10 Retool alternatives – pros & cons of the top internal tool builders

Such tools as Retool allow for creating internal tools and business apps easy and fast. Since you’re here, you might have faced the cons Retool has, and need an alternative to it.
Check a comparison table with the key Retool's competitors, and discover the details about all the Retool’s alternatives below.

Feature
Retool
Stacker
Jet Admin
Internal
AppGyver
UI Bakery
Extended integrations from Start account
No
No
No
No
No
Yes
Сustom domain
Only in Pro
Yes
Only in Pro
Only in Pro
No
Yes
Ability to try all features for free
Editing only
No
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Monthly price
From $10/month per end-user
From $59/year per 5 admins
From $24/month per user
From $25/month per end-user
Not available to the public
From $7/month per end-user
Ease of use
Not easy
Rather easy
Rather easy
Rather easy
Rather easy
Rather easy
App branding
With custom CSS only
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Automatic deployment
Via Docker or Kubernetes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Hosting on a custom domain
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Email support
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Integrations
APIs, plugins
Airtable & Google Sheets
Databases, APIs
Databases, APIs, business apps
APIs
APIs, databases, third-parties

1. Retool

Starts from $10/month per end-user

Free plan available

Pros:

  • A drag-n-drop building technique.

  • Out-of-the-box building blocks (Tables, Lists, Charts, etc.) are available.

  • Ready-made templates you can use for free.

  • Connection to most databases or anything with a REST, GraphQL, or gRPC API.

  • An ability to write data with queries (no need to worry about handling errors from the backend).

  • An ability to add custom Javascript code if needed.

  • Quite a lot of integrations are available (PostgreSQL, MongoDB, Firebase, etc.).

Cons:

  • Responsive design leaves much to be desired.

  • Javascript knowledge is needed to squeeze as much as possible from Retool.

  • Deployment is possible via Docker or Kubernetes only, and you can't host an app on your own domain.

  • Annoying modals according to users’ feedback.

2. Radzen

Starts from $599/year per developer

Free plan available

Pros:

  • A convenient drag-n-drop editor.

  • An ability to add custom code when needed.

  • Connection to any database you need to build a full-fledged web app (MSSQL, MySQL, Oracle, OData, Swagger, REST services).

  • App deployment to IIS, or FTP and Azure.

  • Built-in templates and ready-to-use UI components available for free.

  • ReportViewer is available to embed SSRS reports in your web app so your users can view them online.

  • An ability to build an application with an unlimited number of pages for free.

  • An ability to add custom business logic as well as custom UI components.

Cons:

  • Exists in a desktop version only.

  • App branding opportunities are available only within paid plans.

  • A high subscription cost for extended features and support.

3. Jet Admin

Starts from $24/month per user.

Free plan available

Pros:

  • A drag-n-drop UI builder with over 50 ready-made UI components.

  • In-built team collaboration on tasks and approval workflows.

  • An ability to connect databases, business services, third-party APIs (PostgreSQL, Firebase, etc.).

  • An ability to create custom UI components with HTML/CSS, Javascript, React, Angular, Vue.

  • Custom SQL or HTTP queries.

  • Automatic app deployment.

  • Comprehensive documentation.

Cons:

  • Not always vibrant customer support and slow bug fixing.

  • Custom domain available only within the Pro plan and higher.

  • App branding available only within the Pro plan and higher.

  • Custom components available only within the Pro plan and higher.

  • The necessity to pay for application viewers.

4. Mendix

Starts from $1,917/month per 50 internal users, or 500 external users

Free plan available

Pros:

  • 1-click deployment.

  • 2 different IDEs for business users and mature developers.

  • A built-in collaboration tool for effective feedback & change management.

  • A built-in React native framework for mobile apps development.

  • An out-of-the-box integration is available with various APIs, Oracle, Salesforce, SAP, etc. is available.

  • Rich reusable components library with over 400 building blocks.

  • High enterprise-grade security level.

Cons:

  • Rather a high price.

  • Due to the license system, Mendix is inaccessible for smaller budgets.

  • Very few ready-made app templates are available.

  • There’s only a desktop version of Mendix Studio Pro. Moreover, if you use macOS, you need to run Windows on Parallels with no ability to install Studio Pro on macOS directly.

5. Internal

Starts from $25/month per end-user

Free plan available

Pros:

  • A convenient UI builder.

  • All the Builder features are available even within a free plan.

  • Allows for connecting with various data sources like PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB, Stripe, Salesforce, etc.

  • An ability to combine data from databases and business apps without integrations, coding, SQL.

  • An ability to plug in complex business logic with custom code. 

  • Customer data protection is ensured.

Cons:

  • Onboarding and training is offered only within the most expensive plan.

  • Limited number of data sources you can connect to, and business apps you can integrate with are available.

  • Only up to 5 users are allowed to work on the project within a free plan, each additional user is charged for.

  • No ready-made templates.

  • No ability to deploy your app on a custom domain.

6. AppGyver

Paid plan available for large enterprises with over $10 million in revenue or funding only

Free plan available

Pros:

  • Easy drag-n-drop controls.

  • An ability to try all features within a free plan.

  • Allows to build web apps with a responsive design.

  • Very comprehensive documentation and tutorials allowing you to comfortably onboard.

  • Over 500 ready-to-use building blocks are available for use.

  • An ability to create custom components & share them with others.

  • A high level of native performance due to app optimization.

  • Integration with a range of pre-built APIs is available.

  • An ability to host your app on a custom domain.

Cons:

  • No ready-made app templates for use.

  • A very expensive paid plan with private cloud deployment (for enterprises with over $10 million in revenue or funding). 

  • Only one user (developer) per project is capable of accessing the project for free.

  • An app built within a free plan is not suitable for production use since AppGyver doesn’t ensure availability, scalability, and integrity of data in it.

7. Stacker

Starts from $59/month per 5 admins

No free plan, only a free trial

Pros:

  • A drag-n-drop UI builder.

  • In-built app sharing.

  • Team collaboration within Stacker.

  • An unlimited number of applications you can build and publish within any plan.

  • An unlimited number of external users within any plan.

  • Airtable and Google Sheets integration.

  • An ability to try any plan for 30 days.

Cons:

  • A limited number of Records included in the Starter plan.

  • Custom domain not included in all the plans.

  • App white-labeling not available in all the plans.

  • An ability to add custom JavaScript not included in all the plans.

  • Email support not included in all the plans.

  • Not many 3rd-party integrations available.

8. Softr

Starts from $24/month per end-user

Free plan available

Pros:

  • Automatic responsive design.

  • More than 70 pre-built blocks.

  • An unlimited number of apps you can build within any plan.

  • Custom domain available even within a free plan.

  • A range of pre-built responsive templates.

  • Third-party integrations claimed to be available within the Free plan (Airtable, Stripe, PayPal, Zapier, Integromat, etc.).

  • An ability to create custom portals, marketplaces, websites, or internal tools.

  • SEO-optimized app pages.

  • Custom JavaScript code (paid only, however).

Cons:

  • Custom code available only within paid plans.

  • Only 200 records per table available for free.

  • The number of end-users is very limited (5 max) in the Free and Starter plans.

  • No live chat support for free users.

  • Ability to connect to Airtable only for now.

9. Fliplet

Starts from $79/month per 25 developers

Free plan available

Pros:

  • A drag-n-drop UI builder.

  • Responsive design by default.

  • A range of pre-built templates and reusable prefab UI components.

  • Custom branding available (on a paid basis though).

  • Ensured enterprise-grade security and data encryption.

  • Data connection & APIs integration.

  • Open-source (an ability to add your own components).

  • An ability to add a piece of JS, HTML, CSS code to implement custom features.

  • An unlimited number of external users available within any plan.

Cons:

  • Custom branding not included in a free plan.

  • Advanced app creation assistance available only within the paid plans.

  • An ability to create & publish only 1 app within Free, Team, Enterprise plans. The Unlimited App plan costs $3,000+.

  • Not many educational resources provided.

10. Tadabase

Starts from $62/month per developer

No free plan, only a free 14-day trial

Pros:

  • A drag-n-drop building technique.

  • Quite a comprehensive manual on Tadabase usage.

  • Availability of Enterprise and HIPAA compliant plans.

  • App deployment to a custom domain available within any plan.

  • An unlimited number of web app pages you can add.

  • Third-party integrations (Zapier, Twilio, Drobpox, and some more).

  • An ability to create an SEO-friendly application.

Cons:

  • No backend building functionality.

  • A limited number of apps you can create.

  • No many 3rd-party integration available yet.

  • App restore and Data restore available not within any plan.

11. UI Bakery

Starts from $7/month per end-user

No free plan, only a free 14-day trial

Pros:

  • Popular Open Source UI library under the hood.

  • A UI builder allowing you to build internal tools, business apps, customer support tools, and other solutions.

  • Predefined layouts, widgets, and other UI components are available.

  • Free ready-made web app & dashboard templates.

  • A customizable Design System under the hood allowing you to match your app with your branding.

  • Integration with MySQL, Google Sheets, PostgreSQL, HubSpot, Salesforce, and other data sources.

  • Vibrant live support.

  • An ability to create an unlimited number of pages within one app.

Cons:

  • Few ready-made templates are available for now.

  • No ability to build an app for mobile.

Before opting for a certain internal tool builder, try various low-code app development platforms offering free plans. 

Taste the water before diving deeper :)

Consider the list of top 9 no-code web app development tools that may compete with Bubble with a comparison table.