Retool

The leading low-code platform for building internal apps, dashboards and workflows on your own data.

Free plan + paidSelf-hostableInternal tool builders

Verified facts: 4 of 4
Alternatives ranked: 7
Approved reviews: 0
Visits sent from here: 0

About Retool

Retool lets developers assemble internal tools by dragging tables, forms, charts and buttons onto a canvas and wiring them to databases and APIs with SQL and JavaScript. It connects to almost any data source, from Postgres and Snowflake to REST, GraphQL and SaaS APIs, and adds Workflows for scheduled jobs, a hosted Retool Database, mobile apps, customer-facing portals and AI agents. Engineering and operations teams use it for admin panels, support consoles, approval queues and back-office dashboards that would otherwise take weeks to code. Pricing separates builders from end users: there is a free plan for small teams, then Team, Business and Enterprise tiers charged per builder and per internal user per month, with external users priced separately. It runs in the cloud, self-hosted or even air-gapped, which makes it acceptable to security-conscious companies. It assumes comfort with SQL and JavaScript, and costs grow quickly as more employees use the apps.

Best for: Engineering-led teams building many internal tools on top of production databases and APIs.

What works

Connects to almost any database or API
Large component library with SQL and JavaScript everywhere
Cloud, self-hosted and air-gapped deployment options

Why people leave

Per-user pricing gets expensive as usage spreads
Needs developers comfortable with SQL and JavaScript
Closed source, so you depend on Retool's roadmap

Top Retool alternatives

See all 7

1
Appsmith
Open-source and self-hostable, with a similar canvas-plus-JavaScript model.
66.5
2
ToolJet
Open-source alternative with AI app generation and a free self-hosted edition.
62.6
3
Budibase
Open-source, quicker for form-heavy CRUD apps and less code-centric.
59.6
4
Superblocks
Enterprise-focused rival with strong governance and AI app generation.
57.2
5
Windmill
Open-source platform that combines scripts, workflows and UIs for developers.
55.3

Why people left Retool

In reviewers' own words, from reviews of the apps they moved to. These are their opinions, not ours.

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Retool: common questions

Is Retool free?

Retool has a free plan and paid plans. Free plan: $0 per builder (checked on Retool's own site).

Is Retool open source?

No, Retool is not open source. Open-source alternatives include Appsmith, ToolJet and Budibase.

What platforms does Retool run on?

Retool is available for Web, iOS, Android and Self-hosted.

What are the best alternatives to Retool?

The highest-ranked Retool alternatives right now are Appsmith, ToolJet and Budibase. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.

See all 7 Retool alternatives

Retool facts

4 of 4 verified

Free plan: $0 per builder; Checked Oct 25, 2026retool.com(opens source in a new tab); “Free Free for everyone $ 0 / mo per builder Builder: A user who created or edited an app or workflow this billing cycle.”
Builder pricing: $10 (Team) / $50 (Business) per builder/month; Checked Oct 25, 2026retool.com(opens source in a new tab); “Users with full access to create, edit, and deploy apps and workflows. Free $10/month $50/month”
Internal user pricing: $5 (Team) / $15 (Business) per user/month; Checked Oct 25, 2026retool.com(opens source in a new tab); “Employees in your organization who use apps for daily work. Free $5/month $15/month”
Self-hosting: Self-hosted or air-gapped; Checked Oct 25, 2026retool.com(opens source in a new tab); “Included: Retool Cloud, self-hosted, or air-gapped”