Is Adalo or Retool better?

Neither clearly leads. Adalo starts at Free and Retool at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.

Which is cheaper, Adalo or Retool?

Adalo starts at Free and Retool at Free.

Does Adalo or Retool run on more platforms?

Adalo runs on Web. Retool runs on Web, Self-hosted.

Can I use Adalo for free?

Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.

What is Adalo best used for?

Adalo is most often used for no-code mobile app development, web app creation without coding, founder and entrepreneur mvps, agency app delivery. Of those, no-code mobile app development and web app creation without coding are not what Retool is typically brought in for.

What can Adalo do that Retool cannot?

Retool covers Drag-and-drop builder, Database integration, REST API, Real-time data binding.

No-Code · head to head

Adalo vs Retool

Adalo

No-Code

Build Anything & Publish Everywhere. With Scale.

From: Free
Rated: -

Full review Website

Retool

Surveys

The rapid internal tool platform

From: Free
Rated: -

Full review Website

The short version

Each has a real cost: Adalo free plan does not allow publishing apps, maximum 500 records storage; Retool builders and internal users are billed as separate seat types, so the true cost depends on the mix rather than the headcount

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Adalo and Retool actually diverge.

Attributes where Adalo and Retool differ
Attribute	Adalo	Retool
Pricing model	freemium	subscription
Platforms	Web	Web, Self-hosted
Category	No-Code	Surveys
Founded	Unknown	2017

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Adalo

Nothing recorded that Retool does not also cover.

Only in Retool

Drag-and-drop builder
Database integration
REST API
Real-time data binding
Workflow automation
Custom code
Version control
200+ integrations

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Adalo

No-code mobile app developmentnot Retool
Web app creation without codingnot Retool
Founder and entrepreneur MVPsnot Retool
Agency app deliverynot Retool

Retool

Building internal admin tools and dashboards over existing databases and APIsnot Adalo
Giving operations teams a UI for data they would otherwise query by handnot Adalo

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Adalo

Free plan does not allow publishing apps, maximum 500 records storage
Starter plan limited to 1 published app and 1 editor
No usage-based charges across all plans, but storage limits enforced

Retool

Builders and internal users are billed as separate seat types, so the true cost depends on the mix rather than the headcount
The free plan is capped at 5 users, 500 workflow runs a month and 5 GB of database capacity
Audit logging, permission controls, portals and custom branding all require the Business plan at $50 per builder per month billed annually
External user access is Business only, and is charged in bands above 50 users
Self hosted deployments mirror the cloud tiers but need Enterprise for unlimited users and SSO

Pricing, plan by plan

Adalo

Free

FreeFree
- 0 published apps
- 1 app editor
- 500 records per app storage
Starter$36/month
- 1 published app
- 1 app editor
- 5GB storage per team
Professional$52/month
- 2 published apps
- 5 app editors
- 25GB storage per team
Team$160/month
- 5 published apps
- 10 app editors
- 125GB storage per team

Retool

Free

FreeFree
- Unlimited web and mobile apps
- 500 workflow runs monthly
- 5GB database capacity
Team$10/month
- Builders: $10/month (annual) or $12/month (monthly)
- Internal users: $5/month (annual) or $7/month (monthly)
- 5,000 workflow runs monthly
Business$50/month
- Builders: $50/month (annual) or $65/month (monthly)
- Internal users: $15/month (annual) or $18/month (monthly)
- Audit logging
Enterprise$null/contact sales
- Custom pricing
- SSO integration
- Unlimited users

Which should you pick?

Choose Adalo if

You want to start without paying.

Adalo review

Choose Retool if

You need drag-and-drop builder.
You want to start without paying.
You work on Web, Self-hosted.
You also want database integration.

Retool review

Questions people ask

Is Adalo or Retool better?: Neither clearly leads. Adalo starts at Free and Retool at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Adalo or Retool?: Adalo starts at Free and Retool at Free.
Does Adalo or Retool run on more platforms?: Adalo runs on Web. Retool runs on Web, Self-hosted.
Can I use Adalo for free?: Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Adalo best used for?: Adalo is most often used for no-code mobile app development, web app creation without coding, founder and entrepreneur mvps, agency app delivery. Of those, no-code mobile app development and web app creation without coding are not what Retool is typically brought in for.
What can Adalo do that Retool cannot?: Retool covers Drag-and-drop builder, Database integration, REST API, Real-time data binding.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Adalo: How many app editors are included in each Adalo plan?

Free and Starter plans include 1 editor. Professional tier adds 5 editors total, and Team tier provides 10 editors for collaborative development.

Source

Retool: How much does Retool cost?

Retool offers a free tier. Paid cloud plans start at $10/month (Team - builders) or $5/month (Team - internal users), $50/month (Business - builders) or $15/month (Business - internal users). Enterprise pricing is custom. Annual billing provides 20% savings.

Source

Adalo: What are Adalo pricing terms and what is included in annual billing?

All Adalo pricing is billed annually. Starter costs 36 USD per month (annual), Professional costs 52 USD per month (annual), and Team tier costs 160 USD per month (annual). No monthly billing option available.

Source

Retool: What is the difference between builders and internal users?

Builders are users who create applications in Retool, while internal users are those who only access and use the applications. Internal users cost significantly less than builders on all paid tiers.

Source

Adalo: How much storage does each Adalo plan provide?

Free plan provides 500 records per app, Starter offers 5GB per team, Professional includes 25GB per team, and Team tier provides 125GB per team storage.

Source

Retool: Can I self-host Retool?

Yes, Free, Team, and Business tiers support self-hosting with comparable features to cloud versions. Enterprise is required for unlimited users, SSO, and advanced self-host features.

Source

Adalo: What is the maximum number of published apps on the Professional plan?

The Professional plan (52 USD per month) allows 2 published apps. The Team plan (160 USD per month) extends this to 5 published apps.

Source

Retool: What are AI credits and how do they work?

AI credits are used for app building and AI actions. Free tier includes 250 monthly credits, Team includes 1,000, and Business includes 3,000. Credits renew monthly without carryover and are pooled at the organization level.

Source

Adalo vs Retool

Adalo

Retool

The short version

Where they differ

What each one covers

Only in Adalo

Only in Retool

What people use each for

Adalo

Retool

Where each one falls short

Adalo

Retool

Pricing, plan by plan

Adalo

Retool

Which should you pick?

Choose Adalo if

Choose Retool if

Questions people ask

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Related pages

More on Adalo

More on Retool

Keep looking

Other head to heads