Asana suits teams that plan work as tasks with owners and deadlines, and its free plan covers 2 users. Airtable suits teams that need a flexible database they can shape into trackers and apps, and its free plan allows up to 5 editors but caps each base at 1,000 records. If your work is mostly lists of things rather than lists of jobs, Airtable is the better shape.
These two get compared because both can run a project. They come at it from opposite ends. Asana is a task manager that grew dashboards. Airtable is a database that grew views and automations. I read Asana's plans page and Airtable's two plan pages, so every line below is what the two companies publish.
The free plans in one table
| Asana | Airtable | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes, Personal (free forever) | Yes, Free |
| Who it's for | One or two people managing personal projects | Individual users, very small teams or lightweight needs |
| People on free | 2 users | Up to 5 editors or creators, unlimited read-only |
| How much fits | Unlimited tasks and projects | 1,000 records per base |
| File limits | 100MB per file, unlimited storage | 1GB of attachments per base |
| Automation on free | Unlimited automations start on Starter | 100 automation runs per workspace a month |
| Timeline or Gantt | Starter and up | Not on Free |
| Trial | Not stated for Personal | 14-day Team trial on your first workspace |
| History | Not stated on the plans page | 2 weeks of revision history |
Asana in plain terms
Asana organises work into tasks inside projects, and every task can have an owner and a due date. On the free Personal plan you get unlimited tasks and projects, list, board and calendar views, and 100+ integrations. Starter removes seat limits and adds Timeline and Gantt views, reporting dashboards, forms, unlimited automations and Asana AI.
That makes Asana easy to hand to a new starter. They open it, see their tasks for the week and tick them off, without needing to understand how the project was set up. Unlimited free guests on Starter also mean clients and freelancers can follow the tasks that involve them without taking a team seat.
Airtable in plain terms
Airtable looks like a spreadsheet but behaves like a database. Each base holds tables of records you can link, filter and view in different ways, and you can build interfaces on top for people who don't want to see the raw data. Its free plan is generous on people, with up to 5 editors and unlimited read-only collaborators, and strict on volume.
- 1,000 records per base and 1GB of attachments per base.
- 100 automation runs and 1,000 API calls per workspace a month.
- 2 weeks of revision history.
- No Timeline or Gantt views on Free.
What happens when Airtable's free base fills up
Airtable's plans page is clear about this, and it's reassuring. When a base hits the record limit, it keeps working and your data isn't removed, but you can't add new records until you upgrade or trim the base. So the risk isn't losing work, it's a tracker that quietly stops accepting entries on a busy day. If you log every lead, order or piece of content as a record, watch that number.
Which shape of work fits which tool
Choose Asana when the question your team asks most is who's doing what by when. Choose Airtable when the question is where's the list of everything, such as products, suppliers, content pieces or applicants. If you've been running projects from a spreadsheet, my project timeline spreadsheet template shows what to carry across, and this piece on choosing a good database for your business explains why structure matters.
My advice for a small team
If there are three to five of you and you need to start today without upgrading, Airtable's free plan fits more people, as long as each base stays under 1,000 records. If there are one or two of you and your work is a stream of tasks, Asana's Personal plan is cleaner. And if timelines are non-negotiable, judge Asana on Starter, because neither free plan gives you a Gantt view.
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Frequently asked questions
How many records does Airtable's free plan allow?
Airtable's Free plan allows 1,000 records per base. Past the limit the base still works and data stays, but you can't add new records until you upgrade.
How many people can use Asana for free?
Asana's Personal plan is for one or two people and lists 2 users.
Can Airtable do Gantt charts?
Not on the Free plan. Airtable lists Timeline and Gantt views as missing from Free.
Which is easier to start with?
Asana starts with tasks you'll recognise straight away. Airtable needs you to set up tables and fields first, which takes longer but bends to more uses.
