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Databases · head to head

Airtable vs Cortex

Airtable logo

Airtable

Databases

Create apps that perfectly fit your team's needs

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Visit AirtableFull review
Cortex logo

Cortex

Developer Tools

Internal developer portal that scores service ownership and maturity rather than just cataloguing services

From
On request
Free plan
No
Visit CortexFull review

The short version

  • Airtable is a cloud collaboration platform.
  • Airtable starts at $20/user/mo; Cortex prices on request.
  • Only Airtable lists spreadsheet-database hybrid; only Cortex lists service catalogue.
  • Where Airtable falls short: hitting a plan limit blocks adding records or attachments entirely until you upgrade, rather than degrading gracefully.
  • Prices and features on this page were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Airtable and Cortex actually diverge.

Attributes where Airtable and Cortex differ
AttributeAirtableCortex
Starting priceFreeOn request
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, iOS, Android, Windows, macOSWeb, API
CategoryDatabasesDeveloper Tools

Not yet recorded: pricing model for Airtable, founded for Cortex.

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 Cortex

  • Service catalogue
  • Scorecards
  • Initiatives
  • Self-service templates
  • Query language
  • Eng intelligence
  • Integrations layer
  • On-call and ownership mapping

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

Cortex

  • A platform team that needs to prove to leadership how far a Kubernetes or framework migration has actually progressed across hundreds of servicesnot Airtable
  • An organisation where ownership of production services is genuinely unknown after reorganisations or acquisitionsnot Airtable
  • Enforcing production readiness standards on new services at creation time rather than at incident reviewnot Airtable
  • Replacing a self-hosted Backstage that is consuming a full-time engineer or two just to stay upgradednot 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

Cortex

  • Pricing is quote only, so a platform team cannot build a business case or compare against the true cost of self-hosted Backstage without entering a sales cycle first
  • The catalogue is only as accurate as the metadata you supply, so an organisation with inconsistent repository conventions spends its first quarter cleaning data before any scorecard means anything
  • Scorecards create political friction: publishing a per-team grade turns an engineering standard into a performance metric, and teams will game the rules rather than fix the underlying issue
  • It is closed source and hosted, so organisations with strict data residency or air-gap requirements have limited options compared with running Backstage themselves
  • Value scales with organisation size, so a company with fifty engineers and thirty services will find the catalogue tells them nothing they did not already know while still paying an enterprise contract

Pricing, plan by plan

Airtable

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Unlimited bases
    • 1,000 records per base
    • Up to 5 editors
  • Team$20/user/mo
    • 50,000 records per base
    • Unlimited automations
    • API access
  • Business$45/user/mo
    • 125,000 records per base
    • Advanced permissions
    • Priority support
  • Enterprise ScaleOn request
    • 500,000+ records per base
    • Custom SLA
    • Dedicated support

Cortex

On request
  • CortexOn request
    • Service catalogue and ownership mapping
    • Scorecards and initiatives
    • Self-service templates

Which should you pick?

Choose Airtable if

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

Choose Cortex if

  • You need service catalogue.
  • You work on Web, API.
  • You also want scorecards.
Cortex review

Questions people ask

Is Airtable or Cortex better?
Neither clearly leads. Airtable starts at Free and Cortex at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Airtable or Cortex?
Airtable has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Airtable and On request for Cortex.
Does Airtable or Cortex run on more platforms?
Airtable runs on Web, iOS, Android, Windows, macOS. Cortex runs on Web, API.
Can I use Airtable for free?
Yes. Airtable has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Cortex 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 Cortex is typically brought in for.
What can Airtable do that Cortex cannot?
Airtable covers Spreadsheet-database hybrid, Custom views, Automation, Forms. Cortex covers Service catalogue, Scorecards, Initiatives, Self-service templates.

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
Cortex: How is Cortex different from Backstage?

Backstage is an open source framework you build and staff. Cortex is a hosted product with scorecards and initiatives out of the box and no platform team required to keep it running.

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
Cortex: Is pricing published?

No. Cortex requires a sales conversation and prepares a custom proposal.

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
Cortex: Can it self-host?

It is offered as a hosted product; on-premise arrangements are handled through sales rather than published.

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
Cortex: What is the main adoption risk?

Bad or missing service metadata. The catalogue and every scorecard on top of it inherit whatever quality your repositories already have.

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