Airtable vs Smartsheet for Business Workflow Automation

Both Airtable and Smartsheet have evolved far beyond their spreadsheet-like origins into full-fledged workflow automation platforms. Businesses use them to track orders, manage projects, coordinate teams, and automate repetitive processes. But their approaches to automation are fundamentally different, and choosing the wrong one can leave you fighting against the tool rather than leveraging it. Here is an expert breakdown of where each platform excels in automation.

Core Architecture Differences

Airtable is built on a relational database model. Each base contains multiple tables that can be linked together through relationships, much like a simplified version of a relational database. This makes Airtable exceptional for managing interconnected data: orders linked to customers linked to products linked to invoices. Its interface views (grid, kanban, calendar, gallery, Gantt) allow different teams to see the same underlying data in the format most useful to them.

Smartsheet is built on a spreadsheet-with-superpowers model. It retains the familiar row-and-column structure that enterprise users are comfortable with but adds project management features like Gantt charts, critical path tracking, resource management, and automated workflows. Smartsheet excels at hierarchical data with parent-child row relationships, making it ideal for project plans with phases, tasks, and subtasks.

Feature-by-feature automation comparison between Airtable and Smartsheet

Built-In Automation Capabilities

Airtable's automation system uses a trigger-and-action model. Triggers include record creation, field updates, time intervals, and form submissions. Actions include sending emails, creating records, updating fields, running scripts, and calling webhooks. The scripting extension allows JavaScript-based custom logic, giving technically inclined users the ability to build sophisticated automations entirely within Airtable. Automation run limits vary by plan: 25,000 runs per month on Pro and 500,000 on Enterprise.

Smartsheet's automation comes through its workflow rules and alerts system. You can configure automatic actions triggered by row changes, date conditions, or approval status updates. Smartsheet particularly excels at approval workflows, offering native request-and-approve functionality that Airtable handles only through third-party integrations. Smartsheet also supports automated row moves between sheets, conditional notifications, and recurring date-based reminders, features that are especially valuable for project management and operations teams.

Integration with External Tools

Both platforms integrate well with automation tools like Zapier and Make.com. Airtable's API is particularly well-designed for external integration, with clear documentation and consistent behavior that makes it a favorite among automation developers. Many businesses use Airtable as a lightweight operations database, syncing data to and from their accounting system, CRM, and fulfillment tools.

Smartsheet offers its own connector ecosystem alongside iPaaS compatibility. Its Jira, Salesforce, and Microsoft Teams connectors are built in, providing deeper integration with enterprise tools than Airtable typically offers. For organizations standardized on Microsoft 365, Smartsheet's native integration is a meaningful advantage.

Scalability and Data Limits

Airtable's record limits can become a constraint for data-heavy operations. Free plans cap at 1,200 records per base, while even Enterprise plans limit bases to around 500,000 records. For businesses processing thousands of orders monthly, these limits can be reached faster than expected, especially if historical data is retained.

Smartsheet limits individual sheets to around 20,000 rows but allows cross-sheet references and Data Shuttle imports that effectively extend capacity. For large-scale data management, Smartsheet's DataTable feature (available on enterprise plans) provides a relational database-like experience with millions of rows. This makes Smartsheet more suitable for enterprise-scale operations data.

Use Case Fit

Airtable excels as a lightweight operations hub for small to mid-sized teams that need flexible, relational data management without the overhead of a traditional database. It is ideal for tracking orders, managing product catalogs, coordinating content production, and running data entry automation workflows.

Smartsheet excels as a project and process management platform for teams that need hierarchical task tracking, resource allocation, Gantt charting, and formal approval workflows. It is ideal for construction project management, product launches, compliance tracking, and manufacturing order workflows.

Choose Airtable If...

• You need a relational data model to link orders, customers, products, and invoices
• Your team values flexible views (kanban, gallery, calendar) of the same data
• You want to extend automations with custom JavaScript scripting
• Your workflows are data-centric rather than project-centric
• You plan to build a lightweight custom application using Airtable's interface designer

Choose Smartsheet If...

• Your workflows require formal approval chains and request management
• Project management features like Gantt charts, critical path, and resource management are essential
• Enterprise governance, audit trails, and compliance controls are non-negotiable
• Your team is comfortable with spreadsheet-style interfaces and needs minimal retraining
• You need to manage large-scale data beyond Airtable's record limits

The choice between Airtable and Smartsheet is not about which is better; it is about whether your workflows are data-centric or process-centric. Choose the architecture that matches how your business actually operates.

Whichever platform you select, the real value comes from integrating it into your broader automation ecosystem. Learn more about building connected workflows in our guide to moving from spreadsheets to systems.