Software · head to head
Airtable vs Capsule
The short version
- Only Airtable has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Airtable hitting a plan limit blocks adding records or attachments entirely until you upgrade, rather than degrading gracefully; Capsule the free plan is capped at 2 users, 250 contacts, 5 custom fields and a single pipeline
- They diverge on capability: Airtable covers Spreadsheet-database hybrid, Capsule covers Contact management.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Airtable and Capsule actually diverge.
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
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 Capsule
- Contact management
- Deal tracking
- Task management
- Email sync
- Activity timeline
- Zapier
- Google Apps
- Cloud deployment
Both cover
- Slack
- GDPR
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 Capsule
- Lightweight internal tools built on shared recordsnot Capsule
- Automations between Airtable and other systemsnot Capsule
- Sharing read-only views with collaborators, who are not chargednot Capsule
- Collecting submissions through forms without paying for a seatnot Capsule
Capsule
- Simple contact and pipeline CRM for a small teamnot Airtable
- Tracking deals and follow-up tasksnot Airtable
- Linking emails and notes to contact recordsnot Airtable
- Multiple sales pipelines on the paid tiersnot 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
Capsule
- The free plan is capped at 2 users, 250 contacts, 5 custom fields and a single pipeline
- Contact ceilings gate every tier, from 30,000 on Starter to 120,000 on Advanced
- Per-user prices are not shown as figures on the pricing page, only as tier names
- Ultimate is quote-only
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
Capsule
$19/month- Starter$19/month
- Contact management
- Task tracking
- Professional$39/month
- Everything in Starter
- Pipeline management
- Reporting
- Enterprise$99/month
- Everything in Professional
- Custom fields
- API access
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 Capsule if
- You need contact management.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android.
- You also want deal tracking.
Questions people ask
- Is Airtable or Capsule better?
- Neither clearly leads. Airtable starts at Free and Capsule at $19/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Airtable or Capsule?
- Airtable has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Airtable and $19/month for Capsule.
- Does Airtable or Capsule run on more platforms?
- Airtable runs on Web, iOS, Android, Desktop. Capsule runs on Web, Ios, Android.
- Can I use Airtable for free?
- Yes. Airtable has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Capsule starts at $19/month.
- 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 Capsule is typically brought in for.
- What can Airtable do that Capsule cannot?
- Airtable covers Spreadsheet-database hybrid, Custom views, Automation, Forms. Capsule covers Contact management, Deal tracking, Task management, Email sync. Both handle Slack, GDPR.
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
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