Softr vs Stacker 2026
Short answer: pick Softr if you want to ship a client portal or internal tool fast with native forms, Workflows, Stripe and an AI co-builder in one place; pick Stacker if your truth lives in Airtable or a live SQL database and you need the deepest record- and field-level permissions to expose it safely. Both score 4.2/5 overall in our hands-on tests, so the use case decides.
The angle nobody updated: Softr has crossed from front-end-for-Airtable into a full-stack no-code platform, with native Databases, native forms, Softr Workflows and a 2026 AI stack that removes Airtable, Zapier and a separate form tool. Meanwhile Stacker still has no native forms, no workflow engine and no native payments, and it hides its Starter and Pro pricing, showing only Plus publicly until you start a trial. Those two facts decide most of this match.
Full-stack: native forms, Workflows, Stripe and AI co-builder. Fastest to launch.
Try Softr for free →Read the full Softr review →Deepest Airtable/SQL permissions and bidirectional sync. No forms, no workflows.
Read the full Stacker review →Who wins for you
Ease 4.7/5, a lifetime free plan (publish an app for up to 10 users), native forms plus Workflows plus an AI co-builder. A working portal in about 20 minutes.
Try Softr for free →Features 4.6/5; the deepest Airtable-native permission model, true bidirectional sync, and native SQL connectors (Postgres, MySQL, SQL Server, Salesforce).
Read the full Stacker review →Value 4.1/5 vs 3.8/5; Softr Free is permanent and Basic starts at $49/mo, while Stacker has no permanent free plan and hides Starter and Pro pricing.
Try Softr for free →Integrations 4.4/5 vs 4.0/5; native SQL plus Salesforce connectors and unlimited external users on paid plans.
Read the full Stacker review →Softr vs Stacker at a glance
Every cell is grounded in official pricing and docs checked June 13, 2026. Read the free plan and native forms rows first, they frame everything else. Numbers we could not confirm in-product are flagged verify.
| Softr | Stacker | Edge | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free planSoftr Free is permanent, not a trial; Stacker requires a paid plan to keep apps live | $0, lifetime; publish an app, up to 10 app users, ~1,000 records/app (verify), 5 AI credits/mo, 1 custom domain | No permanent free plan; 14-day full-feature trial, no credit card | Softr |
| Entry paid price | $49/mo (Basic, annual, 20 app users) | $39/mo (Starter, 1 app, 5 internal + 50 external users); some aggregators say $79 (verify) | Softr |
| Mid tier | $139/mo (Professional, 100 app users) | $199/mo (Plus, 3 apps, 10 internal + unlimited external users) | Softr |
| Top published tier | $269/mo (Business, 500 app users) | $349/mo (Pro, unlimited apps/records/users/tables/roles) | Softr |
| Native data sourcesStacker wins on native SQL and Salesforce connectivity | 15+ (Airtable, Notion, Google Sheets, HubSpot, SQL, Supabase, BigQuery) plus native Softr Databases | Airtable, Google Sheets, PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQL Server, Salesforce | Stacker |
| Native forms | Yes, multi-step with conditional logic, validation, writes to any source | No, requires a third-party form tool | Softr |
| Native workflow engine | Yes, Softr Workflows (visual triggers/actions plus AI co-builder); also Make, Zapier, n8n | No native workflow engine; automations via Zapier or Make | Softr |
| Permissions depth | Role-based plus conditional visibility at block and page level | Record-level plus field-level access control, deeper in the Airtable ecosystem | Stacker |
| AI featuresSoftr has the broader AI surface; both ship a fast first prototype | AI co-builder (app/DB/workflow), Vibe Coding block, Database AI Agents, Ask AI | AI app generator (prototype from a prompt plus uploaded sheet in 3 to 5 min) | Softr |
| Native payments | Yes, native Stripe (plus PayPal) | No, Stripe via Zapier or Make only | Softr |
| Default support on paid plans | Fast in-app chat plus 100+ doc articles; response can vary | Email ~8 to 16 h; live chat only on Pro; phone Pro-only | Softr |
| Ideal user | Freelancers, small agencies, makers wanting full-stack speed | Ops and data teams exposing live Airtable or SQL to external users | — |
Prices checked June 13, 2026 on softr.io/pricing and hackceleration.com/stacker-review. Figures we could not confirm in-product are flagged verify.
Criterion by criterion, head to head
The same five criteria we scored on each tool's review page. Equal scores still get a clear pick.
01 Round 1: getting the first app live.
Softr wins this 4.7 to 4.3, and the gap is real in practice. Softr's clean Interface, Data, Users and Workflows top bar gets you a working client portal with lead tracking and scheduling built in about 20 minutes, and a non-technical client can edit pages independently after under an hour. The AI co-builder turns a prompt such as “CRM for a consulting agency” into roughly 80% of the app in seconds, and the Vibe Coding block fills custom-UI gaps without leaving the builder.
Stacker is genuinely accessible for a platform this powerful: its AI generator builds a working prototype in 3 to 5 minutes from a prompt plus an uploaded sheet. But its internal-versus-external user model takes about 45 minutes to fully grasp, and there is no interactive first-run onboarding. Reviewers note a real learning curve and that app-building is not always intuitive even after repeated use. Both tools are easy by no-code standards; Softr is simply faster to first app and cleaner for a non-technical handoff.
Choose Softr for the fastest time to first app and a non-technical client handoff.
Choose Stacker if you can budget a day to learn its permission concepts, it stays easy after that.
02 Round 2: where the real bill lands.
Softr takes this 4.1 to 3.8. Softr has a permanent free plan and a $49 Basic entry; Stacker has no permanent free tier and a $39 Starter that most teams outgrow immediately (1 app, 5 internal, 50 external users). Softr's flat app-user model is predictable, while Stacker's value lever is unlimited external users on Plus and Pro, excellent for high-client-count portals, weaker for small internal tools.
For most businesses Stacker's real entry is Plus at $199/mo; Softr's equivalent capability sits at Professional $139/mo, and Softr bundles forms, Workflows and Stripe that Stacker makes you buy elsewhere. Stacker's pricing opacity hurts here too: Starter and Pro stay hidden until you start a trial, and aggregators quote a $79 Starter that conflicts with the in-product $39, which makes budgeting harder and erodes trust. Honest caveat: for a portal with hundreds of external users, Stacker's unlimited-external model can undercut Softr's tiered user caps, so value flips by use case.
Choose Softr for predictable cost, a real free tier and bundled forms, Workflows and Stripe.
Choose Stacker only when unlimited external users on one app outweighs the $199 floor.
03 Round 3: raw power and where each hits a ceiling.
Stacker edges this 4.6 to 4.5, and the deciding factor is depth on existing data. Stacker handles complex relational data without breaking: 15+ linked tables with rollups, lookups, formulas, multi-select, attachments and nested linked records all sync bidirectionally in under 30 seconds. Its record-level plus field-level permissions are the deepest here, purpose-built for safely exposing slices of a live database to external users.
Softr is broader, with native forms, Workflows, native Databases, native Stripe and PWA support, but it is more CRUD-focused and historically more read-oriented than Stacker's write-back depth, so it is not built for the most intricate relational and permission scenarios. Stacker's own gaps are real: no native payments, limited analytics (list views, no dashboard builder) and responsive web only with no native mobile. This round rewards database-grade control over breadth of tooling, and that is Stacker's home turf.
Choose Softr when forms, Workflows and payments in one tool matter more than maximum relational depth.
Choose Stacker for sophisticated multi-table, multi-role data apps on existing databases.
04 Round 4: who answers when it breaks.
Softr wins this 4.5 to 4.0. Softr offers fast in-app chat with technical, actionable replies on every plan including free, 100+ doc articles, and an active 1,000-plus-thread forum with badged team members; one Hack'celeration Airtable-sync ticket was answered the same day. The honest caveat: response speed can vary and some issues need a follow-up, and one G2 reviewer reported waiting days.
Stacker gives thorough, technically detailed email answers with screenshots and walkthroughs and even offers calls, but response runs about 8 to 16 hours, there is no live chat on Starter or Plus, and phone is reserved for Pro at $349/mo. Stacker docs cover roughly 80% of common questions and its community forum is moderately active with regular team participation. For fast day-to-day help on any plan, Softr is the clearer pick; Stacker is fine if you can plan around a 12 to 24 hour email turnaround or pay for Pro.
Choose Softr for fast in-app chat help on any plan, including the free tier.
Choose Stacker if you can plan around a 12 to 24 hour email turnaround or pay for Pro.
05 Round 5: native SQL connectivity vs bundled breadth.
Stacker wins this 4.4 to 4.0 on native database connectivity. Stacker connects PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQL Server, Salesforce, Airtable and Google Sheets natively with real-time two-way sync, ships a REST API on all plans, reaches roughly 6,000 app connections via Zapier and Make, and lets you connect a live SQL database without migrating any data. Its limits are honest: advanced SQL such as stored procedures, triggers and complex multi-table joins is not fully supported, Google Sheets lags past about 5,000 rows, and third-party connections need a paid Zapier or Make plan.
Softr offers 15+ native sources (Airtable, Notion, HubSpot, Google Sheets, SQL, Supabase, BigQuery) plus native Softr Databases, native Stripe and Make, Zapier and n8n. Its native catalog is smaller than Bubble's 500-plus and niche connectors need custom API work. Net: Softr wins on breadth of bundled building tools, but Stacker wins this specific battle on native SQL and Salesforce connectivity and on write-back depth.
Choose Softr for Airtable, Sheets and Notion plus native Stripe and automation without leaving the platform.
Choose Stacker for heterogeneous existing databases (SQL plus Salesforce) under one front-end.
The real cost, plan by plan
Softr prices flat per plan with app-user caps; Stacker prices on internal seats plus unlimited external users, and hides most tiers. Both facts affect the real cost. We list the plans, then run two worked examples the data supports. Numbers we could not confirm in-product are flagged verify.
| Softr | Stacker | Edge | |
|---|---|---|---|
| FreeSoftr Free is genuinely usable to validate a portal before paying | $0 lifetime; 10 app users, ~1,000 records/app (verify), 5 AI credits/mo, 1 custom domain, core blocks, user auth | No permanent free plan; 14-day full-feature trial, no credit card | Softr |
| Entry plan | Basic $49/mo annual, 20 app users; custom code blocks, conditional forms, 10 AI credits/mo | Starter $39/mo (aggregators say $79, verify); 1 app, 5 internal + 50 external users, 10,000 records | Softr |
| Mid plan | Professional $139/mo annual, 100 app users (+$10 per 10 users up to 250); API access, advanced visibility | Plus $199/mo (aggregators say $179, verify); 3 apps, 10 internal + unlimited external users, external DB connections | Softr |
| Top tier | Business $269/mo annual, 500 app users; SSO for app users, audit logging, PWA, removes Softr branding | Pro $349/mo; unlimited apps, records, users, tables and roles, custom domain, custom scripts and CSS | Softr |
| Enterprise | Contact sales; custom usage limits, SSO, SLAs, SOC 2 reporting, dedicated success manager | Contact sales; unlimited workspaces, white-label, enterprise SSO, dedicated account manager | — |
| 5-seat agency client portalSoftr is cheaper and self-contained for a small agency; Stacker annual ~15% off lowers its effective cost (verify) | Softr Professional $139/mo flat (covers up to 100 app users) = $1,668/yr; forms, Workflows and Stripe included | Stacker Plus $199/mo (10 internal, unlimited external) = $2,388/yr; add a form tool plus Zapier for automation and payments | Softr |
| Customer portal, 200 external usersStacker's structural win: external users never meter, but you pay $199 from seat one and bolt on forms and automation | Professional $139/mo covers 100 app users; reach 200 via Business $269/mo ($3,228/yr) or user packs +$100/mo ($2,868/yr, verify pack cap) | Plus $199/mo already includes unlimited external users; 200 clients cost nothing extra = $2,388/yr | Stacker |
Prices checked June 13, 2026 on softr.io/pricing and hackceleration.com/stacker-review. Stacker hides Starter and Pro publicly (only Plus is shown until you start a trial). Figures we could not confirm in-product are flagged verify.
Pick by scenario
Choose Softr if...
- You need to ship a client portal or internal tool fast with the least learning curve: 4.7/5 ease, a working portal in about 20 minutes, non-technical handoff in under an hour
- You want a real free plan to validate before paying and predictable flat pricing ($0, $49, $139, $269) instead of a hidden $199 floor
- You need native forms, native Workflows and native Stripe in one tool; Stacker makes you bolt all three on via third parties
- You want a broad 2026 AI surface (AI co-builder, Vibe Coding block, Database AI Agents, Ask AI) plus native Softr Databases, so you do not even need Airtable
- You value fast in-app chat support on every plan, including free
Choose Stacker if...
- Your single source of truth is Airtable or a live SQL database and you need the deepest record- and field-level permissions to expose it safely
- You are building a customer portal with hundreds or thousands of external users: unlimited external users on Plus and Pro means they never meter
- You must connect native SQL (PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQL Server) or Salesforce and build a front-end without migrating any data
- You work with complex relational data (15+ linked tables, rollups, lookups, nested records) and need true bidirectional sync that writes back to source
- You are an ops or data team comfortable investing a day to learn a powerful permission model in exchange for database-grade control
Frequently asked questions
Is Softr or Stacker better for small teams in 2026?
Softr, for most small teams. It has a permanent free plan (publish an app for up to 10 users), an easier learning curve (4.7/5 vs 4.3/5), and native forms, Workflows and Stripe built in. Stacker starts at $39/mo with no permanent free plan and no native forms or automation. The exception: if your small team is really a handful of admins serving a large external client base, Stacker's unlimited external users on Plus can win.How much do Softr and Stacker actually cost for a 5-person agency?
Softr Professional is a flat $139/mo ($1,668/yr) and covers up to 100 app users with forms, Workflows and Stripe included. Stacker Plus is $199/mo (about $2,388/yr before any annual discount) for 10 internal plus unlimited external users, but you will add a separate form tool and Zapier for automation and payments. Softr is cheaper and more self-contained for a small agency; Stacker pulls ahead only when you need its deep Airtable or SQL permissions or very high external-user counts.Softr vs Stacker vs Noloco, which is best in 2026?
All three turn Airtable into apps. Softr is the most full-stack and easiest, with native forms, Workflows, native Databases, an AI co-builder and native Stripe. Stacker is the deepest on Airtable and SQL permissions and bidirectional sync but lacks forms, workflows and payments. Noloco sits between them as another Airtable-native builder with strong portals. For the fastest, most self-contained builds: Softr. For database-grade permission control on existing data: Stacker. For a middle path heavy on Airtable portals: Noloco, but verify its current pricing and limits against your use case.Can you migrate from Stacker to Softr, or vice versa?
There is no one-click migration between them. Both sit on top of your data source, so the practical path is to point the new tool at the same Airtable base or SQL database and rebuild the interface. If your data lived only inside Stacker-managed tables, export to CSV and import into Softr Databases or Airtable first. Rebuilding the UI is the real work, so budget one to two days for a mid-size portal since neither imports the other's pages, roles or workflows.Is Softr free to use?
Yes, Softr's Free plan is permanent, not a trial, and no credit card is required. It lets you publish an app for up to 10 users with core blocks, user authentication, about 1,000 records per app (some sources cite 5,000, verify on signup), 5 AI credits per month and 1 custom domain. It is genuinely usable for a small internal tool or to validate a portal before upgrading to Basic at $49/mo annual.Does Stacker have a free plan?
No. Stacker offers a 14-day full-feature trial with no credit card, but no permanent free tier, so after the trial you must move to a paid plan (Starter $39/mo in-product) to keep apps live. Note that Stacker does not advertise Starter or Pro on its public pricing page; only Plus at $199/mo is shown until you start a trial, then Starter and Pro appear at purchase.What is the cheapest way to build a client portal with unlimited external clients: Softr or Stacker?
Stacker, once your external user count is high. Stacker Plus at $199/mo includes unlimited external users, so 200 or 2,000 clients cost the same. On Softr you climb user tiers or buy packs as clients grow (Professional covers 100 app users, Business covers 500). For a handful of clients Softr is cheaper; for hundreds-plus external users Stacker's flat unlimited-external model wins, just remember you will add a form tool and Zapier on Stacker.Why are Stacker's prices different on different sites in 2026?
Because Stacker hides most of its pricing. Its public page surfaces only the Plus plan; Starter at $39 and Pro at $349 appear after you start a trial, at purchase. Third-party aggregators such as GetApp and TrustRadius still list older or different figures like Starter $79 and Plus $179. Treat any number you did not see in-product as unverified and confirm at checkout. Source: hackceleration.com/stacker-review and aggregator listings, checked June 13, 2026, figures marked verify.Which one has better AI features in 2026?
Softr has the broader AI surface: an AI co-builder that generates apps, databases and workflows from prompts, a Vibe Coding block to generate custom UI safely connected to your data, Database AI Agents, and Ask AI, an in-app assistant your end users can query. Stacker's AI is narrower, primarily an app generator that builds a working prototype in 3 to 5 minutes from a prompt plus an uploaded spreadsheet. For AI breadth, Softr; for a fast first prototype, both deliver.Which is better for connecting an existing SQL database or Salesforce?
Stacker. It natively connects PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQL Server, Salesforce, Airtable and Google Sheets with real-time bidirectional sync, and lets you build a front-end without migrating data (one Hack'celeration test connected a client MySQL base with 8 tables in about 15 minutes). Softr supports SQL and 15+ sources too, but Stacker's native SQL and Salesforce connectivity and write-back depth are stronger. Caveat: advanced SQL such as stored procedures, triggers and complex joins is not fully supported on Stacker.
Test both, then decide
Softr is free to start; Stacker offers a 14-day trial. The fastest way to know is to point each at the same data and rebuild one real portal on each to see which one your team actually ships.
Best for freelancers, small agencies and makers who want native forms, Workflows, Stripe and an AI co-builder in one tool, plus a permanent free plan to validate first.
Try Softr for free →Read the full Softr review →Best for ops and data teams exposing a live Airtable base or SQL database to external users with the deepest record- and field-level permissions and true bidirectional sync.
Read the full Stacker review →Affiliate links: if you sign up through them, you support our independent hands-on tests at no extra cost to you. Both tools are scored the same way and the weak spots on each are disclosed honestly.
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