Need advice about which tool to choose?Ask the StackShare community!
Airtable vs Flatsheet vs Tabletop.js: What are the differences?
Integration with other platforms: Airtable offers seamless integration with various platforms like Zapier, Slack, and Gmail, making it easy to connect and automate workflows. Flatsheet, on the other hand, lacks built-in integration capabilities and may require custom development for connecting with other platforms. Tabletop.js focuses on integrating with Google Sheets, providing a straightforward way to display data from Google Sheets on a website.
User Interface: Airtable provides a visually appealing user interface with drag-and-drop functionality for organizing data. Flatsheet has a more simplistic interface, suitable for quick data entry and editing tasks. Tabletop.js does not have a user interface of its own but rather acts as a JavaScript library to fetch data from Google Sheets and display it on a webpage.
Data Storage: Airtable stores data internally on its servers, offering robust security measures and data protection. Flatsheet stores data in CSV files, which may be less secure compared to a dedicated database solution. Tabletop.js retrieves data directly from Google Sheets, meaning that the data is stored on Google's servers and managed through their security protocols.
Customization Options: Airtable provides extensive customization options for designing custom views, forms, and dashboards to suit specific requirements. Flatsheet offers limited customization capabilities, primarily focusing on data entry and basic manipulation. Tabletop.js allows for some customization through JavaScript coding, but it is more focused on data retrieval and display rather than visual customization.
Collaboration Features: Airtable excels in collaboration features, allowing multiple users to work on the same dataset simultaneously and providing detailed revision history and commenting functionality. Flatsheet lacks advanced collaboration features and is better suited for individual use or small teams. Tabletop.js does not offer collaboration features as it primarily functions as a data fetcher and display tool.
In Summary, Airtable stands out for its integration capabilities and advanced features, Flatsheet is more straightforward and focused on data entry, while Tabletop.js is a lightweight solution for displaying data from Google Sheets on a webpage.
I'm trying to set up an ideally "no- code" way to have a backend of 3 different tables and be able to find a value in table #3 (contains businesses & cities) by first finding a record in table #1 (7,000+ zip codes) that corresponds to a city (table #2 has the unique cities), and then finding which businesses are located in these cities ( in this specific, original zipcode lookup). And return the business and a description via an API to a front-end results page, which happens to be a WordPress page - but doesn't need to be. I've tried Airtable's API, AirPress (a finicky WordPress plugin for Airtable's API), and I've looked at Sheetsu and a similar spreadsheet as backend and a simple API. I run into the issue where they work fine when you just need to query 1 table, but when you need to use the result from that query in another query to a different table. I'm back in SQL land - where sure it could be done with SQLite - needing to probably create an intersection table or a JOIN and build an API off of that. Is there a way to accomplish what I want without going back to SQL queries and some API?
You're right that there isn't a great way to join tables with Airtable's API. The closest you can get is to use a linked record field, which acts as a pointer to another record. You still end up with the problem you mentioned of having to run another query on the second table separately.
Your best bet is to stick with an actual SQL database. Using an ORM should make your life significantly easier so you don't actually have to write raw SQL. If you still want a graphical interface to your data, BaseDash lets you view and edit SQL databases just like Airtable. A full API with join support is coming soon, so that could be your perfect solution to this problem.
Let me introduce you to integromat. It connects these services without you having to work any code. And it even has a decent database built inside it.
It makes is an easy process to develop multistep workflows with multiple services and it’s free tier is surprisingly functional.
Pros of Airtable
- Powerful and easy to use19
- Robust and dynamic8
- Quick UI Layer6
- Practical built in views4
- Robust API documentation3
- Great flexibility0
Pros of Flatsheet
Pros of Tabletop.js
Sign up to add or upvote prosMake informed product decisions
What is Airtable?
What is Flatsheet?
What is Tabletop.js?
Need advice about which tool to choose?Ask the StackShare community!
What companies use Airtable?
What companies use Flatsheet?
What companies use Tabletop.js?
Sign up to get full access to all the companiesMake informed product decisions
What tools integrate with Airtable?
What tools integrate with Flatsheet?
What tools integrate with Tabletop.js?
Sign up to get full access to all the tool integrationsMake informed product decisions
Blog Posts
+17