You may be wondering if either Airtable or Notion is the right tool for you. Both Airtable and Notion offer a variety of features to help you organize your work, but they each have their own strengths and weaknesses.
In this article, we will compare Airtable and Notion, so you can decide which one is right for your needs and your team's collaboration style. We'll look at each platform individually and then explore how they compare to each other when it comes to common business use cases, from assigning tasks to building company wikis.
Airtable at a Glance
Airtable is an extremely popular cloud-based, no-code database application that allows you to create and share tables with other users. Tables can be filled with data, and then various filters and views can be applied to the table in order to extract the information that you need. Airtable also has a built-in scripting language that allows you to automate complex tasks.
Notion at a Glance
Notion is a cloud-based note-taking and collaboration application. It allows you to create notes and view them in boards, lists, calendars, timelines, tables, and galleries. Notes can be shared with other users, and they can be edited collaboratively. They can be tagged and sorted according to the needs of the team. Tables can be embedded into notes.
Notion has a huge library of modifiable templates for a variety of use cases, such as project management, customer relations, human resources, and more.
Key Features Both Airtable and Notion Offer
Notion and Airtable are both cloud-based applications that allow you to create and share tables with other users, and work from anywhere. Collaboration is one of the biggest and most important features they offer. They both make it easier to plan projects and help with project management and organizing documents.
Both have a free version, too, but when it comes to debating airtable vs. Notion, there are some key differences between the two platforms.
Differences: Airtable vs Notion
One example of an important difference is that Airtable offers invoicing and budgeting while Notion does not. This difference could make or break which project management tool works best for small businesses.
Airtable also has a built-in scripting language that allows you to automate complex tasks without needing to understand HTML or Javascript. Notion, on the other hand, offers more features for note-taking and organization instead of automation. It also has modifiable templates for a variety of use cases. These templates include Content Calendar, Roadmap, Company home, and others that can be valuable collaborative workspaces, and all are powerful features once you know how to use them.
Ability to Integrate with Popular Apps
In today's digitally connected workplace, integration between software can greatly enhance productivity. That's why it's important that any project management tool offer integration with many apps.
Airtable integrates with more than one thousand other apps through Zapier, including Gmail, Google Calendar, Dropbox, Google Drive, Mailchimp, Calendly, Slack, LinkedIn, and more. Zapier is a service that allows anyone to connect apps that don't have native integrations, so they can more easily automate workflows. Aside from Zapier, teams can choose to use Workato, Integromat, or Tray.io for their Airtable integrations.
The built-by-Notion integrations include Google Docs, Asana, Slack, Dropbox, Figma, GitHub, Trello and Zoom. Even more integrations are available through Notion's partners. These include Whywhywhy, Linear, Pitch, and Hex. Users can also set up Webhooks to trigger events in other apps when something happens in Notion. Zapier advertises that they can let you send info between Notion and Webhooks with Zapier automatically and that no code is required.
These integrations allow for a high degree of customization and enhanced productivity by automating tasks that would otherwise be done manually.
User Interface
Notion and Airtable are different kinds of productivity software, and so of course they look different. Both are clear, uncluttered, and easy to read.
Airtable's interface is very clean and modern, with a focus on letting you easily see and manipulate your data. Notion's dashboard interface is more flexible and designed to let you easily organize your notes and ideas.
Both offer calendars and to-do lists. Notion's to-do list is more basic, while Airtable's list offers more features, such as the ability to assign tasks to other users, set deadlines, and attach files.
When it comes to visualizing data, Airtable offers a variety of views, including Kanban boards, galleries, and calendar view. Notion's visualizations are more focused on giving you an overview of your ideas. Notion offers a blank page onto which you can embed content, link records, and add customization for personal use.
Applying Airtable and Notion to Business Operations
The worth of productivity apps is defined by their ability to serve users. This is done by providing features that are valuable and easy to use. Fortunately, Airtable and Notion both excel in these areas.
Project management
When it comes to project management, both Airtable and Notion offer templates and integrations that can be customized to fit the needs of any project. However, Airtable's Gantt chart view offers a more visual way to track project progress and dependencies than Notion's table view.
- Airtable's Gantt chart view: This view is ideal for visualizing timelines. The bars can be customized to track progress, and dependencies can be easily identified.
- Notion's table view: This view is more text-based, and can be customized with a variety of filters and views.
Spreadsheet or Database Replacement
Spreadsheets and large databases are major pain points for many businesses. They're often cumbersome to use and maintain, and they don't always offer the best user experience. Airtable and Notion offer solutions that allow for seamless collaboration but fit different types of teams best.
Airtable is better for teams that need a visual way to see and interact with their data. The platform's Gantt chart view and kanban boards offer a user-friendly way to track progress and manage tasks.
Notion is better for teams that want a more versatile platform that can be used for a variety of tasks. Notion's pre-built templates and custom templates and integrations make it a great tool for project management, but the platform can also be used for note-taking, documentation, and more.
Managing Structured Data
In the arena of structured data, airtable is the best choice. Its spreadsheet view option makes it easy to track costs, deadlines, and other clear-cut data points. Notion, on the other hand, can help you document brainstorming sessions and store longer texts you often reference, such as company wikis.
If you manage a team, airtable's workflow visualization can help you track dependencies between projects. Notion's timelines are better suited for individual task management.
Notion's calendar feature is also more robust, making it the better choice for managing events, deadlines, and to-dos.
Overall, Notion is the better choice for managing unstructured data. Notion offers a superior project management tool for knowledge management.
Learning the Apps
Before giving a final verdict, it's important to note that both project management tools have a learning curve. But don't give up! Once you start to automate repetitive tasks and build a fluid knowledge management system, the same data you dreaded analyzing will invigorate you.
Final Comparison: Airtable vs Notion
Here is the definitive guide to when to choose airtable vs Notion. All the tools can help with organizing data, and both are customizable, so it partly depends on how you configure Notion and airtable, but this in-depth comparison will get you started.
If you need to organize specific data or delegate tasks, airtable lets you do so in an organized manner that most businesses love.
Notion makes it easy to organize projects, wiki-style documents, and personal web pages. It also benefits users that like organizing data on a single page, or need to store personal writing,
If you are most comfortable working in google sheets or Microsoft excel, Airtable's grid view will make you feel at home. Airtable works well for inventory management, event planning, and as a habit tracker.
Remember: Airtable and Notion are both great tools for productivity, but they excel in different areas. Airtable is better for teams that need a visual way to see and interact with their data, while Notion is better for teams that want a more versatile platform. When it comes to managing structured data, Airtable is the best choice, while Notion is better for managing unstructured data. Both can connect to Slack messages for easy info sharing, and both have free version options, so you can test the products before deciding if you need increased features.
About Ace Workflow
Find out how no-code software can work for your team with ACE Workflow. We believe humans should be focused on higher brain thinking.
Our consulting service can help you navigate the building blocks to create a workflow system that truly meets your needs. We leverage the efficiency and cost savings that No-code provides to automate and digitize departments and companies of all sizes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Can Airtable Do That Notion Can't?
Airtable is a powerful database tool that is fast and flexible, and it offers many features that are not available with Notion. Specifically, it can handle much more data than Notion's comparable database block, making it a better choice for managing large datasets or complex projects.
Furthermore, Airtable's multiple view options make it easier to switch between different perspectives quickly; you can easily see the big picture and smaller details all at once. Additionally, the Form view in Airtable enables you to easily capture new data or modify existing information directly from your database.
Finally, one of Airtable's most valuable features is its ability to set the primary key to any field type. This makes linking records across tables easier and more intuitive than in Notion.
Does Notion Integrate With Airtable?
Yes, it does! Unito is a powerful tool that seamlessly integrates with Notion and Airtable in order to facilitate information flow across teams and entire organizations.
With deep, two-way synchronization between the two platforms, you can easily sync all kinds of data, including text fields, single- and multi-select fields, URLs, collaborators, and much more.
Whether you need to keep a team up to date on project status or share important client information across departments, Unito has you covered.
Why Is Airtable So Popular?
There are many reasons why Airtable has become one of the most popular platforms for building custom applications. Its combination of ease of use and powerful functionality makes it the perfect solution for businesses of all sizes and industries.
Whether you need to manage customer information, organize tasks and projects, or track inventory levels, Airtable is flexible enough to meet your needs in a seamless, intuitive interface. And because it's designed as a database, this tool can also help you gain deeper insights into your business processes and make smarter decisions based on real-time data.
In short, Airtable is revolutionizing how businesses work by making it simple and efficient to build exactly the tools they need.
Why Airtable Is Better Than Excel?
Unlike Excel templates, which are specifically designed for calculations and data analysis, Airtable templates focus on workflows. Unlike the rigid rows and columns of an Excel spreadsheet, Airtable templates give you the flexibility to create dynamic, customizable layouts that can easily be modified to suit your needs.
Furthermore, Airtable templates allow you to integrate various powerful tools that can streamline your workflows by automating tasks like data entry or record keeping. Whether you're looking for a more efficient way to manage projects or organize records, Airtable is the superior choice for streamlined workflows and effective collaboration. So if you're looking for a more flexible platform that seamlessly connects all aspects of your workflow, then look no further than Airtable.
