Is Airtable or Grist better?

Neither clearly leads. Airtable starts at Free and Grist at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.

Which is cheaper, Airtable or Grist?

Airtable starts at Free and Grist at Free.

Does Airtable or Grist run on more platforms?

Airtable runs on Web, iOS, Android, Desktop. Grist runs on Web.

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 Grist is typically brought in for.

What can Airtable do that Grist cannot?

Airtable covers Spreadsheet-database hybrid, Custom views, Automation, Forms.

Databases · head to head

Airtable vs Grist

Airtable

Databases

Create apps that perfectly fit your team's needs

From: Free
Rated: -

Full review Website

Grist

Databases

The evolution of spreadsheets

From: Free
Rated: -

Full review Website

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; Grist business plan has minimum 5-user requirement
Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Airtable and Grist actually diverge.

Attributes where Airtable and Grist differ
Attribute	Airtable	Grist
Pricing model	Unknown	freemium
Platforms	Web, iOS, Android, Desktop	Web
Founded	2012	Unknown

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

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 Grist

Nothing recorded that Airtable does not also cover.

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

Grist

Collaborative data and spreadsheet managementnot Airtable
Database creation and automationnot Airtable
Team data analysis and reportingnot 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

Grist

Business plan has minimum 5-user requirement
Enterprise self-hosted pricing not disclosed publicly
Annual billing discount only 20%, lower than some competitors

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$45/month per editor annual
- 125,000 records per base
- Advanced permissions
- Priority support
Enterprise Scale$undefined/custom
- 500,000+ records per base
- Custom SLA
- Dedicated support

Grist

Free

FreeFree
- Unlimited documents
- Up to 5,000 records per document
- 30-day snapshot history
Pro$10/month
- Up to 100,000 records per document
- 3-year snapshot history
- 100+ AI credits monthly
Business$30/month
- 150,000 records per document
- 5-year snapshot history
- 2,000 AI credits monthly

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 Grist if

You want to start without paying.

Grist review

Questions people ask

Is Airtable or Grist better?: Neither clearly leads. Airtable starts at Free and Grist at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Airtable or Grist?: Airtable starts at Free and Grist at Free.
Does Airtable or Grist run on more platforms?: Airtable runs on Web, iOS, Android, Desktop. Grist runs on Web.
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 Grist is typically brought in for.
What can Airtable do that Grist cannot?: Airtable covers Spreadsheet-database hybrid, Custom views, Automation, Forms.

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

Grist: Does Grist have a free version?

Yes. Grist Free includes unlimited documents with up to 5,000 records each, 30-day snapshot history, and 100 AI Assistant credits. No credit card required.

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

Grist: How much does Grist Pro cost?

Grist Pro is $10/user/month (billed monthly) or $8/user/month with annual billing. It includes up to 100,000 records per document and 3-year snapshot history.

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

Grist: What does Grist's Business plan include?

Grist Business is $30/user/month ($24 annually) with a minimum of 5 users. It includes 150,000 records per document, 5-year snapshot history, 2,000 AI credits monthly, and automations with priority support.

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

Grist: Do nonprofits get discounts on Grist?

Yes. Nonprofits receive a 50% discount on the Pro plan with Letter of Determination verification.

Source

Airtable vs Grist

Airtable

Grist

The short version

Where they differ

What each one covers

Only in Airtable

Only in Grist

What people use each for

Airtable

Grist

Where each one falls short

Airtable

Grist

Pricing, plan by plan

Airtable

Grist

Which should you pick?

Choose Airtable if

Choose Grist if

Questions people ask

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Related pages

More on Airtable

More on Grist

Keep looking

Other head to heads