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Surveys · head to head

Device Magic vs Retool

Device Magic logo

Device Magic

Surveys

Offline mobile forms for field crews, quote-only with a three user minimum, now under GoCanvas

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Retool logo

Retool

Surveys

The rapid internal tool platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Retool has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Device Magic neither plan publishes a price and both carry a three user minimum billed annually, so a two-person business cannot buy it at all and a small firm cannot benchmark the quote against published competitors; 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: Device Magic covers Fully offline capture, Retool covers Drag-and-drop builder.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Device Magic and Retool actually diverge.

Attributes where Device Magic and Retool differ
AttributeDevice MagicRetool
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquotesubscription
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsiOS, Android, WebWeb, Self-hosted
FoundedUnknown2017

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Surveys).

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 Device Magic

  • Fully offline capture
  • Formatted PDF output
  • Destinations
  • Dispatch and scheduling
  • Resource data
  • Conditional logic
  • White labelling

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.

Device Magic

  • A mechanical contractor whose service certificates must reach the customer as a specific PDF layout immediately after the visitnot Retool
  • An inspection crew working in basements and rural sites where there is no signal for most of the working daynot Retool
  • A utility that needs the day's jobs dispatched to named engineers with the right form attached to each onenot Retool
  • A business replacing carbon-copy job sheets where the office currently re-keys every sheet into an accounting systemnot Retool

Retool

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

Where each one falls short

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

Device Magic

  • Neither plan publishes a price and both carry a three user minimum billed annually, so a two-person business cannot buy it at all and a small firm cannot benchmark the quote against published competitors
  • Device Magic is now part of GoCanvas, which sells an overlapping mobile forms product, so buyers should ask directly about long-term investment in Device Magic before signing a multi-year term
  • Per user per month pricing means seasonal and occasional field staff consume full seats, and businesses with a large casual crew pay for licences that are used a few weeks a year
  • It captures and delivers data but does not manage the work itself, so there is no job costing, no scheduling depth and no invoicing, and it usually sits alongside a field service management system rather than replacing one
  • PDF layout control is the main reason to buy it and is also the most fiddly part of the product; complex certificate layouts take real configuration effort and are not something a field supervisor will maintain

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

Device Magic

On request
  • Max$undefined/month
    • Per user per month, billed annually
    • Three user minimum
    • Unlimited forms and submissions
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Per user per month, billed annually
    • Three user minimum
    • Everything in Max

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 Device Magic if

  • You need fully offline capture.
  • You work on iOS, Android, Web.
  • You also want formatted pdf output.
Device Magic 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 Device Magic or Retool better?
Neither clearly leads. Device Magic starts at On request and Retool at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Device Magic or Retool?
Retool has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Device Magic and Free for Retool.
Does Device Magic or Retool run on more platforms?
Device Magic runs on iOS, Android, Web. Retool runs on Web, Self-hosted.
Can I use Retool for free?
Yes. Retool has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Device Magic starts at On request.
What is Device Magic best used for?
Device Magic is most often used for a mechanical contractor whose service certificates must reach the customer as a specific pdf layout immediately after the visit, an inspection crew working in basements and rural sites where there is no signal for most of the working day, a utility that needs the day's jobs dispatched to named engineers with the right form attached to each one, a business replacing carbon-copy job sheets where the office currently re-keys every sheet into an accounting system. Of those, a mechanical contractor whose service certificates must reach the customer as a specific pdf layout immediately after the visit and an inspection crew working in basements and rural sites where there is no signal for most of the working day are not what Retool is typically brought in for.
What can Device Magic do that Retool cannot?
Device Magic covers Fully offline capture, Formatted PDF output, Destinations, Dispatch and scheduling. Retool covers Drag-and-drop builder, Database integration, REST API, Real-time data binding.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Device Magic: What does Device Magic cost?

It does not publish prices. Both the Max and Enterprise plans are per user per month billed annually with a three user minimum, and you get a figure from sales.

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
Device Magic: Who owns Device Magic?

It is part of GoCanvas, which also sells a competing mobile forms product.

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
Device Magic: Does it work with no signal?

Yes, that is the main use case. Forms and reference data are held on the device and submissions sync when connectivity returns.

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
Device Magic: Is there a submission limit?

No. Both plans list unlimited forms, unlimited submissions and unlimited lifetime data storage, so the cost variable is seats.

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
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