All industries · head to head
Folk vs Airtable
Folk
All industries
The CRM that works for you, not the other way around
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
Airtable
All industries
Create apps that perfectly fit your team's needs
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Folk no native mobile app, only works through mobile browser which is not optimized for phones; Airtable hitting a plan limit blocks adding records or attachments entirely until you upgrade, rather than degrading gracefully
- They diverge on capability: Folk covers Contact management, Airtable covers Spreadsheet-database hybrid.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Folk and Airtable actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (Unknown), 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 Folk
- Contact management
- Email tracking
- Mail merge
- Chrome extension
- Tags & groups
- Notes & activities
- Import/export
- Search & filters
Only in Airtable
- Spreadsheet-database hybrid
- Custom views
- Automation
- Forms
- Integrations
- Mobile apps
- Real-time collaboration
- API access
Both cover
- Gmail
- GDPR
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Folk
- Contact managementnot Airtable
- Sales outreachnot Airtable
- Networkingnot Airtable
- Recruitmentnot Airtable
- Investor relationsnot Airtable
Airtable
- Structured team databases with grid, calendar and kanban viewsnot Folk
- Lightweight internal tools built on shared recordsnot Folk
- Automations between Airtable and other systemsnot Folk
- Sharing read-only views with collaborators, who are not chargednot Folk
- Collecting submissions through forms without paying for a seatnot Folk
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Folk
- No native mobile app, only works through mobile browser which is not optimized for phones
- Limited workflow automation capabilities compared to enterprise CRMs
- No automatic phone call tracking, requires manual entry
- Limited reporting and analytics features
- Monthly caps on email sends and enrichment credits on lower tiers
- LinkedIn Chrome extension sometimes has synchronization problems
- Email sent through Folk sometimes doesn't appear as sent in user's Outlook account
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
Pricing, plan by plan
Folk
Free- Standard$24/month
- Pipeline management
- Email campaigns
- Contact enrichment
- Premium$48/month
- Custom objects
- Email sequences
- Dashboards
- Enterprise$80/month
- Dedicated account manager
- Custom integrations
- Priority support
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
Which should you pick?
Choose Folk if
- You need contact management.
- You want to start without paying.
- You also want email tracking.
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.
Questions people ask
- Is Folk or Airtable better?
- Neither clearly leads. Folk starts at Free and Airtable at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Folk or Airtable?
- Folk starts at Free and Airtable at Free.
- Does Folk or Airtable run on more platforms?
- Folk runs on Web. Airtable runs on Web, iOS, Android, Desktop.
- Can I use Folk for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Folk best used for?
- Folk is most often used for contact management, sales outreach, networking, recruitment. Of those, contact management and sales outreach are not what Airtable is typically brought in for.
- What can Folk do that Airtable cannot?
- Folk covers Contact management, Email tracking, Mail merge, Chrome extension. Airtable covers Spreadsheet-database hybrid, Custom views, Automation, Forms. Both handle Gmail, GDPR.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Folk: What are Folk's pricing plans?
Folk offers three plans: Standard at $24/month per member (billed annually), Premium at $48/month with custom objects and email sequences, and Enterprise from $80/month with advanced security and dedicated support. New workspaces get a 2-week free trial with all Premium features.
SourceAirtable: 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.
SourceFolk: Does Folk offer a mobile app?
Folk does not have native iOS or Android apps. The web interface technically works on mobile browsers but is built primarily for desktop use.
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.
SourceFolk: Does Folk track phone calls automatically?
No, Folk does not automatically track phone calls. All call interactions must be manually entered into the system.
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.
SourceFolk: What integrations does Folk support?
Folk supports over 5,000 integrations through platforms like Zapier and Make. It includes native email, calendar, and WhatsApp sync, LinkedIn extension, and can enrich contact data using its built-in enrichment tool.
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.
Source