Three-way comparison
Softr vs Glide vs Emberblocks
Softr and Glide are the two names that come up first for no-code portals and apps. Emberblocks is the newer option. It keeps your data in a real database, never charges builders, and is built for apps with the logic of an internal tool.
Builders are always free. Facts about other products on this page were last checked on . Tell us if something is out of date: hello@emberblocks.com.
Three-way comparison
| Capability | Emberblocks | Softr | Glide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Built-in database | Yes | Softr Databases | Glide Tables |
| Connect your own Postgres | Yes | Yes | Big Tables / SQL, paid |
| Airtable as a source | two-way mirror | live API reads | partial |
| Google Sheets as a live source | No | Yes | Yes |
| Formula language | Yes | limited | computed columns |
| Field-level permissions | Yes | block visibility rules | row owners, visibility |
| Workflows | Yes | basic actions | Yes |
| Versioned publishing with rollback | Yes | No | No |
| Public links without accounts | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Offline edits queued on phones | Yes | No | limited |
| AI drafts the first version | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Custom domains | not yet | Yes | Yes |
| Builders never pay | Yes | No | No |
| Paid plans priced by | app users | records and users | users and updates |
Emberblocks cells reflect what ships today. Softr and Glide cells were checked against their public pages on the date at the top of this page.
Where each one is strongest
Softr
Fastest first portal, largest template gallery, most data connectors (Sheets, Notion, BigQuery and more), custom domains. Thinner on logic, workflows and permissions.
Glide
Best-looking apps, a real workflow engine, a large expert network. Prefers its own tables, meters updates, and has restructured pricing more than once.
Emberblocks
Deepest data model (relations, formulas, field permissions), two-way Airtable mirror, your own Postgres, versioned publishing with rollback, builders free. Newest of the three, no custom domains yet.
How they charge
Softr tiers by records, users and features. Glide tiers by users and meters updates. Emberblocks never charges the people who build; paid plans include a block of app users and published monthly allowances for rows, workflow runs and storage.
For agencies on fixed-fee contracts the difference is whether you can predict the bill: metered updates are the hardest to price, per-user seats next, included app users the easiest.
Which should you pick?
Pick Softr if
You want a portal online this afternoon and the logic is simple.
Pick Glide if
Design is the top priority and you are comfortable with Glide Tables.
Pick Emberblocks if
The app has real logic, the data lives in Postgres or Airtable, and builders should be free.
Questions
- Do all three work with Airtable?
- Yes, differently. Softr reads Airtable live through the API. Glide syncs it into Glide Tables. Emberblocks mirrors the base into Postgres with two-way sync, so pages load at database speed and edits push back within seconds.
- Which is cheapest?
- It depends on the shape of your app. For a few builders and many app users, Emberblocks tends to be cheapest because builders are free. For a tiny app with two users, all three have free or low tiers. Compare the plan pages for your numbers.
- 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.