Airtable vs Tap Forms Pro

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

Tap Forms Pro

• Mac, iPhone and iPad users who want a personal database
• Keeping records on your own devices rather than on a vendor's servers
• Former Bento users: Bento data can be imported on the Mac

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.

Tap Forms Pro

• Tap Forms Pro is sold by subscription only; the vendor says there is no lifetime option at this time.
• The vendor lists only Apple platforms: Mac, iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch.
• The Mac and iOS apps are licensed separately unless you choose the combined iOS and macOS subscription.
• The AI form generator works only with your own ChatGPT or DeepSeek API key.

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.

Tap Forms Pro

Custom forms and layouts

Forms are built with the app's design tools or imported from a template library, and custom layouts for Mac, iPhone and iPad are arranged by drag and drop.

Local storage with optional sync

Data is stored locally on each device. Documents sync between devices and with other people through iCloud, including different Apple IDs, Dropbox, WebDAV or nearby devices.

Report generator

Reports and PDFs are customized and printed from report layouts designed in Tap Forms Pro for Mac.

Saved searches, tags and pick lists

Records are organized with colored tags, saved searches that show their match counts, records pinned to the top, and cascading pick lists with several levels of values.

Scripting and Shortcuts

A JavaScript script editor with code snippets and breakpoints automates work across forms. Scripts can run AppleScript, and Shortcuts can run scripts and control the app.

AI form generator

Entering a form name and description generates the form and its fields as a starting point. The feature needs your own ChatGPT or DeepSeek API key.

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.

Tap Forms Pro

• iOS, Individual License$12.99

  per year, or $1.99 per month

  Tap Forms Pro for iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch for one person.

• iOS, Family License$14.99

  per year, or $2.99 per month

  The iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch apps on the devices of all Family Sharing members.

• macOS, Individual License$44.99

  per year, or $4.99 per month

  Tap Forms Pro for Mac for one person, without the iOS apps.

• macOS, Family License$49.99

  per year, or $5.99 per month

  The Mac app on the devices of all Family Sharing members, without the iOS apps.

• iOS and macOS, Individual License$49.99

  per year, or $5.99 per month

  The Mac, iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch apps for one person under a single subscription.

• iOS and macOS, Family License$59.99

  per year, or $8.99 per month

  The Mac, iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch apps on the devices of all Family Sharing members.

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.

Tap Forms Pro

• Annual discount

  Yearly subscriptions cost less than monthly

  The Individual License is $12.99 a year against $1.99 a month on iOS, $44.99 against $4.99 on macOS, and $49.99 against $5.99 for both, a saving of about 25% to 46%.

• Other savings

  Upgrade offers for Tap Forms 5 owners

  People who bought Tap Forms 5 within 6 months of installing Tap Forms Pro are offered 6 months free; earlier App Store buyers are offered a discount on their first year.