Like a spreadsheet but with the power of a relational database without writing code.
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Airtable

Database
Last updated on:
April 13, 2022

Airtable is your go to tool for no-code makers. Airtable enables you to have the basic ability of a database without having to code a database.

It is an excellent way to deliver personalized information to a user without actually creating a complex back end part of an application. Using Airtable is your fastest way to creating an actual app without code. I’ve given it one of my highest ratings and reviews. But you don’t have to take my word for it.

I will vouch for it because I’ve used it as part of my back end fueling a product that was a #1 on Product Hunt. Get Stackd. Check out below my key pros and cons as well as insight as to how I used Airtable to power an actual no-code web application.

Below are some of the best no-code actual applications created by some insanely talented Makers who launched using Airtable as part of the side project stack.

How might this tool be a fit for you:

  • The best “database” type tool that will give you familiarity to a spreadsheet
  • Allows basic formulas like a spreadsheet. This is key because it allows you to create a customized dynamic product instead of just a static web page. What this means is you can create formulas in the Airtable sheet and when a new row of data is added, say from Zapier, you can automatically give a customized output for the user.
  • Easy to plug into Zapier and connect to other applications

How might this tool not be a fit for you:

Formulas are different than what you may be familiar with using in a traditional spreadsheet. Meaning using a v-lookup is not possible with Airtable. There is another type of "lookup" that is not overly difficult to learn but just takes more time to learn something different based on Airtable's documentation. To help with that, I've provided below a free tutorial titled "Lookup Function Tutorial" from Gareth Pronovost that breaks it down.

Notes from the Makers

Mohammed:
1. Airtable is great for 2 things: visualization and automation. It provides the flexibility and speed of working with a spreadsheet with all kinds of views (calendar, kanban, tabular, etc.).

2. In terms of automation, Airtable is a great place to collect data through an API or form (Typeform has a direct integration and Airtable has its own form) and then process that data in Airtable before you output it on a newsletter or some other place. You can use Zapier to detect row changes and trigger workflows with the output data. I love the option to link tables as this fills a major gap spreadsheets have that stops them from being used as true databases.

KP:
1. One of my favorite products. Super intuitive and definitely way better and powerful than Google Sheets due to it’s API.
2. I prefer Airtable but had to learn how to fully leverage it. Sheets was my go-to just as it was very user friendly. But ultimately Airtable wins because of their forms and API friendly-ness.

Sharath:
1. Definitely better than sheets, airtable is really effective and powerful. Go through the video tutorials. They really helped me find simple functional features. 

*Michael Novotny: *
1. I originally tried to create this with Google Sheets and failed. G sheets or any spreadsheet would not create an automated response based on an input sent from Typeform. That is the advantage of Airtable is that you can create custom logic within it and it reacts like a database. 

How to video's

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