Airtable

Airtable is extremely adaptable for different uses, and the basics are simple to understand. I especially like the user forums and shared templates. When there is a function I need that Airtable can't do, or that is locked behind a higher tier, there is usually a decent workaround or another free product/service that can be integrated. Love being able to copy/paste data in and out of Airtable. Great support team, and I appreciate the NPO discount!

I really like the design of this product and that the tables that I created here are easy to read. It was also easy to create a new tables.

How easy it is to build with quickly; I also appreciate they keep adding features that we can test and implement (love the beta access).

1 - The billing levels and account types are confusing and don't seem to match expanding user needs - for example, many of my professional contacts in event management and education now use Airtable (managing conventions, retreats, certification programs, etc.) but it's prohibitively expensive to add more members of the project team for access to the few features they'd use like updating extant records from a survey, automating messages and updating timelines and assignments, commenting/reviewing records, or sharing interfaces. How I use it, paying by user access and desired functions (interfaces, surveys, commenting/marking items complete) doesn't make sense; billing based on storage space or number of 'active' bases would be better. 2 - Exporting multiple files is a terrible experience, requiring all the files to be individually re-named. Fine for one or two, but bulk downloads quickly become burdensome. 3 - The learning curve from Excel to Airtable is comparatively high. Though we don't seem to be the typical client in how we use it, it would be nice to have simple workflow examples and how-to guides for project managers and less tech-savvy team members. 4 - Interfaces have so much potential to act as mini storefronts, provide data collection, personalize the end-user experience, and share information internally and externally. They are functionally hobbled by the most useful features being locked to higher tiers since we can't justify moving to the Enterprise level. Being able to allow customers (Board/committee members, staff on other teams) to use an interface like a website guest without a paid account would revolutionize my life. Truly, interfaces and surveys to collect/update/display data set Airtable apart from many other similar data management tools.

- not enough functions - other software has more complex functions that fit my needs - Sometimes there were technical problems

There are limitations in certain areas that I have suggested to the product team. Like other coding languages available in the scripting block but also allowing automations to run multiple paths simultaneously, for example if you need to fill 5 fields based on the criteria of 1 field, it would be good if that could be 1 automation that has a step per field; rather than having to make multiple automations for each different scenario.