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Spreadsheets · head to head

APITable vs Fillout

APITable logo

APITable

Spreadsheets

Open source spreadsheet database with an API first design and an embeddable widget system

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Fillout logo

Fillout

Surveys

Form builder that reads and writes records in Airtable, Notion, HubSpot and Salesforce, with unlimited seats on every plan including the free one

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: APITable records are held in the product own schema rather than as native database tables, so the practical row ceiling is a product limit and large tables should be load tested before commitment.; Fillout the Business plan is marketed with unlimited responses but the fair use policy names thresholds of 30,000 submissions a month, 250,000 in total, 500 forms per account and 50 GB of uploads a month, above which the vendor may limit or suspend features, so unlimited means unmetered rather than uncapped.
  • They diverge on capability: APITable covers API first design, Fillout covers Unlimited seats and forms.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which APITable and Fillout actually diverge.

Attributes where APITable and Fillout differ
AttributeAPITableFillout
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feePer month by response count
PlatformsWeb, LinuxWeb, API
CategorySpreadsheetsSurveys

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

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 APITable

  • API first design
  • Widget SDK
  • Embeddable views
  • Multiple view types
  • Linked records and formulas
  • Self hosting
  • Real time collaboration

Only in Fillout

  • Unlimited seats and forms
  • Database read and write
  • Soft response limits
  • Conditional logic and calculations
  • EU hosting
  • REST API and webhooks

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

APITable

  • Embedding an editable table view inside a product you are building, rather than sending users to another toolnot Fillout
  • An internal platform where tables are read and written mostly by code through the API and only occasionally by peoplenot Fillout
  • A self hosted replacement for a per seat spreadsheet database where seat count is the cost drivernot Fillout
  • Building a custom dashboard widget that sits beside the data instead of in a separate reporting toolnot Fillout

Fillout

  • A team already running on Airtable or Notion that wants forms which update existing records rather than appending new rowsnot APITable
  • An organisation with many occasional form builders, where per-seat pricing elsewhere would cost more than the forms are worthnot APITable
  • Replacing a survey tool, a scheduling tool and a payment link with one form that does all threenot APITable
  • Public forms that must keep collecting through an unexpected traffic spike rather than shutting off at a quotanot APITable

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

APITable

  • Records are held in the product own schema rather than as native database tables, so the practical row ceiling is a product limit and large tables should be load tested before commitment.
  • The hosted free tier caps records per space, so evaluating on the cloud version gives a misleading picture of what the software can do when self hosted.
  • Automation is thin compared with the commercial alternatives, and most real workflows end up in an external automation tool.
  • The self hosted deployment is heavier than a single container, so running it properly means managing several services rather than one.
  • Documentation and community activity are uneven in English, and finding an answer to an operational problem can take longer than the problem itself deserves.

Fillout

  • The Business plan is marketed with unlimited responses but the fair use policy names thresholds of 30,000 submissions a month, 250,000 in total, 500 forms per account and 50 GB of uploads a month, above which the vendor may limit or suspend features, so unlimited means unmetered rather than uncapped.
  • EU data residency begins on the Team plan at 250 USD per month, more than three times the Business price, and is not applied automatically; you must upgrade and then raise a support request to be moved.
  • The Team plan is hidden behind a secondary tab that does not render without interaction, so buyers reading the pricing page see Business at 75 USD as the top self-serve tier and only discover the 250 USD step when they ask for single sign-on or EU hosting.
  • The enterprise marketing page lists hosting in the United States, EU, United Kingdom, Australia and Canada, but the security documentation and subprocessor list name only the United States and the EU, so three of those five regions should be confirmed in writing before they are relied on.
  • The vendor is SOC 2 Type 2 but claims neither ISO 27001 nor HIPAA anywhere in its documentation, and it is angel-funded with no disclosed institutional round while the parent company now trades as Zite and ships a separate AI application builder.

Pricing, plan by plan

APITable

Free
  • Self hosted open sourceFree
    • No licence fee
    • No product record cap on self hosted deployments
    • Docker and Kubernetes deployment

Fillout

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 1,000 responses per month
    • Unlimited forms and unlimited seats
    • 20 MB per file upload
  • Starter$15/month
    • 180 USD per year billed annually, a stated 20 percent saving on monthly billing
    • 2,000 responses per month
    • Unlimited forms and seats
  • Pro$40/month
    • 480 USD per year billed annually
    • 5,000 responses per month
    • Branding fully removed at this tier
  • Business$75/month
    • 900 USD per year billed annually
    • Marketed as unlimited responses, subject to a fair use threshold near 30,000 per month
    • 1 GB per file upload

Which should you pick?

Choose APITable if

  • You need api first design.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Linux.
  • You also want widget sdk.
APITable review

Choose Fillout if

  • You need unlimited seats and forms.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, API.
  • You also want database read and write.
Fillout review

Questions people ask

Is APITable or Fillout better?
Neither clearly leads. APITable starts at Free and Fillout at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, APITable or Fillout?
APITable starts at Free and Fillout at Free.
Does APITable or Fillout run on more platforms?
APITable runs on Web, Linux. Fillout runs on Web, API.
Can I use APITable for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is APITable best used for?
APITable is most often used for embedding an editable table view inside a product you are building, rather than sending users to another tool, an internal platform where tables are read and written mostly by code through the api and only occasionally by people, a self hosted replacement for a per seat spreadsheet database where seat count is the cost driver, building a custom dashboard widget that sits beside the data instead of in a separate reporting tool. Of those, embedding an editable table view inside a product you are building, rather than sending users to another tool and an internal platform where tables are read and written mostly by code through the api and only occasionally by people are not what Fillout is typically brought in for.
What can APITable do that Fillout cannot?
APITable covers API first design, Widget SDK, Embeddable views, Multiple view types. Fillout covers Unlimited seats and forms, Database read and write, Soft response limits, Conditional logic and calculations.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

APITable: What is the record limit?

The self hosted edition has no product cap, but performance is bounded by the internal schema rather than by your database. Test at your expected size.

Fillout: Are seats really unlimited?

Yes. The vendor states there are no per-seat charges on any plan, including Free, and forms are unlimited too. Responses per month is the only meter below the Business tier.

APITable: Can I embed it in my own product?

Yes, and that is the main reason to choose it. Views embed and the widget SDK extends them.

Fillout: What happens when I exceed my response quota?

Nothing breaks. Forms keep collecting, and you can upgrade, buy bulk submissions or wait for the monthly reset.

APITable: Is the hosted version representative?

No. Its free tier caps records per space, which is a commercial limit rather than a technical one.

Fillout: Can I host respondent data in the EU?

Only from the Team plan at 250 USD per month, and only after contacting support to switch. Note that email and payment subprocessors remain in the United States regardless.

APITable: How hard is self hosting?

Harder than a single container. Plan for several services and someone to keep them running.

Fillout: Is the Business plan really unlimited responses?

It is unmetered, not uncapped. The fair use policy names roughly 30,000 submissions a month as the point at which the vendor may intervene, so treat that as the practical ceiling.

APITable: Does it do automations?

Lightly. Expect to pair it with an external automation tool for anything multi step.

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