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All industries · head to head

Trello vs Airtable

Trello logo

Trello

All industries

Organize anything, together

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Airtable logo

Airtable

All industries

Create apps that perfectly fit your team's needs

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Trello free tier limited to 10 boards and 10 collaborators per workspace; Airtable hitting a plan limit blocks adding records or attachments entirely until you upgrade, rather than degrading gracefully
  • They diverge on capability: Trello covers Kanban boards, Airtable covers Spreadsheet-database hybrid.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Trello and Airtable actually diverge.

Attributes where Trello and Airtable differ
AttributeTrelloAirtable
PlatformsWeb, Ios, Android, Windows, MacosWeb, iOS, Android, Desktop
Founded20112012

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 Trello

  • Kanban boards
  • Cards & lists
  • Drag-and-drop interface
  • Activity feed
  • Due dates & reminders
  • File attachments
  • Comments & mentions
  • Power-Ups ecosystem

Only in Airtable

  • Spreadsheet-database hybrid
  • Custom views
  • Automation
  • Forms
  • Integrations
  • Mobile apps
  • Real-time collaboration
  • API access

Both cover

  • Slack
  • Google Drive
  • Dropbox
  • Salesforce
  • Jira
  • SOC2
  • ISO27001

What people use each for

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

Trello

  • Project trackingnot Airtable
  • Content calendarsnot Airtable
  • Sales pipelinesnot Airtable
  • Onboarding processesnot Airtable
  • Personal task managementnot Airtable

Airtable

  • Structured team databases with grid, calendar and kanban viewsnot Trello
  • Lightweight internal tools built on shared recordsnot Trello
  • Automations between Airtable and other systemsnot Trello
  • Sharing read-only views with collaborators, who are not chargednot Trello
  • Collecting submissions through forms without paying for a seatnot Trello

Where each one falls short

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

Trello

  • Free tier limited to 10 boards and 10 collaborators per workspace
  • Free tier automation capped at 250 monthly Butler runs
  • No offline access; web-based platform requires internet connection
  • Advanced views (timeline, table, dashboard) not available on Standard plan
  • SSO only available on Enterprise plan

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

Trello

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Up to 10 boards/workspace
    • Up to 10 collaborators
    • 250 monthly Butler automation runs
  • Standard$5/user/month
    • Unlimited boards
    • Unlimited Power-Ups
    • 1,000 monthly Butler runs
  • Premium$10/user/month
    • All Standard features
    • Timeline, table, dashboard, calendar views
    • Unlimited automation
  • Enterprise$17.5/user/month
    • All Premium features
    • Unlimited workspaces
    • SSO and user provisioning

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 Trello if

  • You need kanban boards.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Windows, Macos.
  • You also want cards & lists.
Trello review

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

Questions people ask

Is Trello or Airtable better?
Neither clearly leads. Trello 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, Trello or Airtable?
Trello starts at Free and Airtable at Free.
Does Trello or Airtable run on more platforms?
Trello runs on Web, Ios, Android, Windows, Macos. Airtable runs on Web, iOS, Android, Desktop.
Can I use Trello for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Trello best used for?
Trello is most often used for project tracking, content calendars, sales pipelines, onboarding processes. Of those, project tracking and content calendars are not what Airtable is typically brought in for.
What can Trello do that Airtable cannot?
Trello covers Kanban boards, Cards & lists, Drag-and-drop interface, Activity feed. Airtable covers Spreadsheet-database hybrid, Custom views, Automation, Forms. Both handle Slack, Google Drive, Dropbox, Salesforce.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Trello: What are the free tier limitations for Trello?

Trello Free supports up to 10 boards per workspace, unlimited cards, 250 monthly Butler automation runs, and up to 10 Power-Up attachments. Limited to 10 collaborators per workspace.

Source
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
Trello: What features are included in the Standard plan?

Standard ($5-6/user/month) adds unlimited boards, custom fields, advanced checklists, 1,000 monthly automation runs, list colors, and calendar view access.

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
Trello: Does Trello offer SSO and on which plan?

SSO through Atlassian Guard is included only on the Enterprise plan ($17.50/user/month or $210/year per user).

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
Trello: How many file attachment options are available?

Free tier includes 2 Power-Ups per board, Standard adds unlimited Power-Ups, and Premium and above offer full Power-Up marketplace access with custom integration options.

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
Trello: Is there offline access to Trello boards?

Trello is a web-based application requiring internet connection. Mobile apps are available for iOS and Android but do not support true offline editing.

Source
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Related pages

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