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Airtable vs monday.com: What are the differences?
Key Differences between Airtable and monday.com
Introduction:
Airtable and monday.com are two popular project management and collaboration tools that offer a range of features to help teams organize and track their work. However, there are several key differences between the two platforms that set them apart.
Pricing models: Airtable offers a freemium model, allowing users to use the platform for free with limited features and a capped number of records. Additional features and increased record limits are available through paid plans. In contrast, monday.com follows a subscription-based pricing model, offering different tiers with varying features and user seats. Its pricing is based on the number of users, making it a more scalable option for larger teams.
User Interface: Airtable provides a visually appealing and intuitive user interface that resembles a spreadsheet, which makes it easier for users familiar with spreadsheets to adopt. It offers a flexible grid view with the ability to link records, add attachments, and create custom views. On the other hand, monday.com has a more board-based interface that displays projects in columns and rows. It offers a Kanban-style workflow with various customization options and automation features, making it suitable for teams looking for a more dynamic and visually-oriented interface.
Automation capabilities: monday.com offers extensive automation features that allow users to create custom workflows using its built-in automation engine. This enables teams to automate repetitive tasks, streamlining their processes and increasing productivity. Airtable, while it offers some automation features, is not as robust in this aspect. It mainly focuses on data management and collaboration rather than complex workflow automation.
Integration options: both Airtable and monday.com offer integrations with popular third-party tools, allowing seamless data flow between different platforms. However, monday.com provides a wider range of integration options, including popular project management tools like Jira and Trello, CRM systems like Salesforce, and communication tools like Slack. This makes monday.com a more versatile choice for teams that heavily rely on multiple software for their work.
Collaboration features: Airtable and monday.com both emphasize collaboration, but they differ in the way they facilitate it. Airtable provides real-time collaboration on records, allowing multiple users to work simultaneously. It also allows users to mention teammates, comment on records, and assign tasks. monday.com, on the other hand, focuses on communication and collaboration through its activity log, custom notifications, and file sharing features. It offers more structured communication channels and task assignment options.
Data visualization and reporting: Airtable offers a range of data visualization options, including charts, grids, and gallery views, making it easier to analyze data and gain insights from it. It also provides built-in reporting tools to create summaries and reports based on the data stored in the platform. monday.com, while it offers basic data visualization options, is not as robust in this aspect. It primarily focuses on displaying project progress through its board-based interface rather than in-depth data analysis.
In summary, Airtable and monday.com differ in their pricing models, user interfaces, automation capabilities, integration options, collaboration features, and data visualization/reporting tools. These differences make each platform suitable for different use cases and teams with varying needs.
I'm trying to set up an ideally "no- code" way to have a backend of 3 different tables and be able to find a value in table #3 (contains businesses & cities) by first finding a record in table #1 (7,000+ zip codes) that corresponds to a city (table #2 has the unique cities), and then finding which businesses are located in these cities ( in this specific, original zipcode lookup). And return the business and a description via an API to a front-end results page, which happens to be a WordPress page - but doesn't need to be. I've tried Airtable's API, AirPress (a finicky WordPress plugin for Airtable's API), and I've looked at Sheetsu and a similar spreadsheet as backend and a simple API. I run into the issue where they work fine when you just need to query 1 table, but when you need to use the result from that query in another query to a different table. I'm back in SQL land - where sure it could be done with SQLite - needing to probably create an intersection table or a JOIN and build an API off of that. Is there a way to accomplish what I want without going back to SQL queries and some API?
You're right that there isn't a great way to join tables with Airtable's API. The closest you can get is to use a linked record field, which acts as a pointer to another record. You still end up with the problem you mentioned of having to run another query on the second table separately.
Your best bet is to stick with an actual SQL database. Using an ORM should make your life significantly easier so you don't actually have to write raw SQL. If you still want a graphical interface to your data, BaseDash lets you view and edit SQL databases just like Airtable. A full API with join support is coming soon, so that could be your perfect solution to this problem.
Let me introduce you to integromat. It connects these services without you having to work any code. And it even has a decent database built inside it.
It makes is an easy process to develop multistep workflows with multiple services and it’s free tier is surprisingly functional.
Pros of Airtable
- Powerful and easy to use19
- Robust and dynamic8
- Quick UI Layer6
- Practical built in views4
- Robust API documentation3
- Great flexibility0