Airtable will take your business automation to the next level.
Updated January 07, 2019

Airtable will take your business automation to the next level.

Malcolm Colman-Shearer | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User

Overall Satisfaction with Airtable

We use Airtable for our clients. We optimize and automate business systems and processes using Airtable combined with Zapier. We use it to solve many problems including automatically generating dropbox links and automated emailing of them. As a database used to manage a clients members, their invoicing, stripe reconciling, automated emailing etc.
  • It has similar functionality to Google Sheets but allows you to do much more powerful data organizing. ie. Relationships between data (which DB devs will know all about but not spreadsheet users). eg. You have a list of students and a list of classes, you want to link those two lists together so you don't have to duplicate lots of data.
  • Also, in terms of data organizing, the fields are a lot easier to customize and lock-in. Instead of using clunky data validation in sheets, Airtable allows you to select all kinds of different field types. Single select, multi-select, phone number, email address, collaborator, checkbox are ones we use regularly.
  • Once paired with Zapier, Airtable's ability to power annoying manual data entry is fabulous! Using views you can trigger Zapier in all kinds of powerful ways.
  • Pricing per user could get painful. We tend to get around this for small setups by using a generic account. You can still setup up to three people with 2FA security on it fairly easily.
  • We use Airtable with Zapier a lot and sometimes we have some issues with deduplication where a zap won't run because a record has appeared in a view that it's been in before... which is probably great most of the time but sometimes we have to switch the zap off and on to make it work again. ie. If you trigger a Zapier process from within Airtable and then want to trigger that same process the next day, it may not work as it looks like a duplicate.
  • Unlike a "real" relational database Airtable doesn't have a back-end and a front-end, it's more like a "mid-end". This means you can't create a tidy, usable front end for non admins and you can't create granular account permissions. ie. Admin 1 can edit table 1. Admin 2 can edit Table 2. This is the biggest downfall and has been a problem for some of our clients where they need different views for different people with different levels of access. eg. Teacher, admin, student.
  • We've been able to increase the impact of our clients by decreasing their manual admin time.
  • Clients are making less mistakes as more of their data is automatically updated.
  • Creating filter views for reports and then embedding these in Google Sites is also reducing pain and increasing automation.
We tried one other tool before trying Airtable, 2 years ago. I can't remember the name but it just didn't have the same ability to automate business processes with Zapier, it has since gone out of business.
  • Well suited: A startup looking to develop a web app should really start in Airtable and make sure you know what you're doing with data and processes and integrations before scaling up.
  • Well suited: If your spreadsheet is getting out of hand due to the volume and types of data in it, might be time to look at Airtable.
  • Well suited: If you're using a spreadsheet like a database.
  • Well suited: You've got lots of business systems across different web apps and need to integrate/automate a few of them. Airtable is good as a central hub, especially if you're dealing with customer records.
  • Not so well suited: You want to quickly collect some data and aren't worried about automation. Easier to start in a sheet.
  • Not so well suited: You want to capture customer interactions from email. Probably easier to just get a simple CRM.

Airtable Feature Ratings

Task Management
7
Resource Management
6
Scheduling
3
Workflow Automation
9
Team Collaboration
8
Support for Agile Methodology
6
Support for Waterfall Methodology
3
Mobile Access
9
Change request and Case Management
5

Evaluating Airtable and Competitors

Yes - We reduced the amount of complicated google sheets we were running.
  • Product Features
  • Product Usability
  • Third-party Reviews
We wanted a simple to use web based database that could handle more than a spreadsheet could.
Our selection process worked well.

Airtable Support

Sometimes, I have to wait a bit longer but I'm on a low priced option so I understand why. Generally, they're able to provide me solutions to my problems as long as I'm not in a rush.
ProsCons
Quick Resolution
Good followup
Knowledgeable team
Problems get solved
No escalation required
Support understands my problem
Support cares about my success
Quick Initial Response
Not kept informed
Difficult to get immediate help
No - Support is based on which pricing level you choose. We haven't upgraded yet due to the cost.
I needed to set up a workflow for a client that automated some data processes, Airtable provided me with all the steps and example formulas across multiple views to get what I needed.

Using Airtable

It's not perfect but it is really easy to use and I think most slightly technical people will pick it up quite quickly.
ProsCons
Like to use
Relatively simple
Easy to use
Technical support not required
Well integrated
Consistent
Quick to learn
Convenient
Feel confident using
Familiar
None
  • Filters, sorting, grouping data. A lot more useful and practical than spreadsheets
  • Formulas are quite painful compared to Google Sheets which highlights which set of brackets you're working within and gives more feedback on whether you've written the formula correctly. Sometimes, I have to build the formula in Google Sheets first to copy across.
Yes - It's very easy to use though it lacks a few browser-based functions.
I don't use it much though as I have 5 different Airtable accounts and the mobile app can only handle one account, which is quite frustrating!