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Design Tools · head to head

Affinity Designer vs Airtable

Affinity Designer logo

Affinity Designer

Design Tools

Professional graphic design software for everyone

From
$69.99/one-time
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Airtable logo

Airtable

All industries

Create apps that perfectly fit your team's needs

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Airtable has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Affinity Designer sold as a one-time purchase rather than a subscription: the Windows or macOS edition was priced at CA$94.99, the cross-platform Universal License at CA$224.99, and the standalone iPad edition at CA$24.99 (Internet Archive capture, 1 January 2024); Airtable hitting a plan limit blocks adding records or attachments entirely until you upgrade, rather than degrading gracefully
  • They diverge on capability: Affinity Designer covers Vector drawing, Airtable covers Spreadsheet-database hybrid.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Affinity Designer and Airtable actually diverge.

Attributes where Affinity Designer and Airtable differ
AttributeAffinity DesignerAirtable
Starting price$69.99/one-timeFree
Pricing modelone-timeUnknown
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWindows, Macos, IosWeb, iOS, Android, Desktop
CategoryDesign ToolsAll industries
Founded19942012

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Affinity Designer

  • Vector drawing
  • Bezier tools
  • Gradient tools
  • Typography
  • Pixel-perfect editing
  • Artboards
  • Symbols
  • Non-destructive effects

Only in Airtable

  • Spreadsheet-database hybrid
  • Custom views
  • Automation
  • Forms
  • Integrations
  • Mobile apps
  • Real-time collaboration
  • API access

Both cover

  • Dropbox

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Affinity Designer

  • Logo designnot Airtable
  • Vector illustrationnot Airtable
  • Icon designnot Airtable
  • Brandingnot Airtable

Airtable

  • Structured team databases with grid, calendar and kanban viewsnot Affinity Designer
  • Lightweight internal tools built on shared recordsnot Affinity Designer
  • Automations between Airtable and other systemsnot Affinity Designer
  • Sharing read-only views with collaborators, who are not chargednot Affinity Designer
  • Collecting submissions through forms without paying for a seatnot Affinity Designer

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Affinity Designer

  • Sold as a one-time purchase rather than a subscription: the Windows or macOS edition was priced at CA$94.99, the cross-platform Universal License at CA$224.99, and the standalone iPad edition at CA$24.99 (Internet Archive capture, 1 January 2024)

Airtable

  • Hitting a plan limit blocks adding records or attachments entirely until you upgrade, rather than degrading gracefully
  • Team is $20 per user per month and Business $45, both at the annual rate
  • Automation and API usage are capped by plan
  • Enterprise Scale pricing is not published

Pricing, plan by plan

Affinity Designer

$69.99/one-time
  • Standard$69.99/one-time
    • Full version
    • All features
    • Lifetime updates

Airtable

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Unlimited bases
    • 1,000 records per base
    • Up to 5 editors
  • Team$20/month per editor annual
    • 50,000 records per base
    • Unlimited automations
    • API access
  • Business$45/month per editor annual
    • 125,000 records per base
    • Advanced permissions
    • Priority support
  • Enterprise Scale$null/custom
    • 500,000+ records per base
    • Custom SLA
    • Dedicated support

Which should you pick?

Choose Affinity Designer if

  • You need vector drawing.
  • You work on Windows, Macos, Ios.
  • You also want bezier tools.
Affinity Designer review

Choose Airtable if

  • You need spreadsheet-database hybrid.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, Desktop.
  • You also want custom views.
Airtable review

Questions people ask

Is Affinity Designer or Airtable better?
Neither clearly leads. Affinity Designer starts at $69.99/one-time and Airtable at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Affinity Designer or Airtable?
Airtable has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $69.99/one-time for Affinity Designer and Free for Airtable.
Does Affinity Designer or Airtable run on more platforms?
Affinity Designer runs on Windows, Macos, Ios. Airtable runs on Web, iOS, Android, Desktop.
Can I use Airtable for free?
Yes. Airtable has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Affinity Designer starts at $69.99/one-time.
What is Affinity Designer best used for?
Affinity Designer is most often used for logo design, vector illustration, icon design, branding. Of those, logo design and vector illustration are not what Airtable is typically brought in for.
What can Affinity Designer do that Airtable cannot?
Affinity Designer covers Vector drawing, Bezier tools, Gradient tools, Typography. Airtable covers Spreadsheet-database hybrid, Custom views, Automation, Forms. Both handle Dropbox.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Airtable: Is there a free Airtable plan and what does it include?

Yes, Airtable's Free plan is indefinite with unlimited bases, 1,000 records per base, up to 5 editors, 1 GB storage per base, 100 automation runs per month, and core features like Interface Designer and mobile apps.

Source
Airtable: How does Airtable handle permissions and viewers?

Airtable charges per editor only. Read-only viewers, form submitters, and people accessing share links are free on every plan, making it cost-effective for large viewing audiences.

Source
Airtable: What are Airtable's record limits?

Free plan has 1,000 records per base, Team plan has 50,000, Business plan has 125,000, and Enterprise Scale has 500,000+ records. Performance degrades past 100,000 records in a single base.

Source
Airtable: Can Airtable integrate with other tools like Slack?

Yes, Airtable integrates with Slack via Zapier or Make.com, allowing automation like sending Slack messages when records are created or updated. Airtable also has a native API for direct integrations.

Source
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