Retool vs Softr (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Retool grades higher than Softr: 2.8 against 2.4 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 5, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Retool grades higher on value for money and the free plan. Softr grades higher on ease of use. They get the same grade on features and platforms.
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
Softr
No-code builder for client portals and internal tools, with AI
Which one is for you
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
Pick Softr if
- Fits if you need a client portal or internal tool on top of Airtable, Google Sheets or a CRM
- Works for nonprofits and schools, which get 50% off
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you have more than a handful of clients, as Basic stops at 5 client users and add-ons start on Pro
- Pricey if you want Softr's branding gone, custom code or granular permissions, since those start on Pro at $99 a month billed yearly
- Not for you if you want generated code, as apps are assembled from Softr's pre-built blocks
- Watch out: workflows pause when the monthly action limit is reached, until it renews or you upgrade
- Watch out: extra builders cost $5 to $20 a month each, and an installable phone version needs Business at $329
How we grade them
| 2.8GPARetoolGood | 2.4GPASoftrFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BTeam is $10 a builder plus $5 an internal user on yearly billing, in the cheaper quarter, though Business jumps to $50 and $15. | DBasic is $19 a month billed yearly, $25 monthly, bang on the middle for builders here. But for a client-portal tool it stops at 5 team and 5 client users with no add-ons until Pro — and Pro is $99, five times that middle, where more users, granular permissions, custom code and branding removal all live. |
| Free plan and trial | BFree: up to 5 users, 250 AI credits and 500 workflow runs a month, production only. One person could live on that. | CUnlimited apps, databases, workflows and forms, up to 3 builders, and the Softr API and MCP included. Then the caps bite: 5 app users, 5K records, 500 workflow actions and 5 AI credits a month. For a product built on client portals, 5 users is the wall. |
| Features | BAI app builder, workflows, agents, import from Lovable and Replit, and self-hosting. The listing shows no gap in the core job. | BIt covers the whole job: a prompt produces the pages, database, permissions and workflows, then you refine with blocks like lists, charts, calendars and forms. Data lives in Softr or stays live in Airtable, Sheets, Notion, HubSpot or SQL, with logins and user groups built in. Glide does the same, so no A. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. It's a web builder where you connect data and build the app yourself. | BNo rating on record, but you start from data you already keep, in Airtable or a spreadsheet, and the AI drafts the pages, permissions and workflows. After that it's pre-built blocks rather than code. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb app with GitHub, import from other builders and a self-hosting option, on a long integration list. | BA web app for building, with nothing on desktop or phone. It connects to Airtable, Google Sheets, Notion, HubSpot, Salesforce, Supabase, monday.com and PostgreSQL, and the Softr API and MCP are on the Free plan. An installable phone version of your app needs Business. |
| Best for | internal tools, workflows and agents | client portals on top of Airtable or Sheets |
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: Retool and Softr. How we grade
Price against what you get
Retool starts at $10 a month and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Softr starts at $19 a month and scores 3.0.
Softr scores higher, and starts $9 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other AI app builders on the chart, 1 scores higher than Retool for less, and 2 score higher than Softr 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
- Retool is self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Retool also covers AI agents.
- Softr also covers databases and forms.
At a glance
| Retool | Softr | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $10 per builder / month, billed annually (plus $5 per internal user) | $19 per month, billed yearly; $25 billed monthly (Basic) |
| Free plan | Up to 5 users, 250 AI credits a month and 500 workflow runs a month, production environment only. | Unlimited apps, databases, workflows and forms, with up to 3 builders, 5 app users, 5K database records, 500 workflow actions and 5 AI credits a month. |
| Free trial | Free trial on Team and Business; length not stated | 7-day free trial of the Business plan's features on signup, extended to 14 days by adding a credit card |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Retool | Softr |
| Price read from | retool.com | docs.softr.io |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Oct 5, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
Softr
- Every plan caps app users: 5 on Free, 5 team and 5 client users on Basic, with paid add-ons only from Pro.
- Removing Softr branding, custom code and granular permissions start on Pro, at $99 a month billed yearly.
- Extra builders cost $5 to $20 a month each depending on the plan, on top of the 1 to 3 included.
- Workflows pause when the monthly action limit is reached, until it renews or the workspace is upgraded.
Key features
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.
Softr
- AI app builder
- A prompt produces the pages, layouts, database structure, permissions and workflows for an app, which can then be refined with AI or edited visually.
- Pre-built blocks and Vibe Coding
- Apps are assembled from blocks such as lists, grids, charts, calendars and forms. A Vibe Coding block generates a custom, data-connected interface from a prompt.
- Softr Databases and data sources
- Store data in Softr's relational databases or connect live to Airtable, Google Sheets, Notion, HubSpot, Salesforce, Supabase and SQL databases.
- Users, logins and permissions
- Built-in login supports email and password, magic links, Google sign-in and SSO, with user groups controlling what each person can see and do.
- Workflows
- Softr Workflows automate manual processes, with a monthly cap on actions: 500 on Free, 2.5K on Basic, 10K on Pro and 25K on Business.
- Mobile apps
- Apps can be delivered as an installable mobile app (PWA) with push notifications. Both are listed on the Business plan.
Plans
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.
Softr
Free$0
Unlimited apps, up to 3 builders, 5 app users, 5K database records, 500 workflow actions and 5 AI credits a month, plus the Softr API and MCP.
Basic$19
per month, billed yearly; $25 billed monthly
1 builder, 5 team and 5 client users, 50K records, 2.5K workflow actions and 10 AI credits a month, with a custom domain and database backups.
Pro$99
per month, billed yearly; $119 billed monthly
2 builders, 10 team and 50 client users, 500K records and 10K workflow actions. Removes Softr branding and adds granular permissions and custom code.
Business$329
per month, billed yearly; $395 billed monthly
3 builders, 30 team and 100 client users, 1M records and 25K workflow actions, with 2FA, an installable mobile app (PWA) and push notifications.
EnterpriseCustom
Custom limits with SSO (SAML, OpenID), SCIM, audit logs, custom agreements and SLAs, and a customer success manager.
Ways to pay less
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.
Softr
- Annual discount
About two months free with yearly billing
Softr's docs list Basic at $19 a month billed yearly against $25 monthly, Pro at $99 against $119, and Business at $329 against $395.
- Nonprofit
50% off for nonprofits
The pricing page offers a 50% non-profit and education discount, claimed by filling out a form.
- Education
50% off for education
The same 50% discount applies to educational organizations, according to the pricing page FAQ, and is claimed through a form.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Retool or Softr?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Retool is cheaper to start with: $10 a month, against $19 a month for Softr. Retool starts at $10 per builder / month, billed annually (plus $5 per internal user), and Softr starts at $19 per month, billed yearly; $25 billed monthly (Basic).
Which has a free plan, Retool or Softr?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Retool and Softr 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.