Airtable vs Grist Comparison
Compare Airtable vs Grist features, pricing, and more.
Last updated: November 2026
Airtable
6.6/10
Airtable is a no-code relational database and app-building platform that teams use to track projects, content, and operations through grids, boards, timelines, and automations.
Grist
6.8/10
Grist is an open-source relational spreadsheet-database with Python formulas, available as a cloud service or self-hosted, for teams building custom trackers and lightweight apps.
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
| Feature | | |
|---|---|---|
| Scores | ||
| Overall Rating | 6.6/10 | 6.8/10 |
| Analytics | 6/10 | 6/10 |
| Cost | 4/10 | 8/10 |
| Customization | 9/10 | 9/10 |
| Ease of Use | 6/10 | 6/10 |
| Integration | 8/10 | 6/10 |
| Scalability | 6/10 | 5/10 |
| Security | 8/10 | 7/10 |
| Support | 5/10 | 6/10 |
| Pricing | ||
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Cheapest paid plan | $24/user/mo Team | $10/user/mo Pro |
| Estimated cost for 10 users | Free Free | Free Free |
| Features | ||
| App integrations | ||
| Client collaboration | ||
| Collaboration tools | ||
| Dashboards | ||
| Databases | ||
| File sharing | ||
| Reporting | ||
| Scheduling | ||
| Spreadsheet interface | ||
| Task lists | ||
| Timeline view | ||
| Workflow automation | ||
| Gantt charts | Not listed | |
| Kanban boards | Not listed | |
| Task management | Not listed | |
Airtable vs Grist cost by team size
Airtable and Grist cost the same at every team size we checked.
| Team size | Airtable | Grist |
|---|---|---|
| 1 user | FreeFree | FreeFree |
| 5 users | FreeFree | FreeFree |
| 10 users | FreeFree | FreeFree |
| 25 users | FreeFree | FreeSelf-hosted Community |
| 50 users | FreeFree | FreeSelf-hosted Community |
The plan that fits each team size, billed monthly, before add-ons and usage charges. Each cost opens that tool's pricing calculator for the team size.
Which One Should You Choose?
Why choose Airtable
- Higher Integration score (8/10 vs 6/10)
- Higher Scalability score (6/10 vs 5/10)
- Better fit for mid-market (7/10 vs 5/10)
Why choose Grist
- Higher Cost score (8/10 vs 4/10)
- Higher Support score (6/10 vs 5/10)
Pros & Cons
Airtable
Pros
- Linked records, rollups, lookups, and formulas give real relational modeling that non-developers can maintain, and reviewers rate its customization at 4.6 on G2.
- The same data can be shown as grid, Kanban, calendar, timeline, or Gantt views, and Interface Designer can turn it into simple apps.
- Read-only collaborators, form submitters, and share-link viewers are not billed, which helps teams that share work with clients or stakeholders.
- A broad set of integrations, including Salesforce, Jira, Snowflake, Databricks, Slack, Claude, and ChatGPT, plus a public API.
- Security credentials include SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, SAML SSO, and HIPAA support with a BAA on Enterprise Scale.
Cons
- Every user with edit access pays for a seat, so costs grow quickly as more people adopt it.
- Moving past 50,000 records per base forces a jump from 20 to 45 dollars per seat on annual billing, with no tier in between.
- Reviewers report slower performance and limited advanced reporting on large bases.
- Complex setups take time to learn, and reviewers score its ease of use and support lower than its flexibility.
- Bending Spoons bought Airtable in 2026 and followed with layoffs, which leaves customers unsure about future pricing and the product roadmap.
Grist
Pros
- Python formulas and relational references give more modelling power than ordinary spreadsheets.
- The open-source core can be self-hosted for free, which is useful for privacy-sensitive organisations.
- The free tier allows unlimited documents and up to 10 members.
- Linked widgets (table, card, chart, calendar, form, custom) let teams build tailored project apps.
- Reviewers praise the responsive support team and active community.
Cons
- There are no built-in Kanban or Gantt views, so project workflows must be assembled by hand.
- Per-document record caps (5,000 on Free, 150,000 on Business) limit large datasets.
- The company has acknowledged performance concerns with large databases.
- Automations require the $30-per-user Business plan, which has a five-user minimum.
- Few public reviews exist, and no compliance certifications are listed.
Not sold on either?
Frequently Asked Questions
Grist scores higher on our Project Management criteria: 6.8/10 against 6.6/10 for Airtable. The largest gap is in Cost: 4/10 for Airtable and 8/10 for Grist.
Both are free for 10 users.
Yes, both Airtable and Grist have a free plan.
Airtable is the better fit for mid-market: we rate it 7/10 for them, against 5/10 for Grist.
