Airtable and Notion are the fastest-growing platforms for managing business and finance projects. Their sophisticated design facilitates seamless project planning, a delegation of tasks, and the achievement of objectives and goals. While these two project management solutions are very similar, they differ in many ways.
This article compares Notion with Airtable based on its usability, key features, pros, and cons.
Notion Overview
Founded in 2018 by Ivan Zhao, Notion is a project management software solution headquartered in San Francisco, California. The project management tool integrates documents and database features which can be used to help business teams organise, collaborate, manage, track their tasks, and stay in sync always.
Notion claims to be a single space to think, write, and plan. Its all-in-one workspace combines tasks, wikis, and unique modified databases to support markdown.
Markdown is a simplified markup language used alongside plain text to add several formatting elements, including headings, URLs, bulleted lists, etc., to plain text without using HTML tags or a text editor.
Notion Pros and Cons
Each project management tool has strengths and weaknesses. Notion is no different. Below are its major pros and cons:
Pros:
- Customisable templates and themes
- Desktop app integration
- Free-account has a wide range of stellar tools
- Simplified interface
- Short learning curve
- Flexible productivity
Cons:
- Cannot sync when offline
- Text formatting issues
Airtable Overview
Airtable is a powerful relational database project management tool applied to a spreadsheet platform.
Due to its extensive versatility, teams can use Airtable to create and edit databases. Its cloud-based software allows users to manage work, plan an event, track and organise inventories, and more.
Airtable has scaled to become an ‘Editor’s Choice among top collaboration apps. The innovative database tool was founded in 2012 by Howie Liu, Andrew Ofstad, and Emmett Nicholas and is headquartered in San Francisco, California.
The cloud app integrates a simple-layout interface that can be used to build collaborative applications, customise workflow, and achieve tasks and ambitious outcomes.
Additionally, Airtable incorporates a product/app marketplace where individuals and teams can build powerful apps, and customise, share, and connect those apps across the organisations— all on the same platform.
Business enthusiasts regard Airtable as a “Google Sheets on steroids” based on its attachments and unique features. In contrast to conventional spreadsheets, Airtables tend to be more flexible and limitless. The software’s fields include dates, single selects, attachments, and more.
Airtable Pros and Cons
Below are the pros and cons of Airtable:
Pros:
- User-friendly software
- Customisable templates
- Integrated time tracking system
- Wide range of templates
- Spreadsheet and Database integration
- Public Rest API to change or retrieve records
- Available on desktop, mobile, and web
Cons:
- Airtable is expensive
- The learning curve may be steep
Notion vs Airtable: Top Features
As earlier stated, Notion and Airtable provide various functionalities. This section dive into both major features and how they compare together.
Data Management
Compared to Airtable, Notion’s ‘database block’ has low stellar features. Airtable features a more sophisticated database similar to the ‘backend’, facilitating easier data management and an effective customer to-do list.
With Notion, data management is one of many features, while Airtable is the program’s focus. Unlike Notion, where users are restricted to using primary fields that are text, Airtable gives users full control to create any field of their choice.
For us, Airtable excels at data management.
Templates
Both Notion and Airtable provide users with a wide range of exciting tools. Both productivity software includes templates that can be used for various purposes.
For example, Notion offers over 100 templates for individuals, teams, and companies.
Similar to Notion, Airtable offers over 100 templates structured for Digital marketers, Project managers, Designers, Sales management & teams, HR & Recruiters, Product managers, and Event managers.
Both platforms offer impressive templates ranging from social media, marketing, finance, real estate, engineering, and much more. As far as templates go, both Notion and Airtable excel.
Automation
In the workplace, recurring tasks are normal. With automation services like Zapier, users can connect applications (Slack, Twitter, Message, Gmail, Contact, etc.) and automate their workflows.
Teams can also filter, reformat data and perform actions conditionally. For example, Google Contacts syncs with Notion’s Contacts database, and Google Calendar syncs with Notion’s Events database.
This is different from Airtable, where users control the automation. Users can click on the sidebar next to the Airtable spreadsheet and automatically create messages, tweets, slack messages, or other forms of automation based on data changes.
Airtable has an advantage over Notion regarding automation since it does not require a third-party app.
Applications
Airtable features a powerful application marketplace full of numerous products with versatile utilities and seamless Automation integration. Airtable’s marketplace includes applications created by the company and third-party providers such as Vega-Lite, Charts, Base Schema, SendGrid, CSV import, Pivot tables and others.
These applications allow users to improve their work productivity output. For example, the Vega-Lite app helps to build visualisation, while the Pivot table app summarises all records in a Pivot table format.
Overall, the Airtable app marketplace comprises an excellent range of Airtable innovations and core functionality.
In contrast, Notio has no application marketplace that connects its products to users. There are rumours of an expected turnaround in future, but for now, there is nothing native.
Notion is outmatched by Airtable’s impressive range of app marketplaces.
Notion vs Airtable: User Experience
Notion and Airtable may share similar functionalities, but their user experiences are distinct.
Notion features a text editor that is useful for writing. Unlike conventional text editors, each line on Notion is called a ‘block’- this can be a text, image, headline, or other options. Users can drag and drop these blocks to create a customisable layout to fit their needs.
Users are met with a smooth experience while utilising document organisation, journal knowledge management, wiki-style documents, and personal web pages.
Furthermore, the Notion platform entails personal writing, customer relationship management (CRM), and a content calendar – perfect for social media managers, content creators, or creatives of different components (media, tech, finance, etc.)
Airtable user experience manages structured data, inventory, invoices, and production schedules. Similar to Excel spreadsheets, Airtable enables users to create several sheets and link records across these tables. Airtable also incorporates ‘views’ that work simultaneously with sheets. Airtable views transform the look and feel of data to match a set workflow. For example, a user can create a board view for a calendar to view and track events or deadlines- all with the same data.
Notion vs Airtable: Pricing
The tables below contain Notion and Airtable pricing structures:
| Notion’s Pricing Models | Fees | Functionalities |
| Free | Zero |
|
| Personal Pro | $4 per month |
|
| Team | $8 per month |
|
| Enterprise | Undisclosed |
|
| Airtable’s Pricing Models | Fees | Functionalities |
| Free | Zero |
|
| Plus | $10 per month |
|
| Pro | $20 per month |
|
| Enterprise | Undisclosed |
|
The Notion vs Airtable pricing models tables clearly states that both productivity software attaches to their models in the fees and functionalities. Notion offers lower-cost models than Airtable – this is done to aid individuals in accessing a well-curated tool without breaking the bank.
Airtable, on the other hand, is somewhat expensive; however, it makes up for its high cost via its large integrations and extensive databases.
Airtable can be used by individuals but is most suited for larger business teams that can conveniently afford its costs and effectively use its sophisticated functionalities.
Which is Better, Notion vs Airtable
At the outset, Notion and Airtable are innovative productivity software tools, but their functionality differs and serves different purposes.
Notion offers a simple solution to Team and project management – it allows project personnel’s get organized and stay ahead of set tasks without scaling through complex processes or hassles. Notion features a simple learning curve with fewer integrations and database extensions – its uses entail team collaboration, task organization, and data management.
Airtable, on the other hand, features a wider range of tools and database extensions than Notion. Airtable offers deeper integrations, limitless flexibility, and sophisticated extended tools like relational database functionality and data synchronizations.
Overall, it can be hard to pick the better productivity software because the assessment depends mainly on what business teams and managers need and how they plan to utilize the software with their vast range of teams.
However, Notion is more suited for individual users and small businesses because of its ‘Free’ mode rich features, low cost, pricing, simple learning curve, collaboration, and task organizing features.
On the other hand, Airtable’s plethora of sophisticated integrations, extensive database, and automation features make it ideal for larger teams that want powerful and flexible productivity tools.
Alternatives
Here is a list of the best alternatives to Notion and Airtable productive software tools.
ZEHo Projects
ZEHo is a flexible project management support that enables project managers to achieve a tailored-suit requirement for task completion and data management. ZEHo integrates many services, including part or complete project management, scheme and contract administration, initial project advice, due diligence, and many more.
Zenkit
Zenkit is one of the alternatives to Notion and Airtable. Zenkit is a cloud-based productive software tool designed for all types of businesses. It focuses on natural team workflow and features flexibility, collaboration, and freedom to organise tasks, objects, goals, data management, and more.
Quip
Quip is a productive software targeted at Sales businesses. This tool combines documents, spreadsheets, account planning templates, qualification notes, and other capabilities to allow teams to communicate and analyse sales projects while working on them directly.
Smartsheet
Smartsheet is a modernised production tool business, and project personnel can use it to coordinate teams and complete objectives. Smartsheet supports hybrid work via a user-friendly and flexible platform that facilitates better communication, process scale, and collaboration— all built to empower every team member.
The Verdict
This Notion vs Airtable comparison shows that both project solutions are popular, reputable, and world-revered productivity options. Business enthusiasts must choose the best option that helps them meet their project management needs.
Whether you are a sole proprietor or starting your first business, Notion is a better choice for managing various documents, organising information, and setting up tasks promptly. However, for more extensive business teams who need a simplified way to manage databases and objectives, Airtable would be the best choice.
FAQs
Can Airtable replace Notion?
Due to their different appeals, individuals and businesses aligned with project management must consider their productivity needs before using or replacing these tools. For data organisation and database management, Airtable will be an ideal option for replacement.
In terms of seamless document arrangement and information management, Notion is the better choice.
Does Notion integrate with Airtable?
Users can integrate Notion with Airtable. However, this can only be done by a third-party app, Unito. Unito is a dual workflow project management solution that facilitates seamless syncing and connection with Notion and Airtable – keeping teams perfectly aligned.
Is Trello or Notion better?
Trello is a top-tier productivity software tool; however, Notion tends to be more flexible, customisable and trusted globally. Notion’s versatility is not limited to project management alone; it can be used as a wiki and a database solution.
Is Asana easier than Airtable?
Asana has an easier learning curve than Airtable. Although both Asana and Airtable have rich features, Asana’s simple-layout interface appeals to users in need of project management functionalities.
