I'm building a web app on top of Airtable and want to know what to use

If you’re building a web app on top of Airtable, the “what to use” depends on how much app logic, authentication, and scaling you need.

Best options

1. Airtable Interfaces / Airtable Apps

Use this if:

• your app is mostly internal
• you want something fast and simple
• users are already inside Airtable

Pros:

• fastest to build
• no backend needed
• native Airtable auth/permissions

Cons:

• limited customization
• not ideal for a public-facing product

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2. Frontend app + Airtable API

Use this if:

• you want a custom web UI
• the app is simple
• you can keep Airtable access on the server side

Typical stack:

• Frontend: React / Next.js / Vue
• Backend: Node.js / serverless functions
• Database: Airtable as the source of truth

Important:

• don’t expose your Airtable API key in the browser
• use a backend proxy or serverless route

Pros:

• flexible UI
• quick to ship
• Airtable remains your database

Cons:

• Airtable API rate limits
• relational logic can get messy
• not ideal for heavy traffic

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3. No-code/low-code layer on Airtable

Use this if:

• you want to move very quickly
• you prefer less coding

Common tools:

• Softr
• Stacker
• Glide
• Bubble (more general-purpose)

Pros:

• fastest for MVPs
• built-in auth and UI components
• easy to connect to Airtable

Cons:

• less control
• can get expensive
• vendor lock-in

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My recommendation

If this is a real web app for customers:

Use Next.js + server-side API calls to Airtable.

That gives you:

• a real custom frontend
• secure Airtable access
• room to grow later

If this is an internal tool:

Use Airtable Interfaces or Stacker/Softr.

If you expect significant scale or complex logic:

Use Airtable only as a temporary datastore or admin layer, and move core data to:

• PostgreSQL
• Supabase
• Firebase
• MongoDB

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Rule of thumb

• MVP/internal tool: Airtable + no-code or Interfaces
• Custom web app: Next.js/React + backend proxy to Airtable
• Production scale: Airtable + real backend DB, or migrate off Airtable

If you want, I can recommend a specific stack based on:

1. public vs internal app
2. number of users
3. whether you need login/auth
4. whether Airtable is just admin storage or the main database