All industries · head to head
Airtable vs Automate.io

Airtable
All industries
Create apps that perfectly fit your team's needs
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -

Automate.io
Automation & Integration
Connect and automate your cloud applications
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Airtable hitting a plan limit blocks adding records or attachments entirely until you upgrade, rather than degrading gracefully; Automate.io no longer exists as a product. automate.io redirects to notion.com, which acquired the company and wound the integration service down
- They diverge on capability: Airtable covers Spreadsheet-database hybrid, Automate.io covers Multi-step automations.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Airtable and Automate.io actually diverge.
| Attribute | Airtable | Automate.io |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Unknown | usage-based |
| Platforms | Web, iOS, Android, Desktop | Web, Mobile |
| Category | All industries | Automation & Integration |
| Founded | 2012 | 2014 |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 Airtable
- Spreadsheet-database hybrid
- Custom views
- Automation
- Forms
- Integrations
- Mobile apps
- Real-time collaboration
- API access
Only in Automate.io
- Multi-step automations
- Conditional logic
- Data mapping
- Error handling
- Scheduling
- Webhooks
- API integrations
- 500+ apps
Both cover
- Slack
- Salesforce
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Airtable
- Structured team databases with grid, calendar and kanban viewsnot Automate.io
- Lightweight internal tools built on shared recordsnot Automate.io
- Automations between Airtable and other systemsnot Automate.io
- Sharing read-only views with collaborators, who are not chargednot Automate.io
- Collecting submissions through forms without paying for a seatnot Automate.io
Automate.io
- Workflow Automationnot Airtable
- Data Integrationnot Airtable
- Process Automationnot Airtable
- App Integrationnot Airtable
- API Connectivitynot Airtable
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
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
Automate.io
- No longer exists as a product. automate.io redirects to notion.com, which acquired the company and wound the integration service down
- Existing automations were not portable to Notion, so users had to rebuild elsewhere
Pricing, plan by plan
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
Automate.io
Free- FreeFree
- 250 tasks/month
- 2 automations
- Starter$15/month
- 5000 tasks/month
- Unlimited automations
- Email support
- Professional$50/month
- Unlimited tasks
- Priority support
- Advanced features
Which should you pick?
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.
Choose Automate.io if
- You need multi-step automations.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Mobile.
- You also want conditional logic.
Questions people ask
- Is Airtable or Automate.io better?
- Neither clearly leads. Airtable starts at Free and Automate.io at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Airtable or Automate.io?
- Airtable starts at Free and Automate.io at Free.
- Does Airtable or Automate.io run on more platforms?
- Airtable runs on Web, iOS, Android, Desktop. Automate.io runs on Web, Mobile.
- Can I use Airtable for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Airtable best used for?
- Airtable is most often used for structured team databases with grid, calendar and kanban views, lightweight internal tools built on shared records, automations between airtable and other systems, sharing read-only views with collaborators, who are not charged. Of those, structured team databases with grid, calendar and kanban views and lightweight internal tools built on shared records are not what Automate.io is typically brought in for.
- What can Airtable do that Automate.io cannot?
- Airtable covers Spreadsheet-database hybrid, Custom views, Automation, Forms. Automate.io covers Multi-step automations, Conditional logic, Data mapping, Error handling. Both handle Slack, Salesforce.
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.
SourceAirtable: 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.
SourceAirtable: 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.
SourceAirtable: 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.
SourceRelated pages
More on Automate.io
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