Airtable vs Microsoft Access

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

Microsoft Access

• Small businesses building their own database apps on Windows PCs
• Teams sharing a database over a local network
• Organizations that already license the Microsoft 365 desktop apps

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.

Microsoft Access

• Access is available for PC only; Microsoft lists no Mac, web or mobile version.
• It is not part of Office Home 2024 or Microsoft 365 Business Basic, which has web and mobile apps only.
• An Access database file is limited to 2 GB, minus the space needed for system objects.
• Storing data in SQL Server or Azure SQL requires a separate subscription to that service.

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.

Microsoft Access

Database apps from templates or scratch

Business apps are built from templates or from scratch with Access's design tools, which Microsoft pitches at people who are not developers.

Tables, queries, forms and reports

A database is made of tables for the data plus queries, forms, reports, macros and modules that sit on top of them and form the app's interface and logic.

Visual Basic for Applications

VBA code automates business processes and is used to build more capable forms and reports.

SQL Server and Azure SQL storage

Data can be stored in SQL Server or Microsoft Azure SQL instead of the Access file. Each requires its own subscription to that service.

Connectors to other data sources

The Access connector library shares data between Access and line-of-business apps, so combined data can be queried and charted inside Access.

Multi-user sharing

A database can be shared from a network folder, split into a back-end data file with a front-end copy per user, or linked to SharePoint lists. Access supports up to 255 concurrent users.

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.

Microsoft Access

• Microsoft 365 Personal$9.99

  per month, or $99.99 per year

  For 1 person on up to 5 devices: Access (PC only) alongside the Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook desktop apps and 1 TB of cloud storage.

• Microsoft 365 Apps for business$10.00

  per user / month, paid yearly ($12.00 billed monthly)

  Fully installed Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote and Access (PC only) for up to 300 employees, with 1 TB of cloud storage per user.

• Microsoft 365 Family$12.99

  per month, or $129.99 per year

  Everything in Personal for 1 to 6 people, each able to sign in on up to 5 devices, with 1 TB of storage per person.

• Microsoft 365 Business Standard$14.00

  per user / month, paid yearly ($16.80 billed monthly)

  Desktop, web and mobile apps including Access (PC only), plus business email, Microsoft Teams and 1 TB of cloud storage per user.

• Microsoft 365 Premium$19.99

  per month, or $199.99 per year

  Everything in Family, plus extensive Copilot usage and agentic AI features such as advanced research and analytics.

• Access$179.99

  one-time purchase for 1 PC

  Standalone Access for one PC running Windows 11 or Windows 10, bought once rather than by subscription.

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.

Microsoft Access

• Annual discount

  Save up to 17% by paying yearly

  Microsoft 365 Personal is $99.99 a year against $9.99 a month, Family $129.99 against $12.99 and Premium $199.99 against $19.99.

• Annual discount

  Apps for business: $10 yearly, $12 monthly

  Microsoft 365 Apps for business is $10.00 per user a month when paid yearly, or $12.00 per user a month on a monthly subscription.

• Education

  Students save 50% on Microsoft 365 Personal

  Verified college and university students get Microsoft 365 Personal, which includes Access, at half price. Student status has to be re-verified each year.

• Lifetime license

  Standalone Access as a one-time purchase

  $179.99 buys Access for 1 PC running Windows 11 or Windows 10, with no subscription.