Software · head to head
Airtable vs Notion
Notion
Software
All-in-one workspace for notes, tasks, wikis, and databases
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
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; Notion free plan limited to 1,000 blocks for 2+ member workspaces, restricting team usage
- They diverge on capability: Airtable covers Spreadsheet-database hybrid, Notion covers Rich text editing with blocks.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Airtable and Notion actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (Unknown), free tier (Yes), 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
- Integrations
- Mobile apps
- Dropbox
- Box
Only in Notion
- Rich text editing with blocks
- Customizable databases
- Kanban boards and calendars
- Template library
- File attachments
- Web clipper
- Trello
- GitHub
Both cover
- Real-time collaboration
- API access
- Slack
- Google Drive
- 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 Notion
- Lightweight internal tools built on shared recordsnot Notion
- Automations between Airtable and other systemsnot Notion
- Sharing read-only views with collaborators, who are not chargednot Notion
- Collecting submissions through forms without paying for a seatnot Notion
Notion
- Project managementnot Airtable
- Knowledge base creationnot Airtable
- Note-taking and documentationnot Airtable
- Team collaborationnot Airtable
- Content planningnot 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
Notion
- Free plan limited to 1,000 blocks for 2+ member workspaces, restricting team usage
- Free tier only includes trial AI capabilities; full Notion AI requires paid plan
- Page history limited to 7 days on free plan
- Per-member pricing increases costs for teams compared to flat-rate competitors
- Limited automation capabilities compared to dedicated workflow platforms
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
Notion
Free- FreeFree
- 1000 block limit (2+ members)
- 7-day page history
- 5MB file upload cap
- Plus$10/month
- Unlimited blocks
- 30-day page history
- Unlimited file uploads
- Business$20/month
- All Plus features
- Notion Agent
- AI Meeting Notes
- Enterprise$null/custom
- All Business features
- Advanced controls
- Audit logs
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 Notion if
- You need rich text editing with blocks.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android.
- You also want customizable databases.
Questions people ask
- Is Airtable or Notion better?
- Neither clearly leads. Airtable starts at Free and Notion at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Airtable or Notion?
- Airtable starts at Free and Notion at Free.
- Does Airtable or Notion run on more platforms?
- Airtable runs on Web, iOS, Android, Desktop. Notion runs on Web, iOS, Android.
- 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 Notion is typically brought in for.
- What can Airtable do that Notion cannot?
- Airtable covers Spreadsheet-database hybrid, Custom views, Automation, Forms. Notion covers Rich text editing with blocks, Customizable databases, Kanban boards and calendars, Template library. Both handle Real-time collaboration, API access, Slack, Google Drive.
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.
SourceNotion: What are Notion's pricing tiers?
Notion offers four plans: Free ($0/member/month), Plus ($10/member/month), Business ($20/member/month recommended), and Enterprise (custom pricing). All paid plans include Notion AI and identical features with no per-feature charges.
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.
SourceNotion: What is included in Notion's free plan?
The free plan includes databases with limited collaborative blocks, trial AI capabilities, basic forms, basic sites, Notion Calendar, and file uploads. For workspaces with 2+ members, there is a 1,000-block limit.
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.
SourceNotion: How much does Notion AI cost?
Notion AI is included with Plus ($10/mo), Business ($20/mo), and Enterprise plans. Free and Plus plans include limited AI trial capabilities. Custom Agents cost $10 per 1,000 monthly credits after free trial.
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.
SourceNotion: Can guests access Notion workspaces without payment?
Yes. Guests are free of charge on all plans including the free tier. Free tier allows 10 guests; paid plans include unlimited guests. Guests can only access individual pages they are invited to.
SourceNotion: Does Notion integrate with other apps?
Yes. Notion integrates with 100+ third-party apps including Slack, Google Drive, GitHub, Google Calendar, Trello, Jira, Zapier, and many others. Native integrations are available plus additional connections via Zapier.
Source