Retool

Build internal tools, remarkably fast

4.8•33 reviews•

3.3K followers

Build internal tools, remarkably fast

4.8•33 reviews•

3.3K followers

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No-code Platforms

The first enterprise AppGen platform that turns natural language into production-ready internal apps—built on your live data and deployed in your environment. Secure from day one.

The Best Retool Alternatives

Name: Retool
Rating: 4.85 (33 reviews)

The best Retool alternatives are AppSmith, Bubble, Glide, Softr, and Adalo✨.

What to Consider

Retool is a go-to for building internal tools fast—especially admin dashboards and ops apps that need to plug into real databases and APIs—with a builder that balances drag-and-drop speed and the ability to drop into code. The alternatives landscape spans open-source internal tool builders that prioritize self-hosting and customization, “true no-code” app platforms aimed at shipping customer-facing apps with minimal engineering, and workflow/RPA-style tools that focus more on automation than UI. Many options differentiate by how opinionated they are (templates and guardrails vs. full flexibility), whether they optimize for non-technical builders, and how much enterprise governance they include out of the box.

In evaluating alternatives to Retool, the biggest factors were integration depth (databases/APIs), ease of onboarding for non-technical teammates, governance and permissions, reliability and performance as apps grow, and how cleanly tools handle common CRUD/writeback workflows. Pricing and deployment model (cloud vs. self-hosted/open-source), plus the overall developer experience—docs quality, debugging, and maintainability—also heavily influence which platform fits best.

AppSmith

Vibecode Apps and Use Instantly

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Open-source flexibility is Appsmith’s biggest pull when Retool feels too tied to a hosted, proprietary platform. It’s built for quickly assembling internal tools on top of databases and APIs, while keeping the option to run everything in your own infrastructure and customize deeper when needed.

Appsmith is a strong fit when your team wants Retool-like building blocks—tables, forms, queries, and app pages—but prefers an environment that can be audited, extended, and controlled by your own engineering org. That open approach can also make it easier to standardize internal tooling patterns across teams without being locked into one vendor’s roadmap.

The trade-off is that some teams will find governance and fine-grained permissions less robust out of the box than enterprise-first platforms, so larger orgs may need extra work to match Retool’s admin and policy depth. If your priority is cost control, self-hosting, and developer-led customization for internal apps, Appsmith is often the more natural choice.

Best for

Best for engineering teams that want an open-source, self-hostable internal tools builder.

Standout features

✓Open-source and self-hostable deployment
✓Database and API-driven internal apps
✓Custom JS logic in apps
✓Reusable components and app pages

Bubble

Build and launch web and mobile apps without writing code

4.9 · 68 reviews

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Bubble stands out when the goal is shipping a full customer-facing web app, not just internal tooling. Compared to Retool’s internal-app orientation, Bubble is designed around building complete product experiences with user accounts, workflows, and front-end pages that can look and feel like a standalone SaaS.

It’s particularly compelling for founders and product teams who want to iterate on a live product without assembling a traditional front-end and back-end stack. You can move from idea to a working app quickly, then refine the UX and business logic as requirements evolve.

The main trade-off is complexity: Bubble can be hard at the beginning, especially if the team expects spreadsheet-simple building. But if the priority is maximum no-code power for customer-facing products—plus the ability to grow into more sophisticated workflows—Bubble is a better match than an internal-tool builder.

Best for

Ideal for startups building customer-facing web apps with complex workflows.

Standout features

✓Full web app builder, not just dashboards
✓Visual workflows and business logic
✓User auth and database built in
✓Custom domains and app publishing

Glide

Live video messaging app for iOS, Android and Windows Phone.

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Glide is the pick when speed and simplicity matter more than deep customization. Where Retool targets highly flexible internal apps over many backends, Glide shines at turning structured data into polished apps quickly, with a much gentler learning curve.

It works especially well for mobile-friendly internal utilities—field checklists, lightweight CRMs, directories, inventory trackers—where stakeholders want something usable immediately. Teams can often ship an app experience without needing to think in terms of components, queries, and code fallbacks.

The trade-off is that highly bespoke UI logic and complex multi-system orchestration can hit limits sooner than in Retool. For straightforward data-to-app use cases that need to be deployed fast and maintained by non-engineers, Glide is often the more efficient alternative.

Best for

Best for teams that want fast, mobile-friendly apps from structured data.

Standout features

✓Rapid app creation from data tables
✓Mobile-first, polished app UI
✓Simple logic and automation actions
✓Easy sharing and user access

Softr

Build custom business apps powered by AI and no-code.

4.7 · 66 reviews

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Softr is a strong alternative when what’s needed is a portal experience rather than an internal admin console. Instead of Retool’s builder-first paradigm for internal apps, Softr focuses on quickly launching client portals, directories, and membership-style apps with a clean, website-like feel.

It’s well-suited to operations and customer-success teams that need to expose controlled slices of data to external users—customers, vendors, partners—without building a bespoke front end. The building experience is typically more guided and template-driven, which reduces time spent on UI composition.

The trade-off is that deeply custom internal tooling logic and complex, engineering-style data orchestration can be better served by Retool. If the priority is getting a polished portal live fast with minimal technical overhead, Softr is often the better fit.

Best for

Ideal for companies launching customer or partner portals quickly.

Standout features

✓Portal and membership site templates
✓External user login and permissions
✓Data-backed lists, forms, and pages
✓Website-like blocks and theming

Adalo✨

Build apps for every platform as easy as making a slide deck

3.3 · 22 reviews

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Adalo is the better choice when the center of gravity is a simple mobile app. Retool can support mobile internal tooling, but Adalo is purpose-built for assembling native-style experiences without the heavier internal-dashboard paradigm.

It’s a practical option for MVPs that need a mobile-first UI—basic CRUD, simple workflows, and lightweight user accounts—without requiring a full engineering build. For teams validating a mobile concept, Adalo can reduce the time-to-first-usable-app dramatically.

The trade-off is that complex enterprise integrations, advanced governance, and highly customized internal workflows tend to be more natural in Retool. If the app is primarily mobile and the logic is straightforward, Adalo is often the more focused alternative.

Best for

Best for makers building straightforward mobile apps without code.

Standout features

✓Native-style mobile app builder
✓Drag-and-drop screens and components
✓Built-in data collections and CRUD
✓Publishable mobile app experience

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