Build a client portal with Softr and Airtable
If your client data already lives in Airtable, Softr turns it into a logged-in client portal in an afternoon — no code, no separate database. Here's the real build order, the security step most tutorials gloss over, and an honest look at what it costs once you remove the Softr badge.
Prices checked Aug 2026 (Softr changed its plans on 5 Aug 2026) — confirm on the vendor pages before you commit.
What you're building
A portal where each client logs in and sees only their own projects, files, tasks or invoices — pulled live from your Airtable base, with forms that write back into it. Softr handles the login, the pages and the per-user gating; Airtable stays the single source of truth you already manage.
The build, in order
- 1. Prep the Airtable base. Tables for Clients, Projects, Tasks/Docs, Invoices — and crucially a field that ties each row to a client (a Client Email field, or a linked Portal-Users record). That field is what powers per-user filtering later.
- 2. Start from Softr's Client Portal template (or a blank app) and connect Airtable as the data source.
- 3. Add List and List Details blocks. The List block shows a collection (e.g. Projects); List Details renders one record's page. Bind each to the right Airtable table.
- 4. Turn on user accounts. Add users so only invited people can sign in — Softr supports email/password and magic-link login (magic-link spares clients a password, but leans on email deliverability).
- 5. Gate the data per user — the critical step, below.
- 6. Add forms that write back to Airtable — use hidden fields (record ID, logged-in user) so each submission attaches to the correct client.
- 7. Publish on your custom domain (any paid plan includes one).
The step that causes data leaks
Filter every list block on a unique identifier — the logged-in user's email matched to your Client Email field (or a linked Portal-Users record). Do not filter on a broad category like "service type" or "plan": any two clients that share that value would see each other's records. Per-client isolation is the whole point of a portal, and a category filter quietly breaks it. Test it by logging in as two different clients before you hand it out.
What it actually costs
| Softr plan | ~ Price | What you get for a portal |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 5 users, no custom domain, Softr badge shown |
| Basic | $19/mo | Custom domain + up to 5 client logins — badge still shows |
| Pro | $99/mo | Removes the Softr badge, role-based permissions, up to 50 client users |
The honest catch: a client-facing portal usually wants its own branding, and removing the "Made with Softr" badge only happens on Pro (~$99/mo) — a real jump from Basic. Plus Airtable: free up to 1,000 records, then the Team plan (~$20/user/mo) for 50,000. Budget both, not just the Softr line.
Airtable limits to plan around
- · Record ceiling: Airtable Free caps a base at 1,000 records — a busy portal fills that fast. Plan for the Team tier (50,000) early.
- · API rate limit: 5 requests/second per base on every plan, and only 2 webhooks per base — which is what bounds how quickly Softr's cached copy refreshes.
- · Sync delay: edits show up in the portal after a short lag, not instantly — fine for a portal, worth knowing for dashboards.
When Softr is the right call — and when it isn't
Reach for Softr when your data already lives in Airtable and you need a permissioned, gated portal fast, with no-code auth and per-user filtering out of the box — it's the quickest path to exactly this. Look elsewhere if you need pixel-level marketing design (that's Webflow's job, though Webflow has no native Airtable portal logic), or if you'll blow past Airtable's record and API limits, where a custom build on a real database starts to make more sense.
Frequently asked
How do I show each client only their own records?
Filter your list blocks on a unique identifier — the logged-in user's email matched against a field in Airtable (or a linked Portal-Users record). Never filter on a broad category like service type: two clients sharing that value would see each other's data. This per-user filter is the single most important step in a client portal, and getting it wrong is a data leak.
How much does a Softr client portal cost?
Softr's Basic plan (~$19/mo annual) covers a real portal with a custom domain and up to 5 client logins — but it keeps the 'Made with Softr' badge. Removing the badge and unlocking role-based permissions and 50 client users needs the Pro plan (~$99/mo). On top of Softr you need Airtable: free up to 1,000 records, then the Team plan (~$20/user/mo) for 50,000.
Is the data live between Airtable and Softr?
Near-real-time, not instant. Softr keeps a cached copy of your base and refreshes it via Airtable webhooks rather than polling continuously, so expect a short propagation delay after an edit. For a client portal that's usually fine; for second-by-second dashboards it can feel laggy.
Softr or Webflow for a client portal?
Softr, clearly — it has native Airtable-backed memberships, per-user data filtering and gated pages out of the box. Webflow is the better tool for a designed marketing site but has no native Airtable membership/portal logic. They're good at opposite things.
Related
Some links here are affiliate links — we earn a commission on Softr, at no extra cost to you, and it never changes the recommendation. See our Affiliate Disclosure.