Softr alternative
The Softr alternative with deeper data and no seat tax
Softr became known as the Airtable front-end and has since moved to a multi-database, AI-first builder. It is still the fastest way to get a simple portal online. Teams outgrow it when the app gets serious: relational logic, workflows, granular permissions and plan limits on records and users.
Emberblocks is what you reach for at that point. It keeps the Airtable connection (two-way, mirrored into Postgres), adds a real formula language, workflows, versioned publishing and roles down to the field, and never charges for the people building.
Builders are always free. Facts about Softr on this page were last checked on against Softr's own site. Tell us if something is out of date: hello@emberblocks.com.
Why people look for a Softr alternative
The complexity ceiling
Softr's recurring review theme is 'great until the app gets serious'. Emberblocks has relations, multi-references, related-record lists, formulas and workflows built for operational apps.
Record and user caps
Softr plans cap records and users per tier. Emberblocks plans list rows and app users as monthly allowances, and builders are never counted.
Agencies get no hosting
Softr's partner program gives a sandbox workspace explicitly not for hosting client apps. Emberblocks workspaces host as many published apps as the plan allows and apps can be transferred to a client's workspace by email invite.
Permissions
Softr's visibility rules are per block. Emberblocks roles control which views a user sees and which fields they can read or edit, and users can be loaded from your own data.
Airtable, two ways
Softr reads Airtable through the API on every page load. Emberblocks mirrors the base into Postgres, so pages load at database speed and edits still push back within seconds.
Workflows
Workflows run when a row is created, updated or deleted, on a schedule, or from a button; steps update records, send email, call webhooks, branch on conditions and run code.
Emberblocks vs Softr at a glance
| Capability | Emberblocks | Softr |
|---|---|---|
| Built-in database | Yes | Softr Databases |
| Connect your own Postgres | Yes | Yes |
| Airtable as a source (two-way) | Yes | live API reads |
| Google Sheets as a live source | No | Yes |
| No code required | Yes | Yes |
| Formula language | Yes | limited |
| Field-level permissions | Yes | block visibility rules |
| Workflows and automations | Yes | basic actions |
| Versioned publishing with rollback | Yes | publish, no rollback |
| Public links without accounts | Yes | public pages |
| Offline edits queued on phones | Yes | No |
| AI drafts the first version | Yes | Yes |
| Builders never pay | Yes | No |
| Paid plans priced by | app users | records and users per tier |
| Custom domains | not yet | Yes |
| SSO / SAML | not yet | unverified |
Emberblocks cells reflect what ships today. Softr cells were checked against Softr's public pages on the date shown at the top of this page; "unverified" means we could not confirm it and would rather say so than guess.
What you get in Emberblocks
Your data, live
Start on a built-in database, your own Postgres (Supabase, Neon, RDS, anything that speaks Postgres) or an Airtable base. Apps read and write live rows, so there are no exports to keep in sync.
Blocks on a grid
Drag tables, cards, record pages, kanban boards, calendars, maps, timelines, charts, stats, forms, buttons, comments, activity feeds, file viewers, signatures, barcodes and embeds onto a grid and wire them to tables. What you arrange is exactly what your team gets.
Real field types
Fields include text, email, phone, URL, number, boolean, date, date-time, time, duration, select, multi-select, reference, multi-reference, image, file, signature, address and JSON. Barcode scanning and signatures work in the browser without a native app.
Workflows
Workflows run when a row is created, updated or deleted, on a schedule, or from a button; steps update records, send email, call webhooks, branch on conditions and run code.
Roles and permissions
Roles decide which views a user sees and which fields they can read or edit; app users can be loaded from a table in your own data.
Publishing like software
Every publish is a versioned snapshot you can inspect and roll back, with a stable and a latest channel.
Phones and offline
Published apps are responsive, install on a phone's home screen, and queue edits made offline until the connection is back.
AI where it helps
Ember drafts a first version of an app from a plain-language description, and end users can ask questions of the data in plain language when you turn it on.
Where Softr is still the better pick
- You need a custom domain today. Softr has them; Emberblocks does not yet.
- You want a marketing-site-style page (hero, pricing table, testimonials) with a login behind it. Softr's static blocks are made for that; Emberblocks is an app builder.
- Google Sheets or Notion as the live source. Emberblocks connects Postgres and Airtable and imports CSV.
- You want the biggest template gallery. Softr's is larger; Emberblocks ships ten working templates.
How to move from Softr
- 1
Bring the data
Connect the Postgres database the data already lives in, point Emberblocks at the Airtable base, or export a CSV and import it into a built-in table. Column types are detected on import.
- 2
Let Ember draft the app
Describe the tool in a sentence or two. Ember proposes tables, views and workflows; you review the plan before anything is created.
- 3
Rebuild the screens you actually use
Most teams find a third of their old views were never opened. Rebuild the ones that matter as blocks on a grid; the table, kanban, calendar and map blocks cover most of them.
- 4
Set roles, then publish
Decide who sees which views and fields, publish a versioned snapshot and send the link. Roll back in one click if something is off.
Questions
- Can I keep my Airtable base when I move from Softr?
- Yes. Connect the same base to Emberblocks. It is mirrored into Postgres with two-way sync, so Airtable stays the place your team edits and the app reads a fast local copy.
- Does Emberblocks do client portals?
- Yes. Roles, per-user record filters, public links for anonymous viewers and a client-portal template. Plans are priced by app users, and workspace members who build never count.
- How is Emberblocks priced?
- Builders are always free. Paid plans are priced by the number of people who sign in to your published apps: Starter $29, Pro $79 and Business $199 a month billed yearly. Every new workspace starts with a 14-day Pro trial, no card needed, and there is a free plan after that. Full details on the pricing page.
- Do I need to write code?
- No. Blocks, a spreadsheet-style formula language and visual workflows cover most internal tools. A run-code workflow step is there when you want it, and an MCP server lets AI assistants build and query apps for you.
- What does Emberblocks not do yet?
- Custom domains, SSO and an Enterprise plan are not available yet. There is no live Google Sheets connector (import the sheet as CSV instead). Apps run in the browser and install to the home screen; there are no App Store or Play Store builds.
Try it on your own data.
Every workspace starts with a 14-day Pro trial without a card. You can also open a template in the editor first and sign up only when you want to keep it.