Retool Review
Reviewed by Carlos Gil · Founder & Editor, The Best Network
Updated 6 min readEditorially reviewed
Quick facts
- Starting price
- Free (up to 5 users); Team $10 per builder + $5 per internal user/mo billed annually
- Free plan
- Yes
- Best for
- Engineering and operations teams that need internal tools on production databases and APIs, built faster than from scratch
- Platforms
- Web (cloud or self-hosted via Docker); native iOS and Android apps or PWA through Retool Mobile
BestStacked Score
Weighted average of 5 categories. Methodology below.
Quick answer
What is Retool, and is it worth paying for?
Retool is a low-code platform for building internal software: admin panels, dashboards, approval queues, scheduled workflows and AI agents that read from and write to your own databases and APIs. It's worth it when developers or technical operators keep building one-off internal tools by hand; it's a poor fit for non-technical teams or public-facing products. On October 14, 2026 the Free plan covered up to 5 users and 500 workflow runs a month. Team cost $10 per builder plus $5 per internal user a month billed annually ($12 and $7 monthly), and Business cost $50 per builder plus $15 per internal user, adding external users, audit logs and unlimited environments. SSO, Git source control and granular roles need Enterprise, which is quoted.
- Best for
- Engineering, data and operations teams building internal apps on SQL databases and APIs.
- Skip it if
- Nobody on the team writes SQL or JavaScript, or you need a customer-facing website or app builder.
- Strongest capability
- Write-back apps and workflows on production data, with dozens of database and API connectors and self-hosting.
- Biggest limitation
- SSO, Git source control and granular roles are Enterprise-only, and technical support is limited to Enterprise customers.
- Current cost
- Free; Team $10 per builder + $5 per internal user a month billed annually; Business $50 + $15; Enterprise quoted.
The Verdict
Retool is one of the most capable ways to build internal tools on real data. You drag components onto a canvas, bind them to SQL queries or API calls, and add JavaScript where you need logic; workflows, AI agents, a built-in Postgres database and mobile apps sit on the same platform, and you can self-host it. Pricing separates builders (anyone who edited an app that month) from internal users, so a team with two builders and 30 staff pays about $170 a month on Team billed annually. The catches are on the governance side: SSO, Git source control and granular roles are Enterprise-only, the pricing page and docs disagree on monthly AI credits, and the support docs reserve technical support for Enterprise customers. Its terms make fees non-refundable. We score Retool 8.3/10.
Best for
Technical teams that want to ship internal apps and workflows on their own databases quickly.
Skip if
Your builders aren't technical, you need public-facing apps, or you need SSO without an Enterprise contract.
The Background
What Is Retool?
Retool is a San Francisco company founded in 2017 by David Hsu, its CEO. Its platform has four main parts: Apps (drag-and-drop internal interfaces bound to queries), Workflows (scheduled or triggered backend jobs), Agents (AI agents that call tools and data you approve), and Retool Database (a hosted PostgreSQL database of up to 5GB). Apps connect to SQL and NoSQL databases, REST and GraphQL APIs, SaaS tools and AI model providers, and you can drop into JavaScript or SQL anywhere. Retool Mobile builds native iOS and Android apps or PWAs from the same components. It runs in Retool's cloud or on your own infrastructure through Docker, with the same seat prices either way. Pricing counts builders (users who created or edited an app or workflow in the billing cycle) separately from internal users and, on Business, external users.
The Product
Retool Features: What You Actually Get
Apps on your own data
You build interfaces from tables, forms, charts and buttons, then wire each component to a SQL query or API call. Apps can write back to production data, not just read it, and the pricing page says Retool doesn't store your data. Unlimited web and mobile apps are included on every plan.
A support team gets an admin panel to look up customers, issue refunds and change plans without engineers running SQL by hand.
Workflows and AI agents
Workflows run scheduled or event-triggered jobs (500 runs a month on Free, 5,000 on Team and Business). Agents let an AI model use tools and data you approve; the agents billing doc includes $50 of agent usage a month, with overages billed by the hour at rates that vary by model. AI credits, used for AI app building and AI actions, are pooled per account and don't roll over.
An operations team runs a nightly workflow that flags failed payments and drafts follow-up emails for review.
Self-hosting and environments
Retool can be self-hosted with Docker at the same seat prices as cloud. Team includes staging and production environments; Business adds unlimited environments, audit logs, rich permissions and external users. Git source control, granular roles and SSO with SCIM require Enterprise.
A fintech keeps customer data inside its own VPC by running Retool on its own servers.
Retool Database and Mobile
Every cloud organization gets a hosted PostgreSQL database of up to 5GB with unlimited tables and rows; on Free it pauses after a month of inactivity. Retool Mobile publishes native iOS and Android apps or a PWA; offline mode and push notifications start on Business, and white-label apps are Enterprise-only.
A field-service company gives technicians a mobile checklist app that writes straight to its job database.
Feature recap
- Drag-and-drop internal apps bound to SQL, NoSQL, REST and GraphQL sources
- Workflows: 500 runs a month on Free, 5,000 on Team and Business
- AI agents with $50 of usage included a month; AI credits pooled per account
- Retool Database: hosted PostgreSQL up to 5GB
- Retool Mobile: native iOS and Android apps or PWA
- Cloud or self-hosted (Docker) at the same seat prices
- Audit logs, external users and unlimited environments from Business
- SSO, SCIM, Git source control and granular roles on Enterprise only
The Numbers
Retool Pricing: Every Plan Explained
Retool bills per builder and per internal user each month. These are its US prices on October 14, 2026; annual billing saves 20%.
| Plan | Monthly | Annual | Included Features | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | $0 | Up to 5 users, 250 pooled AI credits a month, 500 workflow runs, production environment only, Retool cloud | Trying Retool or a tiny team's first internal tool |
| TeamBest value | $12 per builder + $7 per internal user/mo | $10 per builder + $5 per internal user/mo | Unlimited users, 1,000 pooled AI credits, 5,000 workflow runs, staging and production | Small teams with a few builders |
| Business | $65 per builder + $18 per internal user/mo | $50 per builder + $15 per internal user/mo | 3,000 pooled AI credits, unlimited environments, external users and embedded apps (first 50 external users free), audit logs, rich permissions, mobile offline mode | Teams with customer-facing portals or compliance needs |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom (billed annually) | 10,000 pooled AI credits, SSO and SCIM, Git source control, granular roles, bring-your-own AI provider key, audit log streaming | Organizations running Retool as a platform |
Retool's bill depends on how many people build and how many only use apps. A builder is anyone who created or edited an app or workflow in the billing cycle, so occasional editors count too. Example: two builders and 30 internal users on Team cost $170 a month billed annually ($20 + $150), or $234 monthly. The same team on Business costs $550 a month billed annually. External users (people outside your organization) are only available on Business: the first 50 are free, then $8 to $4 each a month depending on volume. Extra AI credits cost $100 per 1,000 on Team and Business. The Team and Business cards offer a free trial; the pricing page doesn't state its length. The customer terms make fees non-refundable except when you terminate for cause, auto-renew for a year (or the prior term if shorter), and let Retool end free subscriptions on 30 days' notice.
Read before you buy
Where Retool's pages differ
AI credits: the pricing page lists 1,000 pooled AI credits a month on Team and 3,000 on Business. The AI credits documentation lists base allocations of 750 and 1,500; the difference is bonus credits that Retool says may change over time. Plan on the documented base figures.
Support: the pricing page mentions professional services access on Team and Business, while the support docs say technical support is for Enterprise customers; other plans get billing help by email, the community forum and office hours.
Before you buy
Data, AI and security
Retool's pricing FAQ says it doesn't store your data; apps query your sources directly. Retool Database is the exception, a hosted Postgres you choose to use.
Retool's AI terms say it doesn't currently train models on your materials or AI output and that it will give notice and an opt-out if that changes; providers of Retool-managed models are contractually barred from training on customer data. Using your own AI provider key requires Enterprise.
Retool's trust center lists SOC 2 Type 2 and ISO/IEC 27001:2022. HIPAA isn't listed there.
The Tradeoffs
Retool Pros and Cons
What we love
- Builds write-back internal apps on production databases and APIs
- Apps, workflows, AI agents, a Postgres database and mobile apps in one platform
- Self-hosting at the same seat prices as cloud
- Free plan for up to 5 users; cheap internal-user seats on Team
- SOC 2 Type 2 and ISO 27001
- Free Business accounts for students and educators
What could be better
- SSO, Git source control and granular roles require Enterprise
- Technical support is reserved for Enterprise customers
- Needs SQL or JavaScript skills for anything beyond simple apps
- Per-builder counting means occasional editors add cost
- Pricing page and docs disagree on monthly AI credits
- Fees are non-refundable under the customer terms
The Audience
Who Should Use Retool?
Best for: engineering teams drowning in internal requests
Developers who keep building admin panels and back-office scripts can ship them in Retool with permissions, environments and audit logs, and spend their time on the product instead.
Best for: data and operations teams with SQL skills
Analysts and ops leads who already query the warehouse can turn those queries into tools that take actions, such as approvals, refunds or backfills.
Skip if: your builders don't code
Teams without SQL or JavaScript skills will get further with Softr or Airtable Interfaces, which build portals and apps on spreadsheet-style data.
The Methodology
How We Reviewed Retool
This is an editorial review, not a documented hands-on test. We didn't use a Retool account for this review. It's based on Retool's pricing page (rendered in a browser), integrations directory, newsroom, trust center, documentation on AI credits, agents billing, Retool Database and support, its AI terms, customer terms and support policy, all checked on October 14, 2026. Where Retool's pages differ, we report both statements. No build-speed, performance or support results are claimed.
Our editorial evaluation considers product information, official documentation, pricing, features and professional experience. It is not a claim of documented hands-on testing.
Our review methodology →What changed
- : First published. Editorial review based on Retool's pricing page (rendered), integrations directory, newsroom, trust center, docs on AI credits, agents, Retool Database and support, AI terms, customer terms and support policy, all checked October 14, 2026. Sub-scores are provisional pending editorial approval.
The Field
Retool vs The Competition
Retool competes with no-code app builders and open-source internal-tool platforms. Prices below were checked on each vendor's pricing page on October 14, 2026, in US dollars.
| Tool | Starting Price | Free plan | Best Feature | BS Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retool | Free (up to 5 users); Team $10 per builder + $5 per internal user/mo billed annually | Yes | Apps on your own data | 8.3/10 |
| Softr | Free; Basic $19/mo | Yes | No-code portals and internal apps on spreadsheet-style data | 8.5/10 |
| Bubble | Free; Starter $59/mo billed annually | Yes | Full no-code web and mobile apps for customers | 8.3/10 |
| Airtable | Free; Team $20 per user/mo billed annually | Yes | Spreadsheet-database with Interfaces for simple apps | 8.4/10 |
| Appsmith | Free; Business $15 per user/mo | Yes | Open-source internal-tool builder you can self-host | —No BestStacked review yet |
Softr: Softr suits non-technical teams building client portals and simple internal apps on Softr Databases, Airtable or Google Sheets. Retool is the stronger choice for SQL databases, APIs and developer control.Read our Softr review →
Bubble: Bubble builds public-facing products with its own database and workload-unit pricing. Pick Retool for internal tools on existing data, Bubble for apps you sell or ship to customers.Read our Bubble review →
Airtable: Airtable is faster to start when the data can live in Airtable itself; Retool is built for data that stays in your own databases and APIs.Read our Airtable review →
Appsmith: Appsmith is open source with a free cloud tier for 5 users and a 15-day Business trial; Enterprise is $2,500 a month for 100 users. BestStacked hasn't reviewed Appsmith yet.
In The Wild
How People Actually Use Retool
A 10-person startup with one engineer
The Free plan's 5 users and 500 workflow runs cover a first admin panel. Move to Team ($10 per builder plus $5 per internal user billed annually) once more staff need access.
A SaaS company exposing tools to customers
External users and embedded apps start on Business ($50 per builder plus $15 per internal user billed annually), with the first 50 external users free each month.
A regulated company that needs SSO and audit trails
Audit logs start on Business, but SSO, SCIM and Git source control need an Enterprise quote. Ask for the self-hosted option if data can't leave your network.
The Ecosystem
Retool Integrations
Retool's integrations directory lists databases, APIs, AI model providers and SaaS apps as data sources.
- →PostgreSQL, MySQL, Microsoft SQL Server, Snowflake, BigQuery, Databricks, MongoDB and Redis
- →REST, GraphQL and gRPC APIs, and Amazon S3
- →OpenAI and Anthropic models
- →Stripe, Salesforce, Slack, Google Sheets, Twilio and other SaaS apps
- →Retool Database (hosted PostgreSQL)
Retool doesn't publish a total connector count; the directory shows dozens of sources across about a dozen categories. Using your own AI provider key requires Enterprise.
Common Questions
Retool FAQ
The Final Word
Should You Use Retool?
Retool is a strong buy for technical teams that build internal tools on their own data, with apps, workflows, agents, a database and mobile on one platform and a self-hosting option. Budget for builders and internal users separately, and note that SSO, Git and dedicated technical support sit behind an Enterprise contract. We score Retool 8.3/10.
Yes, if
You have SQL or JavaScript skills in-house and keep building internal admin tools and workflows by hand.
No, if
Your builders aren't technical, you need customer-facing apps, or SSO is a must without an Enterprise contract.
Retool Is Part Of These Stack Packs
About the reviewer
Carlos Gil
Founder & Editor, The Best Network
Carlos Gil is the bestselling author of The End of Marketing, a LinkedIn Top Voice, and founder of The Best Network. He brings 15+ years in marketing to practical reviews of AI, SaaS, email marketing, creator, and ecommerce software.
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