Airtable vs Smartsheet - Detailed Comparison 2026
Airtable is rated slightly higher on SAASAF.AI (4.5/5 vs 4.3/5). Airtable starts at $20/month and has a free tier. Smartsheet starts at $9/month and has a free tier.
Which Is Better, Airtable or Smartsheet?
Airtable holds a slight edge in user satisfaction with a rating of 4.5/5 compared to Smartsheet's 4.3/5. When it comes to features, Airtable offers 7 capabilities while Smartsheet provides 7, with both sharing core functionality like Automations. Airtable differentiates with Spreadsheet Database and Views, while Smartsheet stands out with Grid View and Gantt. On pricing, Smartsheet is the more budget-friendly option at $9/month compared to Airtable at $20/month, though both offer free tiers for users who want to try before committing. Both Airtable and Smartsheet are AI-powered, making them strong choices for users who want intelligent automation.
At a Glance
Smartsheet
Enterprise work management with spreadsheet-like interface
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Visit SmartsheetFull Side-by-Side Comparison
| Criteria | Airtable | Smartsheet |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.5/5 | 4.3/5 |
| Pricing Model | Freemium | Subscription |
| Starting Price | $[object Object] | $[object Object] |
| Free Tier | Yes | Yes |
| AI-Powered | Yes | Yes |
| AI Model | proprietary | proprietary |
| Platforms | web, mac, windows, ios, android | web, mac, windows, ios, android |
| Founded | 2012 | 2005 |
| Company Size | 1000+ | 1000+ |
| Integrations | 5+ | 6+ |
| Affiliate Program | Yes | Yes |
| Ai | ✓ | ✗ |
| Api | ✓ | ✗ |
| Automations | ✓ | ✓ |
| Dashboards | ✗ | ✓ |
| Extensions | ✓ | ✗ |
| Forms | ✗ | ✓ |
| Gantt | ✗ | ✓ |
| Grid View | ✗ | ✓ |
| Interfaces | ✓ | ✗ |
| Proofing | ✗ | ✓ |
| Resource Management | ✗ | ✓ |
| Spreadsheet Database | ✓ | ✗ |
| Views | ✓ | ✗ |
How Much Do Airtable and Smartsheet Cost?
Airtable Pricing
Freemium
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Free tier available
Billed monthly
Airtable offers a freemium pricing model starting at $20/month. A free tier is available with limited features.
Smartsheet Pricing
Subscription
$[object Object]
Free tier available
Billed monthly
Smartsheet uses a subscription pricing model starting at $9/month. A free tier is also available.
Pros and Cons
Airtable Pros
- Spreadsheet UX with relational database power
- Multiple views (Grid, Kanban, Calendar, Gantt) per table
- Interfaces builds no-code apps on top of bases
- Automations handle workflow logic without code
- AI features auto-generate schemas and fill cells
Airtable Cons
- Pricing scales steeply with record count and seats
- Performance degrades on bases with 50K+ records
- Less rigorous than real databases for transactions
- Free tier limits records and automation runs
Smartsheet Pros
- Spreadsheet UX is familiar to Excel-fluent users
- Control Center scales templates to hundreds of projects
- FedRAMP authorization for U.S. federal government use
- Strong cross-sheet formulas and automation
- Dashboards aggregate data across many sheets
Smartsheet Cons
- Per-user editing is gated - viewers consume seats differently
- Less elegant than purpose-built PM tools for non-grid workflows
- Pricing requires sales conversations at higher tiers
- Mobile experience is utilitarian at best
Who Should Choose Which?
Choose Airtable if...
Best for: Airtable is best for ops, marketing, and content teams managing structured data that's outgrown spreadsheets - editorial calendars, product catalogs, lightweight CRMs. Operations teams building internal tools benefit most.
- You need Project Planning
- You need Content Calendar
- You need CRM
- You need Inventory Tracking
Ideal for: smb, mid-market, enterprise
Industries: technology, marketing, media, nonprofit
Choose Smartsheet if...
Best for: Smartsheet is best for enterprise PMOs, construction firms, and government teams who think in spreadsheets but need portfolio-grade governance. Manufacturing and operations leaders benefit from the grid-first interface.
- You need Project Planning
- You need Workflow Management
Ideal for: mid-market, enterprise
Industries: technology, healthcare, finance, construction
Platform Availability
Airtable
Available on Web, Mac, Windows, iOS, and Android, providing a full cross-platform experience across desktop and mobile devices.
Smartsheet
Available on Web, Mac, Windows, iOS, and Android, providing a full cross-platform experience across desktop and mobile devices.
Get Started with Airtable
Low-code platform for building collaborative apps
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Visit AirtableGet Started with Smartsheet
Enterprise work management with spreadsheet-like interface
Earn varies commission
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Tool Profiles
Alternatives
Categories
Use Cases
- Project Planning
- Content Calendar
- CRM
- Inventory Tracking
- Workflow Management
Airtable vs Smartsheet: Frequently Asked Questions
Is Airtable or Smartsheet better?
Airtable is rated slightly higher on SAASAF.AI, at 4.5/5 versus 4.3/5 for Smartsheet, but the better pick depends on your use case. Airtable is best for ops, marketing, and content teams managing structured data that's outgrown spreadsheets - editorial calendars, product catalogs, lightweight CRMs. Smartsheet is best for enterprise PMOs, construction firms, and government teams who think in spreadsheets but need portfolio-grade governance.
How does Airtable pricing compare to Smartsheet?
Smartsheet is cheaper to start, at $9/month versus $20/month for Airtable. Airtable uses a freemium model and Smartsheet uses a subscription model. Both offer a free tier. Listed figures are starting prices; seats, usage and add-ons can change the final bill.
What is the difference between Airtable and Smartsheet?
Airtable is a low-code platform that combines the simplicity of a spreadsheet with the power of a database. Smartsheet is a work management platform that uses a familiar spreadsheet-like interface. Airtable lists features such as Spreadsheet Database, Views and Interfaces. Smartsheet lists Grid View, Gantt and Dashboards. Both cover Automations.
What are alternatives to both Airtable and Smartsheet?
Alternatives to Airtable include Notion (4.6/5) and Linear (4.8/5). Alternatives to Smartsheet include Monday.com (4.5/5), Asana (4.4/5) and Wrike (4.2/5). Notion has a free tier. Linear has a free tier. Each tool has a full alternatives page on SAASAF.AI with pricing and feature comparisons.
What platforms do Airtable and Smartsheet support?
Airtable and Smartsheet are both available on Web, Mac, Windows, iOS and Android. Airtable integrations listed on SAASAF.AI include Slack, Google Drive and Salesforce. Smartsheet integrations include Salesforce, Jira and Microsoft Teams. Airtable lists 5 integrations and Smartsheet lists 6 in the SAASAF.AI directory.