Appsmith vs Retool (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Appsmith and Retool share a 2.8 GPA, both have a free plan and their prices can't be set side by side, so the choice depends on whether you care more about value for money, where Appsmith grades higher, or features, where Retool does.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
They get the same grade on the free plan, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Appsmith
Open-source low-code platform for internal apps
Retool
Platform for building internal apps, workflows and AI agents
Which one is for you
Pick Appsmith if
- Fits if you build internal tools and can self-host to pay nothing
- Works for small teams of up to 5 on the free cloud plan
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you grow, as the free cloud plan stops at 5 users, 5 workspaces and 3 Git repos
- Pricey if you need SSO, since SAML, OIDC and SCIM are Enterprise at $2,500 a month
- Watch out: Workflows, audit logs and custom roles start on Business
- Watch out: the page does not say whether the $15 Business price is monthly or yearly
Pick Retool if
- Fits if you build internal dashboards over company databases
- Works for small teams that start free and add builders later
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you grow: every internal user adds $5 or $15 on top of builders
- Watch out: external users and embedded apps need Business at $50 a builder
- Watch out: SSO, SCIM and Git source control are Enterprise only
- Watch out: extra workflow runs cost $75 per 5,000 a month
How we grade them
| 2.8GPAAppsmithGood | 2.8GPARetoolGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AAn open-source edition you can host for free, a free cloud plan, and Business at $15 a user, under this category's $16 cheaper quarter. | BTeam is $10 a builder plus $5 an internal user on yearly billing, in the cheaper quarter, though Business jumps to $50 and $15. |
| Free plan and trial | BThe cloud Free plan is 5 users, 5 workspaces and 3 Git repos, and the open-source edition has no cap. A small team can live on that. | BFree: up to 5 users, 250 AI credits and 500 workflow runs a month, production only. One person could live on that. |
| Features | CDrag-and-drop UI, data connections, JavaScript and Git. The listing's gap: workflows, packages and audit logs start on Business. | BAI app builder, workflows, agents, import from Lovable and Replit, and self-hosting. The listing shows no gap in the core job. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record, and building an app means connecting data and writing JavaScript. | CNo store rating on record. It's a web builder where you connect data and build the app yourself. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, with GitHub, Google, Salesforce and AWS S3 listed, plus self-hosting. | BWeb app with GitHub, import from other builders and a self-hosting option, on a long integration list. |
| Best for | internal tools you can self-host for free | internal tools, workflows and agents |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Appsmith and Retool. How we grade
Price against what you get
Appsmith starts at $15 a month for each person and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Retool starts at $10 a month and scores 2.7.
Retool scores higher and starts $5 a month lower. Of the other AI app builders on the chart, 4 score higher than Appsmith for less, and 1 scores higher than Retool for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Appsmith is open source, according to its own site.
- Retool also covers workflow automation, AI agents and no-code.
At a glance
| Appsmith | Retool | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $15 per user / month | $10 per builder / month, billed annually (plus $5 per internal user) |
| Free plan | Free plan for cloud: up to 5 users, 5 workspaces, Git with 3 repos and community support. The open-source Community edition is free to self-host. | Up to 5 users, 250 AI credits a month and 500 workflow runs a month, production environment only. |
| Free trial | None listed | Free trial on Team and Business; length not stated |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Appsmith | Retool |
| Price read from | appsmith.com | retool.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Appsmith
- The Free cloud plan stops at 5 users, 5 workspaces and 3 Git repos.
- Workflows, reusable packages, audit logs and custom roles start on Business, which covers up to 99 users.
- Enterprise starts at $2,500 a month for 100 users, and SAML or OIDC SSO and SCIM are limited to it.
- The pricing page does not say whether the $15 Business price is monthly or annual billing.
Retool
- Seats are split into builders and internal users, and each is billed separately.
- External users and embedded apps need Business at $50 per builder / month.
- Extra workflow runs cost $75 per 5,000 runs a month.
- SSO, SCIM and Git source control are Enterprise only.
Key features
Appsmith
- Drag-and-drop UI
- Responsive interfaces assembled from widgets, with custom widgets written in JS, HTML and CSS.
- Data connections
- Connects to any LLM, database, SaaS tool, or REST or GraphQL API.
- JavaScript customization
- Business logic and data transformations are written in JavaScript, and external libraries can be imported.
- Git version control
- Apps are versioned with Git. The Business plan removes the repo limit, and Enterprise adds CI/CD from environment branches.
- Self-hosting
- The open-source edition runs on your own servers, so internal data stays inside your network.
Retool
- AI app builder
- Describe an app in a prompt and it is generated against connected data, then refined by hand.
- Import from other builders
- The homepage says apps built in Lovable, Replit and similar tools can be imported by ZIP or GitHub sync.
- Workflows and agents
- Workflow runs are capped per month by plan, and agents are billed hourly outside the credit pool.
- Governance
- Business adds audit logs and permissions; Enterprise adds SSO, SCIM and Git source control.
- Self-hosting
- The FAQ says Retool can run in a company's own VPC, with Enterprise supporting both cloud and self-hosted.
Plans
Appsmith
Community$0
The open-source edition, which you host yourself.
Free$0
Cloud plan for up to 5 users, with 5 workspaces, Git with 3 repos, Google SSO, 3 standard roles and public apps.
Business$15
per user / month, billing period not stated
Up to 99 users, with unlimited workspaces, environments and Git repos, workflows, reusable packages, custom roles, audit logs and removable Appsmith branding.
Enterprise$2,500
per month for 100 users
Sold through sales. Adds SAML and OIDC SSO, SCIM provisioning, CI/CD, private app embedding, and dedicated support with SLAs. Airgapped edition and managed hosting are add-ons.
Retool
Free$0
Up to 5 users, 250 AI credits a month, Retool Cloud, production only.
Team$10
per builder / month, billed annually
Plus $5 per internal user. Unlimited users, 1,000 AI credits, staging and production.
Business$50
per builder / month, billed annually
Plus $15 per internal user. 3,000 AI credits, external users, embedded apps, audit logs.
EnterpriseCustom
10,000 AI credits, SSO and SCIM, Git source control, self-hosted or air-gapped options.
Ways to pay less
Appsmith
No public discounts listed.
Retool
- Annual discount
20% off with annual billing
The Team and Business plans are billed annually and state a 20% saving versus monthly.
- Education
Free Business account for students and educators
The pricing FAQ says students and educators can apply for a free Business account.
- Nonprofit
25 free seats for nonprofits
The pricing FAQ says nonprofits can apply for 25 free seats on cloud or self-hosted plans.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Appsmith or Retool?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Appsmith starts at $15 per user / month, and Retool starts at $10 per builder / month, billed annually (plus $5 per internal user). One is priced for each person and the other is not, so which costs less depends on how many of you use it.
Which has a free plan, Appsmith or Retool?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Appsmith and Retool have a free plan.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.