Retool excels at building internal tools: admin panels, back offices, dashboards, planning modules, etc. It’s ideal for organisations that work data-driven and want to iterate quickly.

What Retool is not: a platform to build public webshops or large-scale customer-facing marketing websites. However, it’s perfectly suited to provide end users secure access to things like their orders, files, or follow-up tasks.

Retool isn’t a jack-of-all-trades, but it is a master of functional business applications where speed and integration are key.

Platforms like Mendix or Outsystems position themselves as all-in-one solutions for both customer-facing and internal apps. They often require a heavy investment and deep integration into your IT landscape.

Retool, on the other hand, is lightweight, fast, and designed to integrate with what you already have. It’s an ideal addition to your existing systems, not a replacement.

Whether you work with SQL, REST APIs, GraphQL, Firebase, or an ERP like Business Central, Retool is built to integrate with your existing tools. No vendor lock-in, no hassle with connectors. Retool speaks your language—literally and figuratively.

Retool makes it incredibly easy to apply AI in your internal tools. Thanks to out-of-the-box OpenAI integrations, you can use AI features directly in your apps and workflows.

With Retool Workflows, you automate complex processes step by step, and with Retool Agents, you add a layer of AI-driven decision-making. Think of an agent that analyses incoming emails and routes them, or one that fills in missing data based on context.

These features let you leverage AI smartly, without setting up infrastructure or managing extra tools.

From Amazon, OpenAI, and Doordash to Brex and Plaid, Retool is used globally by innovative companies aiming to streamline internal processes. It proves its value in sectors like logistics, fintech, healthcare, and beyond.

Retool offers various license models, from free to business and enterprise, so you can get started at any level. The core functionality is powerful in all versions: you build performant tools quickly, with full access to data sources, components, and workflows.

A Business license gives you access to valuable extras like release management, audit logging, advanced permission management, and the ability to embed apps externally. This makes it ideal for professional teams that want to scale without immediately moving to an enterprise setup.

The Enterprise license adds even more capabilities such as single sign-on (SSO), custom onboarding flows, Git integration, and extended governance and compliance features. These are particularly relevant for larger organisations or multi-team deployments.

Retool uses a user-based pricing model, where both builders and end users count. The total cost depends on your user structure and how broadly you want to use the platform.

As an official Retool Agency Partner, Sixth Generation helps you choose a model that fits your use case and organisation.

Unlike custom-built apps, Retool requires virtually no maintenance budget. No worrying about dependency updates, library upgrades, or security patches. All examples of digital erosion: hidden costs that slowly drain your resources without adding value.

With Retool, that burden largely disappears. Applications continue running without constant intervention. This means you can invest your budget in what truly matters: building new features that create real impact. Retool’s stability ensures clients get long-term value from their apps without repeatedly investing in maintenance.

As a Retool Agency Partner, we don’t just build apps—we advise, train, integrate, and maximize your ROI. We know where Retool makes a difference and where it doesn’t. With experience in sectors like government, logistics, services, and manufacturing, we deliver real impact.