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Surveys · head to head

Medallia vs Retool

Medallia logo

Medallia

Surveys

Enterprise experience management platform for customer, employee and contact centre feedback

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: Medallia there is no published pricing and no self-serve tier, so evaluating cost requires a sales process before any real budgeting can happen.; 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: Medallia covers Multi-channel feedback 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 Medallia and Retool actually diverge.

Attributes where Medallia and Retool differ
AttributeMedalliaRetool
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquotesubscription
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb, 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 Medallia

  • Multi-channel feedback capture
  • AI text and sentiment analysis
  • Role-based reporting
  • Contact centre analytics
  • Experience orchestration
  • Market research tools

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.

Medallia

  • A retail or hospitality chain that wants customer feedback, digital behaviour and call transcripts unified in one platformnot Retool
  • An enterprise with a dedicated CX team needing role-based dashboards from frontline staff to the executive teamnot Retool
  • A contact centre wanting agent coaching and quality management driven by the same data as customer satisfaction scoresnot Retool
  • A company running employee and customer experience programmes and wanting one vendor across bothnot Retool

Retool

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

Where each one falls short

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

Medallia

  • There is no published pricing and no self-serve tier, so evaluating cost requires a sales process before any real budgeting can happen.
  • Implementation is a project, not a signup, and typically involves data integration and consulting work before the platform produces usable dashboards.
  • The breadth of modules means a buyer who only needs a simple survey tool is paying for enterprise infrastructure they will not use.
  • Switching away later means re-architecting how feedback is collected across the organisation, which creates real vendor lock-in once rolled out.
  • Smaller teams and mid-market companies are effectively priced out, since the platform and its go-to-market are built for large enterprise accounts.

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

Medallia

On request
  • Medallia Experience Cloud$undefined/year
    • No published pricing, sold as a multi-year enterprise contract
    • Pricing depends on modules (CX, EX, contact centre, market research)
    • Implementation and integration typically charged separately

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 Medallia if

  • You need multi-channel feedback capture.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want ai text and sentiment analysis.
Medallia 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 Medallia or Retool better?
Neither clearly leads. Medallia 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, Medallia or Retool?
Retool has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Medallia and Free for Retool.
Does Medallia or Retool run on more platforms?
Medallia runs on Web, iOS, Android. 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. Medallia starts at On request.
What is Medallia best used for?
Medallia is most often used for a retail or hospitality chain that wants customer feedback, digital behaviour and call transcripts unified in one platform, an enterprise with a dedicated cx team needing role-based dashboards from frontline staff to the executive team, a contact centre wanting agent coaching and quality management driven by the same data as customer satisfaction scores, a company running employee and customer experience programmes and wanting one vendor across both. Of those, a retail or hospitality chain that wants customer feedback, digital behaviour and call transcripts unified in one platform and an enterprise with a dedicated cx team needing role-based dashboards from frontline staff to the executive team are not what Retool is typically brought in for.
What can Medallia do that Retool cannot?
Medallia covers Multi-channel feedback capture, AI text and sentiment analysis, Role-based reporting, Contact centre analytics. Retool covers Drag-and-drop builder, Database integration, REST API, Real-time data binding.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Medallia: Is there a self-serve or free version?

No. Medallia sells only through direct sales with quoted enterprise contracts; there is no published price list.

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
Medallia: Can a mid-sized company buy Medallia?

Technically yes, but the sales motion, implementation cost and contract structure are built for large enterprise deployments, not smaller teams.

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
Medallia: Does it replace a standalone survey tool?

It can collect surveys, but its value is in unifying multiple feedback channels; a company only needing surveys is better served by a cheaper dedicated tool.

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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