- What Airtable's Free plan includes
- Airtable Free vs Team at a glance
- Who can work in a free workspace
- The catch: the trial comes first, and automations run out fast
- How to get the most from Airtable Free
- Free workspaces and upgraded ones side by side
- Who Airtable Free suits
- Where the free AI credits fit
- Keeping an eye on API calls
- Frequently asked questions
Yes, Airtable is free. Airtable's Free plan gives each base up to 1,000 records and 1 GB of attachments, with 5 editors per workspace and 100 automation runs a month, and your first workspace starts on a 14-day trial of the Team plan before dropping to Free.
Airtable sits somewhere between a spreadsheet and a database. You can use it to track clients, plan content, run an inventory list or manage a small project, and the Free plan is enough to build something useful. Airtable describes Free as intended for individuals or very small teams just getting started. The numbers are clear, so the trick is knowing which one you'll hit first.
What Airtable's Free plan includes
Airtable's plans article lists these limits for Free:
- 1,000 records per base. A single table can hold up to 1,000 records, which also hits the base limit.
- 1,000 API calls per workspace each month.
- 1 GB of attachment storage per base.
- 2 weeks of revision and snapshot history.
- 75 unique automations per base and 100 automation runs per workspace each month.
- 500 AI credits per editor and above each month.
Airtable Free vs Team at a glance
| Limit | Free | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Records per base | 1,000 | 50,000 |
| API calls per workspace a month | 1,000 | 100,000 |
| Attachment storage per base | 1 GB | 20 GB |
| Revision and snapshot history | 2 weeks | 1 year |
| Unique automations per base | 75 | 100 |
| Automation runs per workspace a month | 100 | 25,000 |
Who can work in a free workspace
Airtable's collaborator rules on Free are generous for viewers and tight for editors:
- Unlimited collaborators with Read only permissions.
- Up to 5 collaborators with Editor or Creator permissions.
- Up to 50 collaborators with Commenter permissions.
So you can share a content calendar with your whole team to view, but only 5 people can change it.
The catch: the trial comes first, and automations run out fast
New accounts don't land on Free straight away. Airtable says your first workspace is automatically upgraded to a 14-day trial of the Team plan when you create your account. When the trial ends, you can stay on Free or upgrade. That means features you build in the first two weeks might stop working on day 15, so test your base against the Free limits before the trial ends.
The limit to watch closest is automation runs. 100 runs a month across the whole workspace go quickly if an automation fires every time a form is submitted or a record changes. If you rely on automations, count how often they'll run before you build them.
Forms have their own limits on Free too. Airtable says you can't customise the header image, and Airtable branding can't be removed.
How to get the most from Airtable Free
- Create your account and use the 14-day Team trial to explore, but build within the Free limits.
- Keep one base per job, such as one for clients and one for content, since records are counted per base.
- Archive finished records outside Airtable so you stay under 1,000 per base.
- Store large files elsewhere and link to them, so you don't use up the 1 GB of attachments.
- Use automations only where they save the most time, so 100 runs a month is enough.
Free workspaces and upgraded ones side by side
Airtable says self-serve plans let you upgrade individual workspaces while keeping others on Free. That's handy if one busy project needs more room while your personal planning base stays on the Free plan.
If you're deciding whether you need Airtable at all, my set of free spreadsheet templates covers lighter options, and my guide to AI workflow automation for small businesses explains where automations save the most time.
Who Airtable Free suits
Airtable Free suits solo business owners and very small teams with a modest amount of data, such as a client list, a content calendar or a product catalogue under 1,000 rows. It also suits anyone sharing information with a large group of viewers.
It's a weaker fit for teams with more than 5 editors, for heavy automation, or for bases that grow beyond 1,000 records.
Where the free AI credits fit
Airtable includes AI on the Free plan too. Its plans article lists 500 AI credits per editor and above each month. That's enough to try Airtable's AI features on a small base, such as summarising notes in a record or tidying up text fields, before deciding whether they're worth relying on.
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Because the credits are counted per editor, a workspace with 5 editors gets more to share around than a solo account.
Keeping an eye on API calls
If you connect Airtable to other tools, each connection uses API calls. The Free plan includes 1,000 API calls per workspace each month. A tool that checks your base every few minutes can use that up, so check how often any connected app reads from Airtable.
My verdict: Airtable is free and capable for small projects. Watch the 100 automation runs and the 1,000 records per base, and remember the first 14 days are a Team trial, not the Free plan you'll end up on.
Frequently asked questions
Is Airtable free forever?
Yes. Airtable offers a Free plan for individuals and very small teams. Your first workspace starts on a 14-day Team trial, after which you can stay on Free.
How many records does Airtable Free allow?
Airtable's Free plan allows 1,000 records per base.
How many people can edit an Airtable base for free?
Free workspaces allow up to 5 collaborators with Editor or Creator permissions, up to 50 with Commenter permissions and unlimited Read only collaborators.
How many automation runs do you get on Airtable Free?
Airtable lists 100 automation runs per workspace each month on the Free plan, with up to 75 unique automations per base.
Can I remove Airtable branding from free forms?
No. Airtable says Airtable branding can't be removed from forms on the Free plan.
Does Airtable Free include AI?
Yes. Airtable lists 500 AI credits per editor and above each month on the Free plan.
How long is Airtable's revision history on Free?
Airtable's Free plan includes 2 weeks of revision and snapshot history.
Can I keep some Airtable workspaces on Free and upgrade others?
Yes. Airtable says self-serve plans let you upgrade individual workspaces while keeping other workspaces on the Free plan.
