Go from Airtable to your own operations app
The job: One internal operations workflow (Structured records, Views, Roles, Approvals, Import/export). Pick where you are today and where you want to land; the move below follows your pick.
Every way to do this job · pick one
Switch app
Open source
Build it with an agent
Keep it and pay less
The money
$400/mo today , then $25/mo
Airtable Team, 20 seats
Modeled from public list prices, with your time at $50 an hour. Show the math
Does it do the job? 5 of 5 covered
- Covered: Structured records built to your spec
- Covered: Views built to your spec
- Covered: Roles built to your spec
- Covered: Approvals built to your spec
- Covered: Import/export built to your spec
The work
- Setup
- About 16 h + $200
- Upkeep
- 1 h a month
- Watch out
- No general visual builder, arbitrary formulas, cross-base sync or entire Airtable replacement.
Make the move in four steps
Export from Airtable
Invoices and receipts for each workspace
Export stepsBuild it
Download SPEC.md for your coding agent: what to build, what's out of scope, and the acceptance tests to pass.
Get the build specSwitch links and integrations
Point links, embeds and integrations at Your own operations app, then send a test through every one.
Cancel Airtable
Turn off renewal before your renewal date, once the new setup works. Access runs until: The end of the current billing cycle; you keep the paid plan's features until then.
How to cancel Airtable
The whole recipe: 7 ways out, best first
What you use
- Structured records
- Views
- Roles
- Approvals
- Import/export
Not covered
- General no-code application builder
- Full formula engine
- Arbitrary cross-base sync
- Every extension
Check before switching
- Actual editing seats known
- Single stable workflow
- Formula and attachment migration tested
- Role model meets needs
Agents: get_recipe("operations-app") on the Stackcut MCP server.
7 ways out, best first
How we got this
| You pay now: Airtable Team | $20/user/mo × 20 users | $400/mo |
|---|---|---|
| New cost: Replace with AI: operations app | hosting and API costs (modeled) | $25/mo |
| Your upkeep time | 1 h/mo × $50/h | $50/mo |
| Difference each month | $400 − $25 − $50 | +$325/mo |
| Over 12 months | +$325 × 12 | +$3,900 |
| Setup, once | 16 h × $50/h + $200 one-time | −$1,000 |
| Year one | +$3,900 − $1,000 | +$2,900 |
- Not counting your time (28 h in year one): saves $4,300 in year one.
Year one = 12 × (what you pay now − the new cost − upkeep) − setup, with your time at $50/hour. Prices are public list prices; hours are Stackcut’s planning estimates. Price it for your team
How we got this
| You pay now: Airtable Team | $24/user/mo × 1 user | $24/mo |
|---|---|---|
| New cost: Airtable (free tier) | free plan | $0/mo |
| Difference each month | $24 − $0 | +$24/mo |
| Over 12 months | +$24 × 12 | +$288 |
| Setup, once | 0.25 h × $50/h | −$12 |
| Year one | +$288 − $12 | +$276 |
- Not counting your time (0.25 h in year one): saves $288 in year one.
Year one = 12 × (what you pay now − the new cost − upkeep) − setup, with your time at $50/hour. Prices are public list prices; hours are Stackcut’s planning estimates. Price it for your team
How we got this
| You pay now: Airtable Team | $24/user/mo × 1 user | $24/mo |
|---|---|---|
| New cost: NocoDB (free tier) | free plan | $0/mo |
| Difference each month | $24 − $0 | +$24/mo |
| Over 12 months | +$24 × 12 | +$288 |
| Setup, once | 1 h × $50/h | −$50 |
| Year one | +$288 − $50 | +$238 |
- Not counting your time (1 h in year one): saves $288 in year one.
Year one = 12 × (what you pay now − the new cost − upkeep) − setup, with your time at $50/hour. Prices are public list prices; hours are Stackcut’s planning estimates. Price it for your team
How we got this
| You pay now: Airtable Team | $24/user/mo × 1 user | $24/mo |
|---|---|---|
| New cost: Baserow (free tier) | free plan | $0/mo |
| Difference each month | $24 − $0 | +$24/mo |
| Over 12 months | +$24 × 12 | +$288 |
| Setup, once | 1 h × $50/h | −$50 |
| Year one | +$288 − $50 | +$238 |
- Not counting your time (1 h in year one): saves $288 in year one.
Year one = 12 × (what you pay now − the new cost − upkeep) − setup, with your time at $50/hour. Prices are public list prices; hours are Stackcut’s planning estimates. Price it for your team
How we got this
| You pay now: Airtable Team | $20/user/mo × 20 users | $400/mo |
|---|---|---|
| New cost: Baserow Advanced | $18/user/mo × 20 users | $360/mo |
| Your upkeep time | 0.5 h/mo × $50/h | $25/mo |
| Difference each month | $400 − $360 − $25 | +$15/mo |
| Over 12 months | +$15 × 12 | +$180 |
| Setup, once | 8 h × $50/h + $100 one-time | −$500 |
| Year one | +$180 − $500 | −$320 |
- Not counting your time (14 h in year one): saves $380 in year one.
Year one = 12 × (what you pay now − the new cost − upkeep) − setup, with your time at $50/hour. Prices are public list prices; hours are Stackcut’s planning estimates. Price it for your team
How we got this
| You pay now: Airtable Team | $24/user/mo × 1 user | $24/mo |
|---|---|---|
| New cost: NocoDB | a small server (modeled) | $5/mo |
| Your upkeep time | 2 h/mo × $50/h | $100/mo |
| Difference each month | $24 − $5 − $100 | −$81/mo |
| Over 12 months | −$81 × 12 | −$972 |
| Setup, once | 4 h × $50/h | −$200 |
| Year one | −$972 − $200 | −$1,172 |
- Not counting your time (28 h in year one): saves $228 in year one.
Year one = 12 × (what you pay now − the new cost − upkeep) − setup, with your time at $50/hour. Prices are public list prices; hours are Stackcut’s planning estimates. Price it for your team
How we got this
| You pay now: Airtable Team | $24/user/mo × 1 user | $24/mo |
|---|---|---|
| New cost: Baserow | a small server (modeled) | $5/mo |
| Your upkeep time | 2 h/mo × $50/h | $100/mo |
| Difference each month | $24 − $5 − $100 | −$81/mo |
| Over 12 months | −$81 × 12 | −$972 |
| Setup, once | 4 h × $50/h | −$200 |
| Year one | −$972 − $200 | −$1,172 |
- Not counting your time (28 h in year one): saves $228 in year one.
Year one = 12 × (what you pay now − the new cost − upkeep) − setup, with your time at $50/hour. Prices are public list prices; hours are Stackcut’s planning estimates. Price it for your team
How to leave Airtable
Export first
- Records in a view: Down arrow next to the view name → Download CSV (web and desktop apps) (CSV). Attachments export as file names and URLs that expire after a few hours, so download the files separately. Comments and field descriptions aren't included. support.airtable.com
Cancel
- Download a CSV of every view you need, and the attachment files separately (see export).
- Account overview → Workspace settings → the workspace → Change plan → Choose free. Owner permissions are required.
- Sales-led Business and Enterprise Scale plans go through your sales contact.
- Takes effect
- At the end of the current billing cycle; nothing changes before then.
- Refunds
- Refunds only for accidental upgrades or added collaborators: within 7 days of the invoice on monthly plans, 14 days on annual.
- After you cancel
- Bases over the Free record limit can't add new records, including through forms and the API. Existing records stay accessible.
Compare before you switch
Read the checked comparisons and workload guides for the tools this recipe replaces.
- Airtable vs Baserow Checked comparison evidence, migration details.
- Airtable vs NocoDB Checked comparison evidence, migration details, public switching accounts.
- Smartsheet vs ClickUp Checked migration details, public switching accounts.
- Airtable alternatives in 2026: what to use instead, and what it really costs Compare the wider set of alternatives and their tradeoffs.
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