Airtable vs Claris FileMaker

Airtable

• Teams that want to shape a database into their own project tracker
• Operations and marketing teams building internal apps without code
• Nonprofits and educators, who can get 50% off the Team plan

Claris FileMaker

• Businesses that need custom apps shaped around their own workflows
• Teams split between Mac and Windows desktops and iPhones or iPads
• Organizations that want to host their apps on their own servers

Airtable

• The Free plan is capped at 1,000 records per base and 5 editors.
• Record limits apply per base on paid plans too: 50,000 on Team and 125,000 on Business.
• Timeline and Gantt views and extensions are not part of the Free plan.
• Two-way sync and the admin panel need the Business plan at $45 per seat / month.

Claris FileMaker

• There is no free plan: after the 45-day trial, team licenses start at 5 users and are billed annually.
• FileMaker Cloud Starter is limited to 5 to 10 users, 3 apps and 2 GB of data storage per user per year, with no upgrades.
• Native clients cover Mac, Windows, iPhone and iPad; other devices reach apps through a web browser with FileMaker WebDirect.
• Remote Backup and Standby Server are paid add-ons for FileMaker Server; Claris says Remote Backup is not available for FileMaker Cloud.

Airtable

Relational bases

Data lives in bases of linked tables. Record limits per base rise from 1,000 on Free to 50,000 on Team and 125,000 on Business.

Eight view types

A table can be shown as a grid, form, calendar, gallery, kanban, timeline, list or Gantt view. Timeline and Gantt views need the Team plan.

Interfaces

Custom interfaces can be built from base data, giving each team a tailored app on top of the same records.

Automations and sync

Automations handle repetitive steps inside a base. Two-way sync with outside tools is included from the Business plan.

Omni and field agents

Omni builds apps from a plain-language description and field agents run AI across records. Both draw on monthly AI credits: 500 per editor on Free and 15,000 per seat on Team.

Portals

Portals let guest users from outside the organization collaborate on selected data.

Claris FileMaker

Drag-and-drop app design

Layouts are built with design tools and built-in templates, and prebuilt add-ons drop in charts, calendars, kanban boards and activity timelines.

Script Engine

Predefined script steps, script triggers and calculation functions automate workflows and data processing without a traditional programming language, including scripts that run on the server.

Cross-platform clients

Apps open in FileMaker Pro on Mac and Windows, in FileMaker Go on iPhone and iPad, and in Safari, Chrome or Microsoft Edge through FileMaker WebDirect.

Cloud or self-hosted

FileMaker Cloud runs on AWS and backs up data changes every 20 minutes, keeping backups for 30 days. FileMaker Server hosts the same apps on an organization's own infrastructure.

APIs and external data

The FileMaker Data API and OData expose app data to other services, ODBC and JDBC are supported, and live two-way connections reach MySQL, Oracle and Microsoft SQL Server.

AI integration

Scripts and APIs connect apps to AI services to automate tasks, analyze data and generate content. FileMaker 2026 added Google Gemini as a provider and semantic search enhancements.

Airtable

• Free$0

  1,000 records and 1 GB of attachments per base, up to 5 editors and 2 weeks of revision history.

• Team$20

  per seat / month, billed annually ($24 billed monthly)

  50,000 records and 20 GB of attachments per base, Gantt and timeline views, extensions and 15,000 AI credits per seat a month.

• Business$45

  per seat / month, billed annually ($54 billed monthly)

  125,000 records and 100 GB of attachments per base, two-way sync, an admin panel and 20,000 AI credits per seat a month.

• Enterprise ScaleCustom

  Sold through sales, with pricing based on the organization's needs and 25,000 AI credits per paid user a month.

Claris FileMaker

• FileMaker Server Starter$17.50

  per user / month, billed annually; 5 to 99 users

  Self-hosted: FileMaker Pro, Go and WebDirect for every user, up to 3 on-premise servers and 5 active Claris Connect flows.

• FileMaker Cloud Starter$22

  per user / month, billed annually; 5 to 10 users only

  Hosted by Claris: 3 apps, 2 GB of data storage per user per year with no upgrades, and 5 active Claris Connect flows.

• FileMaker Server Max$22

  per user / month, billed annually; 5 to 99 users

  Self-hosted and bought through sales: the same client access on up to 3 on-premise servers, with 50 active Claris Connect flows.

• FileMaker Cloud Max$45

  per user / month, billed annually; 5 to 99 users

  Hosted by Claris: 256 apps, 6 GB of data storage per user per year with upgrades available, and 50 active Claris Connect flows.

• FileMaker Pro single license$625

  per license; no billing period is shown in the Claris Store

  A single FileMaker Pro license for an individual who does not need to share data with others. An Upgrade option exists for owners of FileMaker Pro 2024 or later.

Airtable

• Annual discount

  Lower per-seat price with annual billing

  Team is $20 per seat / month billed annually against $24 monthly, and Business is $45 against $54, about 17% less in both cases.

• Nonprofit

  50% off the Team plan for nonprofits

  Registered 501(c)(3) nonprofits, or accredited equivalents outside the US, can apply for 50% off Team seats. Airtable AI is excluded from the discount.

• Education

  50% off Team for educators, free for students

  Employees of accredited educational institutions can get 50% off Team, and students get 6 to 24 months of free access depending on graduation date.

Claris FileMaker

No public discounts listed.