Airtable becomes expensive exactly when it becomes useful: per-seat pricing plus record caps means the base that runs the business is the base that costs the most.
Work out your record count and your editor count before comparing. Most alternatives are cheaper on one axis and worse on the other.
Side by side
| Tool | Pricing | Best for | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baserow | Freemium | A team that needs an Airtable-style base but cannot let the data leave its own servers. | Web, Self-hosted |
| Glide | Freemium | An operations manager turning a spreadsheet into a phone app for field staff. | Web, iOS, Android |
| NocoDB | Freemium | An internal IT team that wants a spreadsheet UI for a database it already hosts and controls. | Web, Self-hosted |
The options, and what each one costs you
- Better if
- A team that needs an Airtable-style base but cannot let the data leave its own servers.
- You give up
- The integration ecosystem is much smaller than Airtable's, and self-hosting puts upgrades, backups, and uptime on you.
- Better if
- An operations manager turning a spreadsheet into a phone app for field staff.
- You give up
- Each plan caps rows and updates, and app performance degrades noticeably once the underlying table grows past the plan's limits.
- Better if
- An internal IT team that wants a spreadsheet UI for a database it already hosts and controls.
- You give up
- Formula coverage is partial compared with Airtable, the interface is a step behind commercially, and self-hosting means you own the upgrades and the backups.
Frequently asked
What is the best alternative to Airtable?
It depends on what you are leaving for. Work out your record count and your editor count before comparing. Most alternatives are cheaper on one axis and worse on the other. Our closest match on features and price is Baserow.
Is there a free alternative to Airtable?
Baserow is free to start. Glide is free to start. NocoDB is free to start.
How much does switching from Airtable cost?
Migration is usually the expensive part, not the licence: exports rarely preserve permissions, history or automations. Budget a day per active workspace for anything with a database in it.
How we picked
Every tool here is in our Data & Analytics directory, which means we have used it and written down where it falls short. Nothing on this page is sponsored, and the order is not for sale.