Retool vs ToolJet (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Retool grades higher than ToolJet: 2.8 against 2.6 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. They get the same grade on the free plan, features, ease of use 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
ToolJet
Low-code platform for internal tools, workflows and AI agents
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 ToolJet if
- Fits if a small team wants internal tools and can live within 50 end users
- Works for developers who want to self-host the open-source edition
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you add builders, as every one is $23 to $199 a month
- Tight if you grow: Basic and Pro stop at 50 end users, and Team at 100
- Skip it if you want to use your own LLM keys, as that is Enterprise only
- Watch out: AI credits reset each cycle, and extra ones are $1 per 100
How we grade them
| 2.8GPARetoolGood | 2.6GPAToolJetGood | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | CBasic is $23 per builder a month yearly, $29 monthly, between the middle and the dearer quarter. Pro is $79 and Team $199 per builder. |
| 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. | BA free plan with 2 builders, 50 end users, 10 apps and 100 AI credits a month, plus a Community Edition to self-host. One small team could stay on it. |
| Features | BAI app builder, workflows, agents, import from Lovable and Replit, and self-hosting. The listing shows no gap in the core job. | BA builder with AI generation, data connections, workflows, agents, governance and self-hosting. The listing names no gap in the job, only plan limits. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. It's a web builder where you connect data and build the app yourself. | CA web builder where the work is building the apps. No store rating on record. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb app with GitHub, import from other builders and a self-hosting option, on a long integration list. | BWeb with GitHub, Claude Code, Codex, Cursor and PostgreSQL, plus data connections. |
| Best for | internal tools, workflows and agents | internal tools with a visual builder, cloud or self-hosted |
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 ToolJet. 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. ToolJet starts at $23 a month and scores 2.7.
They score the same, and Retool starts $13 a month lower. Of the other AI app builders on the chart, 1 scores higher than Retool for less, and 8 score higher than ToolJet 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
- ToolJet is open source, according to its own site.
- ToolJet also covers databases.
At a glance
| Retool | ToolJet | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $10 per builder / month, billed annually (plus $5 per internal user) | $23 per builder / month, billed annually ($29 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | Up to 5 users, 250 AI credits a month and 500 workflow runs a month, production environment only. | 2 builders, up to 50 end users, 10 apps and 100 AI credits a month. The Community Edition can also be self-hosted for free. |
| Free trial | Free trial on Team and Business; length not stated | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Retool | ToolJet |
| Price read from | retool.com | tooljet.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 13, 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.
ToolJet
- Prices are per builder, and the cheaper plans cap end users at 50 (Team 100); more users need an Enterprise quote.
- AI credits reset each billing cycle, and extra credits are $1 per 100 or arranged through the vendor.
- Bringing your own LLM keys is limited to Enterprise plans.
- Free trials of paid features are arranged by contacting ToolJet; the pricing page lists none.
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.
ToolJet
- App builder with AI generation
- Internal apps are assembled visually, and the AI features generate pages, queries, UI edits and database tables, and fix errors.
- Data connections
- The platform page says it connects to 100+ databases, APIs and SaaS tools, and it has a built-in database based on PostgreSQL.
- Workflows and agents
- A node-based workflow canvas and an agent builder automate business processes; the pricing page marks some workflow features as self-hosted only.
- Coding-agent plugin
- The ToolJet MCP plugin lets Claude Code, Codex or Cursor build apps, and the pricing page says this uses no ToolJet AI credits.
- Governance controls
- Higher plans add SSO, custom user groups, audit logs, Git sync and multi-environment deployment.
- Self-hosting
- Runs on Docker, Kubernetes, a VPC or on-premise; the free Community Edition is open-source under the AGPL-3.0 license.
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.
ToolJet
Free$0
per builder / month
2 builders, up to 50 end users, 10 apps, 100 AI credits a month, predefined roles and community support on Slack.
Basic$23
per builder / month, billed annually ($29 billed monthly)
Up to 2 builders, 50 end users and 10 apps, with 2,000 AI credits per builder, custom styling, version control and email support.
Pro$79
per builder / month, billed annually ($99 billed monthly)
Unlimited builders and 10 apps with up to 50 end users, 2,000 AI credits per builder, custom styling and version control.
Team$199
per builder / month, billed annually ($249 billed monthly)
Up to 100 end users and unlimited apps, 3,000 AI credits per builder, SSO, audit logs, Git sync, white labelling and custom domains.
EnterpriseCustom
Unlimited end users, SCIM, custom AI credits, premium SLAs, multi-environment deployments and an air-gapped option. Sold through sales.
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.
ToolJet
- Annual discount
Save 20% with annual billing
Basic, Pro and Team are shown at the annual rate, which the page marks as a 20% saving over monthly billing.
- Other savings
Discounts for open-source projects
The FAQ says open-source and nonprofit projects can get a heavy discount by contacting ToolJet with project details.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Retool or ToolJet?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Retool is cheaper to start with: $10 a month, against $23 a month for ToolJet. Retool starts at $10 per builder / month, billed annually (plus $5 per internal user), and ToolJet starts at $23 per builder / month, billed annually ($29 billed monthly).
Which has a free plan, Retool or ToolJet?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Retool and ToolJet 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.