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Most buyers should pick Airtable.
Choose Softr if you need a branded portal, CRM or internal app with a built-in database and a predictable entry price: its Basic plan starts at $19/month. Choose Airtable if your team needs a shared data workspace, AI agents and high-scale records; Team is $20 per editor per month billed annually, while read-only collaborators are free. These are not like-for-like prices: Softr charges for builders and app users, and Airtable charges for edit-permission seats. Airtable’s monthly-billed rates are not published.
01Side by side
| Softr | Airtable | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $19/month on Basic | $20/editor/month, billed annually |
| Free plan | Free; five app users and 5,000 database records | Free for all users; intended for lightweight needs |
| Best for | Portals, CRMs and internal business apps | Connected team data and collaborative workflows |
| Core strength | AI app builder, built-in database and workflows | AI agents and connected team workflows |
| Learning curve | Ease-of-use review score: 8/10 | Ease-of-use review score: 8/10 |
| Integrations/data | 38 integrations on Basic; 50,000 records | HyperDB supports records in the hundreds of millions |
| Team/seat costs | Builder add-ons $5–$20/month; app users extra | $20–$45 per paid editor/month, billed annually |
| Support | Review support score: 7/10 | Review support score: 5/10 |
Softr Choose Softr if
- Choose Softr if you need a client-facing portal or branded app.
- Choose Softr if a $19/month starting plan fits your budget.
- Choose Softr if built-in data and workflows suit your app.
Airtable Choose Airtable if
- Choose Airtable if teams need a shared data workspace.
- Choose Airtable if you need AI agents across records.
- Choose Airtable if you need high-scale data and enterprise controls.
02Pricing compared
Softr Basic starts at $19/month and includes one builder, 50,000 database records, 2,500 workflow actions per month and 10 AI credits. Its listed monthly prices rise to $99 for Pro and $329 for Business. Extra builders cost $5, $10 or $20 per month on those plans; app-user charges start at $1 on Pro and $2 on Business. Softr lists an annual-billing discount but does not publish exact annual prices.
Airtable’s free plan covers lightweight needs. Team costs $20 per editor per month billed annually; Business is $45 per editor per month, also billed annually. Read-only collaborators, form submissions and share links are not charged on those plans. Airtable does not publish monthly-billed rates. These prices are not directly comparable: Softr charges for builders and, on some plans, app users; Airtable charges for edit-permission seats.
03Features and depth
Softr is geared toward building a finished portal, CRM or internal app. Its AI co-builder can generate an interface, database and workflows from a description, then users can edit the result visually. Softr also lists a built-in database, workflow automation, user roles and permissions, MCP support and mobile apps. Its database and automation capacity is plan-capped: for example, Basic includes 50,000 records and 2,500 workflow actions per month; Business lists 1 million records and 25,000 actions.
Airtable is positioned as a shared workspace for connected team data and workflows. Its features include no-code app building, AI agents that work across records, and access to models from providers including OpenAI, Gemini, Llama and Anthropic. Airtable says HyperDB supports record limits in the hundreds of millions. It also lists admin controls, fine-grained permissions and security features including ISO, HIPAA and SOC 2, plus audit logs and data residency support. Choose based on whether the main need is a user-facing app or a collaborative data workspace.
04Ease of use and learning curve
Softr’s described workflow starts with a prompt: its AI co-builder generates an app interface, database and logic, which users can then adjust visually. That can make it a direct route to a portal or internal tool, but the plan limits still matter as the app grows. The pricing page, for example, lists 5,000 records and 500 workflow actions per month on Free.
Airtable offers no-code components and conversational app-building prompts, organized around team data and collaboration. It may be the more natural fit when people need to work directly in a shared data workspace; Softr is aimed at publishing a dedicated app. Airtable’s free plan is for lightweight needs, while paid plans charge by editor. Both are no-code, but the best starting point depends on whether you are shaping a workspace or an app for its users.
Questions people ask
Can Softr replace Airtable?
Softr includes a built-in database, so it can store and manage data for an app without a separate tool such as Airtable. That does not establish feature-for-feature parity with Airtable’s connected workspace, AI agents or HyperDB. Check the database and collaboration needs of your project before switching.
Which is cheaper, Softr or Airtable?
Softr Basic is listed at $19 per month. Airtable Team is $20 per editor per month when billed annually, with free read-only collaborators. The totals depend on builders, app users and editors, so the starting prices alone do not settle which costs less. Airtable’s monthly-billed rates are not published.
Does Airtable charge for read-only users?
On Airtable Team and Business, the pricing information says users with edit permission are charged, while read-only collaborators are not. Form submissions and share links are also not charged. Confirm the permissions your team needs before estimating seat costs.
Is Softr or Airtable better for a client portal?
Softr is explicitly positioned for portals and branded apps, and its plans include app-user allowances that vary by tier. Airtable lists no-code app building and shared workflows, but the published pricing details do not specify a dedicated client-portal feature. Compare the access controls and user limits you need.