Softwr

Surveys · head to head

Fillout vs Retool

Fillout logo

Fillout

Surveys

Form builder that reads and writes records in Airtable, Notion, HubSpot and Salesforce, with unlimited seats on every plan including the free one

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Retool logo

Retool

Surveys

The rapid internal tool platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Fillout the Business plan is marketed with unlimited responses but the fair use policy names thresholds of 30,000 submissions a month, 250,000 in total, 500 forms per account and 50 GB of uploads a month, above which the vendor may limit or suspend features, so unlimited means unmetered rather than uncapped.; 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: Fillout covers Unlimited seats and forms, Retool covers Drag-and-drop builder.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Fillout and Retool actually diverge.

Attributes where Fillout and Retool differ
AttributeFilloutRetool
Pricing modelPer month by response countsubscription
PlatformsWeb, APIWeb, Self-hosted
FoundedUnknown2017

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 Fillout

  • Unlimited seats and forms
  • Database read and write
  • Soft response limits
  • Conditional logic and calculations
  • EU hosting
  • REST API and webhooks

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.

Fillout

  • A team already running on Airtable or Notion that wants forms which update existing records rather than appending new rowsnot Retool
  • An organisation with many occasional form builders, where per-seat pricing elsewhere would cost more than the forms are worthnot Retool
  • Replacing a survey tool, a scheduling tool and a payment link with one form that does all threenot Retool
  • Public forms that must keep collecting through an unexpected traffic spike rather than shutting off at a quotanot Retool

Retool

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

Where each one falls short

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

Fillout

  • The Business plan is marketed with unlimited responses but the fair use policy names thresholds of 30,000 submissions a month, 250,000 in total, 500 forms per account and 50 GB of uploads a month, above which the vendor may limit or suspend features, so unlimited means unmetered rather than uncapped.
  • EU data residency begins on the Team plan at 250 USD per month, more than three times the Business price, and is not applied automatically; you must upgrade and then raise a support request to be moved.
  • The Team plan is hidden behind a secondary tab that does not render without interaction, so buyers reading the pricing page see Business at 75 USD as the top self-serve tier and only discover the 250 USD step when they ask for single sign-on or EU hosting.
  • The enterprise marketing page lists hosting in the United States, EU, United Kingdom, Australia and Canada, but the security documentation and subprocessor list name only the United States and the EU, so three of those five regions should be confirmed in writing before they are relied on.
  • The vendor is SOC 2 Type 2 but claims neither ISO 27001 nor HIPAA anywhere in its documentation, and it is angel-funded with no disclosed institutional round while the parent company now trades as Zite and ships a separate AI application builder.

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

Fillout

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 1,000 responses per month
    • Unlimited forms and unlimited seats
    • 20 MB per file upload
  • Starter$15/month
    • 180 USD per year billed annually, a stated 20 percent saving on monthly billing
    • 2,000 responses per month
    • Unlimited forms and seats
  • Pro$40/month
    • 480 USD per year billed annually
    • 5,000 responses per month
    • Branding fully removed at this tier
  • Business$75/month
    • 900 USD per year billed annually
    • Marketed as unlimited responses, subject to a fair use threshold near 30,000 per month
    • 1 GB per file upload

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 Fillout if

  • You need unlimited seats and forms.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, API.
  • You also want database read and write.
Fillout 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 Fillout or Retool better?
Neither clearly leads. Fillout 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, Fillout or Retool?
Fillout starts at Free and Retool at Free.
Does Fillout or Retool run on more platforms?
Fillout runs on Web, API. Retool runs on Web, Self-hosted.
Can I use Fillout for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Fillout best used for?
Fillout is most often used for a team already running on airtable or notion that wants forms which update existing records rather than appending new rows, an organisation with many occasional form builders, where per-seat pricing elsewhere would cost more than the forms are worth, replacing a survey tool, a scheduling tool and a payment link with one form that does all three, public forms that must keep collecting through an unexpected traffic spike rather than shutting off at a quota. Of those, a team already running on airtable or notion that wants forms which update existing records rather than appending new rows and an organisation with many occasional form builders, where per-seat pricing elsewhere would cost more than the forms are worth are not what Retool is typically brought in for.
What can Fillout do that Retool cannot?
Fillout covers Unlimited seats and forms, Database read and write, Soft response limits, Conditional logic and calculations. Retool covers Drag-and-drop builder, Database integration, REST API, Real-time data binding.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Fillout: Are seats really unlimited?

Yes. The vendor states there are no per-seat charges on any plan, including Free, and forms are unlimited too. Responses per month is the only meter below the Business tier.

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
Fillout: What happens when I exceed my response quota?

Nothing breaks. Forms keep collecting, and you can upgrade, buy bulk submissions or wait for the monthly reset.

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
Fillout: Can I host respondent data in the EU?

Only from the Team plan at 250 USD per month, and only after contacting support to switch. Note that email and payment subprocessors remain in the United States regardless.

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
Fillout: Is the Business plan really unlimited responses?

It is unmetered, not uncapped. The fair use policy names roughly 30,000 submissions a month as the point at which the vendor may intervene, so treat that as the practical ceiling.

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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