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Databases · head to head

Airtable vs Directual

Airtable logo

Airtable

Databases

Create apps that perfectly fit your team's needs

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Visit AirtableFull review
Directual logo

Directual

No-Code

No-code backend with a visual workflow engine, used behind other tools rather than instead of them

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Visit DirectualFull review

The short version

  • Airtable is a cloud collaboration platform.
  • Directual is free; Airtable starts at $20/user/mo.
  • Only Airtable lists custom views; only Directual lists scenario builder.
  • Where Airtable falls short: hitting a plan limit blocks adding records or attachments entirely until you upgrade, rather than degrading gracefully.
  • Where Directual falls short: self-hosting is confined to the top commercial tier, so the ownership advantage is available only to buyers already spending at the high end.
  • Prices and features on this page were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Airtable and Directual actually diverge.

Attributes where Airtable and Directual differ
AttributeAirtableDirectual
PlatformsWeb, iOS, Android, Windows, macOSWeb
CategoryDatabasesNo-Code

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes).

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

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 Directual

  • Visual database designer
  • Scenario builder
  • Generated API endpoints
  • Event-driven triggers
  • Role and permission model
  • Scheduled jobs
  • Basic web page builder
  • Self-hosted deployment

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

Directual

  • Providing the backend for a Webflow or FlutterFlow front end that needs real data, authentication and logicnot Airtable
  • Replacing an Airtable base that has outgrown its row limits without hiring a backend developernot Airtable
  • Event-driven workflows such as order processing or scheduled billing runs that must run without a person triggering themnot Airtable
  • Organisations with a data residency requirement that rules out most no-code platforms, using the self-hosted tiernot 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

Directual

  • The front-end builder is basic, so any project needing a designed interface means learning and paying for a second tool, and time to launch is closer to a two-system build than a one-tool build
  • Visual scenarios become unreadable once the logic is non-trivial; a workflow that would be forty lines of code sprawls across a canvas, and reviewing what a colleague built is slow
  • Debugging asynchronous, event-triggered scenarios is harder than debugging code, because failures surface as records left in an unexpected state rather than as a stack trace at the point of failure
  • Self-hosting is confined to the top commercial tier, so the ownership advantage is available only to buyers already spending at the high end
  • The pool of agencies and freelancers who know Directual is small next to Bubble or Airtable, so handing a finished system to someone else to maintain is harder and more expensive

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

Directual

Free
  • DirectualOn request
    • Free tier with capped records and API calls
    • Paid tiers priced by database rows, API calls and scenario runs
    • Self-hosted deployment on the top tier only

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 Directual if

  • You need visual database designer.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want scenario builder.
Directual review

Questions people ask

Is Airtable or Directual better?
Neither clearly leads. Airtable starts at Free and Directual at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Airtable or Directual?
Airtable starts at Free and Directual at Free.
Does Airtable or Directual run on more platforms?
Airtable runs on Web, iOS, Android, Windows, macOS. Directual runs on Web.
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 Directual is typically brought in for.
What can Airtable do that Directual cannot?
Airtable covers Spreadsheet-database hybrid, Custom views, Automation, Forms. Directual covers Visual database designer, Scenario builder, Generated API endpoints, Event-driven triggers.

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
Directual: Is Directual a replacement for Bubble?

Not directly. Bubble builds the whole application; Directual builds the backend and expects you to bring a front end such as Webflow or FlutterFlow.

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
Directual: Can I host it myself?

Yes, on the top commercial tier. That is unusual in no-code and it is the main reason regulated buyers look at it at all.

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
Directual: How does it cope with large data volumes?

It is built on a real database with indexing rather than a spreadsheet abstraction, so record counts that break Airtable-class tools are within its normal range.

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
Directual: What happens to my logic if I leave?

The data exports and the API is documented, but scenarios are platform-specific and have to be reimplemented, unless you are already on the self-hosted tier.

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