Retool vs UI Bakery (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Retool grades higher than UI Bakery: 2.8 against 2.6 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 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
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 UI Bakery if
- Fits if you build admin panels over your own databases
- Works for small teams that want to self-host
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you add developers: anyone who edits counts as one
- Watch out: app export, environments and roles start at Builder, and role-based access and audit logs need Team
- Watch out: AI use beyond the included credits isn't priced on the page
- Tight if you stay free: AI is a trial allowance only
How we grade them
| 2.8GPARetoolGood | 2.6GPAUI BakeryGood | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | C$20 per developer a month billed yearly, the category's middle. Team is $35 and AI use beyond the included credits isn't priced. |
| 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. | BFree: unlimited apps, data sources, a hosted database and monthly AI trial credits. A person can live on that. |
| Features | BAI app builder, workflows, agents, import from Lovable and Replit, and self-hosting. The listing shows no gap in the core job. | B80+ components, an AI agent, 45+ data connections, workflows, Git and React code export. The listing shows no gap in the core job. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. It's a web builder where you connect data and build the app yourself. | CNo store rating on record. A web builder where you connect data and build the screens. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb app with GitHub, import from other builders and a self-hosting option, on a long integration list. | BWeb or self-hosted, connecting to 45+ databases and APIs. |
| Best for | internal tools, workflows and agents | internal tools with a visual builder and AI agent |
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 UI Bakery. 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. UI Bakery starts at $20 a month and scores 2.7.
They score the same, and Retool starts $10 a month lower. Of the other AI app builders on the chart, 1 scores higher than Retool for less, and 6 score higher than UI Bakery 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 also covers AI agents and no-code.
At a glance
| Retool | UI Bakery | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $10 per builder / month, billed annually (plus $5 per internal user) | $20 per developer / month, billed annually ($25 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | Up to 5 users, 250 AI credits a month and 500 workflow runs a month, production environment only. | Unlimited apps and data source connections, public and private apps, unlimited public app users, a hosted database and monthly AI trial credits. |
| Free trial | Free trial on Team and Business; length not stated | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Retool | UI Bakery |
| Price read from | retool.com | uibakery.io |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 12, 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.
UI Bakery
- Pricing is per developer, meaning anyone with permission to edit apps, automations or data sources.
- App export, environments and built-in roles start on Builder; RBAC and audit logs need Team.
- AI usage beyond each plan's included credits is not priced on the page.
- Self-hosted plans have their own list: Free at $0 and Team at $35 per developer a month billed annually ($40 monthly).
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.
UI Bakery
- Drag-and-drop builder
- A WYSIWYG editor with 80+ ready-made components for apps built on top of your data.
- AI development agent
- An agent that generates and deploys an app from a chat prompt; AI usage is drawn from credits included in each plan.
- Data connections
- Connects to 45+ databases and APIs, and a hosted PostgreSQL database is available for prototypes.
- Workflow automations
- Scheduled jobs and webhooks, plus Git version control for collaborating and deploying across instances.
- Self-hosting and code export
- Cloud or self-hosted installs, with React code export so apps are not locked in.
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.
UI Bakery
Free$0
per developer / month
Unlimited apps and data sources, release history, hosted database, community support and monthly AI trial credits.
Builder$20
per developer / month, billed annually ($25 billed monthly)
Adds $25 of AI usage credits, app and data source environments, app export, built-in roles and up to 50 workspace view seats.
Team$35
per developer / month, billed annually ($40 billed monthly)
Adds $40 of AI usage credits, role-based access control, audit logs and premium support.
EnterpriseCustom
More than 50 workspace view seats, custom SSO, a dedicated VM, and app migration and custom development services.
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.
UI Bakery
- Annual discount
20% off Builder, 12.5% off Team with annual billing
The pricing page labels annual billing as 20% off on Builder and 12.5% off on Team compared with monthly billing.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Retool or UI Bakery?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Retool is cheaper to start with: $10 a month, against $20 a month for UI Bakery. Retool starts at $10 per builder / month, billed annually (plus $5 per internal user), and UI Bakery starts at $20 per developer / month, billed annually ($25 billed monthly).
Which has a free plan, Retool or UI Bakery?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Retool and UI Bakery 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.