Airtable suits teams that want a flexible database they can shape into trackers and apps, and it has a free plan for up to 5 editors and 1,000 records per base. Smartsheet suits teams that run projects in a spreadsheet-style grid with Gantt charts from the first plan, but it offers a 30-day trial rather than a free plan. If you need a Gantt chart, that's where the two split.
Both tools look like a spreadsheet at first glance, and both promise to get your projects out of Excel. Underneath, Airtable is a database and Smartsheet is a project grid. I read Airtable's plans page and help centre article on its plans, and Smartsheet's plans page, so every detail below is from those pages.
Airtable and Smartsheet compared line by line
| Airtable | Smartsheet | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes, Free | Not listed (30 days free, no card needed) |
| Entry plan for teams | Team | Pro |
| People | Free: up to 5 editors, unlimited read-only | Pro: 1 to 10 Members, unlimited free Contributors |
| How much fits | Free: 1,000 records per base | Unlimited sheets, forms and reports |
| Gantt view | From Team | On Pro |
| Automations | Free: 100 runs per workspace a month | Pro: 250 each month; unlimited on Business |
| Storage | Free: 1GB of attachments per base | Pro: 20 GB, 30 MB per file |
| Trial | 14-day Team trial on your first workspace | 30 days free |
| AI | 500 AI credits per editor a month on Free | Conversational AI features on Pro |
Airtable: tables you can build apps on
Airtable's help centre says the Free plan is for individuals or very small teams getting started. It allows 1,000 records per base, 1GB of attachments per base, two weeks of revision history, 100 automation runs per workspace a month and 500 AI credits per editor. Up to 5 people can edit, up to 50 can comment, and read-only collaborators are unlimited.
Team lifts records to 50,000 per base and adds Interface Designer, Timeline and Gantt views and 25,000 automation runs. Airtable's FAQ also notes that read-only collaborators, form submissions and share links aren't counted as seats on Team or Business.
Smartsheet: projects in a familiar grid
Smartsheet's Pro plan is for people and teams who want to track, share and manage projects. It covers 1 to 10 Members with unlimited free Contributors, Gantt, table, board and calendar views, rich formulas, unlimited sheets, forms and reports, and 250 automations a month. Business adds Timeline view, workload tracking, admin tools, unlimited automations, 1 TB of storage and connections to AI tools including Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini and Copilot.
The seat rule that changes the sums
Here's the detail that matters for a small team. Smartsheet's Pro plan stops at 10 Members, but Contributors are free and unlimited, so clients and freelancers who only update their own rows don't take a seat. Airtable's free plan caps editors at 5, and on upgraded plans anyone with edit rights on a base counts. If you have lots of people updating and only a few people building, Smartsheet's model fits that shape. If a handful of you build and everyone else reads, Airtable's free read-only access goes a long way.
Gantt charts are the other dividing line. They're on Smartsheet's first plan and on Airtable's Team plan, not on Airtable Free.
Which team each tool suits
Airtable suits teams tracking lists of things: products, content, suppliers, applicants or leads, with views and simple apps on top. Smartsheet suits project managers who think in dates, dependencies and owners, and who want Gantt charts without leaving the grid. If you're still in spreadsheets, my guide to making a calendar in Google Sheets is a good stopgap, and this piece on project management methods will help you pick a way of working first.
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My advice for picking one
Open your current spreadsheet and look at the columns. If most of them describe a thing, such as a product, a person or a post, start on Airtable's free plan. If most of them are dates, owners and percent complete, start Smartsheet's 30-day trial and build your real project plan in the Gantt view. Whichever you pick, move one live project across first and run it for a fortnight before you migrate the rest.
Do you make database or project management software? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place in comparisons like this one.
Frequently asked questions
Does Smartsheet have a free plan?
Smartsheet's plans page lists Pro, Business, Enterprise and Advanced Work Management, with 30 days free and no credit card needed. No free plan is listed.
How many records does Airtable's free plan allow?
Airtable's Free plan allows 1,000 records per base, with up to 5 editors and unlimited read-only collaborators.
Does Airtable have Gantt charts?
Yes, from the Team plan, which adds Timeline and Gantt views. Smartsheet includes a Gantt view on Pro.
What is a Contributor in Smartsheet?
Smartsheet's Pro plan includes unlimited free Contributors alongside 1 to 10 Members, so people who only update work don't need a Member seat.
