First, name the reason
The right alternative depends on what is actually hurting. Each reason points somewhere different:
- Seat costs for people who only look things up: an interface tool or a different pricing model may be enough.
- Record, automation or API limits: another database, or your own.
- Different people need different access to the same records: tools with finer permissions, or your own app.
- Automations spread across Airtable, Zapier and Make that nobody fully understands: that is an automation problem first.
- Worry about the vendor's future: anything where you hold a full, regular copy of your data.
The options compared
There are four broad paths. The table compares them on the things that tend to hurt later rather than on features.
| Option | Data lives | Cost grows with | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Another hosted no-code database | Vendor's cloud | Seats and records | A shared table with views |
| Self-hosted open source (NocoDB, Baserow) | Your server | Hosting and admin time | Data on your own servers |
| An app builder on top (Softr and similar) | Your data source | App users | Portals and simple internal apps |
| Your own app and database | Your cloud account | Development, then hosting | Core operations with roles and integrations |
When another no-code tool is enough
If your base is mainly a shared table with views and a few forms, another no-code tool will usually do the job for less than custom software. Check three things before you switch: whether linked records and attachments import cleanly, how permissions work for your roles, and how you export everything again if you ever leave.
When your own app pays off
Your own app earns its cost when the base runs core operations: several roles that need different screens and permissions, integrations with accounting or a CRM, volumes that hit plan limits, or a seat bill that keeps growing. The data then sits in a PostgreSQL database on your own cloud account, readable by any developer or reporting tool.
It is a bigger project than switching tools. With us, moving one base and its automations into a working app usually costs $7,500–25,000 and takes three to eight weeks.
How to move without losing data
Whatever you choose, the risky part is the move. Airtable's linked records, lookups and multi-select fields have no direct equivalent elsewhere, attachment links from its API expire after a few hours, and the full revision history cannot be exported through the standard API.
Move with scripts that can run again from scratch, keep each record's Airtable ID, download attachments into storage you control, and compare record counts and totals table by table. Run the new system next to Airtable until the numbers match, then switch on an agreed day and keep the old base read-only for reference.
If you stay on Airtable
Staying is a reasonable choice. Reduce the risk anyway: take regular exports of every table, document what each automation does and who owns it, and keep integrations going through the API rather than hidden in many separate tools. If you ever need to leave, you will be leaving from a known state.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best Airtable alternative?
It depends on the reason you are leaving. For a shared table with views, another no-code database. For data on your own servers, a self-hosted open-source tool. For core operations with roles and integrations, your own app.
Is Airtable shutting down?
Nothing announced up to October 2026 suggests that. The new owner has said it is reorganising the product teams; plans and prices had not changed when we wrote this.
How do I get all my data out of Airtable?
Table exports cover records but not attachments or history. A script using the API can export records with their IDs and download attachments; plan for history being lost unless you have kept it elsewhere.
How long does an Airtable migration take?
Moving to another no-code tool can take days. Moving one base and its automations into your own app usually takes three to eight weeks, with both systems running side by side before the switch.
Get a fixed price for your project
Book a 30-minute call. If the scope is clear, you get a written fixed quote within one or two business days.