Smartsheet vs Airtable Compared: Is Airtable or Smartsheets Best?

As the world of project management and team collaboration tools continues to evolve, both Airtable and Smartsheet have emerged as popular choices for businesses looking to streamline their workflows and stay organized. 

So, which one is the right choice for you?

We know that deciding between these two powerful tools can be a daunting task, and that's exactly why we've created this Smartsheet vs Airtable comparison post. Our goal is to break down the strengths and weaknesses of each platform, and provide you with personalized recommendations to help you choose the ideal solution for your unique needs.

Let's dive in and explore the world of Airtable and Smartsheet

What is the difference between Smartsheet and Airtable?

The main difference between Airtable and Smartsheet is their primary focus and functionality. Airtable is known for its flexible and user-friendly approach, allowing users to build customized spreadsheets and relational databases with ease. On the other hand, Smartsheet emphasizes project management and team collaboration, helping organizations manage, track, and automate their work processes.

With its intuitive interface and variety of pre-built templates, Airtable caters to a wide range of use cases, from simple project tracking to more complex data management. Smartsheet's interface is similar to traditional spreadsheets, but with added functionality such as Gantt charts, Kanban boards, and automations, which makes it an excellent choice for teams that require a more structured approach to project management.

In summary, Airtable excels in providing users with a flexible and customizable platform for building databases and spreadsheets, while Smartsheet focuses on delivering a comprehensive solution for project management and team collaboration. 

To gain a deeper insight into the advantages and limitations of each platform, we encourage you to read our comprehensive Airtable review and Smartsheet review. You’ll arrive at a more well-informed decision if you take the time to examine the features and practical applications of both tools.

Smartsheet vs Airtable comparison chart

We've made a project management software comparison table for Airtable vs Smartsheets, showing their features side by side. This will help you quickly see their strengths and weaknesses, and choose the platform that suits your needs best.

Smartsheet vs Airtable pricing

Airtable has three paid plans, with the most budget-friendly option starting at $10 per seat per month, billed yearly, that includes features like extensions, integrations, real-time collaboration and commenting, and more. For advanced features like Timeline view and Gantt charts, you must subscribe to the Pro plan that’s priced at $20 per seat per month, billed annually. The Enterprise plan includes everything from Pro, plus unlimited extensions, unlimited workspaces per organization, 250,000 records per base, advanced interface controls, and more. 

Smartsheet offers four subscription tiers: Pro, Business, Enterprise, and Advance, with prices ranging from $7 to $25+ per user per month. Plans begin at $7/user/month when billed annually. The most affordable plan includes features like a Kanban board, unlimited sheets, 250 automations per month, integrations, and more. For unlimited automations and PowerBI integration, you must upgrade to the Business plan. The Enterprise plan opens the door to advanced security, integration, and reporting options.

Which is better? 

Smartsheet is somewhat pricier, especially if you start paying for add-ons like resource management and digital asset management. To decide which tool has better pricing, compare the features you need with each platform's costs.
 

Airtable vs Smartsheet free versions

Airtable's free plan is perfect for individuals or small teams just starting out. It allows up to 5 creators or editors, unlimited bases, unlimited commenters and read-only users, 1,200 records per base, one extension per base, and one sync integration. Plus, you'll have access to 100 automations per month, five views, and 2GB of attachment space per base.

Smartsheet has recently introduced its free plan that supports one user and up to two editors. You can create up to two sheets, see your projects in Gantt, Grid, Card, and Calendar view, and use up to 100 automations per month. You can also create dashboards and reports, add up to 500 MB of storage, and log in with Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, or Apple ID.

Which is better? 

We’ll yield this round to Airtable as it supports more users than Smartsheet’s free plan and offers more functionality. 
 

Customer support

Airtable has email and chat support for users on all plans. Priority support is reserved for Enterprise users. Customer support typically responds within 1-2 business days. Phone support is currently unavailable.

Smartsheet users of the free and Pro plans only have access to self-service help and the customer support portal. Phone support is available exclusively to Enterprise plan users. Business plan users can purchase Standard or Professional support as an add-on. If you have any questions related to plans and pricing, you can reach out via chat. 

Which is better? 

Airtable has an edge in this category as all users have access to email and chat support. 
 

Knowledgebase & learning

Airtable has an extensive knowledge base that contains help articles, tutorials, demos, webinars, articles, ebooks, and reports. There’s also an active community forum where you can ask questions, exchange tips, engage in open discussions, and more.  

Smartsheet also has a well-stocked learning center with resources like help articles, tutorials, and webinars. The Community forum is an excellent platform for asking questions, assisting other users, and learning the software’s best practices. There’s also Smartsheet University, an e-learning service that includes self-paced and live instruction, onboarding videos, instructor-led classes, and product expert certification. This service is available as a paid add-on.

Which is better? 

Smartsheet is better in terms of knowledge base, mainly because of its Smartsheet University, which enhances the user learning experience.

Airtable vs Smartsheet features & functionality

Now that we compared Smartsheets vs Airtable in terms of pricing, free plans, customer service, and knowledge base resources, it's time to evaluate their performance in terms of features and functionality.

Smartsheet or Airtable for ease of use?

Many users tend to choose Airtable for its versatility and features, but learning every feature and functionality of the software takes time and effort. This can be challenging for new users and may cause a longer implementation process, especially if your team is not familiar with similar software. 

Smartsheet's user-friendliness is one of its key strengths. The platform's design, which resembles familiar spreadsheet applications like Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets, lets you feel comfortable and quickly adapt to its interface. This familiarity enables both novice and experienced users to start working with Smartsheet with relative ease.

Which is better? 

Smartsheet has an advantage over Airtable due to its familiar spreadsheet-like interface and a more moderate learning curve, which makes it easier for users to adapt to the platform quickly.
 

Airtable vs Smartsheet online versions

Both Airtable and Smartsheet are available as an online SaaS app that you can use from anywhere. Supported browsers include Safari, Google Chrome, Firefox, and Microsoft Edge. You can also use them on the go by downloading the corresponding mobile apps for iOS and Android. 

Which is better? 

This round is a tie. 
 

Smartsheet vs Airtable desktop versions

The Airtable desktop app for Mac and Windows is very similar to the web version, but you need to download it as a desktop app. The desktop version has a few more keyboard shortcuts compared to the online version. 

Smartsheet also has desktop apps for Mac and Windows. With the desktop apps, you can open Smartsheet from your taskbar, arrange items in tabs, receive notifications, and work without being distracted by numerous browser tabs.

Which is better?

This round is a tie. 
 

Tasks and projects

Airtable comes with solid task and project management features, including templates for planning, tracking, and team communication. It offers various data views like Gantt charts and Kanban boards, and supports attachments like images, videos, and PDFs. Storage space depends on your plan. Task management includes creating tasks, assigning teammates, setting deadlines, and more, with comments for better collaboration.

Smartsheet offers multiple task views, such as grid, Kanban, Gantt chart, and calendar. You can create projects, assign tasks, set up dependencies, and more. Tasks include due dates, completion status, and categories. Smartsheet automates repetitive processes and supports real-time collaboration. The template gallery offers options for various use cases like resource management and marketing campaigns. Time-tracking functionality is available through the paid Resource Management add-on.

Which is better? 

Both Airtable and Smartsheet offer solid project and task management features, but Smartsheet has a slight edge. If you need a robust project management tool that offers exceptional task and resource management capabilities, along with a wide range of automation options, go with Smartsheet.
 

Spreadsheet functionality 

Airtable offers a flexible, customizable grid view that resembles a traditional spreadsheet and enables users to work with data in rows and columns. The platform also provides additional views, such as calendar and Kanban, to cater to different project management styles and preferences. Overall, Airtable's spreadsheet capabilities, together with its customizable database-like features, make it a versatile and powerful tool for managing various types of projects and data.

Smartsheet’s interface resembles familiar spreadsheet applications like Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets, making it easy to work with data in rows and columns. Smartsheet also comes with a range of views, such as Gantt charts, Kanban boards, and calendars, to cater to different project management styles and preferences. The platform's spreadsheet capabilities also include various formulas and functions, conditional formatting, and the ability to import/export data from other spreadsheet applications. 

Which is better? 

Both Airtable and Smartsheet have excellent spreadsheet capabilities, and it's challenging to determine which one is better. Smartsheet may have an edge as it resembles traditional spreadsheet applications like Excel or Google Sheets.
 

Database functionality 

Airtable is primarily a database management system that also includes spreadsheet-like features. You can create custom fields, tables, and relational databases to store and manage data in a structured way. There are also advanced features, such as formula fields, automations, and integrations with other tools, that enhance data management and streamline workflows. 

While Smartsheet is primarily a spreadsheet-based project management tool, it can also function as a basic database. You can create custom fields and forms to capture and store data in a structured way. Additionally, Smartsheet offers various automation options, such as alerts and reminders, to help streamline workflows and improve data management. 

Which is better?

While Smartsheet does offer some basic database capabilities, Airtable's database capabilities are more extensive and flexible, which makes it a better choice for users looking for a dedicated database management system.
 

Integrations

Airtable has built-in support for several popular apps such as Miro, Jira, Google Workspace, Dropbox, Loom, and Typeform. You can also connect the app with over 1,000 other apps using third-party services like Zapier, Workato, Integromat, and Tray.io. You can use extensions, like charts, tables, maps, and visualizations, to enhance the app’s core features.

Smartsheet can integrate with over 100 third-party apps and each subscription level offers different integrations. The Pro plan integrates with apps like Microsoft 365, Microsoft Teams, Google Workspace, Slack, and Dropbox. Business plan users get every integration from the Pro plan, plus Brandfolder, Adobe Creative Cloud, Tableau, and PowerBI. The DocuSign integration is only available with an Enterprise subscription. Additionally, you can connect Smartsheet to thousands of other apps via Zapier.

Which is better?

Both tools offer a good selection of integrations, but Airtable has a more extensive selection and offers additional extensions to enhance its features.

A note on Airtable Smartsheet integration

While there’s no native Smartsheet Airtable integration, you can still connect them using "connector" apps like Zapier. These third-party apps let you automate data transfer between the two tools so that you can send data from Airtable to Smartsheet and vice versa with ease.
 

Airtable or Smartsheet for automation 

Airtable offers automation features that let you create custom workflows by setting up triggers and actions. You can automate sending notifications, updating fields, or creating new records based on specific conditions. 

Smartsheet also offers automation capabilities that automate tasks like requesting approvals and assigning tasks. Its automation builder is user-friendly, letting you set up custom workflows or use pre-made templates. However, Smartsheet has a limit of 250 automations per month on its lowest tier, while the other two plans offer unlimited automations.

Which is better?

This round is a tie as both Airtable and Smartsheet offer robust automation capabilities.
 

Product limitations 

Airtable's interface and features may overwhelm new users, and its formula capabilities are not as extensive as traditional spreadsheet software. Collaboration is possible but real-time, simultaneous editing for multiple users is not available, which can slow down collaborative work. As users require more features or storage, the pricing can become expensive, making it costly for small businesses, startups, or individual users.

Smartsheet's limitations include limited database functionality compared to dedicated database software, and restrictions on customization for some features. Additionally, the platform may not be suitable for large-scale project management or complex workflows. Finally, the price point can be relatively high, especially for small businesses or individual users.

Which is better?

This round is a tie as both tools come with their own limitations. 

Is Smartsheet better than Airtable? Our conclusion

Airtable and Smartsheet are both powerful tools for handling complex project work. Each platform offers a variety of innovative and advanced features and capabilities. However, it's important to note that each tool has specific strengths that make it better suited for certain use cases than the other.

Choose Airtable if:

• You need a flexible and customizable database-like platform for managing various types of projects and data.

• You want to work with data in rows and columns and customize your views.

• You need a platform that offers various extensions that enhance the features of an Airtable base.

• You're willing to invest time and effort to learn and onboard your whole team or department to fully utilize the platform's capabilities.

Choose Smartsheet if:

• You need a tool that can handle complex project management with ease.

• You want a platform that is user-friendly and easy to navigate, particularly for those who have experience with spreadsheet applications like Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets.

• You need a tool that can handle resource management and automate recurring tasks to save time and increase productivity.

• You want a platform that offers a variety of views, including Gantt charts, Kanban boards, and calendars, to suit different project management styles and preferences.

Of course, there are many other options beyond these two tools to consider for project management or other needs. To explore all the solutions available, be sure to check out our project management software comparison table that includes tools like Asana, Trello, and Monday.com.