Comparison
Emberblocks vs Glide
Glide builds the best-looking apps in this category and has a strong workflow engine. Emberblocks keeps your data in Postgres or Airtable instead of Glide Tables, prices its plans by app users where Glide meters updates, and never charges builders.
Builders are always free. Facts about Glide on this page were last checked on against Glide's own site. Tell us if something is out of date: hello@emberblocks.com.
The short version
Data
Glide prefers Glide Tables and Big Tables; external sources sync in. Emberblocks reads and writes Postgres and Airtable directly.
Design
Glide's components look better out of the box. Emberblocks apps are clean and themeable, with a layout meant for internal tools.
Workflows
Both have real workflow engines with schedules, webhooks and branching.
Bill
Glide prices by users and metered updates. Emberblocks by app users, with builders free.
Feature by feature
| Capability | Emberblocks | Glide |
|---|---|---|
| Built-in database | Yes | Glide Tables |
| Connect your own Postgres | Yes | Big Tables / SQL, paid |
| Airtable as a source (two-way) | Yes | partial |
| Google Sheets as a live source | No | Yes |
| No code required | Yes | Yes |
| Formula language | Yes | computed columns |
| Field-level permissions | Yes | row owners, visibility |
| Workflows and automations | Yes | Workflows |
| Versioned publishing with rollback | Yes | publish, no rollback |
| Public links without accounts | Yes | public apps |
| Offline edits queued on phones | Yes | limited |
| AI drafts the first version | Yes | Glide AI |
| Builders never pay | Yes | No |
| Paid plans priced by | app users | users and updates |
| Custom domains | not yet | Yes |
| SSO / SAML | not yet | unverified |
Emberblocks cells reflect what ships today. Glide cells were checked against Glide'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
Glide stores app data in Glide Tables or Big Tables and syncs Google Sheets, Excel, Airtable and SQL sources into them.
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 builder
Glide arranges components on screens with a mobile-first layout engine and computed columns for logic.
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.
Workflows and permissions
Glide Workflows (generally available since January 2025) trigger on schedules, webhooks, Slack, email and manual actions. Row owners and visibility conditions control access.
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. 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.
Publishing, phones and pricing
Glide apps publish to a glide.page address or a custom domain and behave like installed apps on phones. Plans count users and updates.
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. 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 and should stay there.
Pick Emberblocks if
You need a predictable bill for a fixed-fee client project.
Pick Emberblocks if
Builders should not cost anything.
Pick Glide if
How the app looks is the top priority.
Pick Glide if
You want a certified expert to build it and Glide's network is nearby.
Pick Glide if
Google Sheets must be the live source.
Questions
- Does Emberblocks have something like Glide Tables?
- Yes, the built-in database. Every app can start there with no external source, and you can move to your own Postgres later without changing the screens.
- What replaced Glide Classic apps?
- Glide retired Classic apps on 30 June 2025. If you had one, rebuild it here: export the sheet as CSV, import it, and let Ember draft the screens.
- 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.
- 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.