When to use Zapier instead of Airtable

Two questions to ask when deciding between Zapier or Airtable

A northern mockingbird flew into our house this weekend.

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We all had different strategies for how to get the bird safely out. I opened all windows and doors. My children decided to run around, laugh, and scream. My sister grabbed a soft towel to “catch” the visitor. Our puppy Rosie tried biting all of us in excitement.

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We all at good ideas (well, maybe not Rosie). Eventually my sister caught the bird and safely let it outside.

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It was hard to know exactly what method to use, but the end goal was the most important: deliver the bird safely outside.

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Like our feathery friend, you’ve got a ton of fun-flying systems that need to be delivered, but it’s not always clear what method to use: Zapier (Interfaces, Tables, etc.) or Airtable.

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Today, I’ll give you the two questions that simplify the decision for you so you can deliver the most value from what you build to your team or clients.

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Hot tip: these questions go beyond just Airtable and include any other app you might use to build with.

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Question 1: What are you delivering?

If your delivery is a single action, consider Zapier.

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Last week, I talked about a lead routing app. It delivers a lead assignment. It ends in a single action: perfect for Zapier.

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If you’re building a system that delivers an email or message, consider Zapier.

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If you’re building a system that delivers an updated field in your CRM, consider Zapier.

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If you’re building a system that delivers a pizza… consider a car or a drone.

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Point is that Zapier is great for systems that deliver single actions.

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Remember that, not the pizza.

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You can still build things in Zapier that don’t end in a single action. In those cases, there’s another question to ask…

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Question 2: Is consolidation an option?

If you can consolidate without losing necessary functionality, consider Zapier.

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It’s still early at Zapier with Interfaces, Tables, Chatbots, etc.—we’re still trying to find product-market fit. But there’s one theme surfacing from customers:

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If they can centralize a system in Zapier, it saves them money and time.

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Especially for agency owners who have to deliver software bills to clients, a centralized system in Zapier simplifies things. Think one bill instead of three.

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So herein lies the question: can you work with existing Zapier functionality? If so, consolidating your system in Zapier gives you:

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