An Airtable alternative you own

Airtable is a good place to start. When per-seat costs, record limits, automations and permissions start to get in the way, we move the base your team depends on into an internal app and a PostgreSQL database you own.

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Airtable migration

From $7,500

Usually $7,500–25,000 · 3–8 weeks

  • Fixed quote after a 30-minute call
  • Design, testing and deployment included
  • Your code and infrastructure from day one
  • 30 days of bug fixes after acceptance

The price covers one Airtable base and its automations moved into a working app. Further bases are quoted as separate fixed-price stages. See all prices and terms

When you need this

Sound familiar?

  • Seat costs grow with every person who only needs to look up a record.
  • You are close to the record or automation limits of your plan.
  • Different people need different permissions on the same records.
  • Automations live in several tools and nobody is sure which one changed a record.
  • Airtable's change of owner in 2026 has you asking where your data should live.

What we build

What this covers.

We map every table, field, link and automation first and agree what moves, what is archived and what changes. The new app runs next to Airtable until the numbers match, and the team switches over on an agreed day.

  • Data model and migration

    Tables, linked records and field types mapped to a relational schema, with records and attachments moved and counts checked table by table.

  • An app shaped like your workflow

    Views, forms and approvals for each role, instead of one grid for everyone.

  • Automations rebuilt

    Airtable automations and Zapier or Make flows rebuilt as tested jobs with logs and retries.

  • Permissions and history

    Role-based access and a history of important changes, so you can see who changed what.

  • Parallel run and switch-over

    Both systems run side by side until the data matches, then a final sync moves the last changes.

How an Airtable migration runs

The first step is an inventory of the base, done before the price is fixed. Using a read-only access token and a walk through the base with you, we list every table, field type, linked record, formula, rollup, view, form, interface and automation, plus the Zapier, Make or n8n flows that touch the base. We count records and attachments per table and note which fields are actually used.

From you we need read access to the base, time with the people who use it each day, and a short description of what each role does in it. We go through the inventory with you and mark each item: move as it is, change, archive or drop. Formulas and rollups become calculations in the database or the app; views become screens for a role. You approve the mapping before any data moves.

Each week you see the new app with a fresh copy of your real data, and a report that compares it with Airtable table by table. Your team keeps working in Airtable throughout.

How we make sure no data is lost in the move

The fear is simple: a record, a link or an attachment goes missing, and nobody notices until it is needed. Airtable makes this easy to get wrong. Linked records, multi-select fields, lookups and attachments have no direct equivalent in a relational database, and attachment links from the API expire after a few hours.

We migrate with scripts, never by hand, and the scripts can run again from scratch. Each row keeps its Airtable record ID in the new database, so it can always be traced back. Linked records become foreign keys or join tables, and a link that points to nothing is reported rather than silently dropped. Attachments are downloaded into your own file storage with their file names and the record they belong to.

After every run, a check compares the two systems: record counts per table, links per relationship, attachment counts, and totals for money and quantity fields. Any difference is listed by record ID until it is explained or fixed. Comments on records move with them. Airtable's full revision history is not available through its standard API, so we agree with you what to keep and leave a read-only archive of the original base. From switch-over, the new app records every change.

On the agreed day, edits in Airtable pause for a short window while the final sync and the checks run once more, then the team opens the new app. Airtable stays read-only for as long as you want it as a reference.

What you get at handover, and what happens after

Your data ends up in a PostgreSQL database on your own cloud account, with a documented schema that any developer or reporting tool can work with. You get the app code with tests, the migration scripts, the final check report agreed with you, the rebuilt automations with their logs, and a runbook for backups, restores, users and roles.

Further bases are quoted as separate fixed-price stages and reuse the scripts and patterns from the first. Monthly support covers new fields, views and rules as the team asks for them, or your own developers take over from the schema documentation.

Moving off Airtable is not always the right call:

  • Airtable still fits, but it needs to share data with your CRM or accounting? API & system integrations is cheaper.
  • The base is the start of a full sales and operations system? See Custom CRM & internal tools.
  • The real pain is the automations rather than Airtable itself? Business process automation rebuilds them as jobs you can monitor.

Related work

Closest published work.

Client project · Freight logistics

One system for loads, carriers and the money between them

A load management platform for a freight brokerage: loads, carriers and partner brokers in one place, with payables, receivables and branch reporting built on the same records.

How it works

A call, a fixed quote, weekly progress.

You describe the problem on a 30-minute call and get a written fixed quote. We build in fixed-price stages and show working software every week, then hand over the code, infrastructure and documentation on your accounts. See all five steps.

Try the team workspace demo Airtable alternatives compared

Technology

Typical stack.

We choose for the problem and the systems you already run.

  • Airtable API
  • TypeScript
  • Node.js
  • React
  • PostgreSQL
  • AWS / Google Cloud
  • Zapier / Make / n8n

Airtable migration: questions.

How much does an Airtable migration cost?

Usually $7,500–25,000 and three to eight weeks, depending on the number of tables and automations, the attachments and how many roles need their own views. You get a fixed price once we have seen the base.

Will we lose any data?

No record is dropped without a decision. We migrate with counts and checks per table, keep attachments and comments, and run the new app next to Airtable until the numbers match. Airtable's full revision history can't be exported, so we agree what to keep and leave a read-only copy of the original base.

Should we move to another no-code tool instead?

Sometimes that is enough. A custom app pays off when you need permissions, integrations or volumes the tools do not handle, or when per-seat costs keep growing. We will tell you which applies to you.

Can our team keep working during the migration?

Yes. Airtable stays live until the switch-over day, and a final sync moves the last changes.

Who hosts the new system?

Your own cloud account. We set up the infrastructure as code, so it can move to another team without us.

Do you sign an NDA?

Yes. We are happy to sign your NDA before you share the details.

When can you start?

We confirm the start date in the written quote, once the scope is agreed. We don't promise a date before we know the work.

Is design included?

Where the work has screens, yes: wireframes and interface design for the agreed scope are part of the fixed price. Brand identity or a full design system are quoted separately if you need them.

Have a project in mind?

Book a 30-minute call. If the scope is clear, you get a written fixed quote within one or two business days.

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