All industries · head to head
Airtable vs Convex

Airtable
All industries
Create apps that perfectly fit your team's needs
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
Convex
Database & Data Management
The reactive backend platform that keeps up with you and your agents
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
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; Convex the Free and Starter tier includes only 1 million function calls and 0.5 GB of database storage per month before per-unit overage charges of $2.20 per million calls apply, as of August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Airtable and Convex actually diverge.
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 Airtable
- Spreadsheet-database hybrid
- Custom views
- Automation
- Forms
- Integrations
- Mobile apps
- Real-time collaboration
- API access
Only in Convex
Nothing recorded that Airtable does not also cover.
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 Convex
- Lightweight internal tools built on shared recordsnot Convex
- Automations between Airtable and other systemsnot Convex
- Sharing read-only views with collaborators, who are not chargednot Convex
- Collecting submissions through forms without paying for a seatnot Convex
Convex
No use cases recorded yet. See the Convex review.
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
Convex
- The Free and Starter tier includes only 1 million function calls and 0.5 GB of database storage per month before per-unit overage charges of $2.20 per million calls apply, as of August 2026.
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
Convex
On requestNo published plan breakdown. See the Convex review.
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 Convex if
Nothing in the data separates Convex from Airtable on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.
Questions people ask
- Is Airtable or Convex better?
- Neither clearly leads. Airtable starts at Free and Convex at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Airtable or Convex?
- Airtable has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Airtable and On request for Convex.
- Does Airtable or Convex run on more platforms?
- Airtable runs on Web, iOS, Android, Desktop. Convex runs on Web.
- Can I use Airtable for free?
- Yes. Airtable has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Convex 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 Convex is typically brought in for.
- What can Airtable do that Convex cannot?
- Airtable covers Spreadsheet-database hybrid, Custom views, Automation, Forms.
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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