Retool

What it does

Retool takes a plain-English description of an app or automation, or a React codebase exported as a .zip or synced from GitHub, and produces an internal app connected to your data sources. The app builder generates a working starting point from a prompt, and developers can then refine components, queries, and custom logic. Finished apps can be published into a governed Retool environment with authentication, access controls, and audit logging.

Teams use Retool to replace internal tools such as dashboards, admin panels, approval flows, and data-entry apps that would otherwise wait on engineering. Notable capabilities include the app builder, an MCP server and CLI for building from coding agents, and import of React apps from platforms such as Lovable and Replit. Connections to production data run under the organization's existing permissions, and staging and production environments are available on paid plans.

Retool suits developers, analysts, and operations teams that need internal software quickly while keeping IT oversight. Cloud deployment is available on all plans, and self-hosted or air-gapped deployment is offered on Enterprise. The free plan supports up to 5 users with 250 AI credits per month, and paid plans are priced per builder. Next.js apps are imported on a best-effort basis, Vue, Angular, and Svelte frontends and Python or Go backends are not supported, and mobile or native-bridge apps are out of scope.

What it can do

• Generate a working internal app from a natural-language prompt in the app builder
• Import React apps exported as a .zip (up to 50 MB) or synced from GitHub
• Build apps and deploy them with an MCP server and CLI from coding agents
• Connect apps to production databases and APIs under existing permissions
• Build native mobile apps deployable to iOS, Android, or as a PWA on paid plans
• Run scheduled and webhook-triggered workflows and build AI agents with observability and evaluations

Works with

• PostgreSQL / Supabase (native SQL integration)
• MongoDB and DynamoDB (native non-SQL)
• Amazon S3 and Google Cloud Storage (file storage)
• Stripe, Jira, Salesforce (native SaaS integrations named in docs)
• Generic REST and GraphQL integrations

Example workflows

Build an internal approval app from a prompt

Input: a plain-English description such as a PTO request form with manager approval. Steps: describe the app in the app builder, review the generated starting point, connect the data source with @ references, refine components. Output: a working internal app ready to publish.

Import a Lovable React app

Input: a React project exported as a .zip under 50 MB. Steps: upload the zip in the app builder, connect each detected resource or use mock data, confirm selections. Output: the app recreated in Retool with its backend calls mapped to Retool resources.

Before you choose

• Cloud app building is free for up to 5 users on the free plan; paid plans bill per builder per month, with internal user pricing separate.
• Agents are billed by hourly runtime, not from the AI credit pool, and rates vary by model.
• Business includes audit logs and rich permissions. Enterprise adds controls such as granular roles, SSO/SCIM and self-hosted deployment.

Listed under

• Coding
• App builders
• Admin panels
• AI agents
• App builder
• Developers
• Enterprise
• Internal tools

Get started

Sign up for a free account; the free plan includes up to 5 users.

1. Create a free account at the Start for free link and sign in to the app builder.
2. Connect at least one data source as a resource so the app can query live data, or use mock data to start.
3. Publish the app to a governed environment and set user access, or install the MCP server/CLI to build from a coding agent.

With annual billing, Team is $10 per builder/month plus $5 per internal user/month; Business is $50 per builder/month plus $15 per internal user/month. These are different seat types, not discounted builder rates. Agents have separate hourly runtime billing and do not use the AI credit pool. Confirm monthly billing and external-user rates separately.

Source: retool.com/pricing, checked 1 Nov 2026. Prices can change; check before you buy.

Sources for this overview

Product pages, documentation, and pricing checked 1 Nov 2026. Each source supports part of the overview; availability and prices can change.

• Build internal software better, with AI. | Retool ↗retool.com
• Import external React apps | Retool Docs ↗docs.retool.com
• Pricing | Retool ↗retool.com

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retool.com: product, pricing and policy pages

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knowledge_base

Last checked 1 Nov 2026. Every field keeps its source and date; unknown means we couldn’t confirm it.