Retool review (2026): is the free plan enough?
Platform for building internal apps, workflows and AI agents
Black Friday: is there a Retool sale?
Retool report card
Good · out of 4.0 · graded Nov 12, 2026
Best for internal tools, workflows and agents
Retool builds internal apps, workflows and AI agents on your data, and Free covers up to 5 users. Seats split into builders and internal users, each billed separately, and external users, embedded apps and audit logs need Business at $50 a builder.
Who Retool is for
- Fits if you build internal dashboards over company databases
- Works for small teams that start free and add builders later
Who Retool is not for
- 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
Why Retool gets a 2.8
Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.
- BValue for moneyTeam is $10 a builder plus $5 an internal user on yearly billing, in the cheaper quarter, though Business jumps to $50 and $15.
- BFree plan and trialFree: up to 5 users, 250 AI credits and 500 workflow runs a month, production only. One person could live on that.
- BFeaturesAI app builder, workflows, agents, import from Lovable and Replit, and self-hosting. The listing shows no gap in the core job.
- CEase of useNo store rating on record. It's a web builder where you connect data and build the app yourself.
- BPlatforms and integrationsWeb app with GitHub, import from other builders and a self-hosting option, on a long integration list.
What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Retool's own pages on 12 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. How we review and grade.
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<a href="https://toolgpa.com/tools/retool#review"><img src="https://toolgpa.com/badge/retool.svg" alt="Retool: 2.8 GPA on ToolGPA" width="196" height="56"></a>Where Retool stands among AI app builders
Retool's GPA of 2.8 is higher than 43 of the 52 other AI app builders we grade, and level with 7.
It stands best on free plan and trial (B, above 45 of 52) and worst on ease of use (C, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $10 a month, against a middle price of $20 for the category: 1 of the 50 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.7 out of 4. 1 tool scores higher and costs less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 53 AI app builders we grade, cut by the letter each got. Retool’s own letter is outlined.
- BValue for moneyAbove 38 of 52, level with 12
- BFree plan and trialAbove 45 of 52, level with 7
- BFeaturesAbove 37 of 52, level with 13
- CEase of useAbove 0 of 52, level with 32
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 13 of 52, level with 36
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 51 AI app builders. Further left costs less, and higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Point at a dot to see which tool it is.
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
Keep Retool, or make your own?
Keep it
To replace Retool you would be making a tool that builds and hosts other apps. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 2.8 is higher than 43 of the 52 other AI app builders we grade. It costs $120 a year.
What you could not
- A tool that builds and hosts other apps.
- An AI agent, with the models and the safeguards behind it.
- Connections to other products, each kept working as those products change.
- A builder that other people can use without writing code.
- What a company asks for before it lets staff use something: single sign-on, SCIM, audit logs and roles and permissions.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. Retool’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
What is Retool?
Retool is a platform for building internal software. Its rebuilt app builder generates apps from a prompt connected to a company's own data, and it also covers workflows and agents. It runs in Retool's cloud or, on Enterprise, self-hosted in a company's own infrastructure.
Worth knowing
- 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
- 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.
Retool pricing
As of Nov 12, 2026, Retool has a free plan, and paid plans start at $10 per builder / month, billed annually (plus $5 per internal user).
- Starts at
- $10 per builder / month, billed annually (plus $5 per internal user)
- Free plan
- Up to 5 users, 250 AI credits a month and 500 workflow runs a month, production environment only.
- Free trial
- Free trial on Team and Business; length not stated
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Up to 5 users, 250 AI credits a month, Retool Cloud, production only. |
| Team | $10per builder / month, billed annually | Plus $5 per internal user. Unlimited users, 1,000 AI credits, staging and production. |
| Business | $50per builder / month, billed annually | Plus $15 per internal user. 3,000 AI credits, external users, embedded apps, audit logs. |
| Enterprise | Custom | 10,000 AI credits, SSO and SCIM, Git source control, self-hosted or air-gapped options. |
Read from retool.com on Nov 12, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Retool before you buy.
Ways to pay less
- Annual discount20% off with annual billing
The Team and Business plans are billed annually and state a 20% saving versus monthly.
Stated on retool.com - EducationFree Business account for students and educators
The pricing FAQ says students and educators can apply for a free Business account.
Stated on retool.com - Nonprofit25 free seats for nonprofits
The pricing FAQ says nonprofits can apply for 25 free seats on cloud or self-hosted plans.
Stated on retool.com
Works with
- Lovable
- Replit
- GitHub
Retool alternatives
- Retool vs Appsmith
Free plan · from $15/mo
- Retool vs Superblocks
Free trial · from $100/mo
- Retool vs UI Bakery
Free plan · from $20/mo
- Retool vs Softr
Free plan · from $19/mo
- Retool vs Zite
Free plan · from $20/mo
Common questions
Does Retool have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Retool is listed for Web.
Does Retool have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Retool is listed for Web.
Is Retool open source?
Retool is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 12, 2026.
Can Retool be self-hosted?
Yes. Retool's own site says it can be run on a server of your own.
Sources for this page
The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 12, 2026.