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Marketing · head to head

Marketing Evolution vs Retool

Marketing Evolution logo

Marketing Evolution

Marketing

Advanced marketing analytics and attribution modeling

From
$5000/month
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite
Retool logo

Retool

Surveys

The rapid internal tool platform

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Retool has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Marketing Evolution pricing not published on vendor website; enterprise data infrastructure platform requires custom quote; 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: Marketing Evolution covers Multi-touch attribution, Retool covers Drag-and-drop builder.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Marketing Evolution and Retool actually diverge.

Attributes where Marketing Evolution and Retool differ
AttributeMarketing EvolutionRetool
Starting price$5000/monthFree
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Api, AnalyticsWeb, Self-hosted
CategoryMarketingSurveys
Founded20082017

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), 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 Marketing Evolution

  • Multi-touch attribution
  • Marketing mix modeling
  • Channel performance
  • ROI analysis
  • Forecasting
  • Budget optimization
  • Custom reporting
  • Advanced analytics

Only in Retool

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

Both cover

  • SOC2

What people use each for

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

Marketing Evolution

  • Marketing data unification across paid, owned, and third-party data sourcesnot Retool
  • Attribution modeling and customer journey reconstructionnot Retool
  • AI-agent-ready marketing data context and business ontologynot Retool
  • Marketing budget planning and scenario simulation with Darwin toolnot Retool
  • Cross-channel performance monitoring and KPI standardizationnot Retool

Retool

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

Where each one falls short

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

Marketing Evolution

  • Pricing not published on vendor website; enterprise data infrastructure platform requires custom quote

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

Marketing Evolution

$5000/month
  • Professional$5000/month
    • Basic attribution modeling
    • Multiple channels
    • Monthly reporting
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Advanced attribution
    • Unlimited channels
    • Real-time analysis
  • Custom$undefined/month
    • Custom implementation
    • Professional services
    • Consulting included

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 Marketing Evolution if

  • You need multi-touch attribution.
  • You work on Web, Api, Analytics.
  • You also want marketing mix modeling.
Marketing Evolution 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 Marketing Evolution or Retool better?
Neither clearly leads. Marketing Evolution starts at $5000/month and Retool at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Marketing Evolution or Retool?
Retool has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $5000/month for Marketing Evolution and Free for Retool.
Does Marketing Evolution or Retool run on more platforms?
Marketing Evolution runs on Web, Api, Analytics. 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. Marketing Evolution starts at $5000/month.
What is Marketing Evolution best used for?
Marketing Evolution is most often used for marketing data unification across paid, owned, and third-party data sources, attribution modeling and customer journey reconstruction, ai-agent-ready marketing data context and business ontology, marketing budget planning and scenario simulation with darwin tool. Of those, marketing data unification across paid, owned, and third-party data sources and attribution modeling and customer journey reconstruction are not what Retool is typically brought in for.
What can Marketing Evolution do that Retool cannot?
Marketing Evolution covers Multi-touch attribution, Marketing mix modeling, Channel performance, ROI analysis. Retool covers Drag-and-drop builder, Database integration, REST API, Real-time data binding. Both handle SOC2.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Marketing Evolution: How much does Marketing Evolution Substrate cost?

Marketing Evolution does not publish pricing on its website. The Substrate platform is sold through enterprise contracts requiring custom quotes.

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
Marketing Evolution: What is the cost of Darwin proactive intelligence?

Darwin is included with the Substrate platform. Marketing Evolution does not publish per-user or per-instance pricing on its website.

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
Marketing Evolution: Does Marketing Evolution offer a free trial?

Marketing Evolution directs users to request a demo or get started on the website. No free trial period is mentioned or offered.

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
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