AppSheet vs Softr (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, AppSheet grades higher than Softr: 2.8 against 2.4 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 5, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
AppSheet grades higher on value for money and the free plan. Softr grades higher on ease of use. They get the same grade on features and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
AppSheet
Google's no-code app and automation builder, with Gemini help
Softr
No-code builder for client portals and internal tools, with AI
Which one is for you
Pick AppSheet if
- Fits if your data already lives in Google Sheets or a database and you want an app on top
- Works for field teams who need forms and barcode scanning on a phone, even offline
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if lots of people use the app, as every user is $5 to $20 a month
- Skip it if you want AI to build the app without a Google Workspace licence, as the FAQ says it needs one
- Too light for advanced automation and role-based users on Starter, as they start at Core
- Watch out: public apps with no sign-in cost $50 a month each, and Enterprise Plus is bought through a Workspace admin
Pick Softr if
- Fits if you need a client portal or internal tool on top of Airtable, Google Sheets or a CRM
- Works for nonprofits and schools, which get 50% off
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you have more than a handful of clients, as Basic stops at 5 client users and add-ons start on Pro
- Pricey if you want Softr's branding gone, custom code or granular permissions, since those start on Pro at $99 a month billed yearly
- Not for you if you want generated code, as apps are assembled from Softr's pre-built blocks
- Watch out: workflows pause when the monthly action limit is reached, until it renews or you upgrade
- Watch out: extra builders cost $5 to $20 a month each, and an installable phone version needs Business at $329
How we grade them
| 2.8GPAAppSheetGood | 2.4GPASoftrFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BStarter is $5 a user a month and Core is $10, both under the $15 to $25 range the category charges per month. But it is per user, so a team of 20 is $100 to $200. | DBasic is $19 a month billed yearly, $25 monthly, bang on the middle for builders here. But for a client-portal tool it stops at 5 team and 5 client users with no add-ons until Pro — and Pro is $99, five times that middle, where more users, granular permissions, custom code and branding removal all live. |
| Free plan and trial | BPrototyping is free for as long as you like, with every feature, for up to 10 test users. You cannot roll it out to a team without paying. | CUnlimited apps, databases, workflows and forms, up to 3 builders, and the Softr API and MCP included. Then the caps bite: 5 app users, 5K records, 500 workflow actions and 5 AI credits a month. For a product built on client portals, 5 users is the wall. |
| Features | BSpreadsheet and database connectors, automations, offline sync, barcode scanning, a built-in database and governance. The listing names no gap in the job, though some of it sits on Core or Enterprise Plus. | BIt covers the whole job: a prompt produces the pages, database, permissions and workflows, then you refine with blocks like lists, charts, calendars and forms. Data lives in Softr or stays live in Airtable, Sheets, Notion, HubSpot or SQL, with logins and user groups built in. Glide does the same, so no A. |
| Ease of use | CA web app where the work is building the app itself, and no store rating is on record. | BNo rating on record, but you start from data you already keep, in Airtable or a spreadsheet, and the AI drafts the pages, permissions and workflows. After that it's pre-built blocks rather than code. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb plus iPhone and Android apps for the people who use what you build, and links to Sheets, Drive, Excel, Salesforce, Airtable and BigQuery. | BA web app for building, with nothing on desktop or phone. It connects to Airtable, Google Sheets, Notion, HubSpot, Salesforce, Supabase, monday.com and PostgreSQL, and the Softr API and MCP are on the Free plan. An installable phone version of your app needs Business. |
| Best for | business apps built on spreadsheets and databases | client portals on top of Airtable or Sheets |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: AppSheet and Softr. How we grade
Price against what you get
AppSheet starts at $5 a month for each person and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Softr starts at $19 a month and scores 3.0.
Softr scores higher, and starts $14 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other AI app builders on the chart, none scores higher than AppSheet for less, and 2 score higher than Softr for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- AppSheet also covers barcode scanning.
- Softr also covers forms.
At a glance
| AppSheet | Softr | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $5 per user / month (Starter) | $19 per month, billed yearly; $25 billed monthly (Basic) |
| Free plan | Build and test prototypes with basic app and automation features, with up to 10 test users, for as long as you like. | Unlimited apps, databases, workflows and forms, with up to 3 builders, 5 app users, 5K database records, 500 workflow actions and 5 AI credits a month. |
| Free trial | None listed | 7-day free trial of the Business plan's features on signup, extended to 14 days by adding a credit card |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Softr | |
| Price read from | about.appsheet.com | docs.softr.io |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Oct 5, 2026 |
Worth knowing
AppSheet
- Prices are per user per month, so cost grows with the number of app users.
- AI-assisted app creation needs a paid Google Workspace license, according to the pricing FAQ.
- Enterprise Plus can be bought only by a Google Workspace administrator.
- Public apps without sign-in are priced per app ($50 a month) through Publisher Pro.
Softr
- Every plan caps app users: 5 on Free, 5 team and 5 client users on Basic, with paid add-ons only from Pro.
- Removing Softr branding, custom code and granular permissions start on Pro, at $99 a month billed yearly.
- Extra builders cost $5 to $20 a month each depending on the plan, on top of the 1 to 3 included.
- Workflows pause when the monthly action limit is reached, until it renews or the workspace is upgraded.
Key features
AppSheet
- Gemini-assisted creation
- Describe what an app should do and Gemini drafts it; AI-assisted app creation is available to users with paid Google Workspace licenses.
- Data connectors
- Connects to Google Sheets, Excel, Airtable, Smartsheet and Salesforce, with SQL, BigQuery, Apigee and REST APIs on the top plan.
- Automations
- Workflows with triggers, conditions and branches, plus email, SMS and push notifications and webhooks from app events or schedules.
- Field data capture
- Forms, barcodes, locations, signatures and photos, with offline use and background sync.
- Built-in database
- An AppSheet database is included on every paid plan, with row and database limits by tier.
- Governance
- Role-based access, security filters and, on Enterprise Plus, audit logs, version history and team policy controls.
Softr
- AI app builder
- A prompt produces the pages, layouts, database structure, permissions and workflows for an app, which can then be refined with AI or edited visually.
- Pre-built blocks and Vibe Coding
- Apps are assembled from blocks such as lists, grids, charts, calendars and forms. A Vibe Coding block generates a custom, data-connected interface from a prompt.
- Softr Databases and data sources
- Store data in Softr's relational databases or connect live to Airtable, Google Sheets, Notion, HubSpot, Salesforce, Supabase and SQL databases.
- Users, logins and permissions
- Built-in login supports email and password, magic links, Google sign-in and SSO, with user groups controlling what each person can see and do.
- Workflows
- Softr Workflows automate manual processes, with a monthly cap on actions: 500 on Free, 2.5K on Basic, 10K on Pro and 25K on Business.
- Mobile apps
- Apps can be delivered as an installable mobile app (PWA) with push notifications. Both are listed on the Business plan.
Plans
AppSheet
Free prototyping$0
Use the app editor and process designer with every feature for prototypes, with up to 10 test users.
Starter$5
per user / month
Basic app and automation features, spreadsheet and cloud-storage connectors and the AppSheet database (5 databases, 2,500 rows each).
Core$10
per user / month
Adds advanced automation, security controls, role-based users, barcode scanning and email support. Included in most paid Google Workspace plans.
Enterprise Plus$20
per user / month
Adds machine learning, cloud database and API connectors, governance controls, up to 200 databases of 200,000 rows and priority support. Sold to Workspace administrators.
Publisher Pro$50
per app / month
For public apps with no sign-in and no sensitive data, usable by unlimited users; has Core features without sign-in options or security filters.
Softr
Free$0
Unlimited apps, up to 3 builders, 5 app users, 5K database records, 500 workflow actions and 5 AI credits a month, plus the Softr API and MCP.
Basic$19
per month, billed yearly; $25 billed monthly
1 builder, 5 team and 5 client users, 50K records, 2.5K workflow actions and 10 AI credits a month, with a custom domain and database backups.
Pro$99
per month, billed yearly; $119 billed monthly
2 builders, 10 team and 50 client users, 500K records and 10K workflow actions. Removes Softr branding and adds granular permissions and custom code.
Business$329
per month, billed yearly; $395 billed monthly
3 builders, 30 team and 100 client users, 1M records and 25K workflow actions, with 2FA, an installable mobile app (PWA) and push notifications.
EnterpriseCustom
Custom limits with SSO (SAML, OpenID), SCIM, audit logs, custom agreements and SLAs, and a customer success manager.
Ways to pay less
AppSheet
- Nonprofit
Education and nonprofit discounts
Discounts are offered to educational and nonprofit organizations with verification of tax-exempt status.
Softr
- Annual discount
About two months free with yearly billing
Softr's docs list Basic at $19 a month billed yearly against $25 monthly, Pro at $99 against $119, and Business at $329 against $395.
- Nonprofit
50% off for nonprofits
The pricing page offers a 50% non-profit and education discount, claimed by filling out a form.
- Education
50% off for education
The same 50% discount applies to educational organizations, according to the pricing page FAQ, and is claimed through a form.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, AppSheet or Softr?
As of Nov 13, 2026, AppSheet starts at $5 per user / month (Starter), and Softr starts at $19 per month, billed yearly; $25 billed monthly (Basic). One is priced for each person and the other is not, so which costs less depends on how many of you use it.
Which has a free plan, AppSheet or Softr?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both AppSheet and Softr have a free plan.
Which platforms do AppSheet and Softr run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only AppSheet lists iOS and Android apps. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.