Softwr

Surveys · head to head

Retool vs Tines

Retool logo

Retool

Surveys

The rapid internal tool platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Tines logo

Tines

Automation Integration

No-code automation for security teams

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Retool builders and internal users are billed as separate seat types, so the true cost depends on the mix rather than the headcount; Tines no-code, UI-driven approach is restrictive for complex logic and version control integration with SDLC
  • They diverge on capability: Retool covers Drag-and-drop builder, Tines covers Story builder.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Retool and Tines actually diverge.

Attributes where Retool and Tines differ
AttributeRetoolTines
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
PlatformsWeb, Self-hostedWeb
CategorySurveysAutomation Integration
Founded20172018

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 Retool

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

Only in Tines

  • Story builder
  • Drag-and-drop workflows
  • Event triggers
  • Incident response automation
  • Threat intelligence
  • Case management
  • Alert triage
  • Slack

Both cover

  • SOC2
  • GDPR
  • Cloud deployment

What people use each for

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

Retool

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

Tines

  • Workflow Automationnot Retool
  • Data Integrationnot Retool
  • Process Automationnot Retool
  • App Integrationnot Retool
  • API Connectivitynot Retool

Where each one falls short

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

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

Tines

  • No-code, UI-driven approach is restrictive for complex logic and version control integration with SDLC
  • No native log intelligence layer to validate data completeness
  • Limited scope to security workloads, cannot handle general business automation
  • Governance features lag behind EU AI Act compliance requirements

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Tines

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Tines review.

Which should you pick?

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

Choose Tines if

  • You need story builder.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want drag-and-drop workflows.
Tines review

Questions people ask

Is Retool or Tines better?
Neither clearly leads. Retool starts at Free and Tines at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Retool or Tines?
Retool starts at Free and Tines at Free.
Does Retool or Tines run on more platforms?
Retool runs on Web, Self-hosted. Tines runs on Web.
Can I use Retool for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Retool best used for?
Retool is most often used for building internal admin tools and dashboards over existing databases and apis, giving operations teams a ui for data they would otherwise query by hand. Of those, building internal admin tools and dashboards over existing databases and apis and giving operations teams a ui for data they would otherwise query by hand are not what Tines is typically brought in for.
What can Retool do that Tines cannot?
Retool covers Drag-and-drop builder, Database integration, REST API, Real-time data binding. Tines covers Story builder, Drag-and-drop workflows, Event triggers, Incident response automation. Both handle SOC2, GDPR, Cloud deployment.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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
Tines: What are Tines' pricing tiers?

Tines offers a free Community Edition for evaluation, Starter Edition at $500/month with annual billing, and Business/Enterprise tiers starting around $50,000/year for small security teams and scaling to $200,000+ for large SOCs.

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
Tines: What is the Community Edition limited to?

As of July 2026, the free Community Edition is scoped to 1 builder and 3 flows as an evaluation tool to test Tines' capabilities.

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
Tines: Is Tines limited to security automation?

Yes, Tines is purpose-built for security automation. Teams needing non-security automation on the same orchestration layer would need to evaluate alternatives.

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
Tines: Does Tines have native log intelligence capabilities?

No, Tines lacks a native log intelligence layer, meaning it cannot determine whether the data feeding your detection tools is complete. Teams must build automation against whatever alerts their existing infrastructure provides.

Source
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