Guide 2026
Starting price: $12 per user per month
Free plan: Yes
Free trial: No
Paid plans: Team, Business
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Pricing: $0 (Freemium)
Best for: Developers and individuals exploring Retool's capabilities
The Free plan is designed for developers who are new to Retool or those wanting to test drive Retool's features without risk. The Free plan has unlimited web and mobile apps, 500 workflow runs each month, and 5 GB of data storage. Using this plan, developers can experiment with Retool's flexibility, development ease, and integrations while they onboard up to 5 users. This is a hands-on approach for small projects or development projects that may just need the most basic of platforms to start working with their data and APIs. Even in a free plan, you will be able to explore most of Retool's functionality by having a fully functional experience, but at a completely risk-free cost of $0. The Free plan is a solid entry-level product for teams or developers wanting to experiment with low-code app development.
Main features
Unlimited web and mobile apps
500 workflow runs per month
5GB of data storage
Pricing: $12 per user per month
Best for: Growing, collaborative teams that need more workflow automation
Designed for collaborative teams tackling more complex projects, the Team plan is not only a compact team plan that is a little more collaborative that comes with every feature included in the Free plan plus more advanced features such as 5,000 workflow runs per month, a staging environment, and app release versions. These features make it easier for teams to develop, test and deploy apps in their different environments. The Team plan is optimized for companies that are developing and building internal tools, managing data workflows, and have a larger audience of users that need to have more control and stability. The Team plan offers users more space to create, iterate, and scale projects without losing or sacrificing your ability to build as easily as possible. With up to 5 standard users, the Team plan can help you manage workflow automation and help you with the organization's responsibilities of a growing team and productive collaborative work.
Main features
5,000 workflow runs per month
Staging environment
App release versions
Pricing: $65 per user per month
Best for: Teams that need more granular control and enhanced security features
The Business plan is tailored for organizations that require advanced control, security, and scalability. Building on the features in the Team plan, the Business plan includes important tools like audit logging, rich permission controls, and embedded apps, which ensure greater oversight and customization of user access. With unlimited environments and modules, teams can manage multiple development and production spaces, streamline workflows, and scale apps efficiently. Additionally, this plan offers external user pricing, allowing teams to incorporate external collaborators without worrying about increased costs. For businesses that need to ensure regulatory compliance, better security, and full control over user permissions, the Business plan provides a solid foundation to build custom apps and workflows. It's the ideal choice for companies aiming to integrate Retool into their business processes on a larger scale.
Main features
Audit logging
Rich permission controls
Embedded apps
Pricing: Custom pricing
Best for: Large teams and organizations that require advanced features, support, and customizability
The Enterprise plan is designed for teams and organizations at scale that need the highest level of customization, support, and security. This plan includes everything in the Business plan, plus exclusive features like SAML/OpenID Connect SSO, source control, custom branding, and dedicated customer success management. It offers unlimited environments, modules, and custom workflow runs, ensuring that even the most complex apps and workflows can be handled with ease. Organizations that need to work across multiple workspaces or require more granular governance can rely on the advanced access controls and orchestrated governance features included in the Enterprise plan. With flexible pricing and a highly customizable solution, this plan provides organizations the tools to deploy Retool enterprise-wide while maintaining the flexibility to meet specific operational needs.
Main features
SAML/OpenID Connect SSO
Source control
Custom branding
The main difference between Retool’s Free and Team pricing plans comes down to how much control, collaboration, and functionality your team actually needs.
The Free plan is a solid place to begin if you're exploring Retool or building simple internal tools on your own. It supports unlimited web and mobile apps, gives you 500 workflow runs each month, and includes 5GB of storage. That’s more than enough for solo developers or very small teams testing out ideas or building minimal internal tools. However, there are limits: you're capped at five users, and you'll miss out on more advanced features like staging environments and app release versions—both of which become important when you're managing code across different environments or need to coordinate multiple updates.
The Team plan, at $12 per user per month, is built for groups that are past the experimentation phase. It increases your monthly workflow runs to 5,000 and gives you access to staging environments and versioning, which are crucial if you're shipping frequently or want to minimize bugs before rolling out changes. It also removes the user cap, allowing your team to grow without hitting unnecessary restrictions. For companies that are starting to scale or need reliable app deployment processes, the Team plan adds a layer of control and structure the Free plan simply can’t offer.
As you transition to Retool’s Business and Enterprise plans, the emphasis moves from growth to scale—and the support and customization expected by larger institutions.
Business plan ($65/user/month) is targeted at teams with more sophisticated requirements in terms of infrastructure. Business leverages common enterprise-ready features like audit logs for tracking changes, fine-grained permissions, and the ability to embed apps in external portals or client-facing tools. It also includes unlimited environments and modules, which helps these teams separate their dev, staging, and production workflows. Also, with support for external user pricing, teams can now engage developers, clients, or external partners without inflating their core licensing costs.
The Enterprise plan is designed for organizations operating at scale - often across several teams or departments. Enterprise includes all of what Business provides, but enterprise features include high level controls like SAML/OpenID Connect SSO for authentication, source control integration to keep dev workflows in sync, and custom branding for your tools. The core value of Enterprise is the dedicated support - you receive a customer success manager and a custom price plan tailored to the needs of your organization. If you need to develop apps that are conducting critical internal operations or supporting several units of business, the Enterprise plan will keep everything secure, cohesive, and supported.
Your ideal Retool pricing plan depends on where your company is today—and where you’re heading next.
If you're an individual developer or part of a very small team focused on simple internal projects, the Free plan will likely give you all the basics you need to get started. It’s limited in terms of collaboration and environment management, but it's a risk-free way to evaluate the platform's capabilities.
For teams that are starting to grow and need a more coordinated development workflow, the Team plan ($12 per user/month) offers a good balance between cost and capability. Features like staging environments and app versioning let you collaborate with more confidence and deploy updates in a controlled way.
If your team is expanding and security, auditability, or more complex workflows are becoming important, the Business plan ($65 per user/month) introduces advanced controls and more scalable infrastructure. You’ll be able to manage permissions, environments, and external collaborators more effectively—without needing to jump straight to an enterprise-level investment.
For large companies, especially those in regulated industries or working across multiple regions or teams, the Enterprise plan offers the most flexibility. You get tailored support, enhanced security features, and the ability to fully customize your deployment setup. This plan is a better fit when your internal tools play a critical role in operations and need to meet strict compliance or integration standards.
The right choice comes down to your team size, complexity of your internal tools, and how much support or control you need as you grow.
Whether Retool is better than Bubble depends on the specific application needs and the user's technical background. Retool, tailored for creating internal tools, shines in integrating with diverse data sources and offers a combination of drag-and-drop with custom coding capabilities.
Bubble, meanwhile, is a genuine no-code platform designed for building complete web applications, making it ideal for those without coding knowledge. Each has its strengths and is suited for different scenarios. Therefore, the "better" choice hinges on the project's requirements, the desired level of customization, and the user's familiarity with coding concepts.
Retool vs Bubble
It's not accurate to definitively state that Airtable is better than Retool or vice versa, as they serve different purposes and cater to distinct needs. Airtable excels in customizable database management and project organization, with an intuitive interface suitable for various users. In contrast, Retool focuses on rapid application development, enabling developers and businesses to build custom web applications with pre-built components and data integrations.
The choice between the two depends on your specific project requirements. Airtable is ideal for data management and collaboration, while Retool shines in application development and data integration. The decision hinges on your goals and expertise.
Airtable vs Retool
Determining whether Softr is better than Retool depends on specific project needs and user expertise. Softr is a user-friendly, no-code platform suitable for those without extensive coding knowledge, focusing on web application development. Retool, on the other hand, targets technical users who need to build custom internal tools with robust data integration.
Softr prioritizes simplicity and accessibility, while Retool offers advanced customization and data connectivity. The choice between them hinges on your project's complexity and your team's technical proficiency, with Softr emphasizing ease of use and Retool catering to more advanced customization and internal tool development requirements.
Softr vs Retool
If you’re considering alternatives to Retool, a few solid platforms might better align with your team’s needs, depending on what you're building and how your workflows are structured.
The low-code development tool Zoho Creator is a good alternative if you’re looking for an all-in-one low-code solution with a focus on business applications. It’s part of the larger Zoho ecosystem, which makes it especially useful for companies already using Zoho apps.
The no-code tool AppSheet, developed by Google, is ideal for companies that rely heavily on Google Workspace or want to empower non-technical users to build internal tools. It integrates seamlessly with spreadsheets and databases like Google Sheets, Excel, and SQL, and emphasizes ease of use through visual logic and automation.
Jet Admin sits somewhere between developer-friendly platforms and no-code tools. It’s designed specifically for internal tools and offers a clean UI builder, database connections, and user management out of the box.
Whether one of these tools is “better” than Retool comes down to your specific priorities. Retool stands out for developers who want tight control over APIs and databases, but if ease of use, integration with existing business apps, or access for non-technical users is higher on your list, one of these platforms might be a better fit.
Bubble
Used by 1897 members
You don't need to be a coder to build software.
30% off on monthly plans for 1 year
Save up to $957
Notion
Used by 21150 members
Organize teamwork and increase productivity
3 months free on the Business plan with Unlimited AI
Save up to $720
Dify
Used by 89 members
Ship LLM-powered apps
20% off monthly Professional and Team plans for 6 months
Save up to $190
OpenClaw
Used by 207 members
Web automation with a human touch
Additional 10% off for OpenClaw's hosting on Hostinger
Save up to $48
Yes, Retool does offer a free plan, and it’s a practical option for individuals or small teams who want to start building internal tools without jumping into a paid commitment. It includes the core features you need to create both web and mobile apps, with support for up to 500 workflow runs per month and 5GB of data storage.
Whether you’re exploring Retool for the first time or working on a personal project, the Free plan gives you enough room to experiment and get a feel for how the platform fits into your workflow. With support for up to five users, it’s also well-suited for small teams collaborating on early-stage builds. For many, it’s a low-risk way to begin working with internal tools and see how Retool fits into their development process.
While Retool’s Free plan makes it easy to get started, there are a few limitations to keep in mind—especially if you're planning to scale or build tools for a growing team.
One of the most noticeable constraints is the cap on workflow runs. With only 500 available each month, you might run into issues if your apps rely heavily on automation or frequent data updates. Storage is another factor; 5GB can go a long way for lightweight projects, but if your tools pull in larger datasets or store a lot of files, that space might fill up quickly.
User limits can also be a hurdle. The Free plan supports up to five users, which works fine for solo developers or small groups, but doesn’t leave much room as your team expands or more collaborators need access. And while you can build as many apps as you like, you're missing out on development tools like staging environments and version control, which are helpful for teams managing more complex workflows or deploying updates in stages.
You also won’t find advanced features like detailed permission settings or audit logs, which are essential for teams that require stricter security, compliance, or role-based access management.
Overall, the Free plan is best suited for simpler use cases. It gives you a strong starting point, but as your tools become more complex or your team grows, you’ll likely need to upgrade to access the full range of features that make Retool powerful at scale.
Premium
Design and create internal tools for your company
1 year free on the monthly Team or Business plan
Save up to $60,000
Airtable
Used by 8859 members
Easily store and organize your data
$1,000 in credits on licences for 1 year
Save up to $1,000
How much does Retool cost per month?
Retool’s cost starts at $0 per month with its Free plan, which is a great fit for solo developers or small teams building internal tools on a limited scale. From there, the Team plan comes in at $12 per user each month, giving access to features like staging environments and a much higher limit on workflow runs—ideal for teams that are starting to collaborate and deploy more frequently.
The Business plan is priced at $65 per user per month and introduces more advanced tools, such as audit logs, granular permission settings, and unlimited environments. It’s designed for organizations that need tighter security controls and greater flexibility across teams.
For larger companies or those with more complex infrastructure needs, the Enterprise plan offers custom pricing. This tier includes premium features such as platform APIs, dedicated customer support, and enterprise-grade security—tailored to your organization’s scale and internal systems.
Why should I use Retool?
You should use Retool if you're looking to streamline how your team builds internal tools. Instead of coding every feature from scratch, you can connect your existing data sources—like databases, APIs, and third-party services—and build functional apps in a fraction of the time.
What sets Retool apart is how accessible it is to both technical and non-technical teams. Developers can dive deep, writing queries and scripts where needed, while product managers and operations teams can use the drag-and-drop builder to create or iterate on tools without waiting on engineering resources.
Whether you’re building dashboards to track data, internal apps to manage operations, or admin panels to simplify repetitive tasks, Retool provides a toolkit that adapts to your workflow. And as your team grows, so does Retool’s feature set—things like staging environments, app version control, and user permissions help ensure your tools scale with your business needs.
You can also try Bubble and compare it to Retool. Bubble is another no-code tool with many advantages.
Who uses Retool?
Retool is used across a wide range of industries and team sizes, from startups to enterprise companies.
From one-person projects to complex enterprise workflows, Retool supports teams building practical, internal software at any stage of growth.
Is Retool good value for money?
If internal tool development is part of your regular workflow, Retool delivers good value for money. The Free plan covers a surprising amount of ground—ideal for side projects or early-stage teams exploring the platform.
At $12 per user per month, the Team plan introduces key upgrades that growing teams will appreciate, such as staging environments, more generous workflow limits, and better collaboration features. It’s reasonably priced for what it offers and gives teams the tools to work more efficiently.
For organizations with higher security and compliance needs, the Business plan at $65 per user per month includes audit logs, permission management, and the ability to manage multiple environments—all of which are important as tools become more deeply embedded in company processes.
Enterprise teams get custom pricing and advanced options like API integrations, custom branding, and dedicated support, making it a flexible solution for large-scale use cases.
In terms of return on investment, Retool can significantly cut down on development time and help teams deliver internal tools much faster—making it a smart, long-term choice for many businesses.
Which Retool subscription is the most popular?
Among the available pricing plans, Retool’s Team plan tends to be the most popular. It strikes a practical balance between functionality and cost, offering features that growing teams typically need without the complexity or expense of the higher tiers.
At $12 per user per month, it includes tools like staging environments, unlimited apps, increased workflow runs, and support for external users. For many startups and mid-sized teams, these are exactly the capabilities needed to build internal tools that can scale without overpaying for enterprise-level features.
Larger organizations often lean toward the Business or Enterprise plans to meet their specific compliance or IT infrastructure needs, but for most users looking to level up from the Free plan, the Team plan hits that middle ground where you can grow efficiently and still keep costs predictable.
How can I save money on Retool?
There are a few smart ways to save money on your Retool subscription without losing access to the features that matter:
At the end of the day, smart spending means tailoring Retool to fit your actual needs—nothing more, nothing less.
Can I use Retool’s API for free?
Yes, Retool’s API is accessible on the Free plan, which means you can start integrating and experimenting right away—no credit card required.
If you’re just starting out or want to explore what Retool can do before paying for a plan, the Free plan with API access is a strong entry point. It gives you everything you need to build and experiment without making an upfront investment.