Airtable vs Monday: Which Tool Is Right for Your Team?

Choosing between Airtable and Monday is a common dilemma for teams trying to better manage projects, workflows, and data.

At first glance, both tools seem flexible enough to handle everything — from task tracking to operational processes. But underneath the surface, Airtable and Monday are built for very different jobs. And for many teams, that's exactly where the friction begins.

Whether you need visual task organization or complex data management, the right choice depends on your team's specific needs and workflows. In this guide, we'll break down the real differences between Airtable and Monday, explain where each tool excels, and show why many teams ultimately replace both with Noloco — a platform designed from the ground up to combine structured data and powerful interfaces in a single system.

Airtable vs Monday: The Core Difference

When you compare Airtable and Monday side by side, you'll spot fundamental differences in how these platforms tackle work management. Each brings distinct advantages that make them suitable for different teams and projects.

The simplest way to understand the comparison is this:

• Monday.com is a project and workflow management tool
• Airtable is a database-first platform

Both overlap in surface-level features, but their foundations are very different.

Monday organizes work around boards, items, and timelines. It's optimized for tracking tasks, owners, statuses, and deadlines.

Airtable, on the other hand, is built around relational data. It behaves more like a flexible database, allowing teams to structure information across tables, link records, and build complex data models.

This difference becomes critical as teams grow and their processes become more data-driven.

Airtable vs Monday.com vs Noloco: Quick Comparison

Or put another way:

• Monday.com manages work
• Airtable manages data
• Noloco manages work powered by data

Airtable vs Monday: Feature-by-Feature Comparison

What Noloco Does Differently

Noloco was built specifically to solve the problem most teams face when choosing between Airtable and Monday: you shouldn't have to choose between powerful data management and intuitive interfaces.

Here's what makes Noloco different:

• A native relational database, like Airtable — structure your data with tables, relationships, and fields that match your business logic
• Purpose-built interfaces, like Monday.com — but fully customizable — create exactly the views your team needs, from kanban boards to dashboards to custom forms
• Role-based and record-level permissions — control who sees what data down to the individual record level
• Internal tools and external portals from the same data — build both employee-facing workflows and client portals without duplicating your data
• Built specifically for operational and project management workflows — not a repurposed spreadsheet or generic task tracker

Real-World Impact

Teams using Noloco report consolidating 3-5 separate tools into one platform. Instead of maintaining Airtable for data, Monday for project tracking, and a separate tool for client portals, everything lives in one connected system. This means:

• No more context switching between different tools to get work done
• No more data syncing issues when information lives in multiple places
• No more building workarounds to make tools do things they weren't designed for
• Faster onboarding because team members learn one system, not three

Thousands of companies now use Noloco to run project management, operations, and client-facing workflows in one place.

The Real Trade-Off: Which Tool Matches Your Priorities?

While both Airtable and Monday have their strengths, many teams find themselves hitting walls: Airtable users build sophisticated databases but struggle to create clean, role-specific interfaces for their teams. Non-technical users get lost in spreadsheet views, and building custom interfaces requires significant time and expertise. Monday users love the visual simplicity but quickly outgrow its limited data capabilities. As soon as you need complex relationships between different types of records, or want to track detailed customer data alongside projects, Monday's board-based structure becomes restrictive. Pricing and support also differ between the platforms. Monday's Basic plan starts at $9 per seat monthly compared to Airtable's Team plan at $20 per seat monthly, making Monday more affordable for basic project tracking. However, both tools require jumping to higher-tier plans to unlock essential features—and you may still need additional tools to fill the gaps.This is why thousands of companies have moved to Noloco—it's purpose-built to deliver both structured data and powerful, customizable interfaces without forcing you to maintain two separate systems or compromise on capabilities.

Ready to Move Beyond the Airtable vs Monday Trade-Off?

If you're tired of choosing between data flexibility and usable interfaces, Noloco offers a better path forward.

Teams using Noloco eliminate tool sprawl, reduce time spent on manual data entry and syncing, and give every team member—from project managers to clients—exactly the interface they need to do their job well.

Whether you're managing client projects, tracking operations, running service delivery, or building internal tools, Noloco combines the database power of Airtable with the interface polish of Monday—and goes beyond both with features purpose-built for modern operational workflows.

Start building with Noloco today — see how teams are replacing multiple tools with one powerful platform that scales with your business.

FAQs about Airtable vs Monday

Is Airtable better than Monday?

Neither platform is universally "better"—it depends on what your team prioritizes. Monday.com excels at visual project management with intuitive boards, timelines, and task tracking that teams can adopt immediately. Airtable excels at complex data management with its relational database structure, making it ideal for tracking detailed records and relationships.

However, many teams find they need both capabilities: the data power of Airtable and the interface polish of Monday. That's where Noloco comes in—it combines relational database functionality with fully customizable interfaces in one platform. You can even use Noloco as a frontend for your existing Airtable bases, giving you professional, role-specific interfaces on top of your Airtable data without rebuilding everything from scratch. Learn more about using Noloco with Airtable.

Airtable vs Notion vs Monday: Which should I choose?

This comparison adds another dimension since Notion serves a different primary purpose:

• Monday.com = Visual project and task management
• Airtable = Relational database with spreadsheet interface
• Notion = Knowledge management and documentation hub
• Noloco = Data-powered operations platform with custom interfaces

Notion is best for teams that need collaborative documents, wikis, and knowledge bases. It's excellent for documentation but limited for structured data management and project workflows.

Monday is best for teams focused purely on task tracking and visual project management without complex data needs.

Airtable is best when you need a flexible database but are comfortable with spreadsheet-style interfaces or have technical resources to build custom interfaces.

Noloco is best when you need both powerful data management and polished, customizable interfaces—whether you're building on your existing Airtable data or starting fresh with Noloco's native database.

For a deeper dive into how Airtable compares specifically with Notion, check out our complete Airtable vs Notion comparison.

Many teams actually use combinations: Notion for documentation, Airtable or Noloco for operational data, and Monday for straightforward task tracking. However, teams using Noloco often consolidate these needs by building custom documentation sections, data management, and project workflows all in one platform—reducing tool sprawl and eliminating data silos.

Which platform is better for visual project management?

Monday.com excels in visual project management with its intuitive board-based interface, colorful task organization, and 27+ work views including Kanban and Gantt charts. It's ideal for teams prioritizing clear visual indicators of project status and progression.

Noloco offers similar visual flexibility with fully customizable kanban boards, timeline views, and dashboards—but with the advantage of being built on relational data. This means your visual project views can pull from and update complex data structures, giving you both beautiful interfaces and powerful data behind them.

How do Airtable and Monday.com differ in pricing?

Monday.com offers a more affordable starting price at $9 per seat per month, while Airtable begins at $20 per seat per month. Monday.com's free plan supports 2 users, whereas Airtable's free plan accommodates up to 5 editors, making it more generous for small teams.

Noloco's pricing is competitive and often more cost-effective when you factor in tool consolidation—many teams eliminate 3-5 separate subscriptions by moving to Noloco, reducing overall software costs while gaining more capability.

Which platform is better suited for complex data management?

Airtable is superior for complex data management among the traditional project management tools, functioning as a relational database with a spreadsheet-like interface. It's ideal for teams handling extensive datasets, content planning, inventory management, and scenarios requiring detailed record management with complex relationships between information sets.

Noloco matches Airtable's data management capabilities with its native relational database and can serve as a powerful frontend for your existing Airtable bases. This gives you the best of both worlds: keep your Airtable data structure but build professional, user-friendly interfaces on top of it. Read more about building web apps with Airtable data.

How do the learning curves compare?

Monday.com offers the most intuitive interface with fastest onboarding, making it easier for new users to get started quickly.

Airtable has a steeper learning curve due to its database structure, but rewards users who invest time in mastering its capabilities.

Noloco balances both: the underlying data model is as powerful as Airtable, but the interface-building experience is visual and intuitive. Non-technical team members can use the finished interfaces immediately, while administrators can customize views without coding. Teams often report faster adoption than Airtable because end users interact with purpose-built interfaces rather than raw spreadsheet views.

What are the key differences in integration capabilities?

Monday.com boasts over 200 native app integrations, making it ideal for teams heavily invested in mainstream business tools.

Airtable, while offering fewer native integrations, provides a robust API and works seamlessly with platforms like Noloco—offering greater flexibility for custom solutions and data-focused applications.

Noloco integrates with your existing Airtable bases (using them as a backend), connects to external APIs, and provides webhook capabilities for building sophisticated workflows. Since Noloco can function as both a standalone platform and a frontend for Airtable, you get integration flexibility without sacrificing data power.

Additional resources

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