Retool alternatives
Retool is already the cheapest internal tool builder we track at a 10-person team (2 builders, 8 app users) ($80/mo). Here's how the other 2 compare. The closest match, Appsmith, covers 82% of what Retool does. Each one shows how much of it it covers, capability by capability, next to the price.
What Retool does
Core: Visual point-and-click edits, Connectors & API integrations, Custom code steps, Team collaboration and governance, Internal app builder, Live SQL database connections, API and SaaS connectors.
Important: Prompt-to-app generation, Built-in database & backend, End-user sign-up & login, AI features inside your app, Team workspaces, SSO & compliance (partly), Open source, local & own keys (partly), Multi-step workflows, Logic and data tools (partly), Webhooks and HTTP requests, Built-in AI steps, AI agents, Built-in tables and forms, Self-hosting and open source (partly), Security and compliance, Built-in database (partly), Custom code and components, Backend workflows and jobs (partly), AI agents and LLM actions, Granular permissions, Git and environments (partly), Self-hosting (partly), SSO, audit logs and compliance (partly).
Also has: Native mobile apps (partly), Autonomous build agent (partly), Managed site hosting (partly), Code export & GitHub sync (partly), In-browser code editor (partly), Payments & subscriptions (partly), Templates & community gallery (partly), Build from your phone (partly), Custom connector builder (partly), AI workflow builder (partly), Human approval steps (partly), Mobile and device triggers (partly), Auto-generated admin panel (partly), Forms and approval processes (partly), External portals on data (partly), Mobile apps for field teams (partly).
Alternatives to Retool at a 10-person team (2 builders, 8 app users), best match first
- Appsmith: $150/mo Free caps at 5 cloud users; currency assumed USD (Business plan at $15/user/mo, 10 users (2 builders + 8 users), billed monthly). It covers 82% of Retool; missing or partial: API and SaaS connectors (partly), Prompt-to-app generation, Custom code and components (partly), Mobile apps for field teams. Free plan: $0 cloud plan: up to 5 users, 5 workspaces, 3 Git repos, unlimited apps, Discord community support.. Last price hike: Jul 2024.
- Budibase: $166.80/mo Monthly billing = annual rate +20% (computed) (Premium (cloud, 20K-action tier) with one extra creator and eight end-user add-ons.). It covers 79% of Retool; missing or partial: API and SaaS connectors (partly), Prompt-to-app generation (partly), Custom code and components (partly), AI agents and LLM actions (partly), Granular permissions (partly). Free plan: Open Source edition is free to self-host with unlimited actions and no time limit; there is no free cloud plan, and the 14-day trial does not count.. Last price hike: Jun 2026.
Other kinds of products that cover part of Retool
- Lovable (AI app builders): covers 73% of Retool; missing or partial: Internal app builder (partly), Live SQL database connections (partly), API and SaaS connectors (partly), AI agents and LLM actions (partly), Granular permissions (partly)
Prices at every size
- Retool: a 10-person team (2 builders, 8 app users) $80/mo, 1 builder $12/mo, a 50-person team (5 builders, 45 app users) $375/mo (Assumes query runs are unmetered (no cap shown))
- Appsmith: a 10-person team (2 builders, 8 app users) $150/mo, 1 builder $15/mo, a 50-person team (5 builders, 45 app users) $750/mo (Free caps at 5 cloud users; currency assumed USD)
- Budibase: a 10-person team (2 builders, 8 app users) $166.80/mo, 1 builder $22.80/mo, a 50-person team (5 builders, 45 app users) $604.80/mo (Monthly billing = annual rate +20% (computed))
Prices are total USD per month on monthly billing (annual-only plans divided by 12) for the vendor's hosted plan: a team where 2 people build apps and 8 use them (or 5 and 45), or one builder on the cheapest paid plan. A free plan counts as $0 only if it connects your PostgreSQL or MySQL database and shares apps privately with every user; free self-hosted open-source editions are not priced.
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