Airtable excels as a no-code database and spreadsheet hybrid with powerful relational data capabilities, while ClickUp is a comprehensive work management platform with superior task management, time tracking, and team collaboration features. The choice depends on whether you prioritize data organization (Airtable) or project workflow management (ClickUp).
Airtable vs ClickUp — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Cloud-based database and workflow automation platform for structured data management.
All-in-one work OS combining project management, task tracking, time logging, and collaboration in a single platform
Primary Use Case. Database Relations & Linking. Task Management Features. Time Tracking Integration. Learning Curve. View Types Available. API & Automation Capabilities
Choose Airtable if you need to organize complex relational data, build custom databases, or create interconnected information systems with minimal coding. Choose ClickUp if your team needs comprehensive project management, time tracking, billing, and workflow automation with an all-in-one solution that reduces tool sprawl.
Airtable: Free (limited) | ClickUp: $5.00
Airtable: $20-$50 per base | ClickUp: N/A
Airtable: Advanced (Automations + Scripting) | ClickUp: N/A
Airtable: Generous with tiers | ClickUp: N/A
Airtable: Basic (attachments, linked records) | ClickUp: N/A
Starting Price Per User/Month (Annual Billing)
Airtable: Free ($0) or Team Plan ($20/user) | ClickUp: N/A
Airtable: 1,000 records per base | ClickUp: N/A
Airtable: 50,000 records per base | ClickUp: N/A
Airtable: Grid, Gallery, Calendar, Form, Kanban, Timeline, Map (7+) | ClickUp: N/A
Airtable: Extensive with Zapier + native automations | ClickUp: N/A
Airtable: Moderate - requires data modeling knowledge | ClickUp: N/A
Airtable: Unlimited custom fields, formulas, and rollups | ClickUp: N/A
Airtable: $540 annually ($45/month) | ClickUp: N/A
Airtable: $20 (annual billing) | ClickUp: N/A
Airtable: 30 requests/second (enterprise) | ClickUp: N/A
Airtable: $0 (5 editors, 1,000 records) | ClickUp: $0 (unlimited users, core features)
Airtable: $20-24/user | ClickUp: $7-10/user
Airtable: Unlimited on paid plans | ClickUp: Unlimited tasks
Airtable: No (third-party integration required) | ClickUp: Yes (native feature)
Airtable: 6+ (Grid, Kanban, Gallery, Calendar, Timeline, Form) | ClickUp: 7+ (List, Board, Calendar, Timeline, Gantt, Docs, Whiteboard)
Airtable: Comments and mentions only | ClickUp: Chat, docs, tasks, and team collaboration
Airtable: 1,000+ via Zapier and native | ClickUp: 1,000+ including native connectors
Airtable: Advanced automations, scripting, and workflows | ClickUp: Built-in automations and workflow builder
Airtable: Airtable | ClickUp: List, board, timeline, calendar, table, gallery, custom
Airtable: $0 free tier or $6-$20 paid tier | ClickUp: N/A
Airtable: $720-$2,400 annually ($6-$20 per user) | ClickUp: N/A
Airtable: Instant (< 1 second) | ClickUp: N/A
Airtable: 0.5-1 week for intermediate use | ClickUp: N/A
Airtable: Unlimited (100,000+ tested) | ClickUp: N/A
Airtable: 500+ no-code automations | ClickUp: N/A
Airtable: 6,000+ via Zapier + 50+ native | ClickUp: N/A
Airtable: Unlimited with relationships | ClickUp: N/A
Airtable: Visual workflow builder (no code) | ClickUp: N/A
Airtable: 15-20 (basic setup) | ClickUp: N/A
Airtable: No, third-party only | ClickUp: Yes, timeline view
Airtable: 8,000+ integrations | ClickUp: N/A
Airtable: Advanced (linked records, complex queries, rollups) | ClickUp: N/A
Airtable: AI Assistant on Team+ plans only ($30+/month) | ClickUp: N/A
Airtable: Limited (gallery view only) | ClickUp: N/A
Airtable: Unlimited with complex conditions | ClickUp: N/A
Airtable: 2 GB per attachment | ClickUp: N/A
Airtable: Advanced linked records, lookups, rollups, and junctions | ClickUp: N/A
Airtable: Advanced visual automation builder with multi-step workflows | ClickUp: N/A
Airtable: 25+ | ClickUp: 50+ types (including Currency, Rating, Formula, Dependency)
Airtable: 6 (grid, calendar, kanban, gallery, form, timeline) | ClickUp: 29+ views
Airtable: Basic (timeline view only) | ClickUp: N/A
Airtable: 7 (moderate - requires database thinking) | ClickUp: N/A
Airtable: Native linked records with rollups and lookups | ClickUp: N/A
Airtable: REST API + Metadata API + JavaScript SDK | ClickUp: N/A
Airtable: Automations, Scripting, Extensions | ClickUp: 100+ pre-built templates with custom triggers
Airtable: 25+ (including linked records, lookups, rollups, formulas) | ClickUp: N/A
Airtable: 5 (Grid, Calendar, Kanban, Gallery, Timeline) | ClickUp: N/A
Airtable: Limited (attachments only) | ClickUp: N/A
Airtable: Comprehensive REST + GraphQL APIs with extensive examples | ClickUp: N/A
Airtable: 25+ (conditionals, multi-step) | ClickUp: N/A
Airtable: Unlimited linked records + lookups + rollups | ClickUp: N/A
Airtable: 100+ simultaneous | ClickUp: N/A
Airtable: $20-50 (Pro/Team tier) | ClickUp: N/A
Airtable: Native; live cursors, instant updates, comment threads | ClickUp: N/A
Airtable: 1,200 records per base | ClickUp: N/A
Airtable: Yes (linked records, automatic relationships) | ClickUp: N/A
Airtable: Limited; read-only offline, edits sync when online | ClickUp: N/A
Airtable: 6 views (grid, gallery, calendar, kanban, form, timeline) | ClickUp: 15+ views (List, Board, Calendar, Gantt, etc.)
Airtable: Minimal (tables-focused, limited formatting) | ClickUp: N/A
Airtable: Advanced with junctions, rollups, complex queries | ClickUp: N/A
Airtable: $0 (with limits) | ClickUp: $7/month (Teams)
Airtable: Free (limited) | ClickUp: Free (limited)
Airtable: $20 per seat/month (Team plan) | ClickUp: $5 per user/month (Teams plan billed annually)
Airtable: 1,200 rows | ClickUp: Unlimited (tasks/projects)
Airtable: Enterprise-grade with linked records, lookups, rollups | ClickUp: Basic dependencies and linking only
Airtable: Not included (third-party required) | ClickUp: Native with hourly rates & project billing
Airtable: 6 views (Grid, Gallery, Calendar, Kanban, Form, Timeline) | ClickUp: 7+ views (List, Board, Calendar, Timeline, Workload, Docs, Chat)
Airtable: 200+ via Zapier; strong API with webhooks | ClickUp: 1,000+ native integrations plus Zapier
Airtable: Moderate (database concepts, relational thinking) | ClickUp: Steep (extensive features, setup-heavy)
Airtable: Unlimited (with limitations) | ClickUp: N/A
Airtable: 6 (grid, gallery, form, calendar, kanban, expandable records) | ClickUp: N/A
Airtable: Automations with advanced conditions and nested logic | ClickUp: N/A
Airtable: $20/month (Pro) | ClickUp: N/A
Airtable: Advanced (linked records, rollups, lookups) | ClickUp: N/A
Airtable: Minimal (basic text blocks) | ClickUp: N/A
Airtable: 1000+ integrations | ClickUp: N/A
Airtable: 100,000+ rows (stable) | ClickUp: N/A
Airtable: 4-6 hours (relational setup) | ClickUp: N/A
Airtable: N/A | ClickUp: Visual timelines & Gantt
Airtable: N/A | ClickUp: Customizable dashboards
Airtable: N/A | ClickUp: Strong priority
Airtable: N/A | ClickUp: Native integration
Airtable: N/A | ClickUp: Kanban, Timeline, Map, Calendar, Board, List
Airtable: N/A | ClickUp: Small to mid-size teams
Airtable: N/A | ClickUp: 1,000+ integrations
Airtable: N/A | ClickUp: AI summaries for tasks, smart automation suggestions, AI search
Airtable: N/A | ClickUp: Basic docs feature; secondary to task management
Airtable: N/A | ClickUp: 100+ advanced templates
Base Monthly Price (Individual/Starter Plan)
Airtable: N/A | ClickUp: $14-$33 (optional add-on)
Airtable: N/A | ClickUp: 5 stars (Brain: Enterprise Search, AI Notetaker, Autopilot)
Airtable: N/A | ClickUp: 20+ integrated tools in workspace
Airtable: N/A | ClickUp: Yes (connects to task work directly)
Airtable: N/A | ClickUp: Yes (with custom roles)
Annual Cost for Full Stack (Single User with AI)
Airtable: N/A | ClickUp: $234-$410 (base + AI)
Airtable: N/A | ClickUp: Yes, unlimited tasks but limited features
Airtable: N/A | ClickUp: Full-featured with most desktop functions
Airtable: N/A | ClickUp: 5/10 - Moderate curve
Airtable: N/A | ClickUp: 5/10 - Basic doc support
Airtable: N/A | ClickUp: All-in-One Workspace
Airtable: N/A | ClickUp: Feature-Rich & Dense
Airtable: N/A | ClickUp: Yes (100 MB storage, unlimited tasks)
Airtable: N/A | ClickUp: Yes, unlimited tasks
Airtable: N/A | ClickUp: Via Zapier - third-party automation
Airtable: N/A | ClickUp: 16-40 hours for full setup and customization
Airtable: N/A | ClickUp: Comprehensive - wiki, docs, and page builder included
Airtable: N/A | ClickUp: 1000+ integrations via Zapier + 200+ native
Airtable: N/A | ClickUp: 8+ views (list, board, calendar, timeline, table, gantt, workload, map)
Airtable: N/A | ClickUp: Unlimited - scales to enterprise
Airtable: N/A | ClickUp: Unlimited tasks
Airtable: N/A | ClickUp: 14-28 days (2-4 weeks optimal)
Airtable: N/A | ClickUp: Tasks, docs, chat, time tracking, whiteboards, AI
Airtable: N/A | ClickUp: High complexity (requires customization)
Airtable: N/A | ClickUp: Baseline comparison
Airtable: N/A | ClickUp: $99 (unlimited users)
Airtable: N/A | ClickUp: 7+ views (List, Board, Calendar, Gantt, Timeline, Table, Whiteboards)
Airtable: N/A | ClickUp: 4-8 hours for optimal configuration
Airtable: N/A | ClickUp: Advanced dashboards, burndown charts, custom metrics across projects
Airtable: N/A | ClickUp: Chat and threaded comments; separate from tasks
Airtable: N/A | ClickUp: Full-featured mobile app with most desktop capabilities
Airtable: N/A | ClickUp: 10+ users; scales to enterprise
Airtable: N/A | ClickUp: $99 (unlimited included)
Airtable: N/A | ClickUp: 10+ (List, Board, Calendar, Timeline, Gantt, Table, Workload, etc.)
Airtable: N/A | ClickUp: Limited via webhooks
Airtable: N/A | ClickUp: iOS, Android, native apps
Airtable: N/A | ClickUp: ClickUp Docs (full-featured)
Airtable: N/A | ClickUp: Free tier available
Airtable: N/A | ClickUp: $9/month (Business plan)
Airtable: N/A | ClickUp: 4.2/5 (45K reviews)
Airtable: N/A | ClickUp: Yes, with timesheet reporting
Airtable: N/A | ClickUp: 200+ integrations
Airtable: N/A | ClickUp: $5 (Free plan available)
Airtable: N/A | ClickUp: 15+ (List, Board, Calendar, Gantt, Timeline, Table, Workload, etc.)
Airtable: N/A | ClickUp: $5 (Team), $9 (Business)
Airtable: N/A | ClickUp: Yes (all paid tiers)
Airtable: N/A | ClickUp: 1,000+ native + Zapier
Airtable: N/A | ClickUp: No, basic gantt only
Airtable: N/A | ClickUp: Yes, Enterprise tier only
Airtable: N/A | ClickUp: 150+ pre-built automations
Airtable: N/A | ClickUp: 4 types (one-to-one, one-to-many, many-to-many, rollups)
Airtable: N/A | ClickUp: 8-12 hours to learn core features
Airtable: N/A | ClickUp: Yes (granular role-based access, audit logs)
Airtable: N/A | ClickUp: 5-500 (SMB-Mid Market)
Airtable: N/A | ClickUp: 15+ (list, board, calendar, gantt, workload, timeline, sheet, etc.)
Airtable: N/A | ClickUp: Unlimited members
Airtable: N/A | ClickUp: Limited AI (search and basic summaries only)
Airtable: N/A | ClickUp: Yes (with dependencies and critical path)
Airtable: N/A | ClickUp: Task-based structure (limited relational querying)
Airtable: N/A | ClickUp: Yes (with Business plan+)
Airtable: N/A | ClickUp: Yes (ClickUp Docs)
Airtable: N/A | ClickUp: $5-$19 (tiered plan)
Airtable: N/A | ClickUp: $95-$190 (mid-tier plan)
Airtable: N/A | ClickUp: Native time tracking, estimates, Pomodoro timer included
Airtable: N/A | ClickUp: 4.3 stars (full-featured)
Airtable: N/A | ClickUp: 5-10 hours of training required
Airtable: N/A | ClickUp: 7-10 days (due to complexity)
Airtable: N/A | ClickUp: 60% parity with desktop
Airtable: N/A | ClickUp: $5/user/month (Teams plan)
Airtable: N/A | ClickUp: 2000-3000ms (complex workspaces)
Airtable: N/A | ClickUp: 120-240 minutes (2-4 hours with customization)
Airtable: N/A | ClickUp: 100+ features, unlimited tasks, 5GB storage
Airtable: N/A | ClickUp: 20-500+ (cross-functional)
Airtable: N/A | ClickUp: Extensive (40+ field types, complex automation workflows)
Airtable: N/A | ClickUp: Standard (2-way sync, but not native)
Airtable: N/A | ClickUp: 15+ (List, Board, Calendar, Timeline, Gantt, Workload, Roadmap, Table, etc.)
Airtable: N/A | ClickUp: 150+ native automations
Airtable: N/A | ClickUp: $7/user/month (billed annually)
Airtable: N/A | ClickUp: Native time tracking built-in
Airtable: N/A | ClickUp: Basic wiki in tasks; limited rich text
Airtable: N/A | ClickUp: 3-4 weeks for optimal configuration
Airtable: N/A | ClickUp: 10,000+ rows with stable performance
Starting Monthly Price (Lowest Paid Plan)
Airtable: N/A | ClickUp: $7/month (Unlimited)
Airtable: N/A | ClickUp: 5-8 seconds (manual entry)
Airtable: N/A | ClickUp: Chat, Docs, Whiteboards, Comments, Mentions (5+ features)
Airtable: N/A | ClickUp: 7 - Extensive features require training
Airtable: N/A | ClickUp: 5 GB (unlimited users)
Airtable: N/A | ClickUp: 40% adoption rate
Airtable: N/A | ClickUp: 2 (Confluence, Slack)
Airtable: N/A | ClickUp: Unlimited on paid plans
How to choose between Airtable and ClickUp
Airtable vs ClickUp — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for Airtable vs ClickUp. Contains 301 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
Airtable vs ClickUp — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Airtable vs ClickUp.
Can I use Airtable for project management instead of ClickUp?
Airtable can function as a basic project tracker with kanban and timeline views, but it lacks essential project management features like task dependencies, subtasks, time tracking, and resource workload planning. ClickUp is purpose-built for team workflows and handles complex project structures much better. Airtable shines when you need to manage data relationships (e.g., linking projects to clients to budgets).
Can I use ClickUp as a database like Airtable?
ClickUp can store structured information and link tasks/projects together, but it's not a true relational database. It lacks Airtable's lookup fields, rollup calculations, and advanced data querying. ClickUp excels at organizing work items, not managing complex interconnected data sets. For data-heavy use cases, Airtable is the better choice.
Which is better for small teams with limited budgets?
ClickUp is more affordable for small teams at $5/user/month (annually) with unlimited tasks, while Airtable charges $20/seat/month with row limits. However, if your team primarily needs a shared database rather than project management, Airtable's free tier (1,200 rows) may suffice longer before paid plans are needed.
Yes. Airtable offers automations within the platform plus Zapier/Make integrations for external workflows. ClickUp provides more extensive automation capabilities with 1,000+ native integrations and built-in workflow automation. ClickUp is more powerful for complex multi-tool automation scenarios.
Which platform has better mobile support?
Both offer mobile apps (iOS/Android). ClickUp's mobile app is more feature-rich for on-the-go task management, time tracking, and team communication. Airtable's mobile experience is primarily for viewing and updating records with limited customization. For mobile-first teams, ClickUp has the advantage.
How to Choose Between Airtable and ClickUp
Primary Use Case: Airtable has No-code database & spreadsheet hybrid, while ClickUp has All-in-one project management & work OS.
Database Relations & Linking: Airtable has Native relational database with linked records, while ClickUp has Limited relational features, dependency tracking only.
Task Management Features: Airtable has Basic task creation & assignment, while ClickUp has Advanced: subtasks, templates, dependencies, custom statuses.
Time Tracking Integration: Airtable has Requires third-party integration, while ClickUp has Native time tracking with hourly rates & project billing.
Learning Curve: Airtable has Moderate (database concepts required), while ClickUp has Steep (numerous features & customization options).
View Types Available: Airtable has Grid, gallery, calendar, kanban, form, timeline (6 views), while ClickUp has List, board, calendar, timeline, workload, docs, chat (7+ views).
API & Automation Capabilities: Airtable has Robust API with Zapier/Make integrations, while ClickUp has Extensive API with 1,000+ native integrations.