Airtable vs Smartsheet
The Winner
Smartsheet
Has a slight advantage based on user ratings and overall value. Both tools are excellent - Airtable may still be better for specific use cases.
Quick Comparison
| Criteria |  Airtable |  Smartsheet |
|---|---|---|
| Free Tier | Yes Best | No |
| Starting Price | $24/mo | $12/mo Best |
| User Rating | 4.3 | 4.5 Best |
| Review Count | 47,081 | 168,398 Best |
| Free Trial | No | 30 days Best |
| Annual Discount | 17% | 25% Best |
| Best For | Teams building custom workflows | Enterprise spreadsheet power users |
Feature Breakdown
Airtable Key Features
- Relational databases
- Custom views (Grid, Kanban, Calendar, Gallery)
- Automation builder
- Interface Designer
- AI field types
- Pre-built templates
- Sync integrations
- Extensions marketplace
Smartsheet Key Features
- Smart Assist - AI companion that creates projects from outlines and answers questions in real-time
- Smart Agents - AI project manager that monitors progress, flags risks, and recommends improvements
- Smart Flows - Build complex multi-step workflows using natural language prompts
- Smart Columns - AI-powered columns that categorize, translate, and analyze data automatically
- Knowledge Graph - Intelligent data foundation powering all AI features across the platform
- Advanced Gantt charts with drag-and-drop editing and automatic dependency updates
- Unlimited automations on Business+ plans (250/month on Pro)
- 175+ integrations including Microsoft, Adobe, Google, Salesforce, and Jira
Airtable
- Unmatched data flexibility
- Multiple views of the same data
- Powerful automation builder
- Interface Designer
- Per-seat pricing adds up quickly
- Record limits per base
- Limited free tier for teams
Smartsheet
- Powerful Data Analysis
- Enterprise-Grade Automation
- Flexible Visualization
- Comprehensive AI Suite
- Steep Learning Curve
- Limited Free Plan
- AI Requires Enterprise
Airtable Overview
Airtable is a flexible database-app platform that combines spreadsheet simplicity with relational database power. Best for teams building custom workflows without code. The Team plan unlocks 50,000 records and 25,000 automation runs with per-seat pricing. Strong free tier for individuals, but costs add up fast for larger teams.
Best For:
- Teams building custom workflows
- Project managers tracking complex data
- Marketing teams managing content calendars
- Operations teams automating processes
Smartsheet Overview
Smartsheet excels at enterprise-scale project management for teams comfortable with spreadsheet interfaces. The Pro tier offers Gantt charts, unlimited sheets, and 250 automations monthly, while Business unlocks unlimited automations at a higher tier. Best for organizations needing powerful data analysis alongside project tracking.
Best For:
- Enterprise spreadsheet power users
- Complex data analysis and financial modeling
- Organizations requiring advanced reporting and dashboards
- Teams needing Gantt charts with dependency management
- Companies wanting no-code workflow automation
- Large-scale resource planning and allocation
- Cross-functional collaboration with real-time updates
The Verdict
Smartsheet has a slight edge based on user ratings and overall value. Both tools are excellent - Airtable may still be better for Teams building custom workflows.