Top 5 Retool Alternatives in 2024

Table of Contents

Introduction

🤯 Imagine a day where processes are smooth, communication is effortless, tasks and assignments are clearly outlined 📝, workflows are organized 📅, and human intervention is minimal.

Well, this is no longer a dream 💤, thanks to the power of low-code applications like Retool 💪. They empower you to create custom tools for internal teams effortlessly. Whether it’s your admin panel, user management, customer support, or anything else, you can create it in a matter of minutes 🕰️.

However, with the ever-evolving market and new competitors entering the scene, it’s always good to explore other options. In this comprehensive guide, we have compiled a list of the top 5 Retool alternatives for 2024. Check it out and find the best fit for your business needs.

What are internal tools

Internal tools are software applications designed for use within a company or organization 🏢. They make the work of those within the organization easier, more efficient, and better organized.

Examples of internal tools include project management software 📊, employee databases help desk systems 💬, reporting dashboards 📈, and more! These tools are crucial to streamlining work processes and maximizing productivity 🚀.

What is Retool

Retool is a popular low-code platform that provides a drag-and-drop interface to build internal tools quickly and efficiently.

🔥 Key Features:

90+ premade components such as buttons, tables and more. Connect your data source and customize as desired.
Automate workflows and set up conditional logic, loops, etc.
Create cron jobs, custom alerts, and ETL tasks with ease.
Integrations with databases, APIs & services such as Salesforce, Airtable and more.
Ready-made templates to quickly develop internal tools like admin panels, dashboards, and CRMs.
Instantly create and deploy apps for your mobile workforce using JavaScript and SQL. 📱

Why Consider an Alternative for Retool

💪 Retool has made a name for itself in the low-code apps world. but plenty of other competitors are out there! It’s crucial to consider all options and weigh their benefits and drawbacks to determine the perfect fit for your biz. Don’t stress; I’ve got you covered!

I’ve created an all-inclusive guide 📚 featuring the top alternatives to Retool. This way, you can easily compare each one’s features, capabilities, and pricing 💰 to make a smart choice that suits your unique business needs.

The Top 5 Retool Alternatives are:

Tooljet

Overview

Tooljet is a major open-source player in the internal app development market, giving Retool tough competition. It provides a seamless connection to databases, data lakes, SaaS tools, cloud storage, API endpoints, and GraphQL endpoints for data retrieval and action. It simplifies the internal app development process, which results in considerable time and cost savings.

Pros and Cons

Pros

Easy-to-use visual builder
Full-featured code editor to customize the code
Granular access control on the organization level and app level

Cons

Lacks proper documentation and support resources
A limited community makes it difficult to find answers to issues

Pricing

It offers a Basic plan for free and an Enterprise plan with custom pricing, for which you need to contact the team.

OutSystems

Overview

Gartner has recognized OutSystems as a leader in the low-code application platform market.It’s popular for building responsive web and mobile apps that integrate with existing data sources and systems. OutSystems provides:

A visual development environment.
Pre-built templates.
A vast library of pre-built components that make app development fast and easy.

In addition, OutSystems offers advanced security features and robust tools for managing and monitoring the entire application lifecycle, from development to deployment and beyond.

Pros and Cons

Pros

Suitable not only for developing internal tools but also for creating complex, mission-critical applications.
Extensive library of templates and components
Supports advanced workflow automation and application monitoring capabilities
Extensive support for AI and machine learning
Active user community
Excellent customer support

Cons

Users need to download their development studio, and no online tool is available
The learning curve is a bit steep

Pricing

It offers a free personal environment for individual use and Standard and Enterprise pricing plans.

Appian

Overview

Process Mining + Workflow + Automation in a unified low-code platform is what best describes Appian. Its drag-and-drop design for app building, unified data management, automated work processes, cloud-based deployment, and robust security make it stand out. It also helps you identify process bottlenecks that cost you time and money. All in all, it is a comprehensive solution for businesses looking to streamline their internal processes and improve productivity.

Pros and Cons

Pros

Intuitive drag-drop interface
Unified Data Management and process automation
Robust security
Detailed analysis of business process data to identify the bottlenecks
Supports several integration methods like connected systems, pub/sub-methods, web services of various types, shared data, etc

Cons

Limited third-party integrations
Pricing may be steep for small businesses

Pricing

It provides a free plan to get started with, and you can upgrade to any of its paid plans by requesting a pricing quote from its sales team.

Budibase

Overview

A platform designed for speed and productivity, Budibase helps you easily design and launch your internal apps in just a few minutes. With just a few clicks, you can connect several data sources and create your app using pre-built templates or starting from scratch. May it be anything from helpdesk support and inventory management to admin panels, portals and forms, it has got you covered.

Pros and Cons

Pros

ntuitive interface
Open-Source
Supports both private and public apps development
Apps are automatically optimized for any device
Built-in database and table to create apps from scratch
Active user community

Cons

Building complex UIs may seem daunting
Not all components are customizable with Javascript making it less dynamic

Pricing

It offers fair and scalable pricing where passes are used (i.e. if a logged-in user uses Budibase within 24 hours, one day pass is used). It offers a free plan for individuals and small teams to get started.

DronaHQ

Overview

DronaHQ is here to help you modernize your systems, automate workflows, unify applications, and drive your business forward. It helps developers save time on development and deployment, while the non-technical members can easily design and build their approvals, processes, and workflows in just a few minutes.

Pros and Cons

Pros

UI-builder is super intuitive and easy to learn
Supports advanced logic-building capabilities
Create reusable UI components and functions
Easy to extend functionality with JavaScript and import JS libraries

Cons

Lacks a strong user community
Issues with the platform’s stability, particularly when scaling up to support large applications or high volumes of users

Pricing

It offers a free Developer plan for developers and early-stage start-ups to have hands-on full-stack app development. Besides, there are cost-efficient paid plans.

Quick Comparison

Features	Retool	Tooljet	OutSystems	Appian	Budibase	DronaHQ
Open-Source	✘	✓	✘	✘	✓	✘
Ease of Use	All provide drag-and-drop visual builders and premade templates
Built-in Intgerations	44	41	150	60+	26	68
Customizability	Highly customizable with support for JavScript, React and SQL	Customizable with support for Javascript and CSS	Customizable with support for Javascript , CSS, SQL and C#	Highly customizable support for Java and JavaScript	Customizable with support for JavaScript and CSS	Customizable with support for JavaScript
Security	Offers end-to-end encryption 2-factor authentication role-based access control audit logs	Offers SSL encryption 2-factor authentication role-based access control	Offers secure access controls data encryption complies with SOC 2, HIPAA, and GDPR	Offers encryption authentication authorization granular access control audit trails continuous monitoring	Offers SSL encryption 2-factor authentication role-based access control	Offers Data encryption role-based access control multi-factor authentication robust compliance certifications, such as SOC 2 Type 2 and ISO 27001
Pricing starts from	$0 to $50 per user per month	$0 to $199 per user per month	$0 to $1512.50 per month	$0. Custom pricing is provided on demand	$0 to $400 per month	$0 to $25 per user per month

FAQ's about Retool Alternatives

Who are Retool's competitors?

Retool has many competitors like Tooljet, Outsystems, Appian, Budibase, DronaHQ, etc.

Does Google have an app builder?

Yes, Google had an app builder named Google App Maker earlier, which was shut down in 2021. Now it provides Google App sheets. It is a no-code platform that helps create custom mobile and web applications using a spreadsheet-like interface.

What language does Retool use?

Retool uses a combination of languages, including JavaScript, React, and SQL.

What is Retool good for?

Retool is good for developing custom internal tools quickly without writing any code. You can use it to streamline your internal processes and workflows or integrate data from multiple sources.

Is Retool free to use?

Yes, Retool is free to use as it provides a Free plan with limited features and functionality. However, users need to upgrade to one of Retool's paid plans for advanced features and more usage.

Is there anything better than Retool?

Yes, there are tools better than Retool, like Tooljet, Drona HQ, Appian, etc. However, it's important to evaluate and compare different options based on factors like ease of use, customizability, integrations, security, and pricing to determine the best fit.

Are there free Retool alternatives?

Yes, there are free Retool alternatives like Tooljet, App Sheets, etc.

Why is Retool used?

Retool is used to quickly develop internal tools, dashboards and workflows without coding from scratch. It helps connect multiple data sources and APIs and provides pre-built components and templates to speed up development.

Does Retool buy used tools?

No, Retool does not buy used tools. It is a low-code platform for developing internal tools, dashboards and workflows.

Author - Abhishek A Agrawal

Abhishek is the founder of Integrately, CompanyHub, and Dreamwares. He is passionate about technology and entrepreneurship. He is always looking to leverage technology for the growth of the business. He has a deep understanding of how businesses work and uses this knowledge to build products that help entrepreneurs grow their businesses.

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