Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

ToolJet VS Retool

Compare ToolJet VS Retool and see what are their differences

ToolJet logo ToolJet

Open-source alternative for Retool

Retool logo Retool

Build custom internal tools in minutes.
  • ToolJet Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-07
  • Retool Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-08-04

Retool

Website
retool.com
$ Details
freemium $10.0 / Monthly (Startup)
Release Date
2017 January
Startup details
Country
United States
State
California
Founder(s)
David Hsu
Employees
10 - 19

ToolJet features and specs

  • Open-source
    ToolJet is an open-source platform, which means you can customize the tool to fit your specific needs while also benefiting from community contributions and transparency.
  • No-code/Low-code
    ToolJet allows users to build powerful applications with minimal to no coding, making it accessible to non-developers and reducing the time required to develop applications.
  • Integration
    ToolJet offers integrations with various databases, APIs, and third-party services, enabling seamless data flow and interaction with other tools.
  • Extensibility
    The platform can be extended with custom widgets and functionalities, allowing developers to add specific features not available out-of-the-box.
  • Community Support
    As an open-source tool, ToolJet has a growing community of users and developers who contribute to its development and provide support through forums and repositories.

Possible disadvantages of ToolJet

  • Learning Curve
    Despite its no-code nature, there might be a learning curve for non-developers unfamiliar with the concepts of application building and data management.
  • Documentation
    As with many open-source projects, documentation quality can vary and may not be as comprehensive as that of commercial alternatives.
  • Scalability
    Depending on deployment and usage, scaling applications might require additional infrastructure management and technical know-how.
  • Support
    While community support is available, it might lack the immediate and guaranteed assistance found in commercial products with dedicated support teams.
  • Feature Gaps
    Being a relatively newer and open-source tool, ToolJet may lack some advanced features found in more mature or commercial platforms.

Retool features and specs

  • Speed of Development
    Retool allows developers to rapidly build internal tools with a drag-and-drop interface, reducing the time it takes to get functional applications up and running.
  • Integration Capabilities
    Retool supports integration with a wide range of databases, APIs, and other services, making it easier to connect different data sources and systems.
  • Customizability
    While Retool provides prebuilt components, it also allows for custom code and scripting, enabling developers to tailor applications to specific requirements.
  • Collaboration Features
    Retool supports collaborative features, such as sharing applications with team members and version control, making it easier to work in teams.
  • Security
    Retool provides robust security features, including access control and data encryption, to help protect sensitive information.

Possible disadvantages of Retool

  • Cost
    Retool can be relatively expensive compared to building internal tools from scratch or using some other platforms, potentially making it less accessible for smaller teams or startups.
  • Learning Curve
    Despite its user-friendly interface, there can be a learning curve for new users who need to become familiar with its specific functionalities and scripting capabilities.
  • Customization Limitations
    Though Retool offers customizability, there might be certain limitations compared to fully bespoke solutions, impacting highly specific or complex use cases.
  • Dependency on Retool
    Relying heavily on Retool may create a dependency that could be problematic if the company changes its pricing, features, or discontinues services.
  • Performance
    For very large datasets or highly complex operations, performance can become an issue, as it is with many platform-based solutions.

ToolJet videos

ToolJet - Introduction

More videos:

  • Review - FOSS Meetup - July 2021 | AdonisJS | Cloud Native chaos | ToolJet | FOSS United

Retool videos

Retool - Logic Review

More videos:

  • Review - #Worth?! Ep.12 - Retool (Gameplay / Review)
  • Demo - February NY Enterprise Tech Meetup: Retool Demo

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to ToolJet and Retool)
No Code
28 28%
72% 72
Developer Tools
28 28%
72% 72
Productivity
30 30%
70% 70
Application Builder
25 25%
75% 75

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare ToolJet and Retool

ToolJet Reviews

Top 9 Low-Code Tools for 2023 for low-code development
Tooljet is a low-code development platform that empowers users to build web and mobile applications without extensive coding knowledge. It offers a drag-and-drop interface, pre-built templates, and a range of components for rapid application development. Tooljet supports integrations with popular databases and external services, allowing users to create dynamic and...
Appsmith vs. Tooljet: Which Low-Code Platform is Better for You?
In this blog post, we will compare two popular LCDPs for building internal tools: Appsmith and Tooljet. We will also introduce ILLA Cloud, a new and innovative LCDP that offers a viable alternative to Appsmith and Tooljet.

Retool Reviews

Top 5 Dynobase alternatives you should know about - March 2025 Review
The choice ultimately depends on your environment and use case. Many teams use a combination of tools: for example, Dynomate for developers, and a Retool app for operations or support teams. By understanding the strengths of each alternative, you can select the tool (or combination of tools) that best integrates with your AWS workflow, making DynamoDB development smoother...
Source: www.dynomate.io
React UI Components Libraries: Our Top Picks for 2023
Retool offers extensive documentation and support. Its support is available on its Discourse forum, Slack (if you are a Retool power user), Intercom for live chat, and dedicated support for enterprise customers.
Source: kinsta.com
ILLA Cloud vs. Retool vs. Bubble - Unveiling the Best Low-Code Platforms
In the quest for the best low-code platform, Retool, Bubble, and ILLA Cloud all offer unique features and capabilities. While Retool shines with its self-hosted option and Bubble contributes to the open-source community, ILLA Cloud stands out as a powerful and flexible low-code platform. With its comprehensive feature set, affordable pricing models, and self-hosted...
Top 9 Low-Code Tools for 2023 for low-code development
Retool is a powerful low-code platform that enables developers to build internal tools and apps with ease. It offers a drag-and-drop interface and a wide range of pre-built components for seamless development. Retool integrates with various data sources and external services, allowing users to fetch data, perform calculations, and display results in real-time. Its...
Superblock vs Retool: A Comprehensive Comparison for Low-code development Platforms
Retool caters to a diverse audience, including developers, product managers, and business professionals. Developers benefit from Retool's low-code capabilities, allowing them to build applications quickly without sacrificing customization. Product managers can leverage Retool to streamline internal workflows and enable teams to be more productive. Business professionals can...

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Retool should be more popular than ToolJet. It has been mentiond 98 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

ToolJet mentions (13)

  • Building an intelligent CRM using ChatGPT, PostgreSQL, and ToolJet
    You can also download its JSON file and import it into a ToolJet app, but you'll need to provide your Sendinblue credentials and OpenAI API key. - Source: dev.to / almost 2 years ago
  • Adding ability to import packages using Micropip to our low-code web framework - ToolJet
    You can quickly try out this feature on ToolJet Cloud (https://tooljet.com) or on your local machine (https://docs.tooljet.com/docs/setup/try-tooljet). Source: about 2 years ago
  • Building Recruitment Management App using Appwrite and ToolJet (Part 1)
    ToolJet (https://github.com/ToolJet/ToolJet): A free and open-source low-code platform that allows you to quickly build applications. Sign up here. - Source: dev.to / about 3 years ago
  • Build a coupon code manager app in 30 minutes
    This tutorial will guide you to build a CRUD app that will let you create new coupons, edit or delete existing coupons. We will be using ToolJet to build this application and will use Google Sheets as the data source. - Source: dev.to / about 3 years ago
  • Best (Free) Web-based Front-end Form for an SQL Database
    Checkout https://retool.com/ or https://tooljet.com/. Built for exactly this purpose. Source: about 3 years ago
View more

Retool mentions (98)

  • Code or No Code? The AI Revolution in Web Development
    Retool – Low-code platform for business applications. - Source: dev.to / about 2 months ago
  • I keep turning my Google Sheets into phone-friendly webapps, and I can't stop
    As mentioned by another poster, check out "Partner portals" section on https://retool.com/. - Source: Hacker News / 4 months ago
  • How to Build Internal Tools 100x Faster
    It is possible to speed up the development and delivery process for many internal applications by using no-code or low code tools. These vary in offerings from open source to SaaS, including popular ones like AirTable, BudiBase, Retool, NocoDB and others. These can all greatly help speed up delivery times. - Source: dev.to / 4 months ago
  • Do you need a No Code tool for Firebase?
    There are some No Code tools for Firebase. Some of them are fully integrated, some of them use some limited functions of Firebase through their API. If a tool allows you to integrate with a REST API, you probably can use it. Some of them are: FlutterFlow, JetAdmin, Retool, Bubble, etc. - Source: dev.to / 5 months ago
  • Visual Basic 6 rebuilt in C# – complete with form designer and IDE in browser
    >The No-Code world is fascinating, and the best I've seen in this space is https://retool.com/, but it's expensive and locks you into their ecosystem. >Even today, small businesses need to build out simple apps that were simple to do back in the Visual Basic days—a stock control system, a basic support system, sales tools, etc. Today, it's a minefield of options that can quickly get expensive. A RAD tool like... - Source: Hacker News / 6 months ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing ToolJet and Retool, you can also consider the following products

Budibase - What Wordpress is to websites, Budibase is to web apps. Budibase is a free and open source web app builder for creating, launching and growing web applications. Budibase eliminates repetition and dramatically reduces development time. Check it out.

Appsmith - Appsmith is an open source web framework for building internal tools, admin panels, dashboards, and workflows.

Airtable - Airtable works like a spreadsheet but gives you the power of a database to organize anything. Sign up for free.

Bubble.io - Building tech is slow and expensive. Bubble is the most powerful no-code platform for creating digital products.

PocketBlocks - In PocketBlocks, all you need to do is drag and drop pre-built or self-customized components onto the What-You-See-Is-What-You-Get (WYSIWYG) canvas to make an app, PocketBlocks helps you build an app quickly and focus on the business logic.

Jet Admin - Build business apps really fast