Airtable vs. Microsoft Access
What's the difference? Microsoft Access is a traditional DBMS that requires SQL and lacks real-time collaboration features, making it inaccessible. Airtable is a platform for building AI-powered apps on a real-time database that powers workflows and strengthens strategic alignment.
Airtable is ranked higher by customers on:
✓ Product innovation
✓ Performance and reliability
✓ Ease of use
Leading companies that choose Airtable
Customers that use Airtable report:
5+
tools consolidated (TOMS)
400%
increase on content output (Equinox)
12%
reduction in operating costs (Thesis)
See why teams choose Airtable
Airtable supports real-time team collaboration, improves data management, and creates a system of record for your most critical processes.
Product comparison
Microsoft Access
Relational database functionality that links and syncs data
Project and task management
Inflexible for non-technical use cases
App building with intuitive, drag-and-drop interfaces
Basic interfaces only, requires SQL
Built-in artificial intelligence across workflows
Scalability to 1,000GB+ in storage
Performance degrades at 2GB
Robust API, integrations, and third-party sharing
No built-in REST API, most integrations are with other Microsoft products
Enterprise-grade security, permissions, and data protection
What sets Airtable apart?
Ease of use
Built with AI
Better decision making
A single source of truth
What Airtable users say on G2
Coming from a background working with relational databases in Oracle and SqlServer, I really enjoy working with the ease of creating a fully functioning relational database without having to write code. The UI and UX of Airtable make it easy to create, update, improve, and edit all of my data needs.
Airtable has [brought] some of our most popular database tables into a more accessible environment. So, for the average user that doesn't know SQL, they can still access valuable data and utilize it to enrich what they do on their team. I love that people can build useful tools that are relevant to our company and share them.
Airtable is far more than a spreadsheet tool or even a relational database. The platform allows non-technical users to develop and customize multiple apps for a plethora of business use cases, with the potential to visualize complex datasets in multiple ways and surface the most actionable and simplified information to end users.