Bottom line: Airtable’s free plan is a real working database, not a demo: 1,000 records per base, up to 5 editors, 100 automation runs a month, and 500 AI credits per editor per month at $0. The catch is in the counting — the 1,000-record limit is cumulative across every table in a base, so five tables share one pool of 1,000 rows. For a personal tracker or a tiny team’s first system, it is one of the most capable free plans in this category.
What is Airtable?
Airtable is a spreadsheet-database hybrid: it looks like a grid, but columns have real types, tables link to each other, and the same data renders as a grid, kanban board, calendar, gallery, or form — plus automations, an interface builder, and built-in AI features that run on AI credits. Where the tool in our Quadratic review keeps AI inside a spreadsheet, Airtable treats your tables as the source of truth.
What is actually free on Airtable?
Per Airtable’s own Help Center plans overview (checked November 12, 2026), the Free plan includes:
- 1,000 records per base, with 1GB of attachment storage per base.
- 500 AI credits per editor per month for Airtable’s built-in AI features.
- Up to 5 collaborators with Editor or Creator permissions, up to 50 Commenters, and unlimited Read-only collaborators.
- 100 automation runs per workspace per month, with up to 75 unique automations per base.
- 1,000 API calls per workspace per month and 2 weeks of revision and snapshot history.
That envelope fits a content calendar, a small CRM, an inventory list, or a project tracker — and since read-only viewers are unlimited, a whole team can look without using editor seats, or pipe records into outside automations like those in our Make free plan review.
What the pricing page doesn’t make obvious
Two documented gotchas from Airtable’s own Help Center deserve plain type. First, the record limit is cumulative across tables: Airtable’s FAQ states the limit counts records across all the tables in a base — two tables of 500 records each fill it, exactly like one table of 1,000. Splitting data into more tables buys no room.
Second, your first workspace does not start on Free. New accounts get a complimentary 14-day Team trial on their first workspace — and the Help Center states that adding a payment method during that trial automatically upgrades the workspace to paid Team, billed when the trial ends. Intend to stay free? Do not add a card “just in case” in those 14 days. Later workspaces get no trial.
Free vs paid: what do you actually gain by upgrading?
| Plan | Price | Records / base | What changes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 1,000 (cumulative across tables) | 5 editors, 100 automation runs/mo, 500 AI credits per editor/mo; no extensions, no record coloring, Airtable branding on forms |
| Team | $20 per collaborator/mo billed yearly ($24 monthly) | 50,000 | Extensions, Gantt and timeline views, record coloring, 25,000 automation runs/mo, 15,000 AI credits per billable collaborator/mo |
| Business | $45 per collaborator/mo billed yearly ($54 monthly) | 125,000 | Two-way sync, admin panel, 100,000 automation runs/mo, 20,000 AI credits per paid user/mo |
Free also leaves out extensions, record coloring, and form header customization, and Airtable branding stays on forms — cosmetic for most small teams. The record count is the limit that ends the free ride.
Pros and cons of Airtable’s free plan
Pros
- A real relational database at $0 — linked tables, multiple views, forms, and an interface builder.
- 500 AI credits per editor per month is a genuine AI allowance, not a one-time teaser.
- Unlimited read-only collaborators, so stakeholders can view data without consuming seats.
- Automations and API access are included on free, within modest monthly caps.
Cons
- 1,000 records per base counts every table in the base together, so multi-table bases fill fast.
- No extensions or record coloring on free, and forms keep Airtable branding.
- Revision history is only 2 weeks on the free plan.
- The automatic 14-day Team trial can turn into a paid plan if you add a payment method during it.
Who is Airtable’s free plan best for?
Airtable’s free plan is best for individuals and very small teams organizing something bounded: a freelancer’s client tracker, a creator’s content pipeline, a club’s member list, a startup’s first lightweight CRM. If your data is mostly unstructured answers, a chat-with-your-data tool like the one in our Julius AI review may fit better. If it has relationships — orders linked to customers, tasks linked to projects — Airtable’s free tier is the stronger free home, until the cumulative counter says otherwise.
Verdict: the rare free plan you can actually run a small operation on — just count records across all your tables, and keep your card out of the trial.
Frequently asked questions
Is Airtable free to use?
Yes. The Free plan costs $0 and includes 1,000 records per base, up to 5 editors, 100 automation runs a month, and 500 AI credits per editor per month. Airtable says it is intended for individuals or very small teams.
How does Airtable’s 1,000-record free limit work?
The limit is per base and cumulative: records in every table inside a base count toward the same 1,000. One table of 1,000 records and five tables of 200 records both fill a free base.
What AI do you get on Airtable’s free plan?
500 AI credits per editor per month, per Airtable’s Help Center, for its built-in AI features. Team raises that to 15,000 credits per billable collaborator per month.
Why did my new Airtable workspace show Team features?
New accounts get a complimentary 14-day Team trial on their first workspace. Afterwards you can stay on Free — but adding a payment method during the trial automatically upgrades the workspace to paid Team, per Airtable’s Help Center.