Airtable vs Zapier
Updated Jun 28, 2026 · pricing verified for both tools
Airtable ($20/user/mo) is the database and app layer; Zapier ($19.99/mo) is the cross-app automation layer — they solve different jobs and most teams run both. Pick Airtable when you need a relational database with views, custom interfaces, and AI fields you can edit by hand. Pick Zapier when you need data to move automatically between many SaaS tools: its 7,000+ native integrations dwarf Airtable's native connectors. Airtable's free tier is the more usable of the two (1,000 records/base and 100 automation runs/month versus Zapier's 100 tasks/month capped at two-step Zaps). If you only store and edit structured data, Airtable; if you only shuttle data across apps, Zapier.
- Airtable starts at
- $20/user/mo
- Zapier starts at
- $19.99/mo
- Airtable free tier
- Yes
- Zapier free tier
- Yes
Prices verified against the official pricing pages: Airtable on Jul 3, 2026, Zapier on Jun 11, 2026.
Side by side
| Dimension | Airtable | Zapier |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free tier; Team $20/user/mo; Business $45/user/mo (billed annually) | ✓ Free tier; Professional $19.99/mo; Team $69.50/mo (billed annually) |
| Free tier | ✓ 1,000 records/base, 5 editors, 100 automation runs/mo, 250 AI credits/editor/mo | 100 tasks/month, two-step Zaps only, 15-minute polling interval |
| Platforms | ✓ Web, native mobile apps, and REST API | Web and API only; no native mobile app |
| API access | REST API for reading and writing base data on all plans | Developer platform API plus webhooks and Zapier MCP for AI assistants |
| App integrations | Native sync to GitHub, Salesforce, Slack; 1,000+ apps via Zapier/Make | ✓ 7,000+ native app integrations including HubSpot, Shopify, QuickBooks |
| AI agents | AI fields + autonomous agents across records using OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, Llama | Zapier Agents, AI Copilot, and MCP connecting Claude/ChatGPT to 7,000 apps |
Pricing, verified
Airtable
FREEMIUM| Plan | Price |
|---|---|
| Free | Free |
| Team | $20/user/mo |
| Business | $45/user/mo |
| Enterprise Scale | Custom |
Zapier
FREEMIUM| Plan | Price |
|---|---|
| Free | Free |
| Professional | $19.99/mo |
| Team | $69.50/mo |
| Enterprise | Custom |
When to pick Airtable
- Pick this if you need a relational database non-engineers can edit — typed fields, linked records, and grid, Kanban, calendar, and Gantt views — rather than just a pipe between apps.
- Pick this if you want a usable free tier for prototyping: 1,000 records per base, 5 editors, 100 automation runs/month, and 250 AI credits per editor/month, with free viewers and form submitters that never count toward seat cost.
- Pick this if you want a custom UI on top of your data — the no-code Interface Designer builds dashboards and client-facing portals, and a native mobile app means your team can work from a phone.
When to pick Zapier
- Pick this if your stack spans many SaaS tools and you need them to talk to each other — Zapier’s 7,000+ native integrations cover nearly every business app, far beyond Airtable’s own native connectors (GitHub, Salesforce, Slack) and even the 1,000+ apps Airtable reaches only by routing through Zapier or Make.
- Pick this if you need complex automation logic: multi-step Zaps with conditional Paths, filters, and delays go well beyond Airtable’s native automations on the $19.99/mo Professional plan.
- Pick this if you want an AI orchestration layer over existing apps — Zapier MCP lets Claude or ChatGPT take real actions across the 7,000-app network, and Zapier Agents run autonomous tasks across them.
Bottom line
Airtable and Zapier are complements more than rivals, and many teams pay for both. Airtable is the structured data and app-building layer: relational bases, custom interfaces, AI fields, and a native mobile app, starting at $20/user/month with a genuinely usable free tier (1,000 records/base, 100 automation runs/month). Zapier is the connective tissue between tools: 7,000+ native integrations and multi-step trigger-action Zaps from $19.99/month, though its free tier is a sandbox capped at 100 tasks/month and two-step Zaps. Choose Airtable when the problem is “where does this data live and how do non-engineers edit it”; choose Zapier when the problem is “how does data move between all the apps we already use.” If you need both — a database that also reacts to events across your stack — run Airtable as the data layer and Zapier as the automation layer, which is exactly how the two products are most often deployed.
Frequently asked questions
Is Airtable better than Zapier?
Airtable ($20/user/mo) is the database and app layer; Zapier ($19.99/mo) is the cross-app automation layer — they solve different jobs and most teams run both. Pick Airtable when you need a relational database with views, custom interfaces, and AI fields you can edit by hand. Pick Zapier when you need data to move automatically between many SaaS tools: its 7,000+ native integrations dwarf Airtable's native connectors. Airtable's free tier is the more usable of the two (1,000 records/base and 100 automation runs/month versus Zapier's 100 tasks/month capped at two-step Zaps). If you only store and edit structured data, Airtable; if you only shuttle data across apps, Zapier. Updated Jun 28, 2026.
Is Airtable cheaper than Zapier?
No — Zapier has the lower starting price: $19.99/mo versus $20/user/mo for Airtable. Prices verified against the official pricing pages: Airtable on Jul 3, 2026, Zapier on Jun 11, 2026.
Do Airtable and Zapier have free tiers?
Yes — both do. Airtable has a free tier (the Free plan). Zapier has a free tier (the Free plan).
Can I use Airtable and Zapier on mobile or via an API?
Airtable runs on the web, mobile and offers an API. Zapier runs on the web and offers an API.