at $5 per user monthly. Self-hosted version remains free with unlimited rows and storage. Verify current pricing directly at baserow.io/pricing before making a decision.
Watch out for: Self-hosting requires technical expertise for deployment, maintenance, and security configuration. Baserow also lacks native automation features comparable to Airtable's built-in automations; teams would need external integration tools like Zapier or Make.
3. NocoDB: Best for SQL-Backed Data Control
NocoDB's platform provides a spreadsheet-like interface directly on top of existing SQL databases, without requiring data migration.
Database Connectivity
The platform connects natively to PostgreSQL, MySQL, Microsoft SQL Server, MariaDB, and SQLite. This architecture means NocoDB operates as a UI layer on databases you already maintain; teams can preserve existing infrastructure investments while providing accessible interfaces for non-technical team members. Full CRUD operations, multiple view types, and automatic REST API generation come standard.
Pricing: Free plan includes unlimited bases with up to 1,000 records per workspace, 3 editors plus 10 commenters, and 1,000 API calls monthly. Business plan uses workspace-based pricing with unlimited seats: a significant advantage for growing teams tired of per-seat costs.
Watch out for: NocoDB serves technical teams best. Self-hosting requires familiarity with infrastructure management including PostgreSQL, Redis, and gateway configuration. Non-technical founders without existing SQL databases may find the setup process intimidating; consider Airtable or Notion instead.
4. ClickUp: Best for Project Management Workflows
ClickUp's platform offers better value for project management workflows than Airtable, with 15+ view types including specialized project views like Gantt charts, Workload, and Timeline that aren't available in Airtable.
Project Management Features
Native time tracking, sprint points for agile teams, recurring task automation, and critical path analysis address project management needs directly. Table views provide customizable column displays, bulk operations, advanced filtering, and grouping: familiar territory for Airtable users.
Pricing: Free plan available for personal use and small teams. Unlimited plan costs $7 per user monthly (billed annually), a 65% savings compared to Airtable's Team plan. Business plan runs $12 per user monthly.
Watch out for: ClickUp excels at task-centric project management but lacks Airtable's relational database depth. Export functionality varies significantly by plan: the free plan offers no exports from Table views, and only the Business plan provides unlimited exports.
5. SmartSuite: Best for Unified Work Management
SmartSuite's platform combines database functionality with native team communication tools: built-in group chats and 1:1 conversations eliminate the need for separate collaboration tools like Slack.
Collaboration Capabilities
The workspace combines 40+ field types, forms functionality, and role-based access controls with a communication center. G2 reviewers note that SmartSuite "consolidates various project management aspects, enhancing collaboration, efficiency in task management, and offering real-time insights."
Pricing: Free plan available. Team plan starts at $10 per user monthly (billed annually), significant savings compared to Airtable's $20-45/user/month pricing.
Watch out for: SmartSuite positions itself as a unified work management platform rather than a pure database tool. Teams who primarily need relational data organization without built-in communication features may find the extensive collaboration capabilities unnecessary.
6. Softr: Best for Client-Facing Portals
Softr's platform builds client-facing portals and internal applications on top of Airtable and Google Sheets data sources, extending existing databases into user-facing interfaces.
Portal Building Capabilities
Softr enables teams to build portals with user authentication, detailed permission controls, conditional visibility rules, and real-time data synchronization. For most business apps, particularly CRMs, client portals, and directories, Softr delivers the core functionality teams need out-of-the-box.
Pricing: Free plan available with Softr branding. Basic plan starts at $59 per month for up to 20 users. Professional plan costs $167 per month, and Business plan runs $323 per month with up to 500 users. Enterprise pricing available for larger organizations. Note: Pricing scales based on user count, which can make high-volume scenarios expensive quickly.
Watch out for: Softr handles CRUD operations well but can't build complex SaaS features like AI processing or real-time collaboration without external APIs.
7. Stackby: Best for Budget-Conscious Teams
Stackby's platform delivers verified cost savings of 50-77% compared to Airtable. With entry-level pricing starting at $5-9/user/month compared to Airtable's $20-45/user/month, a 10-person team can save approximately $1,320-$4,320 annually.
The platform provides spreadsheet-style databases with no-code automation, detailed permission controls, and native API connectors.
Watch out for: Stackby's feature parity claims come primarily from Stackby's own marketing materials rather than independent verification. Teams should test through the free tier before assuming Stackby matches Airtable's specific capabilities.
8. Lovable: Best for Building Custom Applications
Lovable's platform generates complete full-stack applications from natural language descriptions: frontend, backend, authentication, and deployment included, with full code ownership through GitHub.
A Different Category Entirely
This represents a fundamentally different category from database tools. Where Airtable organizes data and Softr adds interfaces to existing databases, Lovable creates standalone applications you fully own. Teams can go from idea to deployed application in minutes rather than weeks or months.
Core Development Features
Agent Mode works as an autonomous AI developer that interprets requests, explores your codebase, makes changes across multiple files, and debugs issues proactively, automatically inspecting logs and network activity to fix problems before you even notice them. Chat Mode serves as an interactive collaborative interface for planning, debugging, and iterative development with multi-step reasoning capabilities. Visual Edits provide direct UI manipulation that lets you click and modify interface elements in real-time without writing prompts.
Technical Output
The platform handles the technical complexity (React, TypeScript, Tailwind CSS, Supabase integration) while you focus on describing what your application should do. Non-technical founders can move from concept to deployed product without learning to code. Technical founders can use Chat Mode to plan architecture, then dive into the generated code to customize further. Both paths lead to production-ready applications with real backends, authentication flows, and database connections.
GitHub integration ensures your code lives in repositories you control with automatic two-way syncing and full export capabilities.
Pricing: Free tier includes 5 daily credits with public projects only. Pro plan costs $25 per month with up to 150 total credits monthly and private projects. Business plan runs $50 per month with SSO and internal publishing.
Watch out for: Lovable builds applications, not databases. Teams primarily needing data organization should consider other tool categories first.
How to Choose Among These Airtable Alternatives
The right tool depends on your primary workflow: data organization, project coordination, or full application development.
These Airtable alternatives fall into four primary categories based on your core need:
Data organization first: Notion works for knowledge-first teams where documentation drives workflows. Baserow and NocoDB serve teams wanting database control: Baserow for open-source flexibility with self-hosting options, NocoDB for SQL-backed infrastructure that preserves existing database investments.
Project tracking first: ClickUp handles task management better than Airtable for project workflows, with specialized views like Gantt charts and Workload that Airtable doesn't offer. SmartSuite adds native communication for teams tired of switching between database and chat tools throughout the day.
External interfaces first: Softr extends existing Airtable or Google Sheets data into client-facing portals without requiring you to rebuild your data layer. Stackby provides similar functionality at significantly lower cost for budget-conscious teams.
Custom applications first: Lovable generates complete, full-stack applications you own: the choice when Airtable's interface limitations constrain your vision and you need something that functions like a real software product.
Start Building What Airtable Can't
The Airtable alternatives above serve teams at different stages. Some need better data organization. Others need project management that doesn't require database workarounds. But the most significant shift happens when teams realize they've outgrown data management entirely.
Airtable excels at organizing information. But it's fundamentally a data-first tool, optimized for structured information management, not application development. The gap emerges when that organized data needs to become a product: a customer-facing application, an internal tool with custom logic, or a platform that grows with your business.
If your data needs have evolved into application needs, start building with Lovable and ship something you fully own.
