Introduction

Airtable and Zoho Creator are both popular platforms for building custom business apps without heavy coding — but they take very different approaches.

Airtable blends the simplicity of a spreadsheet with the power of a database, making it a favorite among teams looking for quick, visual solutions. Zoho Creator, part of the larger Zoho ecosystem, is built for workflow automation and process management with deeper logic and scripting flexibility.

In this guide, we’ll compare Airtable and Zoho Creator across core features, pricing, user experience, and ideal use cases. Then we’ll introduce Tadabase — a powerful alternative that combines visual building, advanced customization, and flat pricing for unlimited users.

TL;DR

• Airtable – Great for teams who need fast, visual databases with spreadsheet simplicity. Lacks deeper workflow automation and enterprise compliance by default.

• Zoho Creator – Better for automating business processes and integrating into broader systems. More powerful, but with a steeper learning curve.

• Tadabase – Combines the ease of Airtable with the depth of Zoho Creator, plus built-in compliance, powerful automation, and flat pricing.

Quick Comparison Table

Feature-by-Feature Comparison

Feature	Airtable	Zoho Creator	Tadabase
Visual App Builder	Spreadsheet-style	Form & workflow-based	Drag-and-drop interface
Built-in Automations	Basic (limited)	Advanced workflows	Robust visual workflows
Database Backend	Airtable-native DB	Zoho Creator DB	Full database engine
User Roles & Permissions	Basic	Advanced	Granular user control
Reporting & Dashboards	Basic charts	Custom dashboards	Advanced charts, PDF, reports
HIPAA / Compliance	Not supported	Limited	HIPAA-ready, audit logs
Mobile App	Native app	Native app	Responsive + mobile options
Pricing Model	Per user	Per user	Flat per account, unlimited users

 

Pricing Breakdown

Airtable Pricing

• Free Plan: 1,000 records, 1 user interface, limited automation

• Team: $20/user/month

• Business: $45/user/month

• Enterprise: Custom pricing

Zoho Creator Pricing

• Free Plan: 1 user, basic app creation

• Standard: $8/user/month

• Professional: $20/user/month

• Enterprise: $25/user/month

• Ultimate: $400/month (for unlimited users and apps)

Tadabase Pricing

• Flat-rate pricing per app, not per user

• Unlimited users, records, and features at every tier

• See full pricing

User Ratings & Reviews

• G2 Crowd

  • Airtable: 4.6/5 (2,000+ reviews) – praised for ease of use, criticized for limited logic/automation

  • Zoho Creator: 4.2/5 (400+ reviews) – praised for integrations, criticized for UI complexity

• Capterra

  • Airtable: 4.7/5

  • Zoho Creator: 4.3/5

Pros & Cons

Airtable Pros
 Simple, intuitive interface
 Great for collaboration and light workflows
 Lots of templates to get started

Airtable Cons
 Limited logic and automation capabilities
 Expensive at scale due to per-user pricing
 No native compliance for HIPAA or audit logs

Zoho Creator Pros
 Strong form builder and logic customization
 Deep integration with Zoho suite and APIs
 Flexible workflows for complex apps

Zoho Creator Cons
 UI can feel outdated or clunky
 Learning curve with scripting (Deluge)
 Compliance and user control not ideal for sensitive apps

In Our Experience

Airtable is best suited for teams that want a quick, visual tool to organize data without technical setup. It's great for marketing, editorial, or project management use cases — especially when cost isn’t a barrier.

Zoho Creator is more flexible for business processes that require automation, integrations, or complex workflows — but it comes with more complexity and less visual polish.

Tadabase strikes a balance between the two: it offers visual app building like Airtable, deep logic and automation like Zoho Creator, and adds key features like compliance, audit logging, and unlimited users — all under flat pricing.

If you’re scaling a team, need HIPAA or role-based access, or want to build without per-user surprises, Tadabase may be the smarter long-term choice.

Recommended Alternatives

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Airtable HIPAA compliant?

No — Airtable does not offer HIPAA compliance, even on enterprise plans.

Does Zoho Creator support API integrations?

Yes — Zoho Creator supports REST APIs and integrates natively with many Zoho apps and third-party tools.

Can I use Airtable without coding?

Yes — Airtable is entirely no-code, although advanced logic may require third-party tools like Zapier or Make.

Does Tadabase support unlimited users?

Yes — Tadabase pricing is flat per account and includes unlimited users by default.

Why Teams Choose Tadabase

•  Flat pricing — no per-user surprises

•  Built-in HIPAA, audit logs, and user permissions

•  Visual builder plus powerful logic, automation, and PDF generation

•  Scalable apps for internal teams, healthcare, education, and more

•  Real support, real control, and real flexibility

Need a platform with power, compliance, and predictability?
Try Tadabase for free →