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Airtable vs Zenkit: What are the differences?
Introduction
Key differences between Airtable and Zenkit are outlined below:
User Interface: Airtable offers a more visually appealing and user-friendly interface compared to Zenkit, making it easier for users to navigate and work with their data seamlessly.
Collaboration Features: Zenkit provides more robust collaboration features such as teamwork tools, communication features, and task assignments, while Airtable tends to focus more on individual productivity and data management.
Customization Options: Airtable offers more customization options, including the ability to create custom views, fields, and formulas easily, giving users greater flexibility in organizing and manipulating their data.
Integration Capabilities: Zenkit provides seamless integration with popular apps like Slack, Dropbox, and Google Calendar, allowing users to streamline their workflow and connect with other tools more efficiently. In contrast, Airtable has a wider range of integrations with third-party applications, enhancing its compatibility and usability.
Workflow Automation: Airtable offers more advanced automation features through its integration with services like Zapier and Integromat, enabling users to automate repetitive tasks and workflows effectively. Zenkit, on the other hand, provides basic automation functionalities within the platform itself.
Mobile Experience: Zenkit offers a more optimized and user-friendly mobile experience, with native apps available for both iOS and Android devices. In comparison, Airtable's mobile app may lack some functionality and features present in the web version, affecting the user experience on smaller screens.
In Summary, Airtable excels in customization options and workflow automation, while Zenkit shines in collaboration features and mobile experience.
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 Zenkit
- Free4
- Easy to use4
- Great for collaboration4
- Clean interface4
- Quick and simple task creation3
- Desktop App1
- Great MindMap view1
- IOs and Android Apps1
- Highly Cross-compatible1
- Following, commenting and mention (@) on tasks1
- Flexible1
- One click to switch 5 views1
- Calendar Sync1
- The 'Favorites' option1
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Cons of Airtable
Cons of Zenkit
- Difficult to simplify1