Google Tables: Airtable Rival Now Available as Google Cloud Product

Google's Tables: From Area 120 to Google Cloud

Last autumn, Google’s internal incubator, Area 120, unveiled Tables, a work-tracking application designed to rival AirTable. This tool streamlines project management through the implementation of automation. Now, Google has announced that Tables will officially transition from Area 120 to become a fully integrated Google Cloud product, a process anticipated to be completed within the coming year.

The Genesis of Tables

The Tables initiative was spearheaded by Tim Gleason, a veteran Google employee and current General Manager of Tables. Having spent a decade with Google, and even more time within the technology sector, Gleason identified a common pain point: the fragmented nature of project tracking. Teams frequently relied on disparate documents and notes, leading to information that quickly became outdated.

Rather than managing project-related information across numerous, manually updated documents, Tables employs automated 'bots'. These bots assist with administrative tasks, such as sending reminders for overdue tasks, notifying chat rooms of new form submissions, reassigning tasks, and updating schedules as needed.

Versatile Applications

The development team envisioned Tables as a solution applicable to a wide range of scenarios. These include, but are not limited to, project management, IT operations, customer service tracking, CRM, recruitment processes, and product development.

Early Adoption and Positive Feedback

Launched last September to gauge market demand, Tables quickly gained traction. According to Amit Zavery, VP/GM and Head of Platform for Google Cloud, initial customer responses were overwhelmingly positive. Customers began utilizing the service for multiple projects, indicating strong potential for growth.

Zavery noted that the pandemic likely accelerated Tables’ adoption, as organizations sought to rapidly digitize their workflows and improve work-tracking capabilities.

Real-World Use Cases

Early adopters found Tables particularly useful for inventory management, tracking healthcare supplies, and streamlining mortgage-lending processes. However, its application extended beyond these initial use cases, spanning a diverse array of industries. On average, customers implemented Tables within departments comprising 30 to 40 individuals.

Notably, most customers were transitioning from manual processes rather than switching from competing services.

“The fragmentation of information across various documents was a significant challenge,” Zavery explained. “Tables provided a centralized platform for structured data, offering a substantial improvement over managing numerous spreadsheets and deciphering their relationships.”

Seamless Integration and Productivity

A key factor driving Tables’ adoption was its ability to quickly deliver value, facilitated by its integration with existing data warehouses and other services. Currently, Tables integrates with Apps Script, Data Studio, and Drive.

For comparison, AppSheet supports Office 365, Microsoft Access, Google Sheets, Slack, Salesforce, Box, and Dropbox.

Pricing and Future Plans

Tables was one of the few Area 120 projects launched with a paid business model. During its beta phase, individual users could access Tables for free, with limitations of 100 tables and 1,000 rows. A paid plan, initially priced at $10 per user per month, offered support for up to 1,000 tables and 10,000 rows, along with enhanced features like larger attachments, advanced history, sharing options, forms, automation, and views.

However, Google did not implement charges for the paid tier during the beta period.

As Tables integrates into Google Cloud, it will be combined with Google’s no-code app building platform, AppSheet, maintaining a freemium model. Users seeking additional functionality will have the option to upgrade to a premium plan. The service will also remain available as a standalone product.

Leveraging Workspace Integration

Google intends to leverage Workspace to broaden Tables’ reach. “Delivery through Workspace integration is key, given the large user base accustomed to similar functionality,” Zavery stated. “This integration, combined with the data within Sheets and Drive, will significantly enhance the user experience.”

The No-Code Database Landscape

Tables’ emergence reflects the growing interest in no-code, spreadsheet-powered database platforms, such as AirTable, which recently secured $185 million in Series D funding, valuing the company at $2.585 billion.

The existing Tables beta version will remain free until the fully supported Google Cloud product is released within the next year, at which point users will be migrated to the new service.

Continued Development

Looking ahead, Tables plans to expand its functionality through tighter integration with AppSheet, creating a more seamless user experience. Further enhancements will focus on improving ease of use, adding mobile support, and expanding connectivity with backend systems. Official pricing will be finalized soon, but is expected to remain consistent with the beta version.

Updated 6/15/21: Clarified which integrations are with Tables vs. AppSheet