Asana vs Airtable: Do You Need Both?

Apr 11

So, I saw someone recently saying that you have to use Airtable alongside Asana for your business systems. Well, I'm here to prove them wrong—and have a little fun doing it!

Actually, you need Asana alongside Airtable? Nope.

What you really need is Asana alone. Asana can absolutely replace Airtable if you know how to set it up properly. And I’ve got the answers.

In this post, I’ll break down why Asana is the better option, share real-life examples of how I’m using Asana to manage my finances, track email stats, and even organize my book log. Plus, I'll show you exactly how to set it up so you can ditch Airtable, or any other spreadsheet tool, once and for all.

Either keep reading or watch the video below:

Why People Think Airtable Is Necessary (But It's Not)

There's a popular belief that Airtable is essential for managing client data, tracking metrics, or building a curriculum.

Someone I follow recently claimed that Airtable is a must-have alongside Asana. They said Asana can only manage tasks—and that's just not true.

I get it—Airtable looks fancy, and it feels powerful when you build out a bunch of colorful spreadsheets.

It’s easy to assume that if your data feels complex, you need a specialized tool like Airtable to manage it properly. But here's the thing... with Asana’s paid features, you can create database-like views that look and function just like a spreadsheet.

And honestly, this isn’t just about appearances. Those Asana list views are just as powerful as what you can create in Airtable.

You can sort, filter, and group your data just like you would in a database.

Plus, Asana’s custom fields allow you to organize your data in whatever way makes sense for your business.

Whether you're tracking revenue, content ideas, or client deliverables, Asana’s flexibility lets you structure that information exactly how you need it.

Another key thing to keep in mind? Airtable's learning curve can be steep—especially if you’re not familiar with database logic.

Asana’s interface is far more intuitive, which means less time figuring out how things work and more time actually getting things done.

If you're already using Asana for your task management, adding Airtable on top can feel like overkill and just messy having to switch between tools all the time.

Instead of switching back and forth between platforms, you can simplify your workflow and keep everything centralized in Asana—and still have all the powerful tracking features you need.

How I Use Asana Instead of Spreadsheets

Now, let me walk you through exactly how I’m using Asana to replace spreadsheets in my own business.

I used to use spreadsheets, and then eventually Airtable to track my business finances—but I realized I didn’t need to anymore.

Now, I’ve set up an Asana project specifically for tracking my income, expenses, and even tax details.

Here's how I set it up:

Each entry is a task, with several custom fields for the date, amount, category, and more.
I have different views set up and grouped for easy viewing of specific things like outsourcing, personal income, bills, and monthly expenses.
And I have my dashboard set up so that I can see the big overview of how my year is going.

This setup gives me a clear overview of my finances without the need for an extra platform.

I’m also tracking my email marketing stats in Asana now. Every campaign, every open rate, every click—it’s all logged right there.

For this, I created an Asana project called "Email Marketing Stats" with custom fields like:

Open Rate
Click-Through Rate
Unsubscribe Rate and
Sales

I can even add notes directly in the task description to remind myself what the email was about, what worked well, and what I’d improve next time.

And my book log? Yep, that’s now in Asana too. I’ve set it up using the List View so it functions just like a spreadsheet. I track:

Book Title
Author
Rating
Genre
And I even have a custom field for Availability - so I can track which books are available through my local library versus which I need to purchase 🙂

It’s organized, searchable, and because it’s in Asana, I can link these tasks to my content calendar or ideas board if I’m planning to reference a book in a future email or video.

The best part? Having all this information in Asana means I don’t have to keep switching between tools. Everything’s streamlined, simple, and all in one place—which saves me time and mental energy.

So whether you’re tracking finances, email campaigns, or even your reading list, Asana can absolutely handle it. You just need to know how to set it up right.

Why Asana Outshines Airtable

So, why exactly does Asana come out on top when compared to Airtable? Let me break it down for you.

1. All-in-One Tool

One of the biggest reasons I prefer Asana is that it keeps everything in one place. Why juggle two platforms—one for data and one for tasks—when Asana can handle both?

Think about it: when you're running a business, the less switching between tools you have to do, the better.

With Asana, I can manage my client data, track my finances, and plan my content calendar—all in one streamlined system.

2. Spreadsheet-Style Views

I know one of Airtable's biggest selling points is its spreadsheet-like interface. But guess what? Asana’s List View can achieve the same effect—and honestly, I think it's even better.

In Asana’s paid plan, you can customize your List View with fields for dates, numbers, text, multi-select, single-select, and formulas—whatever you need to track.

You can group data by category, sort by priority, and filter for exactly what you need in seconds.

For example, in my finance tracker, I can easily switch between viewing all income and expenses, just outsourcing expenses, or monthly summaries—all without losing that clean, organized look.

So if you've been clinging to Airtable because of the spreadsheet-style view, trust me—Asana’s got you covered.

3. Automation Capabilities

Here’s where Asana really levels up. With Rules, you can automate repetitive tasks, just like you would in Airtable.

For example, in my email marketing stats project, I’ve set up a rule that automatically compiles my subtasks workflow when I'm ready to work on it and mark it as In Progress.

This little trick saves me from manually typing out or copying and pasting my subtasks every time—tiny automation, big time-saver.

You can also use rules to:

✅ Assign tasks to team members based on status updates

✅ Move tasks between sections when certain conditions are met, and

✅ Send reminders when deadlines are approaching

It's like having a mini virtual assistant built right into your system.

4. Centralized Information

Finally, one of my favorite benefits is centralization.

Instead of bouncing between tools, losing track of where I stored key details, or constantly trying to remember which platform holds what… I know everything is in Asana.

I don’t have to wonder, “Did I log that invoice in Airtable? Or was it Asana?” It’s all right there in one system, reducing mental clutter and helping me stay more focused and productive.

Bottom Line:

Asana isn’t just for task management—it’s a powerful, flexible tool that can easily replace Airtable if you know how to set it up.

And once you start seeing how much smoother your systems run when everything’s centralized in one place? Game. Changer.

If you’re ready to fully utilize Asana as your complete central hub and want my personal guidance, my Back-Pocket Support service is exactly what you need.

In this service, I help you learn how to use Asana’s paid features to simplify your business systems and eliminate the need for extra tools like Airtable.

Click here to learn more and book a spot.

So if you’ve been feeling stuck with Airtable and wondering if Asana can truly do it all, the answer is YES—and now you know exactly how to make it happen.