Airtable Review 2026: Features, Pricing, and What the Bending Spoons Acquisition Means

Airtable is a relational database tool that positions itself between Google Sheets, database software, and modern project management platforms. Teams use it to model data that Google Sheets can’t hold cleanly, without standing up a real backend or hiring an engineer to do it.

Users love that flexibility, but unfortunately, the no-backend-required promise starts to fall apart when workflows become more complex. Building a base that stays maintainable past its first quarter is harder than the demo suggests.

Redditors often talk about this gap and describe setting up a well-structured, maintainable base as ‘tough’. The G2 review elaborates: 

But there’s also a new question on the table. In August 2026, Airtable agreed to be acquired by Bending Spoons, and buyers are asking what that means for pricing and roadmap before they commit.

This review covers where Airtable works, where it doesn’t, what it costs today, and what the ownership change does and doesn’t change.

Airtable organizes data. It won’t automate what happens next.

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What Is Airtable? 

Airtable is a relational database you operate like a spreadsheet. You build bases made of tables, records, and fields, link records across tables, and view the same data as a grid, Kanban board, calendar, timeline, or gallery. Its Interface Designer turns a base into a simple app your non-technical teammates can use easily.

The built-in AI gives you intelligent forecasting to spot and eliminate project risks, generate project plans, and align stakeholders with automated project updates. 

The standout feature is that it aligns with how you work best. You have multiple views, including Kanban boards, Gantt Charts, Timeline View, and more. 

Airtable also lets you organize and visualize data in flexible ways using bases, made up of tables, records, and fields that support rich content like attachments, dropdowns, checkboxes, and more. 

The interface designer transforms raw data into custom apps with forms, buttons, and conditional logic to form project dashboards.

Who Owns Airtable? The Bending Spoons Acquisition, Explained

On August 4, 2026, Bending Spoons agreed to acquire Airtable in an all-cash deal valuing the company at $1.285 billion in enterprise value, or roughly $2.25 billion in equity value once Airtable’s net cash is counted. It’s Bending Spoons’ first acquisition since listing on the Nasdaq in July, and it is expected to close later in 2026 pending regulatory approval. Airtable’s annual recurring revenue was around $480 million as of June 2026, growing more than 20% year over year. At its 2021 peak, the company was valued at over $11 billion.

What has actually changed for customers

Nothing yet. There has been no announced change to pricing, roadmap, licensing, or deployment options. Airtable CEO Howie Liu described the deal as giving the company “the resources and the long-term commitment Airtable needs.” Bending Spoons says it is “committed to investing in Airtable for the long run.”

Why users are uneasy anyway

The concern is not so much about Airtable’s product. It’s about Bending Spoons’ track record. The company buys mature software with loyal users, then reduces headcount and raises prices. Evernote’s Pro plan went from roughly $37 a year to roughly $250 a year after the 2022 acquisition. WeTransfer lost around 75% of its staff within two months of being acquired in 2024. Meetup and AOL followed comparable patterns.

None of that guarantees the same outcome here. But it does explain why the r/Airtable and Hacker News threads filled up within hours of the announcement, and why the most repeated comment was some version of “they’re gonna start locking more things behind paywalls, aren’t they?” The counterargument in those same threads is worth noting too: the deal has not closed, and nothing is likely to change for several months either way.

One detail most coverage missed

The review sites have not moved. Across the most recent Airtable reviews on G2, spanning late April through August 14, 2026, we weren’t able to find a single one that mentions the acquisition, and the overall score remains steady near 4.6 out of 5.

Of course, the caveat here is that review scores lag. People write reviews about the quarter they just worked through, not the news they read last week. If ownership change shows up in Airtable’s ratings, it will likely show up in 2027.

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What Are the Key Features of Airtable   

Here are the primary features of Airtable that support flexible data-driven project management.👇

Flexible tables and database structure

The base forms the heart of Airtable. Think of it as a workspace for each project or function. You create one or more tables within your Airtable account. 

Each table is made up of:

• Records (rows): Each row is one item you’re tracking (a task, a deliverable, a campaign, a vendor, a client request, etc.)
• Fields (columns): Each column is a specific type of information about that item

Because Airtable’s structure is relational, you can link records across tables for complex projects. 

Pro Tip: One of the recent additions in Airtable is Omni, an AI assistant focused on conversational app building and data interaction. 

With Omni, you can do the following with natural language prompts:

• Work within Airtable permissions, keeping data access controlled
• Build tables, interfaces, and automations by chatting
• Ask questions and get insights from your base data
• Create or update records without touching formulas or scripts

Multiple views (Grid, Kanban, Calendar, Timeline, Gallery)

You can use different views to visualize the same tasks and records in multiple ways in Airtable. 

For example, use Kanban views for status tracking, Calendar views for deadlines, and Timeline or Gantt views to understand task sequencing and dependencies.

Because all views share the same underlying data, updates made in one view are instantly reflected everywhere else.

Also, you can create as many views as needed for a single table and tailor them for specific roles or workflows. Filtered views can show:

• Tasks assigned to a specific person
• Records in a particular status or stage
• Work relevant to a specific department or project phase

With view-level permissions, users can interact only with the views they are authorized to access. They don’t need to access or modify the complete database. 

Looking for better ways to stay organized at work? This video offers useful tips:

Pro Tip: Instead of giving full base access to everyone, use Airtable Interfaces to share role-specific views with teammates or external stakeholders. 

Airtable AI features

Airtable AI adds built-in AI assistance directly inside your bases to help teams work faster with data. Here’s how it helps you work faster: 

• Summarize and extract insights from long texts, records, or views to identify patterns or key points
• Generate content or drafts, like descriptions, summaries, notes, or other text, in seconds
• Categorize and label data automatically, turning raw text into fields you can use in workflows
• Route work-in-progress by suggesting associations, tags, or even the right people/teams for next steps

AI Agents

Beyond chat-style AI and app building, Airtable has introduced AI Agents that live inside your Airtable apps and take action on your behalf. 

They’re autonomous agents, which means they don’t need your prompts. They work automatically based on changes in your data or rules you define. 

The capabilities of AI Agents include: 

• Analyzing data, generating content, conducting research, and surfacing insights across thousands of records simultaneously
• Reviewing documents, searching the web, and synthesizing insights from text and structured data 
• Updating fields, categorizing records, filling in missing information, and responding to new entries as data changes 

Automated workflows 

Airtable’s automations are built around a powerful no-code trigger-and-action model that lets you automate repetitive tasks and workflows across your bases without writing any scripts or code. You define a trigger (an event that happens) and one or more actions (what follows next), and Airtable takes care of the rest.

Once you set up an automation, Airtable can handle things like:

• Advancing a record’s status when a deadline is reached
• Sending notifications to Slack, Teams, or email when tasks update
• Creating new records automatically based on specific events
• Generating documents or updating related tables without manual steps

When paired with AI, Airtable automation workflows can go beyond simple task triggers. 

Airtable also supports conditional logic and repeating tasks. This means you can set automations to run based on specific triggers or to perform the same action across a list of records.

Airtable dashboards 

Build your own reporting with Airtable’s no-code dashboard interface. Use these dashboards to group or sort your data. 

Airtable also gives you out-of-the-box extensions to create dashboards of charts, graphs, and other metrics to suit your team’s reporting requirements. 

Pre-built templates for project management 

Within Airtable, you have a library of ready-to-use templates that are also customizable. They include Airtable templates for project management, marketing, product management, and more. 

Airtable also supports record templates that let users pre-define frequently used record structures within an Airtable base. They help you create consistent records (like standard task formats or repeatable events) with a click. 

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How Much Does Airtable Cost?

Airtable charges per seat, and only for users with edit access to at least one base. Read-only collaborators, form submissions, and share links are free on every plan, which matters more than it sounds if most of your team only needs to look at data. This is Airtable’s pricing at the time of writing this article.

• Free: for individuals and very small teams. Capped at 1,000 records per base, which is the limit most teams hit first. 500 AI credits per editor per month
• Team: $20 per user/month billed annually, or $24 billed monthly. 15,000 AI credits per paid user each month. 50,000 records per base.
• Business: $45 per user/month billed annually, or $54 billed monthly. 20,000 AI credits per paid user each month. 125,000 records per base
• Enterprise Scale: custom pricing, sales-gated. 500,000 records per base and 25,000 AI credits per paid user each month at list price.
• Airtable AI: included across plans through monthly AI credits

Two things to watch. Granular and row-level permissions are gated to the higher tiers, which reviewers raise repeatedly when sensitive data is involved. And the gap between Free and Team is steep enough that reviewers describe it as a cliff rather than a step.

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Pros of Using Airtable

Airtable’s real advantage is adaptability. For most workflows, you can model your own schema, build an interface on top of it, and connect it to the rest of your stack without accumulating technical debt or waiting on an engineering sprint. For users who are most comfortable in spreadsheets, the ramp up to Airtable is short and painless.

What reviewers consistently love about Airtable

• Relational structure that spreadsheets can’t match, with linked records across tables
• Interface Designer, which turns a base into something a non-technical colleague will actually use
• Five view types over the same data, so one dataset serves several teams
• A large template library that shortens setup
• Enterprise key management and data loss prevention on the Enterprise plan

Summing up the pros of Airtable with a G2 review: 

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What Are the Disadvantages of Airtable?

While Airtable is widely appreciated for its flexibility, long-term users often point out a few recurring challenges, like:

• Per-seat pricing gets expensive fast as teams grow, with no cheaper tier for light editors
• Performance degradation on large bases, especially with many linked tables or heavy automations
• Hard platform ceilings that surface at scale, including a 5-requests-per-second API cap and a 100-record query limit
• Granular and row-level permissions gated to Business and Enterprise, which is a problem when sensitive data sits alongside general access
• Reporting and analytics that stay basic next to dedicated BI tools
• A mobile experience noticeably behind the desktop app
• A learning curve that gets steep for anyone who hasn’t modelled relational data before

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Airtable Reviews on Reddit

Here’s what real users are saying about Airtable on different platforms. 

On r/Airtable, a user explains that Airtable offers flexible and cost-effective sharing through read-only users and public views: 

A user on G2 was frustrated with the limitations when managing large amounts of data (although Airtable is a database software). 

A user on r/Airtable also highlights the recurring challenges of using Airtable at scale: 

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Airtable Alternatives: Project Management Software to Consider

For teams that need flexible data modeling, Airtable is great. However, limitations start surfacing when the projects grow beyond lightweight workflows. 

This is where ClickUp stands apart as an Airtable alternative. 

ClickUp is the world’s first converged AI workspace that combines project management, collaboration, automations, and your tech stack in one unified platform. 

Hear it from a ClickUp user on G2: 

Airtable vs. ClickUp comparison at a glance

Before we explore ClickUp’s features in detail, here are the key differences between Airtable vs. ClickUp:

ClickUp’s Table View

ClickUp’s Table View is where Airtable users usually feel most at home.

It gives you a familiar spreadsheet-style layout where each task is a row, and each Custom Field is a column. 

These rows aren’t just records. They are fully functional tasks connected to assignees, dependencies, comments, docs, goals, and automations.

In Table View, you can:

• Show or hide Custom Fields like priority, status, tags, or budget
• Edit task data inline, just like a spreadsheet
• Hover to preview task descriptions without opening new pages
• Display subtasks independently or nested under parent tasks

Most importantly, Custom Fields are native to tasks, not separate database objects. You don’t need to manage record IDs, strict field-type constraints, or backend logic just to keep your data usable.

Bonus: AI Fields in ClickUp are perfect to standardize task information and eliminate repetitive data entry.

Enterprise search across your work (and beyond)

One of the strongest capabilities of BrainGPT is Enterprise Search. 

Search across tasks, docs, comments, attachments, and connected tools using natural language. Instead of hunting through folders or views, users can ask questions and get answers that reflect how work is actually structured.

This becomes especially valuable at scale, where information is scattered across projects, teams, and tools. 

Access to multiple AI models

ClickUp Brain provides access to multiple external AI models within the same interface. You don’t need to switch tools or manage separate subscriptions to experiment with different model outputs.

Talk to Text to capture ideas without breaking flow 

ClickUp’s Talk to Text capability extends beyond typed prompts. Speak ideas, meeting notes, or task updates and instantly convert them into structured text, tasks, or Docs. Brain can then refine, summarize, or turn that input into actionable next steps.

Super Agents: your AI teammates 

ClickUp’s Super Agents are autonomous, ambient AI assistants that observe changes across your workspace and act on behalf of users based on rules, data patterns, and context. 

While Brain excels at answering questions and generating insights, Super Agents take action when conditions are met.

For example, a Super Agent can:

• Detect overdue tasks and proactively reassign or notify owners
• Monitor project progress and generate status reports
• Trigger follow-up tasks when dependencies are completed
• Synthesize sprint retrospectives and surface risk insights

ClickUp Automations 

The no-code ClickUp Automations are designed for teams transitioning from manual handoffs to repeatable operational systems. 

Some of the automation capabilities include:

• Multi-action sequences (a single trigger can run several outcomes)
• Conditional logic (if/else paths)
• Time delays and scheduled automations
• Integration actions with external tools via native integrations

This makes it easier to automate repetitive tasks such as updating task statuses, assigning owners, escalating blocked work, or triggering follow-up actions when deadlines approach. 

ClickUp Automations also supports more advanced workflow automation examples that go beyond simple task updates. 

Real-time collaboration with ClickUp Chat

55% of knowledge workers say it’s hard to track down information, and 50% have unknowingly worked on something another team was already handling. 

ClickUp Chat brings team communication directly into your project workspace, so discussions stay connected to actual work.

Here’s how you can use ClickUp Chat for real-time collaboration: 

• Organize conversations using channels based on projects, teams, or topics
• Chat privately with direct messages for quick or sensitive discussions
• Keep conversations focused with threads and threaded replies
• Use @mentions to notify specific people or entire teams
• Create tasks directly from chat messages, turning discussions into action
• Host async audio or video updates with ClickUp SyncUps, without scheduling meetings

Pre-built ClickUp templates 

Just like in Airtable, ClickUp gives you pre-built templates to plug into your data. 

For instance, ClickUp Project Management Template gives you a complete workspace where you can map out the project, assign responsibilities, and follow progress all the way to delivery.

Get free template

Add important details like Project Phase, Success Metrics, Department, and more using ClickUp’s Custom Fields, and track tasks using Custom Statuses such as At Risk, Blocked, etc.

Pre-built automations help move tasks through stages, post comments, and tag relevant team members.

Here are some other templates you can use right away:

• ClickUp Spreadsheet Template: Ideal if your team is comfortable with spreadsheets but wants the added benefit of real tasks and clear ownership
• ClickUp Task Management Template: Designed to keep everyday work under control by helping teams focus on what matters most and who’s responsible for it
• Agile Project Management Template by ClickUp: Built for sprint-based teams to manage backlogs, iterations, and Agile workflows
• ClickUp Project Resource Matrix Template: Helps you see who’s working on what and avoid overloading your team
• ClickUp Project Deliverables Template: Makes it clear what needs to be delivered, when it’s due, and who owns each outcome

ClickUp pricing

With ClickUp, you’ll find both free and paid plans that work for every budget: 

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Should You Choose Airtable or ClickUp for Project Management? 

The choice comes down to one question: is your bottleneck modeling data, or running the work? Airtable wins the first; ClickUp wins the second.

When project management involves structuring data, Airtable works fine. If you need flexible tables, custom apps, or internal tools, the database approach suffices. 

However, as workflows grow more complex—with dependencies, ownership, automation, and cross-team collaboration—you will need to start exploring Airtable alternatives. Simple activities like maintaining clean bases, preventing duplicates, and scaling permissions in Airtable often require technical oversight.

Enter ClickUp, the AI-powered contextual project management platform. 

It reduces setup overhead while still providing flexibility through multiple Views, Custom Fields, Automations, and contextual AI. Instead of just managing data like Airtable, ClickUp provides you with a unified workspace that brings all your data, processes, and people together.

Ready to give it a go? Sign up on ClickUp for free. ✅

Frequently Asked Questions

Who owns Airtable?

Airtable is being acquired by Bending Spoons, an Italian technology company, under an agreement announced on August 4, 2026. The deal values Airtable at $1.285 billion in enterprise value and is expected to close later in 2026 pending regulatory approval. Until it closes, Airtable continues to operate independently under co-founder and CEO Howie Liu.

Is Airtable’s pricing changing after the Bending Spoons acquisition?

No pricing change has been announced. Team remains $20 per user/month billed annually and Business remains $45 per user/month billed annually. Users have raised concerns based on Bending Spoons’ history with Evernote and WeTransfer, but as of August 2026 those concerns are speculation rather than announced policy.

Is Airtable free?

Yes, Airtable has a permanently free plan for individuals and small teams. It is capped at 1,000 records per base, which is the limit most growing teams hit first. Read-only collaborators are free on every plan, including paid ones.

Is Airtable good for project management?

Airtable works well for project management when the hard part is modelling the data: custom fields, linked records, and internal tools. It works less well when the hard part is execution. Records are not natively tasks, so ownership, dependencies, and cross-team workflow all have to be designed and maintained by you.

Should I migrate off Airtable?

Not urgently. Nothing about the product has changed. A reasonable response is to export a full backup, note your renewal date, and understand what a migration would cost you in time before you are forced to decide under pressure.

Is Airtable better than Excel or Google Sheets?

For structured, connected data, yes. Airtable beats spreadsheets when you need linked records across tables, multiple views (Kanban, calendar, timeline), and built-in automations. Excel and Google Sheets still win for ad-hoc math, quick analysis, and pivot tables. Airtable’s free plan caps at 1,000 records per base.

Can Airtable replace a CRM?

For small teams, often yes. You can build pipeline views, contact records, and automated follow-ups in a single base, and link deals to companies and tasks. It works best as a lightweight CRM; dedicated CRMs pull ahead on reporting, email integration, and role-based permissions on Airtable’s lower tiers.

What is the best Airtable alternative?

It depends on why you’re leaving. For end-to-end project execution that covers tasks, dependencies, and cross-team workflow, ClickUp is the closest all-in-one alternative. It has a familiar spreadsheet-style Table View and free forever pricing (Unlimited at $7/user/month). Smartsuite and Softr are popular picks for data-heavy and app-building use cases

Is Airtable HIPAA compliant?

Airtable supports HIPAA compliance on Enterprise plans and will sign a Business Associate Agreement (BAA). It also holds SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001 certifications. Compliance still depends on configuring the platform correctly and following your own organization’s protocols.

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