I’m running into some budget issues with Airtable’s pricing structure. The main problem is that they charge per user, but most of my team members don’t really need full functionality. They just need to look at data and maybe filter records occasionally.
For example, I have about 15 people who need access, but only 3 of them actually create or edit content regularly. The rest are managers, stakeholders, or part-time collaborators who just need to check project status or view reports. Paying full price for everyone seems wasteful.
Has anyone found a better way to handle this situation? Are there alternative tools with more flexible pricing tiers, or workarounds within Airtable that might help reduce costs while still giving people the access they need?
I’ve been fighting this same problem for years. Here’s what actually worked for us - we kept 4-5 full Airtable licenses for the core team and built a simple dashboard using their API for everyone else.
The dashboard shows filtered views based on user roles and updates in real time. Took about 2 weeks of dev time but we’re saving thousands every year. We also have Slack integration that pushes important updates automatically.
If you want to ditch Airtable completely, check out this comparison of database tools that covers pricing models:
Baserow’s solid if you can handle the learning curve. Way cheaper for larger teams. Interface isn’t as pretty but it works.
One more trick - export critical data to Google Sheets for view-only users. Not pretty, but works great for stakeholders who just need periodic updates.
I made this exact switch from Airtable to Notion eight months ago. Notion lets you have unlimited viewers on most plans - only the people creating content need paid seats. The transition was challenging since Notion operates differently than Airtable, but we saved a substantial amount of money. We have 12 team members, but only four manage the databases. Another option to consider is Monday.com, which has decent viewer permissions, though I find its interface somewhat clunky. If you must stay with Airtable, you could develop a read-only dashboard using their API for stakeholders, but that might require some technical skills.
airtable’s pricing kills you once your team grows. we rotate logins for people who just need to view stuff - not great, but it works. check out baserow if you want something cheaper. it’s open source so the interface isn’t as pretty, but it handles basic database work fine.
We faced a similar challenge as our team grew. Our solution was to retain paid accounts for key users while using shared views for those who only need to access data. These views can be password-protected, allowing users to filter without consuming paid accounts. For managers requiring additional oversight, we created custom interfaces tailored to their needs. This strategy reduced our costs significantly. While it may limit real-time collaboration, it’s ideal for stakeholders looking for updates. Additionally, consider setting up automated email reports through Airtable’s automation to keep everyone informed without providing full access.
Been dealing with this headache for three years. We switched to a hybrid setup - kept essential Airtable licenses for content creators and built read-only interfaces in Retool for everyone else. Retool connects straight to Airtable’s API and you can make decent dashboards that look professional for stakeholders. Learning curve isn’t bad and their pricing actually makes sense for viewer access. We dropped from 18 seats to 6, plus one Retool subscription. The interface customization beats standard Airtable views, and managers love having their own dashboard. Takes some setup work but we broke even in two months.
