For decades since the birth of Excel, businesses have heavily relied on spreadsheets. From managing operations, and data recording, to financial calculations, Excel has been the go-to tool.
However, with the evolution of the business landscape, there have been significant changes in business models, collaboration methods, and data analysis requirements. More and more companies are now turning towards new tools like APITable and Airtable.
If you are also considering a tool migration and are not familiar with APITable, this article aims to distinguish the differences between APITable and Excel, helping you find the suitable business solution for your needs.
The Fundamental Differences between APITable and Excel
When first encountering APITable, one might perceive it as similar to Excel, assuming they both belong to the realm of spreadsheet products. However, they differ fundamentally. Excel is a spreadsheet software, whereas APITable is a relational database and a simple and powerful work management OS.
Spreadsheet, like Excel, is a digital ledger that revolves around static, two-dimensional documents primarily used for data storage and calculations. However, this limitation restricts your access, organization, and data connectivity, making it more suitable for financial data analysis and business scenarios.
On the other hand, APITable, as a relational database, may initially appear similar to a spreadsheet in terms of interface and interaction. However, it serves as an excellent tool for structured data, allowing storage, retrieval, and recording of diverse data types.
APITable possesses characteristics such as data structuring, logical independence, and distributed independence. It aids in quickly retrieving the desired information, organizing and analyzing data, creating visual reports, and even building work management systems to track and manage workflows.
Therefore, from the perspective of usage scenarios, APITable is suitable for any industry, and you can create a work management OS according to your specific needs, including project management, marketing, customer relationship management, human resource management and other different industries.
APITable vs Excel: Data Presentation Formats
Another significant difference between APITable and Excel lies in APITable’s flexible multidimensional view transformations, which Excel lacks. This is made possible due to APITable’s data structuring capabilities.
Although the Grid view interface in APITable may appear similar to Excel, with rows and columns, APITable allows for transformations. In APITable, individual data records can be easily transformed through different views, enabling more intuitive and concise visualizations.
For example, while creating a Gantt chart in Excel would require filling in individual cells with colors, APITable can generate it with a single click. In addition to this, APITable offers various other view options, such as Calendar View, Kanban View, Gallery View, Architecture View, and form View, allowing you to switch between them effortlessly.
APITable vs Excel: Data Interconnectivity
Excel possesses excellent data calculation capabilities. However, data usage in Excel is typically one-time and limited to a single machine. Achieving data reusability often requires high learning costs, such as using functions like VLOOKUP or macros. Collaboration among multiple users also requires additional steps, like uploading to the cloud, which can be inconvenient.
In contrast, APITable supports Infinite Cross Link. Once entered, data in APITable can be referenced, synchronized, and viewed in multiple tables without errors. The ability to reuse data and establish cross-table connections significantly enhances data flow efficiency and reusability, resulting in a notable improvement in office productivity.
APITable’s capability for seamless data integration and real-time updates across multiple tables eliminates the need for repetitive data entry and manual synchronization, making it a powerful tool for data collaboration and enhancing overall work efficiency.
APITable vs Excel: Three-Dimensional Structural Features
In Excel, data categorization and filtering often rely on adjusting cell formats, such as merging and splitting cells. However, in APITable, data is structured with stability and interconnectivity, allowing for grouping and multidimensional view transformations.
One notable advantage of this structured approach is that data in APITable can undergo three-dimensional transformations, taking the form of familiar “forms.”
Furthermore, you can take it a step further by utilizing APITable to visualize data as a BI dashboard.
APITable vs Excel: Automation
When it comes to automating tasks in Excel, you may encounter certain difficulties. It often requires learning macros, VBA, and other related knowledge to achieve limited automation.
However, in APITable, automation becomes remarkably simple. APITable supports integration with Zapier, allowing you to connect APITable with over 5000 applications and create automated workflows. ( For specific instructions and recommended templates, you can refer to this article )
You can also utilize APITable’s automation robots, which can automatically execute specified actions based on predefined trigger conditions. This helps you accomplish repetitive tasks and reduce your workload, such as automated email sending.
In addition, APITable’s powerful API capabilities, combined with a One-Click API Panel, provide a seamless experience for data retrieval and integration. This makes APITable a valuable tool for businesses seeking to streamline workflows and increase productivity.
APITable vs Excel: Affordable
Finally, a simple price comparison is provided to facilitate your tool selection. It is worth mentioning that Excel is not charged separately, you need to purchase the full Microsoft 365 plan, which also means that you may have to pay for features that you don’t actually need. For plans that are similar in price, APITable’s value for money is 200% better than Excel’s.
In conclusion, if you have gained an understanding of the differences between APITable and Excel through this article and are looking to choose a software tool that is more suitable for team collaboration, and work management, and adaptability to business growth, then it’s time to give APITable a try.
