Airtable vs Excel (2026): which should your team use?
Airtable vs Excel compared on linked records, analysis, size limits and cost for teams of 5 and 15, plus how to move your data between the two.
Airtable vs Excel is a choice between a database and a spreadsheet. Excel is stronger for calculations and analysis, and desktop Excel works offline. Airtable is better for records several people update, such as clients, orders and jobs, because its tables link together. Excel comes with Microsoft 365; Airtable is free for up to 5 editors, then priced per editor.
Reviewed October 2026. Microsoft 365 prices are list prices after Microsoft’s July 1, 2026 update. Airtable, now part of Bending Spoons, says plans and prices haven’t changed.
This guide is for office managers, ops leads and founders whose tracker lives in a workbook. It compares the two feature by feature, prices both for a 5- and a 15-person team, shows how to move data both ways, and ends with a third option: an app instead of a shared file. If your team works in Google’s tools, read our Airtable vs Google Sheets comparison instead.
Airtable vs Excel at a glance
What is the difference between Airtable and Excel?
Excel is a spreadsheet and analysis tool. Any cell can hold a number, text or a formula, and a formula can reach any other cell or tab. That freedom is why budgets, forecasts and models live in Excel.
Airtable is a relational database that looks like a spreadsheet. Each column accepts one kind of value (a date, a dropdown choice, an attachment, a link to another record), and records in one table link to records in another. An order points to one client record instead of a name typed three different ways.
Excel can narrow the gap: it can limit a column to a dropdown list and relate tables in its Data Model for reports. It still can’t link one record to another while you enter data. For the general version of this question, see our guide to databases vs spreadsheets.
What does the same tracker look like in each tool?
Take a small wholesaler tracking customers, products and orders.
In Excel, that’s three tabs. The Orders tab picks a customer from a dropdown list fed by the Customers tab, XLOOKUP pulls each product’s price, and a PivotTable totals sales by customer each month. It’s quick to build. But the dropdown stores the customer’s name as text, so renaming “Hill & Sons” leaves old orders pointing at a name that no longer exists.
In Airtable, it’s three linked tables. Each order links to a customer and its products, a lookup column shows the price, and a rollup totals each customer’s orders. Rename a customer once and every order follows. A kanban view groups orders by status, and a form lets a sales rep add an order without opening the base. The trade-offs: setup takes longer, the monthly sales report is harder than a PivotTable, and editors need seats past the free plan.
How do Airtable and Excel compare feature by feature?
Linked records
In Airtable, linking two records creates a two-way relationship: open a customer and you see every order. Lookup columns show values from the linked record, so a change at the source shows up everywhere. Excel matches tabs with formulas such as XLOOKUP, which work until someone renames or deletes the wrong thing.
Views and forms
Airtable shows one table many ways: a calendar of delivery dates, a kanban board of order status, a gallery of products. Its form view adds each submission as a record. Personal and locked views need a paid plan.
Excel shows a grid, with filters and charts on top. A form built with Microsoft Forms can save responses to a workbook in Excel for the web, and new responses appear each time you open it.
Formulas and analysis
Excel is the better calculator. Formulas reach across the workbook, PivotTables summarize thousands of records in a few clicks, and Power Query imports, cleans and merges data from other files and sources, then refreshes it.
Airtable formulas calculate each record from the values in that same record, such as price times quantity. A rollup totals values across linked records. Interface dashboards can show bar, line, pie, donut and scatter charts, and paid plans can add pivot tables. That covers operational reporting, not a financial model.
Automations
Airtable has a no-code automation builder. When a record is created, updated, enters a view or comes in through a form, it can create or update records, send an email, or post to Slack, Microsoft Teams, Outlook or Jira. Runs are capped per workspace each month (100 on Free, 25,000 on Team, 100,000 on Business), and failed runs count too.
Excel automates repeated steps with macros and Office Scripts, which you can record without coding. Anything a recording can’t capture means editing code or building a flow in Power Automate.
AI features
Both tools now have built-in AI. Copilot in Excel uses tables, charts, PivotTables and formulas to answer requests made in plain language. It needs a Copilot license: Microsoft sells business plans with Copilot built in, such as Business Standard with Copilot at $23.50 per user a month, or a Copilot Business add-on, both paid yearly.
Airtable’s Omni, available on every plan, can build apps, analyze data, answer questions, and create and update records. It runs on AI credits included each month: 500 per editor on Free, 15,000 per billable collaborator on Team and 20,000 per paid user on Business.
Collaboration and permissions
Several people can edit one workbook at once through co-authoring. In desktop Excel that needs a Microsoft 365 subscription and the file saved to OneDrive or SharePoint; Excel for the web supports it too. Anyone who can open the workbook can read every tab. Sheet protection stops edits to locked cells, but Microsoft says it isn’t intended as a security feature.
Airtable is shared from the start, with editor, commenter and read-only access. Interface pages can be filtered to each viewer’s records, and on paid plans you can share an interface without the base.
Size and offline use
A worksheet holds 1,048,576 rows. Airtable caps records per base: 1,000 on Free, 50,000 on Team and 125,000 on Business, across all its tables. At the cap, bases keep working, but you can’t add records until you upgrade. Desktop Excel works offline; Airtable doesn’t support offline access.
Excel vs Airtable: what does a team of 5 or 15 pay?
Most Excel teams already pay for Microsoft 365, which also covers email and Teams, so Airtable comes on top. Excel for the web is free with a Microsoft account. Business Basic includes web and mobile Excel only; Business Standard adds desktop Excel.
Monthly cost at list prices, if everyone on the team edits (month-to-month or monthly billing in brackets):
| Team size | Microsoft 365 Business Basic | Microsoft 365 Business Standard | Airtable Team | Airtable Business |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 people | $35 ($42) | $70 ($84) | $100 ($120), or $0 on Free | $225 ($270) |
| 15 people | $105 ($126) | $210 ($252) | $300 ($360) | $675 ($810) |
Microsoft figures use $7 for Business Basic and $14 for Business Standard per user a month, paid yearly, or $8.40 and $16.80 on a month-to-month subscription. Airtable figures use $20 per seat on Team and $45 on Business billed annually, or $24 and $54 billed monthly. Over a year, 15 editors cost $2,520 on Business Standard and $3,600 on Airtable Team.
What changes the Airtable side:
- Only some people take paid seats. Airtable bills everyone with edit access; read-only collaborators, form submissions and share links are free. On Team, commenters are billed too. If 4 people edit and 11 only look, you pay for 4 Team seats: $80 a month billed annually.
- A small team can stay on Free within its limits: 5 editors, 1,000 records per base, 100 automation runs and 1,000 API calls a month, shared with every connected tool.
- Outside editors cost extra: a seat each, or Portals, from $120 a month for 15 portal seats on Team and $150 on Business.
Check your email domain
Airtable’s Business plan requires a company email domain, so a team signing up with Gmail or Outlook.com addresses can’t upgrade to it.
How do you import Excel into Airtable and export it back?
1. Clean up the workbook
Put each list on its own worksheet, with column names in the first line and one record on each line below. Remove merged cells, subtotals and notes beside the data. Airtable reads the first line as column names, and each worksheet becomes its own table, named after the sheet.
2. Import the Excel file into Airtable
In a base, select + Add or import, then Microsoft Excel, upload the file and review the column types before you select Import. You can create a new base, add a new table, or add records to an existing table. Excel files can be up to 5 MB, and CSV files up to 100 MB.
Formulas don’t come across: Airtable keeps the values they calculated, so you rebuild the logic in Airtable. An import is a one-time copy. Changes made in the workbook afterwards don’t reach Airtable, so stop editing the workbook once the base is live.
3. Link the tables
Set up the links between the new tables, such as orders to customers, and replace lookup formulas with lookup columns. To update existing records from a CSV later, paid plans can use the CSV import extension, which merges on a column like an email address or an ID, up to 25,000 records and 5 MB per file.
4. Export from Airtable back to Excel
Open a grid view, select the arrow next to the view’s name, then Download CSV. The file includes the records and columns visible in that view, so remove filters first if you want everything. Each table downloads separately, comments aren’t included, and attachments arrive as links that expire after a few hours.
5. Save it as a workbook
Excel opens a CSV file directly but keeps it in CSV format, so choose Save As and pick Excel Workbook before you add formulas or more tabs.
How to choose between Airtable and Excel
Four questions settle most cases:
- Are you calculating or tracking? Budgets, forecasts, pricing models and reports belong in Excel. Records that change status and refer to each other suit Airtable.
- How many people edit, and how many only look? If 3 people edit and 20 read, Airtable’s free read-only access keeps the bill small. If 20 edit, compare 20 seats with the Microsoft 365 plan you already pay for.
- Who should see what? A workbook is all or nothing. Airtable can filter interface pages to each viewer’s records, though editors still need a seat.
- How big will it get, and do people work offline? Compare your record count with Airtable’s per-base caps. Desktop Excel works offline; Airtable doesn’t.
Plenty of teams use both: Excel for the numbers, Airtable for the shared records.
Choose Excel if
- your work is mostly calculation, modeling or analysis
- you rely on PivotTables, Power Query or formulas that reach across tabs
- your team already pays for Microsoft 365 and you don’t want another per-person bill
- people need to work offline or with more records than Airtable’s caps allow
Choose Airtable if
- you track related records that several people update every day
- renamed customers and broken lookups keep costing you time
- you want calendars, kanban boards, forms and automations without writing code
- a small core team edits and everyone else can be read-only
If you’re already on Airtable and the per-editor cost or the record caps are the problem, our roundup of Airtable alternatives groups the options by why people leave.
What if several people need to update your workbook?
That’s usually when teams look at Airtable. Another answer is a simple app for each person’s part, which is what GoodTaco (our product) builds.
GoodTaco is an AI app builder for business apps. You describe the app in plain language and it builds a working web app with screens, forms, search, dashboards and sign-in in minutes, and you change it by asking for changes. There are two routes from the tools in this guide:
- Start from your Excel workbook. Upload the workbook or a CSV file, with no account needed. GoodTaco imports each table into a built-in database, turns columns of repeated choices into dropdowns, carries over lookups such as XLOOKUP where it can, and rebuilds your formulas in the app. It checks each formula’s results against the values Excel calculated; when one can’t be reproduced exactly, it keeps your values and tells you which ones. You get a link to the app by email in minutes, and you create an account to keep it (unclaimed apps are deleted after 24 hours).
- Keep your Airtable base. Connect the base and build screens on top of it. People sign in to the app with Google or an emailed link, and GoodTaco reads and writes the base through your Airtable connection. The records stay in Airtable, so the base’s record limits still apply, and the app’s reads and writes count toward your workspace’s monthly API calls: 1,000 on Free, 100,000 on Team, with no cap on Business.
Uploads take .xlsx, .xlsm, CSV and TSV files up to 10 MB and 2,000 records. Macros, charts and PivotTables stay behind, and apps can’t store uploaded files or photos yet, so keep attachment-heavy tracking where it lives today. Keep financial models and PivotTable work in Excel. GoodTaco apps run in any browser, including a phone’s, and need an internet connection, like Airtable.
Private apps ask people to sign in before they see any data, and you choose who gets access. To show each person only their own records, ask for it (“show each sales rep only the orders that match their email”), then sign in as a test user to check. Apps can send email from your Gmail when someone submits or approves something, every change goes into version history, and hosting is included. For a full walkthrough, see how to convert an Excel spreadsheet to a web app.
GoodTaco has a free plan with no credit card, and paid plans start at $9 a month. Start free.
Frequently asked questions
Is Airtable better than Excel?
Not for everything. Excel is better for calculations, financial models and PivotTable analysis, and desktop Excel works offline. Airtable is better for records that several people update, such as clients, orders and jobs, because its tables link to each other.
Can Airtable replace Excel?
For shared trackers, often yes. For financial models, forecasts and heavy analysis, usually not, because Airtable formulas calculate one record at a time. Many teams keep Excel for analysis and move the records several people edit to Airtable.
Can you import an Excel file into Airtable?
Yes. Choose Add or import, then Microsoft Excel, and upload a file of up to 5 MB. Each worksheet becomes its own table, and formulas arrive as the values they calculated, not as formulas.
Can you export Airtable to Excel?
Yes, as a CSV file. Choose Download CSV from a view's menu, open the file in Excel and save it as a workbook. Each table downloads separately, only the records and columns visible in that view are included, and attachment links in the file expire after a few hours.
Does Airtable work offline?
No. Airtable says offline access isn't supported, and its desktop and mobile apps need an internet connection. Desktop Excel works offline, though Microsoft 365 business installs must connect at least once every 30 days.
How many records can Airtable hold compared with Excel?
An Excel worksheet holds 1,048,576 rows. Airtable limits records per base: 1,000 on the Free plan, 50,000 on Team and 125,000 on Business, counted across every table in the base.
Can I build an app on my Excel or Airtable data?
Yes. GoodTaco can build an app from an uploaded Excel workbook or CSV file, with the records in a built-in database and your formulas rebuilt, or connect to an Airtable base you already use. On Airtable, the records stay in the base, so its record limits and monthly API call allowance still apply.
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