Comparison
Emberblocks vs AppSheet
Both tools build apps from tables rather than from pixels, which is why an AppSheet app can be imported into Emberblocks. The differences are in the editor, the expression language, where the data lives and how you pay.
This page keeps to facts you can check. Where we could not verify a detail about AppSheet we say so.
Builders are always free. Facts about AppSheet on this page were last checked on against AppSheet's own site. Tell us if something is out of date: hello@emberblocks.com.
The short version
Same model
Both start from tables, put screens on top and use expressions to compute and filter, so what you learned in one carries over to the other.
Different editor
AppSheet's editor is a settings tree with a phone preview. Emberblocks is a drag-and-drop grid with a live canvas.
Different home for data
AppSheet is happiest on Google Sheets and AppSheet databases. Emberblocks is happiest on Postgres, its built-in database or an Airtable mirror.
Different bill
AppSheet charges per user per month. Emberblocks never charges builders and includes app users in the plan.
Feature by feature
| Capability | Emberblocks | AppSheet |
|---|---|---|
| Built-in database | Yes | AppSheet databases |
| Connect your own Postgres | Yes | Cloud SQL and others |
| Airtable as a source (two-way) | Yes | No |
| Google Sheets as a live source | No | Yes |
| No code required | Yes | Yes |
| Formula language | Yes | AppSheet expressions |
| Field-level permissions | Yes | column-level via expressions |
| Workflows and automations | Yes | Automation bots |
| Versioned publishing with rollback | Yes | version history |
| Public links without accounts | Yes | limited |
| Offline edits queued on phones | Yes | Yes |
| AI drafts the first version | Yes | Gemini features |
| Builders never pay | Yes | No |
| Paid plans priced by | app users | per user per month |
| Custom domains | not yet | white-label on higher tiers |
| SSO / SAML | not yet | Google and enterprise tiers |
Emberblocks cells reflect what ships today. AppSheet cells were checked against AppSheet'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.
Data
AppSheet reads Google Sheets, Excel, AppSheet databases, Cloud SQL and several other sources through its own sync layer, and its whole design assumes Google Drive is nearby.
Emberblocks starts on a built-in database, your own Postgres (Supabase, Neon, RDS, anything that speaks Postgres) or an Airtable base. Airtable bases are mirrored into Postgres: the app reads and writes the mirror at database speed, your edits push back to Airtable within seconds, and changes made in Airtable arrive through Airtable's own webhooks.
The editor and expressions
AppSheet configures views from a settings tree and previews them in an emulator. Expressions use functions such as SELECT, LOOKUP and FILTER with [_THISROW] references. They can do a lot, and they are hard to read again later.
Emberblocks is a grid of blocks: tables, cards, record pages, kanban boards, calendars, maps, timelines, charts, stats, forms, buttons, comments, activity feeds, file viewers, signatures, barcodes and embeds. Each block reads a table and is configured in an inspector organised by the block's parts. Formulas use a spreadsheet-style language with autocomplete and inline checking, and the importer translates the common AppSheet expressions automatically.
Permissions
AppSheet controls access with security filters (row-level expressions), per-column show and edit conditions and role columns in a users table.
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. Views and blocks can also filter rows by the signed-in user.
Automation
AppSheet's bots trigger on data changes or schedules and run processes that update rows, send email, call webhooks and generate documents.
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. Workflows are drawn on a canvas and every run is logged. PDF and email templates cover document generation.
Publishing and phones
AppSheet apps run in the AppSheet mobile app or the browser; white-label store apps are a higher-tier feature. Offline use is a core strength.
Every publish is a versioned snapshot you can inspect and roll back, with a stable and a latest channel. Views can be shared through public links with no account. Published apps are responsive, install on a phone's home screen, and queue edits made offline until the connection is back.
Pricing
AppSheet is priced per user per month on Starter and Core tiers, with Core included in several Google Workspace editions. Every person who opens an app is a user.
Builders are always free; paid plans are priced by the people who use your published apps, from $29 a month billed yearly, with a 14-day Pro trial and a free plan.
Which should you pick?
Pick Emberblocks if
Your data is in Postgres or Airtable, or you want it in a database you own.
Pick Emberblocks if
Your app has many users and per-user pricing is the problem.
Pick Emberblocks if
You want a modern editor and readable formulas, and you have an AppSheet app to import.
Pick AppSheet if
Your data must stay in Google Sheets.
Pick AppSheet if
You need store-published white-label apps or deep offline for field teams with no coverage.
Pick AppSheet if
AppSheet Core already comes with your Google Workspace edition.
Questions
- Can I import my AppSheet app?
- Yes. Upload AppSheet's Application Documentation export and Emberblocks recreates tables, columns, formulas, views, actions, format rules and roles it can bind, with a coverage report. Row data is imported separately as CSV or by connecting the database.
- Where does my data live?
- Wherever you want it. Use the built-in database, connect your own Postgres so rows never leave your server, or point an app at an Airtable base. Airtable bases are mirrored into Postgres and kept in sync both ways.
- 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.