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Software · head to head

Airtable vs Front

Airtable logo

Airtable

Software

Create apps that perfectly fit your team's needs

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Front logo

Front

Software

Where teams collaborate on customer communication

From
$25/month per seat
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; Front starter tier limited to single-channel support; omnichannel support requires Professional tier
  • They diverge on capability: Airtable covers Spreadsheet-database hybrid, Front covers Shared inbox.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Airtable and Front actually diverge.

Attributes where Airtable and Front differ
AttributeAirtableFront
Starting priceFree$25/month per seat
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, iOS, Android, DesktopCloud-based SaaS
Founded20122013

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
  • Mobile apps
  • Real-time collaboration
  • API access
  • Google Drive

Only in Front

  • Shared inbox
  • Email collaboration
  • Omnichannel messaging
  • Analytics
  • Workflows
  • HubSpot
  • Asana
  • SSO

Both cover

  • Integrations
  • Slack
  • Salesforce
  • Jira
  • SOC2
  • 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 Front
  • Lightweight internal tools built on shared recordsnot Front
  • Automations between Airtable and other systemsnot Front
  • Sharing read-only views with collaborators, who are not chargednot Front
  • Collecting submissions through forms without paying for a seatnot Front

Front

  • Multi-team customer support across email, chat, SMS channelsnot Airtable
  • Enterprises using AI to resolve complex multi-step customer requestsnot 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

Front

  • Starter tier limited to single-channel support; omnichannel support requires Professional tier
  • AI Copilot, Smart QA, and Smart CSAT are included only in Enterprise tier ($105/seat/month); available as add-ons at higher cost in lower tiers
  • Starter tier limited to 10 automation rules; Professional tier allows 20; unlimited rules only in Enterprise
  • Advanced analytics excluded from Starter tier

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

Front

$25/month per seat

No published plan breakdown. See the Front 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.
Airtable review

Choose Front if

  • You need shared inbox.
  • You work on Cloud-based SaaS.
  • You also want email collaboration.
Front review

Questions people ask

Is Airtable or Front better?
Neither clearly leads. Airtable starts at Free and Front at $25/month per seat, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Airtable or Front?
Airtable has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Airtable and $25/month per seat for Front.
Does Airtable or Front run on more platforms?
Airtable runs on Web, iOS, Android, Desktop. Front runs on Cloud-based SaaS.
Can I use Airtable for free?
Yes. Airtable has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Front starts at $25/month per seat.
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 Front is typically brought in for.
What can Airtable do that Front cannot?
Airtable covers Spreadsheet-database hybrid, Custom views, Automation, Forms. Front covers Shared inbox, Email collaboration, Omnichannel messaging, Analytics. Both handle Integrations, Slack, Salesforce, Jira.

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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