NATIVELY5Airtable for
Mobile Apps
Go Beyond the Spreadsheet.
Looking for an Airtable mobile app that actually feels native? Airtable is an incredible database, but its mobile experience is limited to viewing and editing bases. If you want a real Airtable native app — something your users can download from the App Store — you need a different approach. Natively turns your ideas into true native iOS and Android apps built with React Native.
What Is Airtable?
Airtable is a cloud-based platform that combines the simplicity of a spreadsheet with the power of a relational database. Founded in 2012 and valued at over $11 billion, it has become one of the most popular tools for project management, content planning, CRM, and data organization. With over 300,000 organizations using it — including Netflix, Shopify, and TIME — Airtable is a household name in the no-code space.
Where Airtable Excels
Airtable is genuinely excellent at what it does: organizing data in flexible, linked tables with rich field types, automations, and collaborative views. Its Interface Designer lets you build custom dashboards and list views on top of your data for internal team use.
- Flexible relational database with 20+ field types
- Powerful automations and integrations (Zapier, Make)
- Interface Designer for internal dashboards
- REST API for connecting to external services
Where Airtable Falls Short: Mobile
Despite its strengths as a database, Airtable's mobile experience is widely criticized. The official app is a data viewer, not an app builder. You cannot create customer-facing mobile apps, publish to app stores, or deliver a branded native experience.
- Cannot publish apps to App Store or Google Play
- No native UI components or device feature access
- Mobile Interface Designer limited to 2 of 6 layouts
- Frequent crashes and data sync failures reported
The Airtable Mobile App Problem
Airtable's official mobile app has a 4.8-star rating on iOS, but power users tell a very different story. On Trustpilot, Airtable scores just 2.5/5 with 58% one-star reviews — and mobile frustrations are a recurring theme.
Constant Refreshing
Users report the app constantly refreshes mid-use, losing scroll position and unsaved edits. One App Store reviewer noted it happens every time they actively use the app.
Crashes & Data Loss
Crashes account for roughly 15% of all reported issues. Users have documented creating records on mobile only to discover hours later that changes were never saved to the server.
Limited Interface Support
Only Dashboard and List interface layouts work on mobile. Timeline, Overview, Record Review, and Blank layouts are desktop-only, severely limiting what you can build.
Poor Offline Support
Offline functionality is severely restricted. Field workers and teams without consistent connectivity find the app unreliable for data entry in the field.
No AI on Mobile
While Airtable has heavily invested in its Omni AI assistant on desktop, none of these AI features are available on the mobile app as of February 2026.
No Custom Mobile Apps
Airtable is a database, not an app platform. You cannot create branded, customer-facing mobile apps or publish anything to the App Store or Google Play.
What Airtable Users Are Saying
“We're losing faith in Airtable's development… the product feels like it remains in beta despite years of complaints. Users prioritize basic mobile functionality over new features like AI tools.”— Airtable Community post, February 2026
Airtable Mobile Alternatives Compared
Every platform that claims to turn Airtable into a mobile app — and what they actually deliver. Updated February 2026.
| Platform | Type | Output | App Store | Starting Price | Native 60fps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airtable Mobile App | Data viewer | View/edit bases only | No | $20/seat/mo | No |
| Glide | No-code builder | PWA (web-based) | No | $49/mo | No |
| Softr | No-code builder | Responsive website | No | Free / $49/mo | No |
| Noloco | No-code builder | Web app | No | $49/mo | No |
| Natively | AI native app builder | React Native (iOS + Android) | Yes | $5/mo | Yes |
Feature-by-Feature: Airtable vs Natively
What each platform offers for mobile app development.
| Feature | Airtable | Natively |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Purpose | Database & project management | Native mobile app builder |
| Mobile App Output | Data viewer only (no custom apps) | True React Native iOS & Android apps |
| App Store Publishing | Not possible | One-click APK + Expo Launch |
| Native Navigation | Tab-based base switching | Expo Router (native stack) |
| Device Features | Camera (basic), no Bluetooth/NFC | Full: camera, Bluetooth, biometrics, NFC, haptics |
| Push Notifications | Airtable notifications only | Native APNs & FCM |
| AI Features | Desktop only (Omni AI) | AI generates entire app from prompts |
| Built-in Backend | Airtable database (up to 500K records) | Liquid Backend (Postgres, auth, storage, websockets) |
| Offline Support | Very limited | React Native offline-first patterns |
| Code Export | No source code access | Full source (ZIP + GitHub sync) |
| White Labeling | Not available | Your brand, your app |
| Vendor Lock-in | Data locked in Airtable ecosystem | Zero lock-in — full ownership |
How They Score for Mobile
Our assessment across five dimensions that matter most when building a mobile app.
Scores reflect our editorial assessment based on publicly available information, published user reviews, and hands-on testing as of February 2026. Airtable scores reflect its capabilities as a mobile app platform specifically, not as a database product.
Pricing: The Real Cost of Going Mobile
What it actually costs to get a mobile app experience from Airtable data — and how Natively compares. Updated for 2026.
Airtable + Wrapper Tool
| Component | Plan | Monthly Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Airtable | Team (5 seats) | $100/mo |
| Glide (wrapper) | Maker | $49/mo |
| Total (web app only) | $149/mo | |
The Hidden Costs of Airtable Mobile
Airtable's per-seat pricing scales aggressively. The Team plan costs $20/seat/month (annual) and the Business plan costs $45/seat/month — a 66-87% increase from previous pricing. A 30-person team on Business pays $1,350–$1,620/month for Airtable alone.
And You Still Don't Get a Native App
Even with Airtable plus a wrapper tool like Glide, Softr, or Noloco, you get a web-based interface — not a native mobile app. The result is a PWA that cannot be published to the Apple App Store (Apple rejects web wrappers under Guideline 4.2) and lacks native performance, push notifications, and device feature access.
Per-Seat vs Per-Project Pricing
The biggest pricing difference is structural: Airtable charges per user (every team member needs a license), while Natively charges per project. This means you pay the same $5/month whether one person or twenty people contribute to building your app.
Natively Pricing
Higher tiers simply give you more prompts per month. Every plan includes AI generation, code export, APK building, GitHub sync, and the full Liquid Backend.
- True native iOS & Android apps
- Only code-generating prompts cost credits
- Q&A and simple questions don’t cost credits
- No per-seat pricing — pay per project
- No credit burn from AI error loops
- Cancel anytime — projects stay accessible
- No revenue sharing or licensing fees
Why a Native App Beats
a Database on a Phone
Airtable's mobile app lets your team view data. A native app built with Natively lets your customers use your product. The difference is fundamental:
App Store Presence
Your brand in the App Store and Google Play. Customers find you, download your app, and interact with your product — not with an Airtable interface. Apple requires genuine native functionality (Guideline 4.2), which React Native provides out of the box.
60fps Native Performance
React Native compiles to actual native iOS and Android views. Users get 60fps animations, instant touch response, and fluid gestures — the same experience they expect from apps built by professional mobile engineers. No WebView lag.
Full Device Access
Camera, Bluetooth, biometrics, NFC, haptics, native push notifications via APNs and FCM — native apps can access every device feature. Airtable’s mobile app and web-based wrappers can only scratch the surface of what modern phones can do.
Two Completely Different Approaches
The Airtable approach layers tools on top of a spreadsheet. The Natively approach generates a real app from scratch.
The Airtable Stack Approach
To get anything resembling a mobile app from Airtable, you need to layer multiple tools: Airtable as the database, a wrapper tool (Glide, Softr, or Noloco) for the interface, and potentially Zapier or Make for automations. The result is a web app — not a native one.
The Multi-Tool Trade-off
Each added layer introduces more cost, more complexity, and more points of failure. Per-seat pricing from Airtable plus per-app pricing from the wrapper tool compounds quickly. And at the end, you still have a web interface — not something you can put in the App Store with your own branding and native performance.
The Natively Approach
Natively's AI is purpose-built for React Native and Expo mobile apps. Describe what you want in plain English, and the AI generates a complete native app with its own backend, authentication, and database — no tool stacking required.
One Tool, Complete Solution
Natively includes everything: AI code generation, a built-in backend (Liquid Backend with Postgres, auth, file storage, and websockets), one-click APK builds, iOS deployment via Expo Launch, and full source code export. One subscription, one tool, one native app.
Code Ownership & Lock-in
Airtable locks your data in their ecosystem. Natively gives you everything.
100% Source Ownership
Natively gives you the complete React Native + TypeScript source code. Download it as a ZIP, sync it to GitHub, or open it in VS Code or Cursor. No licensing fees, no revenue sharing, no strings attached.
Standard Technology
Your app uses React Native and Expo — two of the most widely adopted mobile frameworks. Any React Native developer can continue building without learning a proprietary system. Compare that to Airtable’s locked ecosystem.
Zero Vendor Lock-in
Cancel your Natively subscription and your app keeps running. Your code, your data, your app. With Airtable, your data lives on their servers and your interface depends on their (limited) mobile app.
Which Approach Is Right for You?
Expand each scenario to see our recommendation.
I use Airtable for internal project management
Stick with Airtable. If your team only needs to view and edit bases on mobile, the official Airtable app (despite its limitations) is fine for internal use. No need to build a separate app. Consider Softr or Noloco if you need a better internal interface on top of your Airtable data.
I want to build a customer-facing app from my Airtable data
Choose Natively. Airtable and its wrapper tools cannot produce native mobile apps for the App Store. Natively generates real React Native apps with native performance, device features, and App Store compliance. You can sync your Airtable data to Natively’s Liquid Backend using Make or Zapier, giving your customers a polished native experience while your team continues working in Airtable.
I have a tight budget and want to validate an app idea
Natively starts at $5/month with all features included — that’s less than a single Airtable Team seat ($20/mo). You can describe your app idea in plain English, preview it on your phone via QR code, and have a real native app in minutes. If the idea works, you can scale from there.
I need a mobile app and a web dashboard
Use a combination approach: Airtable or Supabase for your data, a web builder like Lovable or Bolt.new for the dashboard, and Natively for the mobile app. All three can connect to the same database. See our Lovable for Mobile Apps comparison for details on pairing web and mobile builders.
I want to give field workers a mobile tool that connects to our Airtable
If they only need to view and update records, try Glide ($49/mo) for a PWA, or the Airtable app itself. But if you need offline support, push notifications, or a branded App Store presence, build with Natively and sync data via the Airtable API. The one-time setup investment pays for itself in reliability and user experience.
Build Your App
in Three Steps
No spreadsheets, no wrapper tools, no tool stacking. Describe what you want, preview it on your phone, and deploy. If you've ever used ChatGPT, you already know how to use Natively.
Describe Your App
Type a natural-language prompt — for example, “Build an inventory tracker with barcode scanning, stock levels, and low-stock alerts.” The AI generates a complete React Native + Expo project.
Preview on Your Phone
Scan a QR code to run the app instantly on your real phone via Expo Go. Feel the native touch response, test the navigation, and share the QR with beta testers.
Deploy to the Stores
Download an Android APK with one click (5–10 min build). For iOS, use Expo Launch to build and submit directly to TestFlight and the App Store — no Mac required.
Great choice! I'll create a React Native app with:
- • Expo Router with bottom tab navigation
- • Camera-based barcode scanner
- • Product list with search & stock filters
- • Push notifications for low-stock alerts
- • Liquid Backend for auth & database
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can I turn my Airtable base into a native mobile app?
Airtable itself cannot generate native mobile apps for the App Store or Google Play. Its official mobile app only lets you view and edit bases, not create standalone apps. Third-party tools like Glide and Softr can build web-based interfaces on Airtable data, but they produce PWAs or web apps, not true native apps. For a genuine native mobile app with your own branding, native performance, and App Store publishing, you need a purpose-built platform like Natively that generates real React Native code.
What are the main limitations of the Airtable mobile app?
The Airtable mobile app has several well-documented limitations: only Dashboard and List interface layouts work on mobile (Timeline, Overview, Record Review, and Blank are desktop-only), no AI features are available on mobile, offline functionality is severely restricted, there is no dark mode, and users frequently report crashes and data sync failures. A February 2026 community post described it as barely functional compared to the desktop experience.
How much does it cost to build a mobile app with Airtable data?
Airtable itself costs $20-$45 per seat per month (Team and Business plans), but it cannot build mobile apps. Third-party wrappers like Glide ($49-$99/mo) or Noloco ($49-$149/mo) can create web-based interfaces but not native apps. Natively offers native iOS and Android app generation starting at $5/month with all features included, making it significantly more affordable for building a dedicated mobile app experience.
Is Natively better than Glide or Softr for mobile apps?
Glide and Softr are excellent for creating web-based interfaces on top of Airtable data, but they produce PWAs (progressive web apps) or responsive websites, not native mobile apps. They cannot publish to the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. Natively generates true React Native code that compiles to native iOS and Android binaries, delivers 60fps performance, accesses all device features (camera, Bluetooth, biometrics, NFC), and passes App Store review.
Can I connect my Airtable data to a Natively app?
While Natively does not have a direct Airtable connector, you can integrate Airtable data into your Natively app through Airtable’s REST API or by syncing your Airtable data to a Supabase or Liquid Backend database. Many teams use tools like Make (formerly Integromat) or Zapier to keep Airtable and their app’s database in sync. This approach gives you the best of both worlds: Airtable for internal data management and a native mobile app for your users.
Your Data Deserves
a Real App
Stop viewing your data through a limited mobile interface. Build a native iOS and Android app that your customers will love — starting at just $5/month.