Both the Form and Portal extensions can perform similar functions. They both allow users to log in and see/update their data. The main difference is how the data is displayed on the screen and how more complex setups can be implemented. For more complicated setups the portal is often the better choice, so if a form feels difficult to configure just right due to how records from different tables are supposed to interact with each other, definitely give the portal a go!
There is a lot of overlap in the features available in both extensions. You can use either one in many use cases. But here are the main differences:
| Portal | Form |
Default view | Multiple records | Single record |
User-friendliness | Good | Excellent |
Best for | Frequent updates, managing multiple records, interacting with complex data relationships, displaying filtered data, tailored views of the relevant information | Simpler data relationships, focusing mostly on one table/record |
Use case examples | Project dashboard, vendor/supplier portal, customer support portal (ticket system), student information, product/event catalog (incl. signing up), order tracking (multiple orders), real estate catalog | Applications, registrations, intake forms, requests, orders, enrollment, data collection, membership registration/updates |
Note that almost the entire form extension is built into the portal. In many cases, several forms in the same base can be replaced by one portal (or a interface, if you don't require a login), for example by using the form view functionality.
Portal
In the portal, you can display the data as a list of records (or grid/gallery). It makes more sense to use the Portal extension if your average user is going to edit/create records across multiple tables or when you want to present them with all records related to them in one view, e.g. all invoices for a certain client.
The Portal is one of the extensions that offers the ‘Inline Editing’ feature. This feature allows users to edit records directly within the grid view, similar to how records are edited in Airtable.
Form
In the form, the data is displayed on a long vertical card. Classic use cases include signup forms, payment information forms and many more. Because you can add a login page to the form, the user can look up a record (e.g. themself, a product, etc.). You can also allow users to see records from multiple tables by including in your form linked records fields (displayed as a list). This allows users to add/edit multiple records that are linked to them.
