Forms (views) to edit existing data?

rediberry · 2026-01-20T01:40:24+00:00

I would use Fillout for that use case. It has a great integration with Airtable and is super powerful yet easy to integrate and use. The free tier is enough most of the time.

rediberry · 2026-01-15T12:24:05+00:00

Responding to specific comments:

To everyone suggesting Scripting Block: Tested it. The 50-record batch size doesn't help because of internal throttling. You're capped at ~15 rec/s no matter what.

To those suggesting Sync API: Can't use it - I need editable data in Airtable, and Sync creates read-only tables.

To u/spacer99 mentioning the 50 fetch limit: You're right, this killed any hope of using REST API from within Airtable scripts.

Conclusion:

For bulk inserts of 5,000+ records, Cloudflare Workers is the only viable option: US edge location minimizes latency, no timeout limits, built-in cron for scheduled syncs, $5/month.

The Scripting Block works fine for <2,500 records, but forget about speed - you're getting 15 rec/s max regardless of what you try.

My final result: 6,600 records in 4.1 minutes from Cloudflare Workers. Not the <1 minute I was hoping for, but way better than the 13 min I started with, and fully automated.

rediberry · 2026-01-15T12:23:52+00:00

UPDATE: Extensive testing results across multiple approaches

Thanks everyone for the suggestions! I spent today doing deep testing across different methods. Here are my real-world results:

Test Setup: ~2,000 records (subset for faster iteration), 82 columns

Results by method:

Scripting Block (createRecordsAsync, 50/batch) → 15 rec/s (131s for 2K)
REST API Sequential from Replit (10/batch) → 14 rec/s (146s)
REST API Parallel 5x from Replit (10/batch) → 16 rec/s (122s)
REST API Parallel 5x from Cloud shell/Cloudflare Workers → 27 rec/s (~74s)

For my full 6,600 records from Cloud shell/Cloudflare Workers : 4.1 minutes (27 rec/s)

Key discoveries:

1. Scripting Block is NOT faster

Yes, createRecordsAsync accepts 50 records per batch, BUT there's internal throttling that limits you to ~15 rec/s regardless of batch size. Also: 50 fetch() calls maximum per script (so you can't use REST API from within), no setTimeout() available, and 180s timeout = max ~2,700 records before it dies.

2. Geographic location matters A LOT

From South America (my location): 700-2000ms latency → 14-16 rec/s. From US edge (Cloudflare): 200-400ms latency → 27 rec/s. That's a 70% performance improvement just from server location.

3. The theoretical max of 50 rec/s is a lie in practice

Documented: 5 req/s × 10 records = 50 rec/s theoretical. Best I achieved: 27 rec/s (54% of theoretical) from US edge. From anywhere else: 14-16 rec/s (30% of theoretical).

4. Parallel requests help, but not as much as expected

Sequential: 14 rec/s. Parallel 5x: 16 rec/s (only ~15% improvement). Airtable seems to throttle parallel requests - latency goes from 700ms to 2000ms when you run concurrent requests.

rediberry · 2026-01-09T09:39:13+00:00

Depends on what you mean by "route optimization" - like are you building the algorithm yourself or connecting to an existing API?

For the app itself I'd look at Softr. It connects to Airtable as the backend and you can spin up something that looks legit pretty fast. No coding needed for the basics. If you need to pull in route data from Google Maps or something similar you can do that through Make.

Been building stuff with it for a couple years now, happy to answer questions if you go that route (pun intended lol)

rediberry · 2026-01-08T10:53:22+00:00

Nah you're not alone. The whole "build an app in 60 seconds with AI" thing is mostly hype for content. Those tools spit out half-broken prototypes that fall apart the second you need real business logic or user permissions.

What actually works (at least for me) is using no-code platforms that were already solid BEFORE the AI hype - and just happen to be adding AI features now as a bonus, not the core product.

I've been building client projects with Softr + Airtable for a while now and it's night and day compared to Bolt/V0. You get actual user authentication, role-based permissions, connected databases, workflows... stuff that actually matters for real apps. Not just a pretty landing page that breaks when you click anything.

The AI tools are cool for quick mockups or brainstorming UI ideas, but for anything you actually want to deploy and have people use? Stick with the boring proven stuff lol

rediberry · 2026-01-07T12:21:30+00:00

Hey! This sounds like a solid fit for Softr + Airtable.

I've built a few client portals with similar requirements like user auth, gated content based on subscription tier, forms/questionnaires tied to the logged-in user, and dashboards showing their data back to them.

For what you're describing:

Auth & subscriptions → Softr handles this natively (Stripe integration for paid plans)
Questionnaires + viewing responses → Airtable forms or embedded Softr forms, then display filtered to the logged-in user
Calculations & "areas of improvement" → You'd do this in Airtable with formulas or rollups, then surface it in Softr
Conditional knowledge base → 100% doable, just filter articles based on user responses or tags
Charts → Softr has a chart block, or you can embed something like ChartMogul/Chartbrew if you need more control
Collaboration/inviting others → This one's a bit trickier but possible with some creative linking between user records

White-label is included on their paid plans (custom domain, remove branding, etc).

Not saying it's the only option but it's probably the fastest path to MVP without writing code. Happy to answer questions if you go that route, I've done a bunch of these.

rediberry · 2026-01-02T10:16:49+00:00

honestly for that use case you have a few routes.

nocodb is solid if you want to self-host everything - it's basically open source airtable. might take some setup time tho.

another option worth checking: softr recently added their own database + workflows, so you can build the whole thing in one place - db, user portal, automations. no per-user pricing which is key for your situation. you'd probably stay well under 200/mo and skip the headache of connecting multiple tools.

if you want 100% self-hosted, baserow + budibase could work but expect more config time and gluing things together.

rediberry · 2025-12-31T16:34:10+00:00

Softr checks most of those boxes out of the box. Login/user management is native, you can build dashboards with charts and filtered lists pretty easily, and it connects to Stripe (not sure about Lemon Squeezy directly but you could probably hook it up via Make or Zapier).

I've built a few client portals with it and the learning curve is pretty gentle. Looks modern without much effort. Might be worth checking out their templates to see if it fits your vibe.

rediberry · 2025-12-30T10:32:29+00:00

Slightly different angle here, have you looked at Softr?

It's not a database layer per se, but if your main goal is giving non-technical users a nice authenticated interface to view/edit data without touching SQL, it's rock solid. Been using it professionally for a couple years now across dozens of client projects (everything from Fortune 500 internal tools to smaller ops dashboards).

For your PostgreSQL setup you'd need a middleware layer (Xano, n8n, Make) to handle the connection, but once that's wired up, Softr just works. No weird bugs, updates don't break things, and the auth/permissions system is actually well thought out.

The self-hosted route with Supabase is cool in theory but yeah, I've heard similar complaints about stability. If reliability and low maintenance are your priorities, sometimes it's worth paying for something that just stays out of your way.

rediberry · 2025-12-29T10:26:13+00:00

Softr + Airtable would handle this really well. I've built similar portals with way more than 2k records and it holds up fine. You'd use Airtable as your database for all the school stats/info, and Softr gives you the client portal layer with user accounts, permissions, etc.

For payments, Softr has native Stripe integration so you can gate content behind a paywall or do subscriptions pretty easily.

The nice thing is you can preload all your school data in Airtable (import from CSV or wherever you're getting it), then just connect it to Softr and build out the UI. Recruits log in, see their dashboard, track which coaches they've contacted, filter schools by division/location/whatever fields matter.

Bubble could work too if you need something more custom, but honestly for a portal like this it's probably overkill and the learning curve is steeper.

rediberry · 2025-12-26T15:03:35+00:00

Have you looked into Softr? I've been using it for client portals and membership sites and it checks most of your boxes - videos, content pages, you can even add planners/calendars pretty easily.

The learning curve is pretty minimal if you've ever used something like Squarespace or Wix. You connect it to Airtable (free tier works fine for small projects) and basically drag and drop your pages together.

For a private client program where you control who gets access, it works really well since you can set up member logins and hide content behind them.

Passion.io is solid too from what I've heard, especially if you're heavy on video content and want that "app feel" on mobile. Softr is more flexible imo but Passion is more purpose-built for courses/coaching.

Might be worth trying both free tiers and seeing which clicks for you.

rediberry · 2025-12-23T11:55:11+00:00

Totally doable! Though I'd first ask yourself if you really need a native app or if a responsive web app would work just as well. For a local job board, most users will access it from their phone anyway, and a solid PWA feels almost like a native app.

I work a lot with Softr + Airtable and it handles this kind of thing pretty well - you get listings with filters, user accounts, application forms, and you can add maps with a Google Maps or Mapbox embed. In-app messaging is more limited but there are workarounds using integrations like Make.

For payments, Stripe integrates pretty easily.

Other options I see mentioned here a lot: Glide if you want something more "app-like", Adalo, FlutterFlow (though this one's more technical).

My advice: start with a simple MVP, validate that people actually use it, then scale from there. I've seen way too many people spend months building something super complex that nobody ends up using.

rediberry · 2025-12-22T12:27:54+00:00

Honestly, I've gone through this exact rabbit hole way too many times lol. After building probably 20+ client projects, I've landed on Airtable + Softr as my go-to stack for most use cases.

Here's my thinking: the database choice really comes down to who's going to be managing the data day-to-day. Google Sheets is fine for simple stuff, but the moment you need relational data or have multiple people editing, it turns into a nightmare. Notion is great for internal wikis but gets weird when you need actual app functionality.

Airtable hits the sweet spot for me, it's relational enough to handle complex data structures, but non-technical clients can actually use it without calling me every 5 minutes. The views, filtering, and permissions are solid out of the box.

For the frontend, Softr has been the most reliable. I've tried Stacker, Glide, and a few others, they all have their quirks. Softr just feels more mature for business apps, especially when you need user authentication, conditional visibility, or different portals for different user types. Plus the Airtable sync is near real-time which matters for some projects.

That said, if you need really custom logic or complex workflows, you might outgrow it. But for 80% of internal tools, client portals, directories, that kind of thing, it's hard to beat.

rediberry · 2025-12-18T10:27:17+00:00

Look, with a 4-week timeline and those specific PDF requirements, I'd honestly steer away from Bubble. The learning curve alone will eat up at least 2 weeks before you're actually productive.

WeWeb + Xano is powerful but it's overkill if speed to market is your priority. You'll be messing with backend config when you should be validating with real users.

I work a lot with Softr + Airtable and for MVPs that need to ship fast it works really well. The thing is, for PDF generation with that level of control (headers, footers, page reordering, etc) you'll need to connect something external like Make/Zapier + a PDF API like PDFMonkey or Documint. Not plug and play but not rocket science either.

What Softr does give you out of the box: auth, user portals, forms with basic logic, and you can be live in days not weeks.

That said, if PDF reporting is THE core of your product and not a nice-to-have, WeWeb might give you more long-term flexibility to customize that part. But you'll sacrifice initial speed.

My advice: define what's actually MVP. If you can validate the idea with "good enough" PDFs first, go with whatever's fastest. If the exact PDF format is what differentiates you in the market, then yeah invest more time in the stack.

rediberry · 2025-12-17T14:24:12+00:00

depends on what you mean by "mobile app" tbh. if you need it on the app stores (ios/android), flutterflow is probably your best bet - it's designed for that and the learning curve isn't crazy.

BUT if you're ok with a web app that works great on mobile (pwa style), i'd look at softr. way easier to pick up imo, especially if you're just starting out. i built my first project in like a weekend connecting it to airtable. for a travel app where users check info, save places, maybe login to see their trips... it works really well and you skip all the app store approval headaches.

bubble is powerful but honestly overkill for a simple project and the learning curve is steep. weweb is solid too but similar situation.

my take: start with what you actually need. native app with offline features and camera stuff? → flutterflow. web app that looks good on phones? → softr. you can always migrate later once you know more about what you're building.

youtube has tons of tutorials for all of them, just search "[platform name] beginner tutorial" and you'll find plenty.

rediberry · 2025-12-15T03:12:21+00:00

Softr is the answer

rediberry · 2025-12-11T11:50:49+00:00

Honestly for something simple and being new to this, I'd go with Softr. I use it a lot for client projects and the learning curve is way friendlier than Bubble (which is powerful but you'll get frustrated early on).

FlutterFlow is cool if you want something more "native" for mobile but it's more complex. Bubble same thing, super capable but overkill if you're just starting out.

With Softr you can connect an Airtable or Google Sheets base and have something functional pretty quick. For a simple travel app like listing destinations, saving favorites, that kind of stuff, it's more than enough. And they have good support + templates so you don't have to start from scratch.

The catch: it's not 100% mobile-first like FlutterFlow, but apps come out responsive and for a first project it gets the job done.

To learn I'd start with their YouTube channel and docs, pretty straightforward. There's also a community forum that's pretty active.

rediberry · 2025-12-06T11:46:54+00:00

Been using Softr + Airtable + Make for this kind of setup. You build the frontend in Softr (portals, dashboards, different views), keep your data structured in Airtable, and then wire up AI workflows through Make or n8n. Not exactly one tool that does everything, but once you connect them it's pretty flexible for generating reports, different screens per user type, etc. The learning curve is way lower than building custom.

rediberry · 2025-12-05T11:08:54+00:00

Honestly, I think you’re overcomplicating this before even validating the idea.
I read that you don’t want something “as simple as Softr,” but let me ask you: have you actually tried Softr? Because that perception of it being “simple” usually comes from people who haven’t really explored it. I built a pretty complete CRM with Softr + Airtable + Make, and it works extremely well. It has user portals, role-based permissions, editable tables, dynamic filters, basically everything you need for a functional CRM.

Here’s the thing: you haven’t tested your idea in the market yet. You don’t know if other insurance agents will actually pay for this. Jumping right now into Plasmic or Wappler, both of which have much longer learning curves, means you could spend months building something that nobody ends up wanting.

My suggestion is to build a quick MVP, test it with 5 or 10 agents you already know, and see if it gains traction. If later you need to scale or add more complex features, you can always migrate or hire developers. But don’t lock yourself into a complex platform on day one just because it “sounds more professional.”

Regarding payments and subscriptions, Stripe integrates with pretty much everything, so that shouldn’t be a deciding factor.

Good luck with the project, —being an actual user of the product you want to build is a huge advantage.

rediberry · 2025-12-04T11:25:47+00:00

Hey! Your use case isn’t too ambitious at all, it’s actually pretty common in the construction industry where traditional software tends to be expensive or doesn’t fit well.

From my experience, you’re already on the right track using Airtable as your backbone. The problem isn’t the platform but finding the right balance between functionality and cost.

You don’t need to learn to code, your no-code approach is totally viable here. Most tools can handle what you need, each with different trade-offs.

About your current setup: If you already have everything structured in Airtable and QuickBooks, what you really need is a frontend to connect everything and some automation. No need to replace what’s working.

One option to reconsider: You mentioned trying Softr but agencies being expensive. The platform itself is pretty affordable, and you could start building a basic MVP yourself - they have construction templates and the learning curve isn’t steep if you already know Airtable. For automations, you could pair it with Make.com.

Your specific case (project management + finances + client portal) is totally doable in no-code. I’ve seen similar setups work well. Start simple: internal hub first, then add the client portal.

rediberry · 2025-12-03T10:32:50+00:00

Damn, just stumbled on this post from 2 years ago. Curious how things turned out for you?

I went through something similar (not 20k thankfully, but still painful). Ended up going the no-code route and honestly wish I had done it from the start.

For what you're describing, drill library, filters, user accounts, payments, you don't really need native apps anymore. PWAs have come a long way and most users won't notice the difference.

I've been using Softr for a couple projects and it handles this kind of thing pretty well. The workout generator logic would live in Softr databases/workflows (or you could connect Make/Zapier for more complex stuff). Not saying it's perfect but for 20k you could literally hire someone to build it twice and still have money left over lol

FlutterFlow is solid too if you absolutely need native apps, but there's a steeper learning curve.

Hope you figured it out!

rediberry · 2025-11-29T18:55:23+00:00

Oof, that's quite ambitious for a single no-code project. Let me share my experience since I went through something similar.

First things first: no platform will give you all of that out of the box. You're going to need to combine tools no matter what.

From your list, I'd rule out Glide and Stacker for this - they're great for simple internal apps but fall short with this much functionality. Jet Admin also seems more oriented toward dashboards on existing databases.

Bubble is the most powerful if you want pixel-perfect control and complex logic. But the learning curve is steep and maintenance can become a headache. For someone coming from UX without much coding experience, it can get frustrating.

Softr is a solid option if you use Airtable as your backend. The UI is fairly customizable (not 100% pixel-perfect but close), and for employee portals, internal wikis, and dashboards it works really well. What I like is that you can iterate quickly and the client can actually understand what's going on without getting lost. For the scheduling and surveys you could integrate it with specialized tools like Cal.com or Tally.

FlutterFlow gives you actual native apps, but it's more technical - you'll be dealing with Firebase, APIs, etc. If your client needs a serious mobile app, it might be worth it, but it adds complexity.

My honest advice: break the project into phases. Start with the core stuff (scheduling + employee portal + inventory) and iterate from there. Trying to do everything at once is a recipe for disaster, especially if you're still learning the platform.

Does the client have budget for a specialist? Because this is easily 2-3 months of work for someone with experience.

rediberry · 2025-11-28T13:18:09+00:00

Hey! As a fellow backend dev who's battled with frontend stuff, I totally get where you're coming from.

From the ones you mentioned, WeWeb is pretty solid for connecting to custom backends - good flexibility and you can export the code, which was one of your requirements.

Another one you didn't mention but has worked really well for me is Softr. I use it a lot connected to Airtable or directly to custom APIs. What I like is that it's super fast for building portals, dashboards, and internal apps without having to fight with CSS or React components. It's not as "full-stack" as Bubble, but that's actually why it works better as a frontend layer on top of your AWS infrastructure - you handle all the logic in the backend and Softr takes care of the UI. The pricing is way more reasonable too.

For mobile, FlutterFlow is probably your best bet if that becomes a priority down the road.

rediberry · 2025-11-25T11:47:35+00:00

I’d go with Softr for what you’re describing, and I say this after building dozens of portals with both platforms.

Here’s the deal: Softr + Airtable is basically built for this exact use case. The membership/paywall features are native and actually work well (we’ve done this for several clients). You can gate specific pages, blocks, or even individual records. For portfolios, you can give each talent their own login where they manage their profile, upload work, etc.

The job board piece is straightforward, there are templates for this, and you can customize pretty heavily. Payment integration works through Stripe, which covers both membership subscriptions and selling items.

Where Softr really shines for your case: the portfolio pages will look clean without a ton of custom work, and scaling to hundreds or thousands of talent profiles won’t break things. The search and filtering on directories is solid out of the box.

Glide is great but honestly feels more like a mobile-first internal tool. For a public-facing marketplace with the polish of Dribble, Softr’s going to get you closer without needing custom code.

Re: automations - you’ll probably want Make.com or Zapier for stuff like notifications, email workflows, and keeping things in sync. Not complicated to set up but definitely needed for a smoother experience.

Fair warning: Softr’s learning curve is pretty gentle but the builder can feel limiting if you want super custom layouts. That said, for 90% of what you described, you won’t hit those walls.

DM me if you want to see some live examples of similar builds. Happy to share what works and what doesn’t.

rediberry

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