Airtable
n8n
| Feature | Airtable | n8n |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $20/mo | Free / from $24/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.5 / 5 | 4.6 / 5 |
| Best For | operations, marketing-teams, no-code-builders, agencies | developers, technical-teams, agencies, cost-conscious-teams, ai-builders |
| Founded | 2012 | 2019 |
| Databases | ✓ | ✗ |
| Views | ✓ | ✗ |
| Automations | ✓ | ✗ |
| Interfaces | ✓ | ✗ |
| Api | ✓ | ✓ |
| Extensions | ✓ | ✗ |
| Workflows | ✗ | ✓ |
| Self Hosting | ✗ | ✓ |
| Code Nodes | ✗ | ✓ |
| Webhooks | ✗ | ✓ |
| Ai Agents | ✗ | ✓ |
| Docker | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Airtable Pros
- Powerful database views
- Great API
- Interface designer
- Automations
✗ Airtable Cons
- Expensive
- Row limits
- Complex for simple needs
✓ n8n Pros
- Free self-hosting (forever)
- Full JavaScript/Python in every node
- AI agent workflow builder
- No per-task pricing when self-hosted
✗ n8n Cons
- Requires technical setup for self-hosting
- 400+ integrations vs Zapier's 7,000+
- Steeper learning curve than Zapier or Make
The Verdict
Airtable is best for operations and marketing-teams who need powerful database views. n8n is ideal for developers and technical-teams looking for free self-hosting (forever). Both tools offer free plans, so try each to see which fits your workflow.