Airtable CRM: how to build one and when to move on
You can build a solid CRM in Airtable with three linked tables: Companies, People and Deals. Linked records connect them, a rollup totals deal value per company, a Kanban view grouped by stage is your pipeline, a form view captures leads, and automations send follow-ups. It is free to start, and stays good until record limits, per-seat cost or upkeep catch up.
As of October 2026. Airtable details come from Airtable's own pages linked below and can change. Written by the Flori team, which makes a CRM with project management; we have tried to be fair to Airtable.
Is Airtable a good CRM?
Airtable is a database with a spreadsheet face. That makes it a step up from a spreadsheet CRM: records link to each other instead of being retyped, each view shows the same data a different way, and automations act on changes. Airtable even offers a free Sales CRM template with contacts, accounts and opportunities in grid, Kanban and calendar views.
It fits freelancers and small teams who like shaping their own system and want more structure than a sheet. It fits less well when you need email history, reminders and project delivery without building them.
If you want to stay even simpler, our Google Sheets CRM template covers the spreadsheet route.
Which tables does an Airtable CRM need?
An Airtable CRM needs linked Companies, People and Deals tables, with an optional Activities table.
| Table | One record is | Key fields |
|---|---|---|
| Companies | A client or prospect organization | Name, website, industry, size, owner, linked People and Deals |
| People | A contact at a company | Name, email, phone, role, LinkedIn, linked Company, last contacted |
| Deals | One sales opportunity | Name, stage (single select), value (currency), expected close (date), owner, linked Company and People |
| Activities (optional) | A call, email or meeting | Date, type, notes, linked Deal and Person |
How to build a CRM in Airtable, step by step
1. Create the three tables
Start a new base (or the Sales CRM template) with Companies, People and Deals. Keep fields short at first.
2. Link the tables
Add a Linked record field on People pointing to Companies, and on Deals pointing to both. Airtable mirrors the link automatically: "The association is automatically mirrored in the other table," per its linked records guide. One company can now hold many people and many deals.
3. Add rollups
On Companies, add a Rollup field over the Deals link with SUM on the value field. Each company now shows its total pipeline value, and it updates as deals are linked or removed (rollup fields). Add a second rollup that counts open deals.
4. Build views
- Kanban on Deals, grouped by stage: your pipeline board.
- Grid filtered to "expected close this month": your forecast.
- Calendar on expected close date.
- Grid on People sorted by last contacted, oldest first: who needs a follow-up.
5. Capture leads with a form
Create a form view on Deals or People. "Each form submission becomes a new record in the table," and you share it by link (form views). Form view works on all plans; branding removal and redirects need a paid plan.
6. Add automations
An Airtable automation is a trigger plus one or more actions (automations guide). Useful CRM automations:
- When a record is created from the form, send yourself an email with the lead details.
- When a deal's stage changes to Proposal sent, post to Slack.
- At a scheduled time each Monday, email yourself a reminder to open the follow-up view.
7. Optional: connect your assistant
Airtable's MCP server works with Claude, ChatGPT, Claude Code and Cursor, and can search records, create and update them within your permissions, on all plans (Airtable MCP).
What does an Airtable CRM cost, and what are the limits?
Airtable charges per seat for people with edit access; read-only collaborators and form submissions are free (pricing). Team is $20 per user per month and Business $45, both billed annually.
Limits per plan, from Airtable's plans page:
| Area | Free | Team | Business |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $0 | $20 per user a month, billed annually | $45 per user a month, billed annually |
| Records per base | 1,000 | 50,000 | 125,000 |
| Attachments per base | 1GB | 20GB | 100GB |
| Automation runs per workspace a month | 100 | 25,000 | 100,000 |
| Editors | Up to 5 | Billable per editor | Billable per editor |
| Revision history | 2 weeks | 1 year | 1 year |
Each base also has a cap on unique automations: 75 on Free and 100 on Team, and turned-off automations still count (automations guide).
The Free plan's 1,000 records per base is the limit most people hit first. Companies, people, deals and activities all count, so an activity log alone can fill it. When you go over, Airtable lets you keep using the base but you cannot add records until you upgrade (pricing).
Airtable vs a Google Sheets CRM vs a spreadsheet
| Area | Spreadsheet CRM (Google Sheets, Excel) | Airtable CRM |
|---|---|---|
| Links between companies, people and deals | Manual lookups | Linked record fields, mirrored both ways |
| Pipeline board | No | Kanban view |
| Lead form | Separate form tool | Built-in form view |
| Automations | Scripts or add-ons | Triggers and actions, capped by plan |
| Cost for a team of 3 | Usually included in your office suite | Free with limits, or $60 a month on Team |
A spreadsheet is fine for a short list of clients. Airtable earns its place once you have several people per company or want a board and automations.
When should you move to a real CRM?
Move when one of these becomes true:
- You keep rebuilding fields and automations instead of selling.
- You want email history on each contact without copying it in.
- Won deals turn into projects with tasks, and you manage them in yet another tool.
- Seat costs for editors approach what a dedicated CRM costs.
- You are near the record or automation-run limit every month.
Flori is one option if the problem is the gap between sales and delivery. It gives you accounts, people, deals and a pipeline board, plus projects, tasks with dependencies and a client page (Core and up) in one workspace, and your own AI connects over MCP. It is free to start for up to 200 customer records, then $10 per person a month on Core billed yearly. See CRM with project management, Flori for freelancers and pricing.
FAQ
Can you use Airtable as a CRM? Yes. Build Companies, People and Deals tables, connect them with linked record fields, total deal value with rollups, use a Kanban view grouped by stage as your pipeline, and capture leads with a form view. Airtable also offers a free Sales CRM template with contacts, accounts and opportunities.
Is Airtable free for a CRM? Airtable's Free plan works for a small CRM, with 1,000 records per base, up to 5 editors and 100 automation runs per workspace a month. Paid plans are $20 per user a month on Team and $45 on Business, billed annually, with 50,000 and 125,000 records per base.
Is Airtable better than a Google Sheets CRM? For more than a few clients, usually yes. Airtable links companies, people and deals as real records, gives you a Kanban pipeline, a built-in form and automations. A Google Sheets CRM is simpler and often already paid for, which makes it a good start for a short client list.
What is the record limit for an Airtable CRM? Airtable allows 1,000 records per base on Free, 50,000 on Team and 125,000 on Business. Every row counts, including activities. If you exceed the limit, you can still use the base but cannot add more records until you upgrade.
Can Claude or ChatGPT work in an Airtable CRM? Yes. Airtable's MCP server, available on all plans, works with Claude, ChatGPT, Claude Code and Cursor. An assistant can search records and create or update them within your permissions, and it can draft automations.
Sources
- Airtable pricing, checked October 28, 2026
- Airtable plans and limits, checked October 28, 2026
- Airtable Sales CRM template
- Airtable linked records
- Airtable rollup fields
- Airtable form views
- Airtable automations
- Airtable MCP server