OutSystems vs Retool (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Retool grades higher than OutSystems: 2.8 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Retool grades higher on value for money, the free plan and platforms. They get the same grade on features and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Retool
Platform for building internal apps, workflows and AI agents
Which one is for you
Pick OutSystems if
- Fits if you work for a company that needs governed, production-grade apps
- Works for developers who want to learn the platform on the free Personal Edition
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you need a price you can read, as pricing is a custom quote
- Not for you if you want to run a live app free, as the Personal Edition is a development runtime
- Too light on its own if you need 24x7 support, 99.95% uptime or SOC 2, which are paid add-ons
- Watch out: self-hosting is only available on certain plans
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
| 2.2GPAOutSystemsFair | 2.8GPARetoolGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CNo subscription price is published; it is a quote based on Application Objects, end users and add-ons. A page with no price sits in the middle of the ladder. | 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 | CThe Personal Edition is free for up to 100 internal users, but it is a development runtime for learning, not for running production apps. | BFree: up to 5 users, 250 AI credits and 500 workflow runs a month, production only. One person could live on that. |
| Features | BPrompt-based app creation, agent building, DevSecOps, separate runtimes, deployment choices and open generated code. No gap shows in the job, only plan add-ons. | 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 | CA web environment with a learning curve, built for professional developers. No store rating on record. | CNo store rating on record. It's a web builder where you connect data and build the app yourself. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWeb only, and the listing names no integrations. | BWeb app with GitHub, import from other builders and a self-hosting option, on a long integration list. |
| Best for | enterprise apps and agents on a vendor platform | 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: OutSystems and Retool. How we grade
Where they differ
- Retool also covers workflow automation and no-code.
At a glance
| OutSystems | Retool | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | Not published | $10 per builder / month, billed annually (plus $5 per internal user) |
| Free plan | Personal Edition: free, for exploring and learning the platform on your own, with up to 100 internal users and a development runtime only. | 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 | OutSystems | Retool |
| Price read from | outsystems.com | retool.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
OutSystems
- No subscription prices are published; pricing is a custom quote based on Application Objects, end users and add-ons.
- The Personal Edition has a development runtime only, so it is for learning, not for running production apps.
- 24x7 support, 99.95% uptime, SOC 2 Type II and PCI DSS compliance, and extra runtimes are paid add-ons.
- Self-hosting is only available in certain plans.
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
OutSystems
- Prompt-based app creation
- The vendor describes building apps and AI agents from a typed prompt, with full-stack development tools for the logic and data behind them.
- Agent building
- The platform page lists building and running AI agents for employees, customers and partners alongside apps.
- Built-in DevSecOps
- Deployment, quality assurance and code reviews are handled in the platform, and the development and CI/CD tools come with any subscription.
- Separate runtimes
- Development, non-production and production runtimes keep apps and data apart, and more runtimes can be added.
- Deployment choices
- Fully managed OutSystems cloud, on-premises, private cloud, and sovereign and regulated cloud options are listed.
- Open generated code
- The FAQ says the platform generates code in widely used frameworks and languages that can be extended outside OutSystems.
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
OutSystems
Personal Edition$0
Free for learning, with a development runtime, OutSystems Cloud, up to 100 internal users and business-hours support.
Agentic Systems PlatformCustom
Development, test and production runtimes, starting at 100 internal users, with ISO 27001 and a 99.5% uptime guarantee. Quoted by the vendor.
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
OutSystems
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, OutSystems or Retool?
As of Nov 13, 2026, OutSystems publishes no starting price, and Retool starts at $10 per builder / month, billed annually (plus $5 per internal user).
Which has a free plan, OutSystems or Retool?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both OutSystems 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.