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Airtable vs Chartio

Airtable logo

Airtable

All industries

Create apps that perfectly fit your team's needs

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Chartio logo

Chartio

Business Intelligence

Cloud-based data exploration (discontinued)

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

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; Chartio chartio shut down on March 1, 2022 after the team joined Atlassian, and the site now serves only a shutdown notice and a migration guide
  • They diverge on capability: Airtable covers Spreadsheet-database hybrid, Chartio covers Visual Query Builder.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Airtable and Chartio actually diverge.

Attributes where Airtable and Chartio differ
AttributeAirtableChartio
Starting priceFreeOn request
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, iOS, Android, DesktopWeb
CategoryAll industriesBusiness Intelligence
Founded20122010

Identical on both: pricing model (Unknown), 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 Chartio

  • Visual Query Builder
  • Interactive Dashboards
  • Data Blending
  • Collaboration
  • Embedding
  • PostgreSQL
  • MySQL
  • Redshift

Both cover

  • 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 Chartio
  • Lightweight internal tools built on shared recordsnot Chartio
  • Automations between Airtable and other systemsnot Chartio
  • Sharing read-only views with collaborators, who are not chargednot Chartio
  • Collecting submissions through forms without paying for a seatnot Chartio

Chartio

  • Drag and drop chart building over SQL databasesnot Airtable
  • Shared business dashboards for non-technical teamsnot Airtable
  • Exploring warehouse data without writing SQLnot 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

Chartio

  • Chartio shut down on March 1, 2022 after the team joined Atlassian, and the site now serves only a shutdown notice and a migration guide
  • No pricing, signup or product access remains; the site's copyright notice stops at 2021
  • Existing customers were required to migrate their dashboards to another tool rather than being moved to an Atlassian successor product

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

Chartio

On request
  • DiscontinuedFree
    • Service ended March 2022

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.
Airtable review

Choose Chartio if

  • You need visual query builder.
  • You also want interactive dashboards.
Chartio review

Questions people ask

Is Airtable or Chartio better?
Neither clearly leads. Airtable starts at Free and Chartio at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Airtable or Chartio?
Airtable has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Airtable and On request for Chartio.
Does Airtable or Chartio run on more platforms?
Airtable runs on Web, iOS, Android, Desktop. Chartio runs on Web.
Can I use Airtable for free?
Yes. Airtable has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Chartio starts at On request.
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 Chartio is typically brought in for.
What can Airtable do that Chartio cannot?
Airtable covers Spreadsheet-database hybrid, Custom views, Automation, Forms. Chartio covers Visual Query Builder, Interactive Dashboards, Data Blending, Collaboration. Both handle 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.

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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Related pages

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