Pave: Your work doesn’t stop at the base
Describe what your team needs and launch custom software with data, roles, and workflows built in, connected to the tools you already use.
At a glance
Airtable gives you a base and the apps you can build on top of it. Pave is an AI app builder that lets you build custom software with its own data, its own permissions, and 350+ connections on every plan, including Airtable.
What you get
A custom app with its own relational data
A database with automations and apps on top
Built for
Running an operation: everything from data and routing to approvals and handoffs
Organizing and sharing structured data
Roadmap
Built on Quickbase with 25 years of continuous releases
Changing hands. Closing before year-end 2026
Who builds it
Anyone, in plain language
Anyone, in Omni or by hand in a base
Data model
Relational database
Bases with linked records
Pricing
Free plan; Paid from $20/mo, scales by number of apps and/or users
Free plan; Paid from $20 to $45 per user per month
Moving your data
Not required to start. Connect the base and leave it there.
Not applicable
Governance
Included on every plan
Admin controls start on Business plan
Pave fits teams that run an operation. Airtable fits teams that organize data.
Choose Pave when:
- Your team wants fully custom software to run the work.
- Those closest to the work build and adjust it in plain language for business and field operations.
Choose Airtable when:
- Your team needs a flexible place to keep and share structured data.
- People work in bases and interfaces, and Omni builds an app on top when they need one.
Pave vs Airtable: Full Comparison
Pave takes production off your plate. Bolt.new puts it on your developers.
Building the app
Primary builder
Anyone, in plain language
Anyone, in Omni or by hand in a base
Coding requirement
None to build or change an app
None; no-code and prompt-based
Starting point
Describe it, or start from the App Gallery
Prompt Omni, or start from a base
Running it in production
Hosting and deployment
Included in the build
Included on Airtable
Data layer
Relational database, built in
Bases with linked records
Your existing Airtable data
Read and write it with the Airtable connector. Pave keeps its own data model
Native
Connections
350+ with multiple actions included on every plan, Free included
Integrations and two-way sync, limited by plan
Roles and permissions
Built in, custom and down to the row and the field, on every plan
Base and field level. Field permissions govern editing, not viewing. No record-level permission. Admin controls on Business.
Cost and ownership
AI metering
One credit type for building and running, on one dashboard
One pooled balance that expires at the end of every month. Hyperagent sold separately.
Continuity
Built on Quickbase, shipped and supported continuously for 25 years
Sold to Bending Spoons, closing before year-end 2026
Maintenance
Adjust one app as the operation changes
Manually maintain bases, interfaces, and automations as they multiply
Why teams pick Pave over Airtable
Built for operations from day one, not retrofitted after an acquisition
The app, the connections, the hosting, and the support all come from one company, and the platform has shipped continuously for 25 years.
Everything under the app comes with it
Hosting, the database, permissions, and 350+ connections are in every plan, Free included. One platform, one bill, no second product to buy.
No migration required
The Airtable connector ships with every plan, so Pave reads and writes the records you already have and starts a workflow the moment one changes. The first app does not touch your base.
FAQ
Questions teams ask before switching
Is Pave an Airtable alternative?
Pave is an AI app builder that is an alternative for teams that need a system to run an operation on: relational data, roles, and reporting included, on a platform built for operational software for 25 years. Airtable is a database that now builds apps and automations with Omni. Pave fits when the process runs between systems rather than inside one, and the rules about who can do what have to hold up.
Can Pave work with our existing Airtable base?
Yes. Airtable is one of the 350+ connectors included on every Pave plan, the free one included. Pave reads and writes your Airtable records and can start a workflow when something changes there, so a first app can run against data you already have. Nothing moves and no Airtable seats change, which makes it something you can try while your current terms still hold.
What does Airtable’s sale to Bending Spoons mean for customers?
Bending Spoons agreed in summer 2026 to buy Airtable in an all-cash deal at a $1.285 billion enterprise value, closing before year-end pending regulatory review. Before signing, Airtable moved its Hyperagent business into a separate company kept by the founders, so the agent platform is not part of the sale. Omni and Field Agents stay with Airtable, nothing has changed for customers yet, and Bending Spoons has said it intends to invest in Airtable long term. If you are renewing, ask who owns the roadmap after close and whether pricing and support terms can be committed in writing.
How does Pave vs Airtable pricing compare?
Pave offers a free plan. Paid plans start at $20/mo. All plans include a set of users, apps, hosting, data, connections, and governance. Airtable bills per seat, with a free plan. Paid plans run $20 to $45 per user per month with Enterprise Scale on quote and prices Hyperagent per job on a separate site.
Which should your team choose?
Choose Pave when the people closest to the work want fully custom software to run their job: field service, inventory, work orders, finance, or HR, with permissions and reporting that hold up as the operation grows. Choose Airtable when the job is keeping structured data and collaborating on it, and Omni-built apps on top of that data are enough.