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It's a split decision.
Choose Softr for lower entry pricing and apps built around its own database, workflows and permissions: Basic starts at $19/month. Choose Glide if your source of truth is already in Excel or Google Sheets and you want an app synced to that data; Basic starts at $25/month. Both have free plans, but their caps differ: Softr Free allows 5 app users, while Glide Free allows 2 team members. Neither lists exact annual prices in the published details.
01Side by side
| Softr | Glide | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $19/month | $25/month |
| Free plan | Yes; 5 app users and 5,000 records | Yes; 2 team members and 10 projects |
| Best for | Portals, CRMs and internal business tools | Turning spreadsheets into business apps and agents |
| Core strength | Built-in database, workflows and permissions | Apps built from live spreadsheet data |
| Learning curve | Not published | Not published |
| Integrations/data | 38–54+ integrations; built-in database | Live spreadsheet sync; premium integrations on Pro |
| Team/seat costs | Basic includes 1 builder; extra builders $5/month | Basic includes 2 team members; added-seat price not published |
| Support (review score) | 7/10 | 6/10 |
Softr Choose Softr if
- Choose Softr if you want a lower starting price.
- Choose Softr if you need a built-in database and workflows.
- Choose Softr if five free app users fit your test.
Glide Choose Glide if
- Choose Glide if your app should use Excel or Google Sheets data.
- Choose Glide if you want live spreadsheet syncing.
- Choose Glide if you need MCP support on Pro.
02Pricing compared
Softr has the lower paid entry price: its pricing page lists Basic at $19 per month, versus Glide Basic at $25. Both have free plans, but the allowances are different. Softr Free includes 5 app users, 5,000 database records and 500 workflow actions per month. Glide Free includes 2 team members, 10 projects and limited credits; the pricing page does not specify a numeric credit allowance.
At the next tiers, Softr Pro is $99 per month and Glide Plus is $50, but these plans have different user, app and usage limits, so the prices are not directly comparable. Softr’s annual billing toggle advertises “2 months off,” but exact annual prices are not published. Glide says annual plans are coming soon. Softr also lists extra-user charges from $1 per month on Pro; Glide offers credit top-ups, with availability depending on plan.
03Features and depth
Softr is the more self-contained option if you want the app’s data, workflows and access rules in one platform. Its built-in database is intended to avoid a separate tool such as Airtable or Supabase, and its workflow automation can handle multi-step processes. Softr also lets builders control which pages, data and actions users can access. Its AI co-builder generates an interface, database and logic from a description, and the platform supports MCP for internal tools used by AI agents.
Glide is built around turning spreadsheet data into apps. Its AI builder can make desktop and phone apps from Excel or Google Sheets, while live sync keeps app changes reflected in the data. Row-level permissions control what employees, managers or partners can see and do. Glide also lists SheetSense for reading formulas, lookups and notes, plus MCP connections for Claude, Gemini and ChatGPT. Its template marketplace covers use cases such as inventory, CRM and work orders. Choose based on whether you want a built-in data layer or an app closely tied to existing sheets.
04Ease of use and learning curve
Both products use AI to speed up app creation, but the starting point is different. Softr asks you to describe the app and generates its interface, database and workflows; you can then edit the result visually. That suits teams starting without a spreadsheet structure, though the available user, record and workflow limits depend on the plan.
Glide’s path is more direct if your business data already lives in Excel or Google Sheets: connect the sheet, describe the app and build around that data. Its live sync and permissions are aimed at keeping the app connected to team operations. If your source data is not in a spreadsheet, Glide’s spreadsheet-first approach may be a less natural fit. Neither product’s AI removes the need to decide how data and permissions should work.
Questions people ask
Which is cheaper, Softr or Glide?
Softr has the lower listed paid entry price: Basic is $19 per month, while Glide Basic is $25 per month. Both offer free plans. Compare plan limits before choosing: the free tiers count different things, and the exact annual prices are not published on the vendor's site.
Which is better if our data is in Google Sheets or Excel?
Glide is the closer fit if your app should use existing Google Sheets or Excel data. Its product description focuses on building apps from spreadsheets and keeping them synced with live data. Softr instead offers a built-in database, which may suit a project that does not need to start from a spreadsheet.
What do the free plans include?
Softr Free lists 5 app users, 5,000 database records and 500 workflow actions per month. Glide Free lists 2 team members and 10 projects, along with limited credits; a numeric credit allowance is not published. The user counts refer to different plan concepts, so they are not equivalent caps.
Can Softr replace Airtable or Zapier?
Softr lists a built-in database as an alternative to using a separate tool such as Airtable, and workflow automation for multi-step processes that might otherwise use Zapier or Make. Whether it replaces either tool depends on your data model and workflows; the published details do not establish feature-for-feature parity.