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CREATE AND UPDATE DATABASES ON THE GO. Free | airtable.com If you’ve read anything about Airtable, you’ve probably heard it described as a relational database tool. And if you’re anything like us, that’s probably enough to make you stop reading that incredibly dry description right there before you fall asleep.

So, we’re going to lose the jargon — Airtable is a tool for managing information on a project-by-project basis, and is designed for teams of people working together. Those teams could be as small as two, or as big as an enterprise workgroup. And the project could be anything from planning a garden or buying a home, to executing the overhaul of an IT system or rolling out a new product. It is remarkably scalable, and not many programs can lay claim to that.

That’s largely thanks to Airtable’s ease of use. Behind the scenes, an Airtable database is a big spreadsheet with multiple tables linked to each other. On your iPhone with its (relatively) small screen, it looks much friendlier and makes setting up databases as simple as setting up a database could be.

The key here is the pre-cooked templates. These cover varied projects, like a lemonade stand inventory, indie film production and an editorial calendar for a blog. They’re split into categories such as Small Business, Personal Collections, and Travel, making it easier to find the one you want.

When you first launch Airtable, you’re taken through the process of setting up a database for a balloon adventure, including multiple tables for places you’ll visit, items you’ll pack, and friends you’ll meet up with along the way. The idea is to show you how Airtable works and give you an insight into relational databases, if you aren’t familiar with them.

For each table you create in a database, you’ll need to create fields. And with each field there’s a field type. Add the ability to customise tables with colours and icons, along with features for collaborating with others, and you can see how quickly things can grow in complexity — for most personal projects, relational databases, even Airtable’s, are likely to be overkill. Ultimately, Airtable makes using a relational database about as friendly as it can be.