Is Bubble or Retool better?

Neither clearly leads. Bubble 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, Bubble or Retool?

Bubble starts at Free and Retool at Free.

Does Bubble or Retool run on more platforms?

Bubble runs on web, ios, android. Retool runs on Web, Self-hosted.

Can I use Bubble for free?

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

What is Bubble best used for?

Bubble is most often used for building mvps and startup web apps without a dev team, internal business apps with custom database logic, marketplace and saas prototypes, mobile app wrappers around a bubble web app. Of those, building mvps and startup web apps without a dev team and internal business apps with custom database logic are not what Retool is typically brought in for.

What can Bubble do that Retool cannot?

Bubble covers Visual app editor, Built-in database, Visual workflow logic, Plugin marketplace. Retool covers Drag-and-drop builder, Database integration, REST API, Real-time data binding.

No-Code · head to head

Bubble vs Retool

Bubble

No-Code

No-code platform for building web and mobile applications visually

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: Bubble apps are tied to Bubble's proprietary runtime, making migration to another stack difficult if the platform is later outgrown.; Retool builders and internal users are billed as separate seat types, so the true cost depends on the mix rather than the headcount
They diverge on capability: Bubble covers Visual app editor, Retool covers Drag-and-drop builder.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Bubble and Retool actually diverge.

Attributes where Bubble and Retool differ
Attribute	Bubble	Retool
Pricing model	freemium	subscription
Platforms	web, ios, android	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 Bubble

Visual app editor
Built-in database
Visual workflow logic
Plugin marketplace
Responsive design engine
Custom domains

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.

Bubble

Building MVPs and startup web apps without a dev teamnot Retool
Internal business apps with custom database logicnot Retool
Marketplace and SaaS prototypesnot Retool
Mobile app wrappers around a Bubble web appnot Retool

Retool

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

Where each one falls short

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

Bubble

Apps are tied to Bubble's proprietary runtime, making migration to another stack difficult if the platform is later outgrown.
Complex apps can hit performance limits compared to hand-coded applications as data and workflow complexity grows.
The visual workflow editor has a steep learning curve for genuinely complex business logic.
Free tier cannot host apps on a custom domain, limiting it to prototyping rather than production launches.

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

Bubble

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Bubble review.

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 Bubble if

You need visual app editor.
You want to start without paying.
You work on web, ios, android.
You also want built-in database.

Bubble 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 Bubble or Retool better?: Neither clearly leads. Bubble 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, Bubble or Retool?: Bubble starts at Free and Retool at Free.
Does Bubble or Retool run on more platforms?: Bubble runs on web, ios, android. Retool runs on Web, Self-hosted.
Can I use Bubble for free?: Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Bubble best used for?: Bubble is most often used for building mvps and startup web apps without a dev team, internal business apps with custom database logic, marketplace and saas prototypes, mobile app wrappers around a bubble web app. Of those, building mvps and startup web apps without a dev team and internal business apps with custom database logic are not what Retool is typically brought in for.
What can Bubble do that Retool cannot?: Bubble covers Visual app editor, Built-in database, Visual workflow logic, Plugin marketplace. Retool covers Drag-and-drop builder, Database integration, REST API, Real-time data binding.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Bubble: Does Bubble publish pricing information on their main website?

Bubble's pricing details are not available on the main homepage. Detailed pricing information would need to be found on their dedicated pricing page or terms of service.

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

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

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

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

Bubble vs Retool

Bubble

Retool

The short version

Where they differ

What each one covers

Only in Bubble

Only in Retool

What people use each for

Bubble

Retool

Where each one falls short

Bubble

Retool

Pricing, plan by plan

Bubble

Retool

Which should you pick?

Choose Bubble if

Choose Retool if

Questions people ask

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Related pages

More on Bubble

More on Retool

Keep looking

Other head to heads