Best 10 online database software for your SMB or enterprise in 2021

Striving to organize your business data in one place is frustrating. You can store it in the form of a spreadsheet or a Google doc... But with the growth of your business and the amount of data you process, you’ll get stuck with the limitations spreadsheets set.

What to do then? Store your data as a structured collection of data – a database. It's a good solution if you need to manage your datasets, not just look at it.

To do it fast and efficiently, you can build a database-powered internal tool using database software.

Top 10 database builders to check out in 2021

Tool
Distinguishing feature
Price
Airtable
Very easy and understandable spreadsheets management
From $10/month per 1 user
Free plan ​
Knack
Simple and clear building interface that requires no coding
From $39/month per 3 apps
Free trial only
Tadabase
Enterprise-grade performance and security level provided
From $62/month per 10 apps
Free trial only
Infinity
Rich templates library and Views for various use cases 
From $249/lifetime per 10 users per lifetime
No free plan or trial
Quickbase
Easy integration & workflow orchestration, security regulatory compliance
From $600/month per 50 apps
Free trial only
Smartsheet
Team collaboration and workflow automation capabilities
From $14/month per 10 sheets
Free trial only
TrackVia
Cross-platform and code-optional solution promising high developing speed
From $499/month per 1 admin
Free trial only
Zoho Creator
Comes with native iOS and Android apps, team collaboration ensured
From €25/month per 1 user (5 apps)
Free trial only
Caspio
Unlimited number of users within any plan, enterprise-grade security, regulatory compliance
From $100/month per 20 DataPages
Free plan ​
UI Bakery
Intuitive interface with strong data connection & third-party integration functionality, high-level customer support, fair pricing per account
From $49/month per account
Free trial only

1. Airtable

Online database management tool allowing you to feel as if you were using a simple spreadsheet.

Pros:

  • Automatic form generation.

  • Native mobile and desktop Airtable apps.

  • Customizable templates.

  • Various views for different use cases: Grid, Calendar, Kanban, Gallery.

  • Integration with Zapier, Workato, Integromat, Automate.io.

  • Marketplace with over 50 prebuilt apps.

  • Real-time team collaboration.

  • Multi-source data syncing.

Cons:

  • Not suitable for working with large files.

  • No integration with collaboration services.

2. Knack

Comparatively simple and rather intuitive enterprise-grade database software.

Pros:

  • Automatic Form creation on top of the selected database objects.

  • Workflows you can use to sort data, verify it, send notifications.

  • A range of ready-made templates.

  • Custom cloud infrastructure.

  • Optimized for mobile devices.

  • HIPAA compliant.

  • CSS embedding.

  • Ability to customize your app with JavaScript code.

Cons:

  • No free plan.

  • Few third-party integrations.

  • A limited number of apps you can build within any plan.

3. Tadabase

Powerful no-code database app builder with an intuitive interface ensuring enterprise-grade security.

Pros:

  • Drag-and-drop editor.

  • Quite a comprehensive Tadabase manual.

  • App deployment to a custom domain.

  • An unlimited number of web app pages you can add.

  • ​​Ability to add conditional groups and nested conditions.

  • Data bulks update.

  • Role-based access management.

  • Third-party integrations (Zapier, Twilio, Drobpox).

  • SEO-friendliness.

Cons:

  • No free plan.

  • A limited number of apps you can create.

  • Not many 3rd-party integrations.

4. Infinity

Flexible database software, especially good at processing heavy workloads.

Pros:

  • Drag-and-drop interface.

  • 15+ attributes you can use to organize your workspace.

  • Ready-made templates (CRM, sales, marketing, etc.).

  • Multiple view options to display data in various forms (Table, List, Gantt, etc.).

  • Excel and CSV data import. Boards and folders export.

  • Multi-select functionality speeding up the organization of workflows.

  • In-built user permission control.

  • Automatic data backups.

  • Gmail, Trello, Clokify, and other integrations.

  • Real-time team collaboration.

Cons:

  • No free plan or trial.

  • You’ll need some time to onboard – the interface is not always intuitively understandable.

  • Slow according to user feedback.

  • Not flexible pricing plans.

5. Quickbase

Low-code database-driven builder to securely create ecosystems of applications.

Pros:

  • Drag-and-drop interface.

  • WYSIWYG.

  • Visual workflow orchestration.

  • Allows for visualizing the structure of a business app with a relation diagram tool.

  • Automatic mobile optimization.

  • Developer Sandbox for managing the changes before rolling out.

  • Enterprise-grade security (SOC1/SOC2, HIPAA, and more).

Cons:

  • No free plan.

  • A limited number of apps you can create.

  • Custom branding is not available according to the cheapest plan.

6. Smartsheet

Excel-like database software for SMBs and enterprises.

Pros:

  • Ability to create hybrid cross-data spreadsheets.

  • Automated workflows.

  • Third-party integrations (Zapier).

  • In-built free templates.

  • Free collaborators included in every plan.

  • Custom app branding (paid).

  • In-built team collaboration with easy information sharing.

  • SSO enterprise-grade security.

Cons:

  • No free plan.

  • Limited Sheets and Dashboards you can add within the cheapest plan.

  • Few formats for exporting in the Report feature.

  • Slows down with the growth of the number of rows.

  • Not flexible enough for advanced business needs.

7. TrackVia

Low-code database tool for better workflow management.

Pros:

  • Drag-and-drop building technique.

  • Workflow automation and reporting.

  • Customizable templates (inventory, CRM, project management).

  • Android and iOS TrackVia versions.

  • Spreadsheets and templates import.

  • An unlimited number of apps you can build 

Cons:

  • No free plan. Very expensive. 

  • User permission management is cumbersome.

  • Frequent stability issues.

  • A very limited number of available admins and users.

8. Zoho Creator

Database builder with an ability to add custom code for more advanced functionality.

Pros:

  • Ability to add custom code to verify, show, hide data.

  • Simple drag-and-drop interface.

  • App Gallery with 50+ pre-built apps you can customize.

  • Developer sandbox to test your internal tool before publishing it.

  • Compatible with iOS and Android.

  • Good in creating simple minimalistic forms.

Cons:

  • No free plan.

  • Limited customization opportunities.

  • A limited number of apps in the Professional plan. 

  • Deluge programming language you need to learn to add advanced features. 

9. Caspio

Low-code platform allowing enterprises to build database-powered web applications.

Pros:

  • Drag-and-drop building interface.

  • An unlimited number of App creators & App users within any plan.

  • HIPAA, GDPR, FISMA compliance.

  • Ready-made templates are available.

  • Free online training sessions are conducted several times a week.

  • Free plan available.

  • App user authentication – within any plan.

  • Role-based security – within any plan.

Cons:

  • Basic HTML and CSS knowledge required.

  • Very limited automation and integration capabilities within the Free, Explore, and Build plans.

  • REST API integration available only within the most expensive plans. 

10. UI Bakery

An intuitive low-code platform allowing you to build a database-powered internal tool fast. 

Pros:

  • An Open Source UI library under the hood.

  • Easy-to-use drag-and-drop UI builder.

  • Dozens of predefined layouts, widgets, and other UI components.

  • Free ready-made web app templates.

  • Ability to use JavaScript code when needed to map your data.

  • Fair pricing including an unlimited number of developers and users you can have within one account.

  • Integration with MySQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, Redis, and a number of other databases and third-party apps.

  • Ability to mirror your data structure into UI components automatically.

  • Vibrant live support.

  • An ability to create an unlimited number of pages within one app.

Cons:

  • No ability to build an app for mobile.

  • Few ready-made templates are available for now.

Summing up

Need a powerful accelerator for your business processes? Build a custom database-powered internal tool integrated with the apps you use for project management, time tracking, etc.

Being different in their feature sets and prices, all the mentioned database software still have one thing in common. They offer you an easy way to structure your data once and stop racking your brain and wasting your time switching between dozens of spreadsheets and tabs.

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