A Webflow + Airtable + Zapier operation replaced with a single Next.js web application.
The client was running a service marketplace on a stack of three no-code tools duct-taped together. The Zapier automations were failing 2–3 times per week. The Airtable database was hitting row limits. The business had outgrown the tools. We rebuilt it in Next.js in 12 weeks.
A no-code stack held together by Zapier automations that failed multiple times per week and an Airtable database approaching its limits
The client had built a service marketplace — connecting homeowners with vetted contractors — using Webflow for the front end, Airtable as the database, and 14 Zapier automations to move data between them and send emails via Mailchimp. It worked at 50 transactions a month. At 200 transactions a month, the Zapier automations were failing on average twice a week, the Airtable API rate limits were being hit during peak hours, and the Webflow custom code (JavaScript injected into pages) was becoming impossible to maintain.
The specific failure that triggered the rebuild decision: a Zapier automation that notified contractors of new job matches failed silently for 8 hours on a Friday. 47 contractors didn't receive their match notifications. 23 homeowners didn't get matched that weekend. The support backlog took 3 days to resolve.
A single Next.js application with a real database, reliable automation, and room to scale to 10x the current volume
Stack: Next.js 14 App Router, Postgres on Neon, Drizzle ORM, Clerk for auth, Resend for transactional email, Vercel deployment.
Database migration: All Airtable data migrated to Postgres. The relational data model that Airtable's flat structure forced into workarounds (linked records, formula fields doing the work of proper relations) became proper normalized tables. Query performance improved dramatically.
Automation replacement: The 14 Zapier automations replaced by server-side event handlers using Convex scheduled functions and Resend email. No external dependency for automation. No silent failures. Full logging and retry logic.
Webflow replacement: The public-facing marketplace pages rebuilt as Next.js server-rendered pages. Faster, SEO-indexable, and maintained in the same codebase as the application logic.
Contractor and homeowner portals: Full authentication via Clerk. Contractors manage their profile, availability, and job history. Homeowners track their requests, contractor matches, and service history.
One honest number to start.
Fixed-scope, fixed-price. The number below is the starting point — final scope is built from your brief.
A single Next.js application with a real database, reliable automation, and room to scale to 10x the current volume
Three steps, every time.
The same repeatable engagement on every project. No surprises, no mystery, no billable ambiguity.
Brief & discovery.
We send you questions, then get on a call. Output: a written scope with every step, feature, and integration listed.
Build & ship.
Fixed schedule, weekly reviews. No scope creep unless you change the scope — and if you do, we reprice it transparently.
Warranty & retainer.
30-day warranty on every launch. Most clients stay on a monthly retainer for ongoing features and maintenance.
Results
- Zero automation failures in 6 months post-launch
- Response time for contractor match notification: from hours (Zapier failure window) to seconds
- Airtable and Zapier subscription costs eliminated: $680/month saved
- Codebase is a single Next.js repo maintained by one developer
Related engagements.
Questions, answered.
A data migration script pulled all Airtable records via the Airtable API, transformed them to the Postgres schema, and imported them. The migration ran in a staging environment first, was validated against the source data, and then ran again on production with zero data loss.
Yes — the Webflow site continued running while the Next.js application was built and tested. Cutover happened on a Sunday with a 2-hour maintenance window.
No-code stack to custom web application: from $28k depending on scope. Fixed-price.
Tell Ryel about your project.
Describe what you’re building and what outcome you need. You’ll have a written, fixed-price scope within the week.