Airtable is a no-code database platform with advanced relational capabilities, automations, and multi-user collaboration tools, while Google Sheets is a simpler, free spreadsheet application optimized for basic data entry and calculations. Airtable excels for complex project management and data workflows, whereas Google Sheets is ideal for quick spreadsheets and lightweight collaboration.
Airtable vs Google Sheets — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
No-code database platform with relational records, automations, and advanced collaboration features.
Free, cloud-based spreadsheet application with real-time collaboration and basic data analysis.
Pricing Model. Database Capabilities. Automation Features. Learning Curve. Real-time Collaboration. Field Types Available. Use Case Fit
Choose Airtable if you need a scalable database with complex workflows, relational data, and advanced automations for teams managing projects, CRMs, or inventory. Choose Google Sheets if you need a free, simple spreadsheet tool for lightweight tasks like budgeting, note-taking, or basic team collaboration without technical complexity.
Airtable: Free (limited) | Google Sheets: N/A
Airtable: $20-$50 per base | Google Sheets: N/A
Airtable: Advanced (Automations + Scripting) | Google Sheets: N/A
Airtable: Generous with tiers | Google Sheets: N/A
Airtable: 5+ million | Google Sheets: N/A
Airtable: Basic (attachments, linked records) | Google Sheets: N/A
Airtable: 500+ native | Google Sheets: N/A
Starting Price Per User/Month (Annual Billing)
Airtable: Free ($0) or Team Plan ($20/user) | Google Sheets: N/A
Airtable: 1,000 records per base | Google Sheets: N/A
Airtable: 50,000 records per base | Google Sheets: N/A
Airtable: Grid, Gallery, Calendar, Form, Kanban, Timeline, Map (7+) | Google Sheets: N/A
Airtable: Extensive with Zapier + native automations | Google Sheets: N/A
Airtable: Moderate - requires data modeling knowledge | Google Sheets: N/A
Airtable: Unlimited custom fields, formulas, and rollups | Google Sheets: N/A
Airtable: $540 annually ($45/month) | Google Sheets: N/A
Airtable: $20 (annual billing) | Google Sheets: N/A
Airtable: 5 editors | Google Sheets: N/A
Airtable: 250+ templates | Google Sheets: N/A
Airtable: Not available | Google Sheets: N/A
Airtable: 30 requests/second (enterprise) | Google Sheets: N/A
Airtable: $0 (5 editors, 1,000 records) | Google Sheets: N/A
Airtable: $20-24/user | Google Sheets: N/A
Airtable: Unlimited on paid plans | Google Sheets: N/A
Airtable: No (third-party integration required) | Google Sheets: N/A
Airtable: 6+ (Grid, Kanban, Gallery, Calendar, Timeline, Form) | Google Sheets: N/A
Airtable: Comments and mentions only | Google Sheets: N/A
Airtable: 1,000+ via Zapier and native | Google Sheets: N/A
Airtable: Advanced automations, scripting, and workflows | Google Sheets: N/A
Airtable: $0 free tier or $6-$20 paid tier | Google Sheets: N/A
Airtable: $720-$2,400 annually ($6-$20 per user) | Google Sheets: N/A
Airtable: 50+ functions | Google Sheets: N/A
Airtable: Instant (< 1 second) | Google Sheets: Native, seamless; live presence indicators
Airtable: 0.5-1 week for intermediate use | Google Sheets: N/A
Airtable: Unlimited (100,000+ tested) | Google Sheets: N/A
Airtable: 500+ no-code automations | Google Sheets: N/A
Airtable: 6,000+ via Zapier + 50+ native | Google Sheets: N/A
Airtable: Yes (linked records, many-to-many) | Google Sheets: N/A
Airtable: 5 (Pro plan) | Google Sheets: Unlimited
Airtable: Unlimited with relationships | Google Sheets: N/A (single sheet model)
Airtable: 500,000+ | Google Sheets: 50,000
Airtable: Visual workflow builder (no code) | Google Sheets: Google Apps Script (requires coding)
Airtable: 100+ | Google Sheets: 40+ via Zapier/IFTTT
Airtable: 15-20 (basic setup) | Google Sheets: 1-2
Airtable: $120 | Google Sheets: Free (with Google One $9.99/mo for 200GB storage)
Airtable: 5-7 hours | Google Sheets: N/A
Airtable: No, third-party only | Google Sheets: N/A
Airtable: $20/month | Google Sheets: N/A
Airtable: 1,200 records | Google Sheets: N/A
Airtable: 8,000+ integrations | Google Sheets: N/A
Airtable: 8-12 hours | Google Sheets: N/A
Airtable: Advanced (linked records, complex queries, rollups) | Google Sheets: N/A
Airtable: AI Assistant on Team+ plans only ($30+/month) | Google Sheets: N/A
Airtable: Limited (gallery view only) | Google Sheets: N/A
Airtable: Unlimited with complex conditions | Google Sheets: N/A
Airtable: 2 GB per attachment | Google Sheets: N/A
Airtable: Advanced linked records, lookups, rollups, and junctions | Google Sheets: N/A
Airtable: Advanced visual automation builder with multi-step workflows | Google Sheets: N/A
Airtable: 30 | Google Sheets: 1 (60/min per user)
Airtable: 6 (grid, calendar, kanban, gallery, form, timeline) | Google Sheets: N/A
Airtable: Basic (timeline view only) | Google Sheets: N/A
Airtable: 20 GB per base | Google Sheets: N/A
Airtable: 7 (moderate - requires database thinking) | Google Sheets: N/A
Airtable: Native linked records with rollups and lookups | Google Sheets: N/A
Airtable: REST API + Metadata API + JavaScript SDK | Google Sheets: N/A
Airtable: Automations, Scripting, Extensions | Google Sheets: N/A
Airtable: 25+ (including linked records, lookups, rollups, formulas) | Google Sheets: N/A
Airtable: 5 (Grid, Calendar, Kanban, Gallery, Timeline) | Google Sheets: N/A
Airtable: Limited (attachments only) | Google Sheets: N/A
Airtable: 1,200 rows | Google Sheets: N/A
Airtable: Comprehensive REST + GraphQL APIs with extensive examples | Google Sheets: N/A
Airtable: 25+ (conditionals, multi-step) | Google Sheets: N/A
Airtable: Unlimited linked records + lookups + rollups | Google Sheets: N/A
Airtable: 100+ simultaneous | Google Sheets: N/A
Airtable: $20-50 (Pro/Team tier) | Google Sheets: N/A
Airtable: 150+ | Google Sheets: 200+ functions
Airtable: Native; live cursors, instant updates, comment threads | Google Sheets: N/A
Airtable: 1,200 records per base | Google Sheets: N/A
Airtable: 15-20 hours | Google Sheets: N/A
Airtable: Yes (linked records, automatic relationships) | Google Sheets: N/A
Airtable: Limited; read-only offline, edits sync when online | Google Sheets: N/A
Airtable: $20 (Pro plan) | Google Sheets: N/A
Airtable: 5 req/sec | Google Sheets: N/A
Airtable: 6 views (grid, gallery, calendar, kanban, form, timeline) | Google Sheets: N/A
Airtable: Minimal (tables-focused, limited formatting) | Google Sheets: N/A
Airtable: Advanced (linked records, rollups, lookups, multi-select) | Google Sheets: N/A
Airtable: $0 (with limits) | Google Sheets: $0 (unlimited)
Airtable: 1,200 | Google Sheets: Unlimited
Airtable: 50+ | Google Sheets: 10 (via Apps Script)
Airtable: 10+ | Google Sheets: Unlimited
Airtable: No hard limit | Google Sheets: 10 million
Airtable: N/A | Google Sheets: 10 million
Airtable: N/A | Google Sheets: Gemini AI, formula suggestions
Airtable: N/A | Google Sheets: Limited offline mode
Airtable: N/A | Google Sheets: Moderate (cloud-dependent)
Airtable: N/A | Google Sheets: 2.5+ billion
Airtable: N/A | Google Sheets: 2-3 seconds
Airtable: N/A | Google Sheets: No (requires VLOOKUP/INDEX-MATCH workarounds)
Airtable: N/A | Google Sheets: Limited offline mode; manual setup required
Airtable: N/A | Google Sheets: 1 (Grid view only; no alternative visualization)
Airtable: N/A | Google Sheets: 10,000,000+ (tested; performance remains strong)
Airtable: N/A | Google Sheets: 4,000+ via Zapier and direct Google Workspace apps
Airtable: N/A | Google Sheets: $0 (personal), $132/year (Workspace)
Airtable: N/A | Google Sheets: 15 GB (shared across Google account)
Airtable: N/A | Google Sheets: 2,000+ (QUERY, VLOOKUP, ARRAYFORMULA, etc.)
Airtable: N/A | Google Sheets: 2-4 hours for basic to intermediate use
Maximum Database Rows (optimal performance)
Airtable: N/A | Google Sheets: 10,000,000+ rows without performance degradation
Real-time Simultaneous Collaborators (unlimited tier)
Airtable: N/A | Google Sheets: Unlimited with full editing permissions
Airtable: N/A | Google Sheets: Good for simple sheets; complex formulas difficult to edit
Native Data Visualization (charts, pivots)
Airtable: N/A | Google Sheets: Yes; pivot tables, charts, sparklines, data validation
Airtable: N/A | Google Sheets: Free (Premium: $1.99/month = $23.88/year)
Maximum Row Capacity (Optimal Performance)
Airtable: N/A | Google Sheets: 10,000 rows (slows significantly at 100,000+)
Airtable: N/A | Google Sheets: 15 chart types
Airtable: N/A | Google Sheets: 15GB free; 100GB for $1.99/month
Airtable: N/A | Google Sheets: Full feature parity across iOS, Android, and web
How to choose between Airtable and Google Sheets
Airtable vs Google Sheets — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for Airtable vs Google Sheets. Contains 152 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
Airtable vs Google Sheets — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Airtable vs Google Sheets.
For simple spreadsheets, yes. But Google Sheets lacks relational database features (linked records, rollups, lookups) and advanced automations that Airtable provides. If your data has relationships (e.g., projects linked to clients linked to invoices), Airtable is necessary to avoid data duplication.
Yes, Airtable's free tier includes 1,200 records per table, 2 weeks of revision history, and basic automations. However, limits increase sharply with paid plans ($20-$120/user/month). For unlimited free use, Google Sheets is the better choice.
Which is better for a team project tracker?
Airtable excels for complex project tracking with kanban views, automations (e.g., auto-update status), and linked records (tasks → projects → clients). Google Sheets works for simple checklists but requires manual updates and multiple sheets for relationships.
No, Airtable is no-code and designed for non-technical users. However, basic understanding of databases (tables, records, fields, relationships) helps. Google Sheets is more intuitive if you're familiar with Excel.
Can I import data from Google Sheets to Airtable?
Yes, Airtable has a CSV import feature and can sync data from Google Sheets via Zapier (requires paid automations). Direct two-way sync is not native, but Zapier bridges the gap for workflow automation.
How to Choose Between Airtable and Google Sheets
Pricing Model: Airtable has $0-$120/user/month (Airtable), while Google Sheets has $0 (Google Sheets).
Database Capabilities: Airtable has Relational databases with linked records, rollups, lookups (Airtable), while Google Sheets has Basic spreadsheet with limited relationships (Google Sheets).
Automation Features: Airtable has 800+ integrations, native automations, Zapier-compatible (Airtable), while Google Sheets has Apps Script, basic integrations via add-ons (Google Sheets).
Learning Curve: Airtable has Steeper for non-technical users (Airtable), while Google Sheets has Minimal, intuitive for most users (Google Sheets).
Real-time Collaboration: Airtable has 10+ simultaneous users standard (Airtable), while Google Sheets has Unlimited simultaneous editors (Google Sheets).
Field Types Available: Airtable has 45+ field types including buttons, barcodes, AI fields (Airtable), while Google Sheets has 18 field types (Google Sheets).
Use Case Fit: Airtable has CRM, project management, inventory tracking (Airtable), while Google Sheets has Budgets, simple lists, quick calculations (Google Sheets).