Airtable vs. Smartsheet: A side-by-side comparison

Choosing a tool to manage all of your data and workflows can get complicated, fast. And we’ll admit, it’s a complicated problem. There are so many options out there today, and on the surface, many seem to boast similar features and benefits.

If you’re wondering how to choose the right platform for your business, we’ve got you covered. Let’s start by taking a closer look at Airtable vs Smartsheet. Both our platform and Smartsheet are great options to help you manage your data—albeit with vastly different approaches.

What is Smartsheet?

Smartsheet is a spreadsheet-based project management and collaboration platform that allows team members to create schedules, project plans, track project progress, and share documents. Smartsheet is focused on aligning teams and enabling IT to securely manage the platform, and is often used by Marketing, IT, or Operations departments.

If you’ve used spreadsheets, Smartsheet will look awfully familiar. It pairs the aesthetic of Excel with a more sophisticated UI, then layers on collaboration tools like commenting, review approval, and automated workflows. It also lets you transpose your data across a handful of views—including Gantt, timeline, and card view (We call that last one “Kanban” view at Airtable). Smartsheet makes it easy for teams to move work forward and stay on the same page.

What is Airtable?

Airtable helps teams to create applications that support the unique way they work. Teams start by structuring and connecting their data using Airtable’s interactive relational database. From there, teams create custom interfaces on top of that data with a drag-and-drop experience. You don’t have to be a developer or designer to create an application on Airtable.

Airtable empowers anyone to adapt the platform to their needs, regardless of technical skill. So rather than forcing your workflow and processes to fit rigid tools, you can shape Airtable into the perfect solution for your team.

What’s the difference between Airtable and Smartsheet?

Spreadsheet tools like Smartsheet are familiar to business users, but they can make it quite difficult to connect disparate data, and it’s often tedious to keep information in-sync.  If you update your data in one place, the changes won't be reflected anywhere else, which can necessitate clunky workarounds.

Relational databases, on the other hand, connect your data across systems and teams. In Airtable, teams use linked records to connect information, creating a source of truth—one that updates in real time. If you’re not familiar with the terminology, a “linked record” is a way of connecting one part of your database (like your customer research insights) to another (like your product roadmap).

A marketing team might connect content, campaigns, tasks, SEO keywords, and contributors to one another. This information can be easily broken out—or hidden—depending on who needs to see it.

Critically, whether you’re dragging-and-dropping a deadline on a timeline, or in a slick, customizable interface, information only needs to be updated once; everything stays in-sync. That means fewer headaches, less manual processes, and more trust in your team's data.

Specific product highlights

Airtable:

• Flexible and functional: Airtable offers templates and solutions to get you started, but you're free to scrap, shape, or structure however makes the most sense for you.
• See things your way: Every team member can organize their data in one place, or transform that data into personalized views like Gaant, Kanban, and more.
• Update once, update everywhere: With linked records, all your data is connected. Changes made once are made everywhere—and in real-time.
• Automate anything: Only Airtable has an expansive library of plug-and-play automations. Seamlessly integrate the tools you’re already using, like Trello, Slack, Basecamp, Salesforce, and more.
• Operate at any scale: Companies of all shapes and sizes trust Airtable to organize their data. Whether you’re a start-up, pop-up, or large organization, we can meet you where you are.

How much do Airtable and Smartsheet cost?

Conclusion

If you’re looking for a tool that is relatively simple to use and allows you to keep track of projects and tasks, Smartsheet is a solid offering. But if you’re looking for a platform that can be custom-tailored to your specific business needs—and one that can stay updated automatically—Airtable is a great option. And even better: it’s an option that requires absolutely no coding knowledge.

We’re making databases accessible, meaning they aren’t just for computer programmers. Airtable is for any business or team that wants to streamline their workflows, foster collaboration across teams, and drive huge impact.

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