Retool’s pricing and lock-in concerns push teams to look for alternatives. I tested dozens of platforms to find options that work well as replacements. Here are the top 6 Retool alternatives worth considering.
6 Retool alternatives at a glance
The tools below are built for specific use cases, but all of them build client-facing or internal tools.
Here’s what they’re best for:
- Superblocks: Best for AI‑assisted internal tools with enterprise‑grade governance.
- Appsmith: Best open‑source option for engineering‑led teams.
- ToolJet: Best open‑source Retool alternative with AI app generation built in.
- Budibase: Best for simple CRUD apps.
- Softr: Best no‑code choice for client portals and data interfaces on Airtable and Sheets.
- Glide: Best for converting spreadsheets to apps.
Why teams look for Retool alternatives
Retool is genuinely excellent for building internal tools quickly. Its large component library and extensive integrations make it easy for technical and semi-technical users to ship internal apps fast.
But some teams still look elsewhere because:
- The codebase is completely opaque: You can’t inspect what’s running under the hood like you can with open source tools.
- Observability options are limited: Native support exists only for Datadog. If your organization uses Splunk or New Relic, you’ll need workarounds.
- Gated features in expensive plans: Git sync, audit logs, and granular permissions are locked behind the Business plan. SSO requires Enterprise pricing.
- Not HIPAA compliant: You’ll need to self-host and configure your deployment in a HIPAA-compliant way. The security burden is entirely on your team.
1. Superblocks
Superblocks is an enterprise AI vibe coding platform that lets anyone build business apps on private enterprise data while enforcing security, compliance, and governance policies.
Clark, their AI coding agent, lets you describe the app you want in plain language and then spins up pages, queries, and components wired into systems like Postgres, Salesforce, Snowflake, Databricks, and your internal APIs.
What I like about Superblocks is that Clark never magically reaches into systems it shouldn’t. It only works within the permissions your account already has. It won’t run wild over your data. That made it a lot easier to imagine rolling this out to other builders without giving security a heart attack.
Admins get centralized enterprise controls. With SSO, SCIM, org roles, and resource roles, you can finally say yes to more internal tools without losing track of who owns what.
If you have data residency requirements, you can use the Hybrid deployment option to keep data in-network. You also have the option to deploy the whole platform inside your own AWS/GCP/Azure VPC.
Pros
- AI generates real apps on top of your production data.
- Centralized permissions, audit logs, and roles.
- Hybrid and Cloud‑Prem let you keep execution and data inside your own VPC.
- Fits into your SDLC workflow with Git and CI/CD support.
- Drop into real code when prompts and visual editing is not enough.
- Deploy apps directly inside Databricks.
Cons
- Sales-led pricing.
Best for: Enterprises that need AI-assisted development but need to stay within their governance and data residency requirements.
2. Appsmith
Appsmith is an open-source low-code builder. The entire codebase is available on GitHub under Apache 2.0 licensing, which gives maximum transparency for security audits.
When I used Appsmith, it felt much closer to a developer tool. You drag in widgets for tables, forms, and charts, and then wire everything up with JavaScript and SQL. If you’re comfortable in JS, it’s surprisingly easy to express non‑trivial logic right in the editor.
Because it’s open source, you can inspect code and self‑host on Docker or Kubernetes.
The tradeoff is that there’s no AI builder option. You’re still doing the design and logic yourself.
Pros
- Open source with a fully auditable codebase.
- Great fit for engineers who like writing JavaScript and SQL.
- Self‑hostable on Docker/K8s with Git + CI/CD integration baked in.
Cons
- No native AI app generator, so builds can feel slower.
- Requires some DevOps effort and engineering time to get the most value
Best for: Engineering-led teams who prioritize open-source transparency and have DevOps capacity for self-hosting.
3. ToolJet
ToolJet is an open‑source low‑code platform for internal tools, with an AI app builder that assembles apps from its own low‑code components.
It also has a complete visual builder where you can edit the generated app directly. During testing, I could switch between prompts, direct visual edits, and even code, so I wasn’t locked into a single build option.
Pros
- JavaScript and Python support when you need custom logic.
- Open source, so you can inspect and audit the codebase.
- Built‑in database plus connectors for PostgreSQL, MongoDB, REST/GraphQL APIs, and many SaaS tools.
- Self‑host the open‑source edition on your own infrastructure, or use the managed cloud.
Cons
- Can’t generate unique UIs since it assembles apps from its component library.
- Self-hosting is expensive because of the plans (start at $99/builder/month billed monthly) and infrastructure costs.
Best for: Teams that want an AI‑assisted, open‑source Retool alternative they can run themselves.
4. Budibase
Budibase appeals to teams that need simplicity over customization. It’s open-source with a no-code-first approach.
Using it felt like turning database tables into apps with minimal ceremony. You connect SQL, NoSQL, or REST sources, or just use the built‑in Budibase database, and it auto‑generates the CRUD UIs based on the data.
The flip side is that Budibase intentionally keeps the experience simpler. You can’t build deeply custom or complex tools with it.
Pros
- Multiple data sources and built‑in database (CouchDB‑based).
- Pre-built components like tables, forms, charts, buttons, and others you can bind to data.
- Self‑host or use the managed cloud.
- It supports SSO and role-based access control.
Cons
- No AI app generator.
Best for: Non-technical users who prefer a visual builder and don’t mind not having AI app generation.
5. Softr
Softr is built for client portals and simple interfaces on top of your existing data. You assemble pages from drag‑and‑drop blocks, though you can generate the initial app with AI.
Even though Softr has an AI app generator, it’s still very much a drag‑and‑drop builder. You can use prompts to spin up the initial app, but after tha,t you’re back in the visual editor, manually tweaking sections and layouts.
It feels a bit rigid on the design side, so you’re mostly choosing from predefined patterns rather than fully customizing everything. The Vibe Coding Block helps speed things up by generating UI sections from prompts, which takes some of the pain out of repetitive layout work.
Pros
- Great for turning Airtable and Sheets data into client portals and lightweight tools.
- Block‑based builder with templates means you almost never start from scratch.
- AI app generator and Vibe Coding block help you prototype pages and components from prompts.
- Comes with login, user groups, role‑based access, and granular permissions.
Cons
- Not ideal for very complex internal tools or heavy backend logic.
- You can’t self-host.
Best for: Small teams, agencies, and ops folks who want client portals and interfaces on top of structured data, without coding.
6. Glide
Glide is a no‑code builder that turns spreadsheets into web and mobile apps, with live sync back to Google Sheets, Excel, Airtable, or Glide’s own tables.
Glide is very user-friendly. You connect it to a Google Sheet, and Glide auto‑generates screens with lists, detail views, and filters. You can control who sees what with roles and visibility rules and add simple workflows for approvals or notifications.
It’s not really a full-stack internal‑tools platform, but it can make your sheets feel like real software.
Pros
- An extremely fast way to turn Google Sheets, Excel, or Airtable into usable apps.
- Live sync between the app and the spreadsheet means your existing data stays the source of truth.
- Mobile‑friendly UI by default, with PWA support for app‑like installs.
- Built-in AI for data processing.
Cons
- Your data model is constrained by what makes sense in a spreadsheet.
- Less suited for complex workflows or multi‑service internal platforms.
Best for: Teams whose processes already run in spreadsheets and who just need a nicer, permissioned app UI on top of that data.
What security teams should look for in Retool alternatives
Forget the feature comparison spreadsheets. Focus on these questions instead:
- Where does code execute? Server-side is generally more secure than client-side for sensitive operations. Superblocks and self-hosted Appsmith run code server-side.
- Can you audit the platform? If you care about auditing the builder, go with open-source tools that give access to the underlying code.
- What’s the deployment model? On-premises, hybrid, and cloud-only options each have different risk profiles. You can fully self-host most of these tools besides Softr. However, Superblocks is the only one that gives you a hybrid option that keeps data in your VPC while still providing a managed control plane.
- How are credentials managed? Check whether the platform supports your existing secret managers.
- Does it support code export? Lock-in creates business continuity risk if you need to migrate. Superblocks exports apps as standard React code. ToolJet also gives you direct access to the generated code.
- What compliance certifications are available? If you operate in a regulated industry, look for HIPAA, SOC 2, and GDPR-aligned practices.
- What security features are included? Look for role-based access control, granular permissions, user management, audit logs, and SSO.
Which Retool alternative should you use?
- Choose Superblocks if you want an AI-native development platform that will enforce your existing security requirements.
- Choose Appsmith or Budibase if you prefer low-code open-source builders.
- Choose ToolJet if you want an open-source tool that supports AI app generation.
- Choose Softr or Glide if you’re building simple frontends on top of your data with no-code.
Frequently asked questions
What’s the best Retool alternative for enterprises?
The best Retool alternative for enterprises is Superblocks. It offers AI-assisted development while enforcing existing security policies, compliance requirements, and data residency rules. Features like centralized admin controls, audit logs, SSO, granular permissions, and VPC deployment make it well-suited for large organizations with strict governance needs.
Are there open-source Retool alternatives?
Yes, there are open-source Retool alternatives, including ToolJet, Budibase, and Appsmith. All three have versions that give you full access to the underlying codebase. ToolJet stands out for its AI app builder, Appsmith for its JavaScript flexibility, and Budibase for its no-code-first approach.
Can you self-host Retool?
Yes, you can self-host Retool, but it requires an Enterprise plan. You’ll need to manage the infrastructure yourself, which shifts the security and maintenance burden to your team.
How much does Retool cost?
Retool’s plans start at $10 per user per month for standard users and $5 per end-user per month. This plan is enough to build apps, but you don’t get access control and most security features.
