If the Airtable acquisition news has you panicking a little, you’re not alone. Bending Spoons’ plan to acquire Airtable has a lot of business owners wondering what happens next and whether they should start looking at Airtable alternatives.
My advice? Don’t move your entire business system just because everyone else is panicking.
There are plenty of Airtable alternatives out there, but there are really only two I’d be seriously looking at for most of my clients: Zite and SmartSuite.
Instead of giving you a list of 15 tools and sending you down another research rabbit hole, let’s look at where Zite and SmartSuite stand out and how to figure out which one makes sense for your business.
Why Are Businesses Looking for Airtable Alternatives Right Now?
Businesses have been comparing Airtable alternatives for years because of pricing, automation limits, permissions, integrations, and changing needs as they grow.
But right now, there’s another reason people are looking.
In August 2026, Bending Spoons announced an agreement to acquire Airtable in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $1.285 billion. The deal is expected to close by the end of 2026, pending regulatory approvals and other closing conditions.
Naturally, Airtable users have questions about what could change. We don’t have those answers yet, so I wouldn’t make a major systems decision based on what might happen.
Instead, use this as a reason to look at your current setup. If Airtable is working beautifully, great. But if you’ve already been piecing together workarounds or running into limitations, now is a good time to understand your options.
What Should You Look for in an Airtable Alternative?
Here’s where I think people get tripped up: the goal isn’t to find another Airtable. The goal is to find the right system for your business.
Start with what you’re actually doing in Airtable. Are you managing data? Running projects? Automating repetitive tasks? Building client-facing interfaces? Or is your entire business basically living in there?
Then compare your options based on what matters:
- Data: Can you structure and connect information the way you need?
- Automations and integrations: Can it handle your workflows and work with the rest of your tech stack?
- Permissions: Can you control who sees and edits what?
- Interfaces and collaboration: Is it easy for your team or clients to actually use?
- Pricing: What happens to the cost as you grow?
- Migration: What can move from Airtable, and what needs to be rebuilt?
That last one matters. Moving your data and moving your system are two different things. Your records may transfer easily. Your automations, integrations, permissions, and workflows may not.
Zite vs. SmartSuite: Quick Comparison
The short version: Zite is especially interesting if you want to turn your data into custom apps, portals, forms, and workflows. SmartSuite leans more heavily into work management, bringing data, projects, processes, automation, and team collaboration together.
| Zite | SmartSuite | |
| Best for | Custom apps, portals, and workflows | Work management and collaboration |
| Structured data | Yes | Yes |
| Automations | Yes | Yes |
| Forms | Yes | Yes |
| Interfaces/apps | Strong focus | Dashboards and multiple views |
| Collaboration | Available | Strong focus |
| Airtable import | Available | Available |
| Pricing approach | No per-seat pricing for app users | Per-user plans |
Neither is automatically the best Airtable alternative. The better choice depends on how you want your system to work and who needs to use it.
Is Zite a Good Airtable Alternative?
Yes, especially if you want to do more with your data than simply store and organize it.
Zite, formerly Fillout, combines a database with an app builder, forms, workflows, and integrations. You can use it to create client portals, internal tools, directories, dashboards, intake processes, and other custom experiences around your data.
It also doesn’t charge per seat for people using the apps you create, which can be especially appealing when clients, contractors, members, or other external users need access.
Who Is Zite Best For?
I’d look closely at Zite if you want custom apps or portals, need more control over what different users can access, or want your data, forms, and workflows working together.
For me, Zite gets especially interesting when the problem isn’t your data. It’s what you need people to be able to do with that data.
Is SmartSuite a Good Airtable Alternative?
SmartSuite is another Airtable alternative I’d seriously consider, but for a different reason.
Where Zite stands out for creating customized experiences around your data, SmartSuite leans more heavily into managing the work happening inside your business.
It combines structured data with project and process management, automations, dashboards, reporting, and team collaboration. That makes it useful if Airtable has gradually become the place where your team is trying to manage everything.
Who Is SmartSuite Best For?
I’d look at SmartSuite if your team manages projects, processes, and repeatable workflows inside your system and you want your data, tasks, reporting, and collaboration in one place.
If your bigger challenge is helping your team manage everything happening behind the scenes, SmartSuite may be the stronger fit.
Zite vs. SmartSuite: Which Airtable Alternative Should You Choose?
The best Airtable alternative depends on what you’re trying to build and who needs to use it.
Choose Zite if your priority is creating custom apps, portals, forms, or user experiences around your data, especially when clients or external users need access.
Choose SmartSuite if your priority is managing projects, processes, data, and team collaboration together.
And consider staying with Airtable if it’s still doing what you need it to do. The acquisition may have prompted you to explore your options, but that doesn’t mean migration is automatically the right answer.
The question isn’t really, “Which software is best?”
It’s, “Which software is best for how my business actually works?”
Before You Migrate From Airtable, Audit What You Already Have
If you decide it’s time to move, don’t immediately start rebuilding everything somewhere else.
First, look at your data, automations, integrations, forms, interfaces, permissions, and the processes your team actually relies on.
Then figure out what’s worth keeping.
If you’ve used Airtable for years, you’ve probably collected old workflows, temporary fixes, and workarounds you don’t need anymore. A migration is an opportunity to build a better system, not just move the same system somewhere else.
How to Migrate From Airtable Without Breaking Your Workflows
Both Zite and SmartSuite offer ways to bring Airtable data into their platforms, but importing records is only part of a migration.
Before making the switch, map what needs to move, what needs to be rebuilt, and what you can leave behind. Then test your automations, integrations, permissions, and workflows before your business depends on the new system.
The goal isn’t to recreate Airtable somewhere else. It’s to come out of the migration with a system that works better than the one you left.
Need Help Choosing or Migrating From Airtable?
If you now have Airtable, Zite, and SmartSuite open in three different tabs wondering which direction to go, this is exactly the kind of thing I help businesses figure out.
We can look at what’s working, what’s making you want to throw your laptop, and what you actually need your systems to do. From there, we can decide whether Airtable still makes sense or whether another platform is a better fit.
And if moving is the right call, I can help plan the migration and build the workflows, automations, and connections you actually need.
Because the goal isn’t to switch software. It’s to build a system that makes running your business easier.
Frequently Asked Questions About Airtable Alternatives
What Is the Best Alternative to Airtable?
There isn’t one best Airtable alternative for every business. Zite is a strong option for custom apps, portals, and workflows, while SmartSuite may be better for work management and team collaboration. The right choice depends on what you need your system to do.
Is Zite a Good Alternative to Airtable?
Yes. Zite can be a strong Airtable alternative if you want to combine structured data with custom apps, forms, workflows, and user-facing experiences.
Is SmartSuite Similar to Airtable?
Yes. Both platforms organize structured data and support workflows and automation. SmartSuite places a stronger emphasis on work management and collaboration, making it useful for teams managing projects and processes alongside their data.
Should I Leave Airtable After the Bending Spoons Acquisition?
Not necessarily. The acquisition is a good reason to evaluate your system, but not automatically a reason to leave. If Airtable still meets your needs, staying may be the right choice. If you’ve already been running into limitations, now may be a good time to compare your options.
Can I Move My Airtable Data to Zite or SmartSuite?
Yes. Both provide options for importing Airtable data. Just remember that moving records isn’t the same as migrating an entire system. Automations, integrations, permissions, and workflows should also be evaluated.
