Airtable vs Asana Comparison: Is Asana or Airtable Better

Airtable has earned a reputation as an incredible tool for building databases and spreadsheets. On the other hand, Asana shines in its ability to streamline team collaboration and easily manage complex projects.

Which one is better? 

We understand that the choice between these two stellar software options can be confusing, and that's precisely why we've crafted this Airtable vs Asana comparison post.  

We aim to clarify the confusion, delve into the perks of each platform, and offer tailored advice to help you determine which tool is best suited for your specific use cases.

Let’s dive in!

What is the difference between Airtable and Asana?

The main difference between Asana and Airtable lies in their focus and functionality. Asana is a project management and collaboration tool, while Airtable is a database and spreadsheet tool for custom workflows and data tracking. Asana is more suitable for task management, whereas Airtable is for data organization and visualization.

Asana's robust features are centered around task management, communication, and progress monitoring, which makes it an excellent choice for managing complex projects that involve multiple team members. Airtable's unique blend of spreadsheet and database capabilities allows users to build a wide variety of applications, ranging from simple data storage to more advanced systems that automate and streamline processes.

In essence, while Asana is a project management CRM that excels in providing a structured environment for project management and team collaboration, Airtable shines as a customizable solution for data organization and process automation. The choice between the two largely depends on your specific needs, whether they involve project management and team communication or data organization and workflow customization.

To better understand the strengths and weaknesses of each platform, we recommend reading our detailed Airtable review and Asana review. By exploring the features, user experiences, and real-life uses of both apps, we hope to help you make a more informed decision.

Airtable vs Asana comparison chart

We've created a detailed comparison chart to help you see the differences between Airtable and Asana more easily. This chart shows their features and functions side by side, so you can quickly spot each tool's strengths and weaknesses. Using this chart, you'll be better prepared to decide which platform fits your needs and preferences the best.

Airtable offers three paid plans, and the most affordable plan starts at $10 per seat per month, billed annually. This plan includes additional integrations and extension options. For more advanced features like Timeline view and Gantt charts, you’ll need to subscribe to the Pro plan, which will cost you $20 per seat per month, billed annually.

Asana also provides three paid plans. Its most affordable plan, Premium, costs $10.99 per user per month, billed annually, or $13.49 billed monthly. This makes it slightly more expensive than Airtable's Plus plan that stands at $10 per user per month. Asana's Business plan is somewhat pricier than Airtable's Pro plan that starts at $24.99 per user per month. 

Which is better?

Although the pricing structure of the two apps is very similar and they each have three paid plans, we’ll yield this round to Airtable as it's slightly cheaper than Asana. 

Asana vs Airtable free versions

Airtable's free plan is perfect for individuals or small teams just starting out. It allows up to 5 creators or editors, unlimited bases, unlimited commenters and read-only users, 1,200 records per base, one extension per base, and one sync integration. Plus, you'll have access to 100 automations per month, five views, and 2GB of attachment space per base.

Asana's free plan is quite generous, offering features like three project views (Board, List, and Calendar view), basic reporting, over 100 app integrations, and unlimited projects. You can even add time tracking by connecting Asana to a third-party app. However, the free plan has a limit of 15 users. If your team has more than 15 members, you'll need to upgrade to a paid plan.

Which is better?

Both apps offer a generous free version of their software. However, Asana has a slight edge here as its free plan supports up to 15 people, compared to Airtable's freemium version, which supports only five. 

Customer support

Airtable offers email and chat support to users of all plans, while Enterprise users also enjoy priority support. Generally, the company responds within 1-2 business days. At the moment, they don't offer telephone support.

Asana provides email and chat support, but there’s no phone support for any subscription level. When you contact Asana's support team, they usually get back to you within one business day. 24/7 support is available, but only for Enterprise plan subscribers.

Which is better?

This round is a tie as both apps offer support via email and chat but no phone support. 

Knowledgebase & learning

Airtable has a comprehensive knowledge base with help articles, tutorials, demos, webinars, articles, ebooks, and reports. There's also an active community forum for sharing news, asking questions, exchanging tips, and engaging in open discussions.

Asana's knowledge base is wide-ranging, featuring guides, blogs, and webinars. They even have their own Asana Academy, which offers lessons to help you learn project management basics and how the system operates. Asana's community forum is lively, and you’ll find both users and staff answering questions.

Which is better?

Asana has a slight lead in this category with its online learning Asana Academy. 

Asana vs Airtable features & functionality

After comparing Asana vs Airtable on aspects like pricing, free plans, customer service, and knowledge base, it's time to examine how they perform in terms of features and functions.

Airtable or Asana for ease of use?

Airtable is known for its flexibility and customization options, but this can sometimes make it seem overwhelming to new users. The app offers a wide range of features that can take some time to learn and master. However, once you become familiar with the user interface and its capabilities, Airtable can be a powerful and intuitive tool. 

Asana is designed with user-friendliness in mind, which makes it relatively easy to navigate and use. Its clean, intuitive interface allows you to create and manage tasks, projects, and teams quickly. Although it may take some time to explore and understand all of its features, Asana's ease of use makes it an accessible tool for both beginners and experienced users in project management and team collaboration.

Which is better? 

Between the two, Asana is generally considered easier to use, thanks to its clean and intuitive interface, as well as its focus on project management and team collaboration. While Airtable offers powerful customization options, its blend of spreadsheet and database functionality can make it more overwhelming for new users. 

Asana vs Airtable online versions

Both Airtable and Asana are available as an online app that you can use from anywhere. Supported browsers include Safari, Google Chrome, Firefox, and Microsoft Edge. You can also use them on the go by downloading the corresponding mobile apps for iOS and Android. 

Which is better?

This round is a tie as both platforms have online versions that can be accessed via different browsers. 

Airtable vs Asana desktop versions

The Airtable desktop app for Mac and Windows is very similar to the web version, but you need to download it as a desktop app. The desktop version has a few more keyboard shortcuts compared to the online version. When using the desktop app, you'll get Airtable notifications on your desktop by default, but you can turn this off if you want.

Asana also offers desktop apps for both Mac and Windows. These apps bring the functionality of Asana's web version to your desktop, so that you can work on your projects without needing to open a web browser. You can download the desktop app from Asana's official website, which will guide you through the installation process.

Which is better?

This round is another tie. It's difficult to declare a clear winner in this category, as both tools offer dedicated desktop apps for macOS and Windows.

Tasks and projects 

Airtable offers good task and project management features. You can find templates for things like project planning, tracking progress, or managing team communication. You can view your data in different ways, like Gantt charts and Kanban boards. You can add attachments like images, videos, PDFs, and Excel files. Storage space varies from 2 GB to 1,000 GB, based on your plan. For task management, you can create tasks, assign them to teammates, set deadlines, and more. Users can also leave comments or notes for better team collaboration.

Asana offers a comprehensive set of project and task management features designed to help teams plan, organize, and track work efficiently. Some of the key features include creating tasks, assigning them to team members, setting due dates, and adding descriptions and attachments. You can also break tasks down into subtasks, so that you have an easier time managing complex projects. Projects in Asana can be organized using different views, such as Boards, Lists, and Calendars. Collaboration is a core aspect of Asana's functionality. Users can comment on tasks, mention team members, and share files.

Which is better? 

While both Airtable and Asana offer project management features, Asana's focus on task creation, assignment, and tracking, combined with its multiple project views and collaboration capabilities, make it a more efficient and user-friendly choice for managing projects and tasks effectively.

Spreadsheets and databases

Airtable is a strong tool that combines spreadsheets and databases, which makes it a great alternative to tools like Excel, Google Sheets, and Smartsheet. You can use its features to manage projects, track inventory, plan events, and more. Airtable databases work quickly and can handle lots of data. You can see your data in various ways like grid, form, calendar, gallery, kanban, timeline, and Gantt.

Asana is primarily designed as a project and task management tool. While you can create custom fields in Asana to track specific information related to tasks and projects, its capabilities are limited when compared to a full-fledged spreadsheet and database solutions.

Which is better? 

Airtable has the edge in this round as it's more powerful when it comes to building databases and spreadsheets. If your primary focus is on creating and managing spreadsheets and databases, go with Airtable.

Automation 

Airtable lets you create custom workflows by setting up triggers and actions. For example, you can send notifications, update fields, or create new records when specific conditions are met. Airtable's automation features help reduce manual data entry and save time by automating repetitive tasks within your bases.

Asana's automation features help streamline workflows and improve efficiency by automating repetitive tasks. With Asana, you can create custom rules that automatically perform actions based on specific triggers, such as changing a task's status, assigning tasks, or updating due dates. This reduces manual work and ensures consistent processes across your projects.

Which is better? 

If your primary goal is project and task management, Asana's automation features might be more suitable. For managing and automating workflows related to databases and spreadsheets, Airtable could be the better choice.

Integrations

Airtable comes with built-in support for many apps like Miro, Jira, Google Workspace, Dropbox, Loom, Typeform, and more. It also connects with over 1,000 apps using Zapier, Workato, Integromat, and Tray.io. Airtable offers various extensions that enhance the features of an Airtable base. These extensions include charts, tables, maps, visualizations, and more.

Asana is very generous with its integration options. You can connect the system with 200+ third-party apps like Google Calendar, Gmail, Zoom, Slack, Jira, GitLab, and more. Via Zapier, Asana lets you connect to 5,000+ apps without having to write a single line of code. 

Which is better?

Asana has a slight lead in this category. Although Airtable also offers access to dozens of integrations, they aren’t quite as easy to install and use as Asana’s integrations. What’s more, Asana integrates natively with 200+ apps, while Airtable integrates with only around 30. 

A note on Airtable Asana integration

Unfortunately, there's no native Asana Airtable integration. However, you can integrate the two apps easily via "connector" apps like Zapier and Unito. These "connector" apps let you send data from Airtable to Asana and from Asana to Airtable automatically. 

Asana or Airtable for reporting and analytics

Airtable has robust reporting and analytics capabilities that give you insights into your data and projects. Custom Views let you filter, sort, and group data in various ways to create customized reports. Chart Blocks create visualizations, and Pivot Tables summarize large datasets quickly. The Record-level Permissions feature allows you to control data access on a per-record basis. 

Asana's reporting and analytics features help users monitor project progress, identify areas for improvement, and make data-driven decisions. The Dashboard provides an overview of the team's workload and progress. The Portfolio feature tracks multiple projects simultaneously and lets you create custom fields and charts to track metrics. You can also create custom reports, and Asana tracks task and project progress. Collaboration analytics show how quickly tasks are completed and how much time team members spend on tasks, enabling users to improve team efficiency.

Which is better?

This round is a tie. Which app is better for reporting and analytics depends on your specific needs and the type of data you need to analyze. If you need to manage complex datasets, visualize data, or control access to data, Airtable may be the better choice. If you're focused on project management and need to track project progress, workload, and collaboration, Asana may be a better fit.

Product limitations

While Airtable is powerful, its interface and features can be overwhelming for new users, especially those with limited experience in spreadsheets and databases. Airtable's formula capabilities are not as extensive as those in traditional spreadsheet software like Excel or Google Sheets. While Airtable allows for collaboration, it does not offer real-time, simultaneous editing for multiple users, which can slow down collaborative work. As you add more features or require more storage, the pricing can become expensive, especially for small businesses, startups, or individual users.

Asana also has its downsides. The app currently doesn't have an offline mode, which can be inconvenient for users who need to access their projects without an internet connection. Asana's paid plans can be expensive, especially for smaller teams or individual users, as the pricing is per user per month. Asana offers some customization options, but it may not be as flexible as some other project management tools in terms of interface customization or specific feature needs.

Which is better? 

This round is a tie as both tools come with their own product limitations. 

Is Airtable better than Asana? Our conclusion

Deciding whether Airtable or Asana is the better choice for your needs depends on your specific requirements and use cases. Both tools have their strengths, and understanding those will help guide your decision.

Choose Airtable if:

• You're looking for a powerful, flexible spreadsheet-database hybrid tool that excels in data management and visualization.

• You need to create custom databases, manage large amounts of data, and collaborate on projects that require a range of views and organizational options.

On the other hand, opt for Asana if:

• Your primary focus is on project and task management, with an emphasis on team collaboration, communication, and workflow automation.

• You need to stay organized, track progress, and manage workloads efficiently across various projects.

The best tool for your needs will depend on your specific requirements, workflows, and objectives. By considering the strengths and limitations of each platform, you can make an informed decision that will enhance your productivity and help you achieve your goals.