Today’s project managers and team leaders are flocking to software solutions that make it easier to execute projects smoothly. But with hundreds of options available, there’s nothing easy about choosing the right tool.
ClickUp is a popular choice, but there are a number of other options available as well — Airtable is one example. If you’re considering implementing either of these solutions, then this ClickUp vs Airtable comparison article will help inform your decision.
Providing his insights on the comparison is Omer Ishag, a software engineer turned entrepreneur and founder of Laimuna. Ishag has used both Airtable and ClickUp to build his business. Below he evaluates the performance of both options in relation to four crucial project management software features: collaboration, task/project views, automation, and workflows.
ClickUp vs Airtable: Comparing 4 main features
1. Collaboration
Both ClickUp and Airtable offer multiple ways to communicate and collaborate with team members. For example, users can comment on tasks to provide context for updates and conversations. However, ClickUp has an additional communication feature that enables you to chat directly with other team members within a given Workspace — not just about specific tasks.
The Workspace chat is useful for questions that aren’t related to any current tasks. For example, a software developer working on a new feature might realize the design doesn’t account for a particular security issue. “This isn’t related to any specific task,” Ishag says, “but you do need to bring it up with the team. You can discuss the issue in the Workspace chat and create a new task to address it.”
2. Task/project views
Ishag says both ClickUp and Airtable offer various view options, enabling users to see work in different ways. However, ClickUp has an edge with the type and number of views it has available.
For example, while both platforms have standard views such as kanban, Gantt, and calendar, ClickUp also has more unique views such as list and mind map. “Not every user has a need for the more unique views, but it’s something to consider,” says Ishag.
3. Automation
“Automation is such an important feature to have if you want to add efficiency to your business and save time,” says Ishag. “For example, without automation, I’d have to manually address user support tickets” rather than the tickets automatically becoming tasks inside the platform.
Both ClickUp and Airtable integrate with other applications to automate processes across systems, but according to Ishag, “Airtable is more flexible when integrating for purposes outside of project management, such as when you use it as an inventory management tool. ClickUp seems to be more suited for project management, as everything is about tasks.”
4. Workflows
Many projects consist of sequential activities — some tasks have to be completed before other tasks can start. Creating a dependency between these related tasks helps keep work organized and team members in the know about when they should start on their assigned work.
For example, before coding on a new feature, Ishag says you would first need to research and design it. “So coding would be dependent upon design, which would be dependent upon research.”
Ishag says the task dependency feature is built into ClickUp but not Airtable. “You can create a workaround in Airtable that mimics the feature,” he says, “but that’s extra work for you and your team.”
ClickUp vs Airtable: A founder’s takeaway
In considering the above points, Ishag ultimately prefers ClickUp over Airtable when it comes to project management. But he notes that Airtable isn’t without its strengths and applicable use cases. “In particular,” he says, “if your organization is already using Airtable to address other business needs, it may make more sense to just expand into project management territory.”
ClickUp and Jotform: A powerful project management combo
Jotform is a powerful form builder you can use in tandem with ClickUp to make project management processes even more efficient. If you decide to go with ClickUp, you can integrate ClickUp with Jotform to gather task requests and project information through customizable online forms and have them appear in your ClickUp account automatically as new tasks. Get started with one of these project management form templates or try out the integration today.
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