Airtable
Convex
| Feature | Airtable | Convex |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $20/mo | Free / from $25/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.5 / 5 | 4.5 / 5 |
| Best For | operations, marketing-teams, no-code-builders, agencies | full-stack-developers, real-time-apps, startups, rapid-prototyping |
| Founded | 2012 | 2021 |
| Databases | ✓ | ✗ |
| Views | ✓ | ✗ |
| Automations | ✓ | ✗ |
| Interfaces | ✓ | ✗ |
| Api | ✓ | ✗ |
| Extensions | ✓ | ✗ |
| Real Time Database | ✗ | ✓ |
| Serverless Functions | ✗ | ✓ |
| File Storage | ✗ | ✓ |
| Authentication | ✗ | ✓ |
| Scheduling | ✗ | ✓ |
| Vector Search | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Airtable Pros
- Powerful database views
- Great API
- Interface designer
- Automations
✗ Airtable Cons
- Expensive
- Row limits
- Complex for simple needs
✓ Convex Pros
- Real-time by default
- TypeScript-first
- Built-in auth and file storage
- Automatic caching
✗ Convex Cons
- Vendor lock-in
- Newer platform
- Limited to Convex runtime
The Verdict
Airtable is built for operations and marketing teams, with a focus on databases and views. Convex targets full stack developers and real time apps and leads with real-time-database and serverless-functions.
On pricing, Airtable is the clear winner for budget-conscious users — starting at $20/mo compared to $25/mo for Convex. That $5/mo difference adds up quickly for growing teams.
Both offer free plans, so you can test each with your real workflow before committing to a subscription.
This is a genuinely close comparison. If you can, sign up for both free trials (where available) and run a one-week test with your actual team tasks before deciding.
