Airtable
Airtable helps teams build custom applications without coding.
Airtable is a spreadsheet-database hybrid that combines the familiar interface of spreadsheets with relational database functionality, enabling non-technical users to build custom applications without coding. Used by over 80% of Fortune 100 companies, it powers workflows across film production, supply chain management, vaccine distribution, and more. The platform offers collaborative data management with flexible field types, attachments, and automation capabilities across free and paid tiers.
Problem solved
Organizations waste time maintaining disconnected spreadsheets and waiting for engineering teams to build custom software, when they could use a flexible tool that lets non-technical users create database-backed applications instantly.
Target customer
Mid-market to enterprise organizations across creative, operations, and supply chain functions; teams without dedicated engineering resources who need to manage structured data and build custom workflows.
Founders
H
Howie Liu
CEO & Co-Founder
Previously founded Etacts (acquired by Salesforce in 2010), where he led social CRM and observed widespread spreadsheet use as a core business tool.
A
Andrew Ofstad
Co-Founder
Former Google engineer who spearheaded the redesign of Google Maps; Duke University graduate.
E
Emmett Nicholas
Co-Founder
Duke University graduate; co-founder connection through university network.
Funding history
Seed
$3M
February 2015
Led by Caffeinated Capital
· Freestyle Capital, Data Collective, CrunchFund
Series A
$7.6M
May 2015
Led by Charles River Ventures
· Ashton Kutcher
Series B
$52M
March 2018
Led by Unknown
· Unknown
Series C
$100M
November 2018
Led by Unknown
· Unknown
Series D
$185M
September 2020
Led by Unknown
· Unknown
Series E
$270M
March 2021
Led by Greenoaks
· WndrCo, Caffeinated Capital, CRV, Thrive
Series F
$735M
December 2021
Led by XN
· Franklin Templeton, J.P. Morgan Growth Equity Partners, Michael Dell's MSD Capital, Salesforce Ventures, Silver Lake, T. Rowe Price, Benchmark, Coatue, D1 Capital Partners, ICONIQ Growth, Thrive Capital
Total raised:
$1.36B
Industries
Pricing
Free plan with 1,000 records/base and 1GB attachment space. Team Plan at $20/user/month, Business Plan at $45/user/month (annual billing). Enterprise Scale with custom pricing. AI add-on available starting at $120/month for 10K credits. Charged per edit-enabled user; read-only collaborators and form submissions are free.
Notable customers
Netflix, TIME, Condé Nast, JetBlue, Shopify, Glossier, City of Los Angeles, half of Fortune 1000
Website
Competitors
Smartsheet
Smartsheet focuses more on project management and work execution; Airtable excels at flexible data management and custom application creation without coding.
monday.com
monday.com is work management-focused with pre-built templates; Airtable offers more raw flexibility for structured data and relational database features.
Asana
Asana prioritizes task and project management workflows; Airtable is better for teams needing to build custom data management applications without database complexity.
Why this matters: Airtable has achieved remarkable scale—80%+ Fortune 100 adoption and $1.36B in funding—by solving a fundamental problem: enabling non-technical users to build custom software without engineering teams. Its position at the intersection of spreadsheets and databases makes it remarkably sticky across industries, from creative studios to logistics, while its $11B valuation and strong investor lineup (Salesforce Ventures, Silver Lake, Franklin Templeton) signal confidence in the no-code application platform trend.
Best for: Enterprise and mid-market organizations that need non-technical teams to build and manage custom data applications, workflows, and databases without engineering involvement.
Use cases
Film Production Workflow Management
Production studios use Airtable to manage complex workflows including budgets, schedules, talent coordination, and asset tracking across distributed teams. The relational database structure allows linking cast, crew, locations, and equipment without building custom software.
Supply Chain and Vaccine Distribution
Organizations managing life-saving vaccine distribution use Airtable to track inventory, shipments, temperatures, and delivery coordination across regions. The flexible record structure and automation capabilities enable real-time visibility without dependency on engineering teams.
Marketing Asset Management
Creative teams at athletic wear and fashion companies use Airtable to manage product launches, design assets, approval workflows, and campaign calendars. The attachment and collaboration features centralize all marketing data with customizable views for different stakeholder needs.
Alternatives
Grist
Open-source spreadsheet-database similar to Airtable but with more developer-friendly features; better for teams prioritizing self-hosting or privacy over ease of use.
Smartsheet
More focused on project and work management with built-in templates; better for teams prioritizing established methodologies over custom application building.
Notion
Document-centric workspace with some database features; better for teams prioritizing content and knowledge management alongside data organization.
FAQ
What does Airtable do? +
Airtable is a spreadsheet-database hybrid that lets non-technical users create custom applications and manage structured data without coding. It combines the familiar interface of spreadsheets with relational database functionality, featuring typed fields, attachments, automations, and collaboration capabilities. Over 80% of Fortune 100 companies use it for workflows ranging from film production to vaccine distribution.
How much does Airtable cost? +
Airtable offers a free plan with 1,000 records per base. Paid plans include Team at $20/user/month and Business at $45/user/month (annual billing). Enterprise customers get custom pricing. AI credits start at $120/month for 10K credits. Only edit-enabled users are charged; read-only collaborators and form submissions are free.
What are alternatives to Airtable? +
Smartsheet offers project management-focused workflows; monday.com provides work management with pre-built templates; Asana prioritizes task management; Grist is an open-source spreadsheet-database alternative for self-hosting; Notion combines document management with database features.
Who uses Airtable? +
Target customers include mid-market to enterprise organizations needing custom data applications without engineering resources. Notable customers include Netflix, TIME, Condé Nast, JetBlue, Shopify, Glossier, and half of Fortune 1000, across industries like creative production, supply chain, marketing, and operations.
How does Airtable compare to Smartsheet? +
Airtable excels at flexible custom application building with relational database features and minimal setup; Smartsheet is more structured for project management with pre-built workflows. Airtable is better for teams building custom solutions; Smartsheet suits teams following established project management methodologies.
Tags
no-code
database
spreadsheet
workflow automation
enterprise
data management
collaboration