Google Sheet vs Airtable vs Jotform tables: What to use in 2024

Spreadsheets, forms, data management tools – they're everywhere these days! But it's also quite easy to feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of options available. Selecting the perfect data management tool shouldn't be a stressful experience, so we have your back.

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This guide dives into three popular platforms: Google Sheets, Airtable, and Jotform Tables. We'll break down their features, explore what makes them shine (and where they might stumble!), and help you pick the perfect match for your needs. 

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TL;DR

Google Sheets is free, and it has a fair amount of features that make it a good option for individual users and small teams. Airtable caters to teams that need to manage data relationships, plus it includes project management tools. Lastly, Jotform Tables is good for creating forms and handling big datasets, but it’s not good enough on its own when it comes to data analysis.

Summary of the comparison

Similarities:

• Data organization: All three platforms allow you to organize and manage data in a structured format.
• Data collection: All can be used for data collection, though in different ways (Google Sheets with forms, Airtable with integrations, Jotform Tables with built-in forms).
• Basic analysis and visualization: All offer some level of data analysis with formulas and basic visualization tools like charts and graphs.

Key differences:

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1. Core functionality

In this section, we'll discuss two crucial aspects related to how these platforms operate - their data structure and the data types they support. First, let’s see what these terms mean:

• Data structure refers to how data is set up and organized within these platforms. For example, in Google Sheets, the data structure is a table made up of rows and columns. Each cell in this table can hold data.

• Data types refer to the different kinds of data values that can be stored. Some common data types are text (for words and sentences), numbers (for quantities and calculations), and dates (for calendar dates and times).

Knowing the data structure and supported data types of the platform you choose is important because it determines what you can do with your data. For example, if you need to work with more complex data that has multiple nested levels, a platform like Airtable that supports advanced data types like arrays and objects would work better than Google Sheets.

On the other hand, if you mostly need to work with basic data like text and numbers organized in a simple table format, Google Sheets' row and column table structure and support for basic data types like text and numbers would be a good fit.

The data types supported also control what kind of operations and calculations you can perform on your data. For instance, if a platform supports date data types, you can then use built-in tools to calculate the difference between dates, extract the month or year from a date, and so on.

Google Sheets

• Data structure: Google Sheets uses a grid of rows and columns to organize data, similar to traditional spreadsheet software like Microsoft Excel. Each cell in the grid can contain data, and you can perform operations on this data using formulas and functions. Sheets also support multiple tabs (or sheets) within a single document, allowing you to organize related data separately.
• Data types supported: Google Sheets supports a wide range of data types. This includes text, numbers (integers, decimals, currencies), dates and times, Boolean values (TRUE/FALSE), formulas, and functions. You can also insert links, images, and notes within a cell. Google Sheets also supports data validation, which allows you to restrict the type of data that can be entered into a cell.

Airtable

• Data structure: Airtable combines elements of spreadsheets and databases to organize data. Like a spreadsheet, data is organized in a table with rows and columns. However, each row in Airtable is like a record in a database and can have attached files, long text notes, checkboxes, links to other records, and more. Airtable also supports multiple tables within a single base (similar to a database), and you can link records between tables to create relationships.
• Data types supported: Airtable supports various data types, including text, numbers, dates, file attachments, links to other records, barcodes, users, and more. It also supports complex data types like arrays and objects, making it more powerful than a traditional spreadsheet. Airtable also supports data validation; you can set up automated actions based on certain conditions.

Jotform Tables

• Data structure: Jotform Tables is designed to manage form submissions. It organizes data in a spreadsheet-like format, with each row representing a form submission, and columns representing the different fields in the form. Jotform Tables also supports multiple tables within a single form, and you can create custom views to organize and analyze your data.
• Data types supported: Jotform Tables support various data types including text, numbers, dates, and file attachments. It also supports form-specific data types like payment information, e-signatures, and geolocation data. Jotform Tables also supports data validation, and you can set up conditional logic to show or hide certain fields based on user input.

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2. User interface and experience

Google Sheets

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• Ease of use: Google Sheets has a familiar and intuitive interface for anyone who has used spreadsheet software before. It's easy to create new sheets, enter data, and perform basic operations. More advanced features like formulas and functions may require some learning, but Google provides extensive documentation and help resources.
• Customization options: Google Sheets offers a variety of customization options to help users organize and analyze their data. Users can apply different font styles, colors, and cell borders to their sheets. They can also use conditional formatting to automatically apply formatting to cells based on their values. In addition, users can create custom formulas and functions to perform complex calculations on their data.
• Views: Google Sheets supports multiple sheets within a single document, allowing users to organize related data separately. Users can also filter and sort their data to create custom views. However, Google Sheets does not support custom views in the same way that Airtable does. Instead, users can create separate sheets with filtered or sorted data.

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Airtable

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• Ease of use: Airtable has a modern and user-friendly interface. It may take some time to get used to the hybrid spreadsheet/database model, especially for users who are new to databases. However, Airtable provides extensive documentation and tutorials to help users get started.
• Customization options: Airtable offers extensive customization options to help users manage their data. Users can apply different colors and styles to their tables, and they can create custom fields to capture specific types of data. Airtable also supports automated actions, which allow users to automate repetitive tasks and workflows. In addition, users can create custom scripts to perform complex operations on their data.
• Views: Airtable supports multiple views within a single table, allowing users to organize and analyze their data in different ways. Users can create custom views by filtering, sorting, and grouping their data. Airtable also supports calendar, gallery, and Kanban views, which allow users to visualize their data in different ways.

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Jotform Tables

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• Ease of use: Jotform Tables has a clean and intuitive interface. It's easy to create new forms, view form submissions, and organize your data. The interface is designed to be user-friendly for beginners, but it also offers advanced features for power users.
• Customization options: Jotform Tables offers a variety of customization options to help users manage their form submissions. Users can apply different themes and styles to their forms, and they can create custom fields to capture specific types of data. Jotform Tables also supports conditional logic, which allows users to show or hide certain fields based on user input. In addition, users can create custom integrations with other services to automate workflows.
• Views: Jotform Tables supports multiple views within a single form, allowing users to organize and analyze their data in different ways. Users can create custom views by filtering, sorting, and grouping their data. Jotform Tables also supports calendar, report, and card views, which allow users to visualize their data in different ways.

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3. Data entry and collection

Forms are tools that allow you to collect data from people in a structured way. You might need them to gather feedback, take orders, register attendees, or collect any other kind of information. Users can simply input their responses, and forms directly populate your data into the platform once submitted.

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Some things you can look for in a platform's form capabilities include:

• Variety of question types (text, multiple choice, dropdowns, etc.) to capture different kinds of data.
• Customization options to brand the forms and provide instructions.
• Logic and validation rules to ensure high-quality data entry.
• Ability to embed forms directly into your platform or share public links.

 Let's look at how Google Sheets, Airtable, and Jotform Tables approach this:

Google Sheets

Winner for built-in forms! Google Sheets offers Google Forms, a user-friendly tool for creating custom forms with various question types and customization options. Google Forms also supports logic/validation rules and can integrate with payment processors. 

Airtable

While Airtable doesn't have built-in forms, it plays well with others. You can integrate third-party form builders like Jotform or Typeform. However, setting up the integration to have responses from these external forms directly populate records in your Airtable bases requires an extra step. The process is generally straightforward for those familiar with setting up app integrations and webhooks but may require some technical expertise compared to the native form capabilities in platforms like Google Sheets or Jotform Tables.

Jotform Tables

As a form-centric platform, Jotform Tables provides a powerful form builder with an extensive list of question types to choose from. It includes functionality for payment processing, e-signatures, file uploads, and more. The forms can be fully customized and embedded directly into your Jotform Tables, or shared via public links. All form submissions automatically create new records in your Jotform table.

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Bulk data import

Bulk data import refers to the ability to quickly bring in large amounts of data all at once into these platforms, rather than manually entering it row by row. This is useful when you already have your data residing in another source like a spreadsheet, database, or other systems, and you want to import that full dataset.

All three platforms offer ways to import large datasets for analysis:

• They all speak the same language: All three platforms (Google Sheets, Airtable, and Jotform Tables) support bulk data import through common file formats like CSV, TSV, and Excel. Just a few clicks and your data is ready for action!
• Beyond basic imports: For more advanced needs, Google Sheets and Airtable offer additional options. Google Sheets allows automated data import using Google Apps Script, while Airtable connects with external sources like databases and APIs through its API. Jotform Tables, on the other hand, relies on integrations with other services like Google Sheets for automated data import.

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4. Data management and organization

Let's see how you can arrange, group, sort, and search your data within these platforms. Good data management capabilities are important for making sense of large datasets and finding the specific information you need efficiently.

Some key things to look for include:

• Sorting to reorder data alphabetically, numerically, by date, etc.
• Filtering to show only entries that meet certain criteria
• Grouping/categorization tools to organize related data together
• Robust search functions to find entries with keywords quickly
• The ability to link/connect related data across different views or datasets

With those core data management needs in mind, let's look at how the three platforms compare:

Things they have in common:

All three platforms offer basic sorting and filtering capabilities to rearrange data and narrow it down to specific entries. They also all have decent search functions to find data containing certain words or phrases.

Platform-specific capabilities:

Google Sheets

• Standard sorting options by clicking column headers
• Filter data based on multiple criteria at once
• Advanced "Query" search using formulas

Airtable

• Sort records with a click
• Filter views with multiple conditions
• Powerful grouping to categorize related data
• Link records across multiple bases

Jotform Tables

• Simple column sorting and status filtering
• Filter submissions by form fields
• Search limited to the current view

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5. Collaboration features

Keeping your team on the same page is crucial, and all three platforms - Google Sheets, Airtable, and Jotform Tables -  understand that. They all offer real-time collaboration, allowing multiple users to edit a document simultaneously. No more waiting turns or wondering who made the latest change! Plus, they all keep a revision history, so you can easily rewind and see previous versions.

However, there are some unique collaboration features to each platform. Google Sheets offers a "suggestion mode" that allows users to suggest changes to the document without actually modifying it. This can be useful for collaborating on sensitive documents or for getting feedback from team members. Google Sheets also offers a "comment" feature that allows users to leave comments and feedback on specific cells or ranges of cells. 

Airtable lets you create custom views and forms so your team can see the data they need most. It also has a "mention" feature, like tagging someone on social media, to get specific people involved in discussions.

Jotform Tables offers a user-friendly interface and a wide range of form customization options, making it easy to collect and manage data from online forms. Just like G Sheets, Jotform Tables allows you to leave comments directly on submissions for clear communication.

Access controls and permissions

Google Sheets, Airtable, and Jotform Tables all offer permissions features to help you manage who can access and edit your data. Google Sheets provides granular control over permissions, allowing you to set permissions for individual cells or ranges of cells. You can also set permissions at the document level, allowing you to control who can view, edit, or comment on the entire document.

Airtable offers flexible access controls, allowing you to create custom views, forms, and reports with different permission levels. You can set permissions at the base level, table level, or even at the individual record level. Airtable also allows you to create custom user roles with specific permissions.  (Free plans offer basic collaboration and permissions, but advanced features require a paid plan.)

Jotform Tables provides a user-friendly interface and advanced search and filtering options to help you manage your data. You can set permissions at the form level, allowing you to control who can view, edit, or submit form responses. You can also drill down further and set permissions for individual fields within a form.

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6. Data Analysis and Reporting

Formulas and calculations

Google Sheets: Google Sheets data analysis and calculation features. It includes a large library of built-in formulas for mathematical operations as well as statistical analysis functions like averages, percentiles, and standard deviations. Additionally, you can use Google Apps Script to create advanced custom formulas and automate complex data manipulation processes that go beyond the built-in formula options. Once you've crunched the numbers, Google Sheets makes it easy to visualize trends and patterns using their charts and graphs.

Airtable: Focuses on data relationships. While Airtable offers basic formulas for calculations like sum, average, and count, its strength lies in linking data across tables. This allows for calculations that consider relationships between data points in different sections of your workspace.

Jotform Tables: Jotform Tables has relatively limited calculation capabilities compared to the other two platforms. Its analysis tools really focus on basic math operations using values from the form submissions it collects, like totaling numeric entries or finding averages. However, it doesn't provide built-in support for advanced statistical analysis or creating complex formulas. Jotform Tables is geared more towards storing and viewing form data rather than intensive data analysis.

Visualization tools

Google Sheets: Google Sheets offers a wide range of charts and graphs for data visualization, including bar charts, line charts, pie charts, and more. These charts are highly customizable, and you can customize them to create clear and impactful reports that effectively communicate your findings.

Airtable: Beyond basic charts. Airtable provides standard charts and Kanban boards for data visualization. While not as extensive as Sheets, Airtable offers unique views like calendars and Gantt charts, which can be particularly valuable for project management tasks where visualizing timelines and workflows is crucial.

Jotform Tables: Restricted visualization options. Jotform Tables offers limited visualization capabilities within the tables themselves. However, data collected through Jotform forms can be exported to other tools like Google Sheets for more advanced analysis and more robust visualization.

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7. Automations and third-party integrations

Google Sheets: While not the most robust automation engine, Sheets offers built-in formulas and scripts to automate repetitive tasks like data cleaning, formatting, and calculations. You can also leverage Google Apps Script, a powerful coding tool, to create custom automations. As for integrations, of course, it integrates with other Google Workspace apps like Gmail, Forms, and Docs. To connect with other third-party services you must rely on Zapier or other integration platforms.

Airtable: Airtable has more options. It offers built-in automations triggered by specific events like a new record being created or a field being updated. These automations can send emails, update other records, or even move records between tables. When it comes to automations, it has a library that includes project management tools, CRMs, marketing automation platforms, and more

Jotform Tables: Jotform Tables doesn't have built-in automation features. On the other hand, it does integrate with popular tools like payment processors, email marketing services, and project management software. These integrations can help you automate tasks related to your Jotform data, like automatically adding new form submissions to a spreadsheet.

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8. Scalability

File size and record limits

Google Sheets: While Google Sheets doesn't have a hard limit on file size, performance can degrade with very large datasets (millions of rows). It also has a limit of 2 million cells per sheet.

Airtable: Airtable offers a generous limit of 1,200,000 records per base (workspace). However, individual tables within a base might have performance limitations with very large datasets.

Jotform Tables: Jotform Tables has a limit of 10 million rows per table, making it a strong contender for very large datasets.

Performance

Google Sheets: For complex calculations or manipulations on massive datasets, Google Sheets might experience performance slowdowns. Consider using Google Apps Script for automation to potentially improve efficiency.

Airtable: While Airtable handles large datasets reasonably well, complex filtering or searching on very large tables could lead to performance lags.

Jotform Tables: Jotform is optimized for handling large datasets. However, complex queries or calculations might still require exporting data for analysis in other tools like Google Sheets.

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9. Security and compliance

Google Sheets: Backed by Google's robust security infrastructure, including data encryption at rest and in transit. Users can also set access permissions to control who can view and edit data. While Google Sheets offers strong security, it might not be ideal for highly sensitive data due to its inherent cloud-based nature. Compliance-wise, Google Sheets adheres to general security best practices but doesn't guarantee specific certifications like HIPAA.

Airtable: Offers multiple security features like data encryption, access controls, and audit logs. Additionally, Airtable complies with SOC 2, a widely recognized security standard. For enhanced security in regulated industries, Airtable offers HIPAA compliance features for healthcare data (additional fees may apply).

Jotform Tables: Employs data encryption at rest and in transit, and allows for access control to manage data visibility and editing.  Like Google Sheets, Jotform Tables might not be the best choice for strictly confidential information due to its cloud-based nature. In terms of compliance,  Jotform prioritizes general data privacy but also lacks specific certifications for heavily regulated industries.

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10. Pricing

‍Google Sheets

Always free. Ideal for individual use, basic data organization, and collaboration on small projects.

‍Airtable

• Free plan: Suitable for personal use or trying out the platform.
• Paid plans (Starting around $10/user/month): Perfect for teams needing more storage, collaborators, and advanced features. HIPAA compliance adds additional costs.

‍Jotform Tables

• Free plan: Good for simple data collection through forms and basic data management.
• Paid plans (Starting around $25/month): Ideal for larger teams or those needing increased submission limits, storage, collaborators, and integrations with other services.

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Cost-effectiveness:Google Sheets allows you to manage and analyze data without upfront costs. This makes it a perfect starting point for individual users or casual collaboration on small projects. Airtable offers a balance between free tier capabilities and paid features, making it potentially cost-effective for teams needing more functionality. Meanwhile, Jotform Tables Can be cost-effective for basic form collection, but costs can increase with higher submission volumes and team sizes.

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11. Support and Resources

Customer support

For Google Sheets, vast online documentation and a large user community serve as the primary support channels. Google doesn't provide dedicated phone or chat support specifically for Sheets, but you can find help through community forums and troubleshooting guides. 

Jotform shares some similarities with Google Sheets. It offers a knowledge base, video tutorials, and a user community forum for assistance. Dedicated phone or chat support might be limited depending on the plan, so navigating through the user community and self-service resources might be the primary way to find solutions.

Out of the three, Airtable has the most comprehensive approach, providing a knowledge base, video tutorials, and email support. Also, paid plans typically offer priority email support, with faster response times ensured for more critical issues.

Community and learning resources

All three platforms boast a wealth of online learning resources to empower users. Google Sheets benefits from its massive user base and integration with other Google services. This can lead to a wider range of community-created resources, tutorials, and forums where users can share knowledge and troubleshoot challenges.  Airtable and Jotform Tables, while potentially having smaller communities, offer well-structured knowledge bases and video tutorials specific to their platforms, ensuring users have platform-specific guidance readily available.

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12. Mobile Accessibility

 All three platforms offer mobile apps available for iOS and Android devices. These mobile apps allow you to view, edit, and collaborate on your data from anywhere.

Functionality differences for mobile apps

Google Sheets: The Google Sheets mobile app offers most core spreadsheet functionalities, allowing you to view, edit, and format data. However, some complex features like creating charts or using custom formulas might be limited or require the web version for full functionality.

Airtable: The Airtable mobile app provides a good balance between core functionalities and mobile-friendly design. You can view, edit, add records, and collaborate on your data while also benefiting from some advanced features like filtering and basic record linking.

Jotform Tables: The Jotform Tables mobile app is primarily focused on data viewing and management. While you can view and edit existing data, creating new forms or manipulating data in complex ways might be better suited for the web app.

Offline access:

While all three platforms offer mobile apps, offline access to data and functionality is limited.

Google Sheets: With Google Sheets, you can enable offline access for specific spreadsheets. This allows you to view and edit data even without an internet connection. However, any changes made offline will be synced the next time you connect to the internet.

Airtable: Airtable offers limited offline functionality in its mobile app. You can view existing records but creating or editing them requires an internet connection.

Jotform Tables: Similar to Airtable, Jotform Tables offers limited offline access in its mobile app. You can view existing data entries but creating new entries or editing existing ones requires an internet connection.

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Conclusion: Which platform is best for you?

Google Sheets, Airtable, and Jotform Tables each offer unique strengths, making the "best" option entirely dependent on your specific requirements. 

formulas and free access. Its extensive add-on library offers even more functionality. Airtable is the best option for teams that need to leverage data relationships and unique visualizations like calendars. Keep in mind that formula capabilities are not as powerful as Google Sheets'. Finally, Jotform is the best option for collecting information through forms and managing massive datasets. However, complex data analysis requires exporting data for use with other tools.

The bottom line: 

• Consider your data storage needs, collaboration requirements, desired level of analysis, and security concerns. 
• Explore free tiers and factor in potential costs when making your decision. 
• Don't hesitate to experiment with each platform to see which best complements your workflow.

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Expert view: A step forward from your spreadsheets with Glide

We understand the power of spreadsheets. They're a fundamental tool for data organization and analysis. But what if you could unlock even more value from your spreadsheets?

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Let's explore specific use cases:

• Sales & customer management: Software for managing customer data, tracking leads, and automating tasks – all powered by your existing spreadsheets.
• Inventory management: Real-time inventory tracking software for order fulfillment and data visualization, giving you complete control over your stock.
• Field data collection: Custom apps for field workers to collect data on the go, eliminating paper forms and ensuring accurate data capture.
• Project management: Track project progress, assign tasks, collaborate with team members, and visualize key metrics – all within a user-friendly interface.

What can Glide do for you then? Present your spreadsheet data in an easily digestible format with charts, graphs, and a user-friendly interface. Simplify data entry through forms, provide real-time data management features, empower everyone to analyze and utilize your data, and much more.

Our experience working with Glide has transformed how businesses interact with their data. It's a paradigm shift from the clunky world of spreadsheets, and it's a shift we're passionate about helping businesses achieve.

Our experts can help you explore a no-code solution! Contact us today for a free consultation and a detailed quote for your specific needs.