Airtable vs Smartsheet
Last updated: 2026-07-15
Airtable blends a visual database with spreadsheet familiarity at $20 /mo per user (Pro), while Smartsheet offers an enterprise‑focused spreadsheet‑project hybrid at $14 /mo per user (Business).
Feature Comparison
| Feature | popular Airtable | best Smartsheet |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $20/mo per seat (Team plan) | $14/mo per user (Pro plan) |
| Free trial | Free plan available (1,000 records per base) | 30-day free trial |
| Best for | Creative and tech teams needing a visual relational database | Enterprise teams needing spreadsheet-based project tracking |
| Pricing | $0 (Free), $20/mo (Team), $45/mo (Business) | $14/mo (Pro), $25/mo (Business), Enterprise (custom) |
| Free plan | Yes — 1,000 records/base | — |
| Key feature | Relational database + visual interface | Spreadsheet + project management + automation |
| Integrations | 1,000+ apps via Airtable Marketplace | Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Salesforce, Tableau |
| Free trial | — | 30 days |
Airtable Pros & Cons
Pros
- Beautiful, intuitive interface
- Relational database with linked records
- Rich field types (attachments, select, date, formula)
- Integrations with 1,000+ apps
- Flexible views (grid, kanban, calendar, gallery, Gantt)
Cons
- Expensive at scale ($20/mo per seat for Team)
- 1,000 record limit on free plan
- No true offline mode
- Complex formulas require learning Airtable formula language
- API rate limits on lower tiers
Smartsheet Pros & Cons
Pros
- Familiar spreadsheet interface with project management features
- Strong enterprise features (audit logs, user management, compliance)
- Built-in automation workflows
- Good reporting and dashboards
- Integrates with Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Salesforce
Cons
- Steeper learning curve than modern alternatives
- Interface feels dated compared to Airtable
- No free plan (30-day trial only)
- Expensive for small teams
- Less flexible than Airtable for creative workflows
Final Verdict
Creative teams, product managers, and developers who need flexible views (grid, kanban, gallery) and rich field types will find Airtable’s API and block system more adaptable. Smartsheet’s strength lies in enterprise‑grade workflow automation, resource management, and Gantt charts that meet compliance and governance standards. Airtable’s pricing includes premium blocks and higher automation limits, whereas Smartsheet’s lower price scales for large user bases with strict reporting needs. Choose Airtable for modern, collaborative databases; choose Smartsheet for enterprise project tracking with heavy reporting requirements.
Our pick: Airtable (modern collaborative databases) / Smartsheet (enterprise project management)
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Airtable support Gantt charts?
Airtable introduced a Gantt block for Pro plans, but it’s less feature‑rich than Smartsheet’s native Gantt view.
Which tool offers better Row‑level security?
Smartsheet provides granular row‑level permissions suitable for regulated industries, whereas Airtable’s permission model is workspace‑wide.
Can both platforms sync with Google Workspace?
Yes, both have native Google Drive integrations for file attachments and syncing.
Ready to try?
Start with a free trial and see which tool fits your workflow.