Need advice about which tool to choose?Ask the StackShare community!
Airtable vs Typeform: What are the differences?
Airtable vs Typeform
Introduction
In this article, we will compare Airtable and Typeform, two popular web-based tools that serve different purposes. We will discuss the key differences between them, focusing on six specific aspects.
Design and Layout: Airtable is primarily a database management tool that allows users to organize their data in a visually appealing way using grids, tables, and cards. On the other hand, Typeform specializes in creating interactive and engaging surveys, forms, and questionnaires with a strong emphasis on aesthetics and user experience.
Data Collection: Airtable is designed for structured data management, making it suitable for tasks like project management, CRM, and inventory tracking. It allows users to create complex relational databases and automate workflows using various data types and field options. In contrast, Typeform focuses on collecting unstructured data through customizable surveys and forms, enabling users to gather insights, feedback, and leads with ease.
Data Analysis: Airtable provides powerful filtering, sorting, and grouping options, along with the ability to create pivot tables and visualizations for data analysis and reporting. It offers advanced formulas and scripting capabilities to manipulate and process data. Typeform, on the other hand, offers basic data analysis features such as summary statistics, response graphs, and built-in integrations with third-party analytics platforms.
Integration and Automation: Airtable offers extensive integration options with popular apps like Slack, Dropbox, and Google Calendar. It also provides an API and a Zapier integration for automating workflows and data syncing. Typeform offers integrations with various tools and platforms like Google Sheets, Mailchimp, and Salesforce, allowing users to streamline their data collection and processing.
Collaboration: Airtable allows multiple users to collaborate on databases in real-time, with options to set permissions and track changes. It provides a commenting feature for discussions and annotations. Typeform, on the other hand, offers limited collaboration features, allowing users to share forms and responses with others but lacking real-time collaboration and commenting capabilities.
Pricing and Plans: Airtable offers a freemium model with a generous free plan that includes basic features and limited records. It offers paid plans with higher limits and advanced features for teams and businesses. Typeform also follows a freemium model, providing a free plan with basic features but limiting the number of responses. It offers affordable paid plans with increased responses and more advanced options.
In summary, Airtable is a versatile database management tool with a focus on structured data organization, analysis, and collaboration, while Typeform is a user-friendly survey and form builder that emphasizes engaging design and ease of data collection.
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
Pros of Typeform
- Beautiful UI13
- Free8
- Conversational template questions7
- Embeddable5
- Slick transitions between questions2
- Analytics2
- Stripe integration2
- Very easy to use2
- Conversational1
- Makes me look good1







