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All industries · head to head

Airtable vs HubSpot

Airtable logo

Airtable

All industries

Create apps that perfectly fit your team's needs

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
HubSpot logo

HubSpot

All industries

Grow better with HubSpot

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Airtable hitting a plan limit blocks adding records or attachments entirely until you upgrade, rather than degrading gracefully; HubSpot free tier limited to 2 users and 1,000 contacts; severely restricts growing teams
  • They diverge on capability: Airtable covers Spreadsheet-database hybrid, HubSpot covers CRM.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Airtable and HubSpot actually diverge.

Attributes where Airtable and HubSpot differ
AttributeAirtableHubSpot
Pricing modelUnknownfreemium
PlatformsWeb, iOS, Android, DesktopWeb, Mobile, Cloud
Founded20122006

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (All industries).

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 HubSpot

  • CRM
  • Email marketing
  • Marketing automation
  • Sales pipeline
  • Customer service
  • Content management
  • Analytics
  • Social media

Both cover

  • Slack
  • Gmail
  • Outlook
  • Salesforce
  • SOC2
  • GDPR
  • ISO27001

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

HubSpot

  • Small businesses and startups using CRM, email marketing, sales pipeline, and customer service in single platformnot Airtable
  • Organisations requiring integration with 2,000+ third-party applicationsnot Airtable
  • Teams leveraging AI agents for prospecting, service automation, and data analysisnot 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

HubSpot

  • Free tier limited to 2 users and 1,000 contacts; severely restricts growing teams
  • Many advanced features (automation workflows, custom objects, advanced reporting) gated to paid tiers
  • Starter plan at $7/month per seat scales quickly for larger teams (300+ users would cost significantly more)
  • Free tier removes credit card requirement but lacks most enterprise capabilities

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

HubSpot

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the HubSpot 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 HubSpot if

  • You need crm.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Mobile, Cloud.
  • You also want email marketing.
HubSpot review

Questions people ask

Is Airtable or HubSpot better?
Neither clearly leads. Airtable starts at Free and HubSpot at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Airtable or HubSpot?
Airtable starts at Free and HubSpot at Free.
Does Airtable or HubSpot run on more platforms?
Airtable runs on Web, iOS, Android, Desktop. HubSpot runs on Web, Mobile, Cloud.
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 HubSpot is typically brought in for.
What can Airtable do that HubSpot cannot?
Airtable covers Spreadsheet-database hybrid, Custom views, Automation, Forms. HubSpot covers CRM, Email marketing, Marketing automation, Sales pipeline. Both handle Slack, Gmail, Outlook, 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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