Insight

What is Retool?

At Sixth Generation, we believe building business applications should be as straightforward as snapping LEGO bricks together.

That's where Retool comes in, a developer-first, low-code platform that lets you assemble internal tools, dashboards, customer portals, mobile apps, and AI-powered software from reusable components.

You’ll still write some JavaScript or SQL, but instead of starting from scratch, you drag and drop UI components, connect them to your data sources, and deploy.

The result? Production-ready apps and automations built in record time without sacrificing flexibility or control.

Last update 08-08-2025
Build with Retool blocks

Where does Retool shine?

Retool is built for functional, data-driven business applications that need to get into users’ hands quickly.
  • Internal tools like admin panels, dashboards, planning modules, approval workflows.
  • Operational systems for managing orders, inventory, or field teams.
  • Secure portals where customers or partners can access orders, documents, or follow-up tasks.
  • AI-enabled tools that combine structured data with language model capabilities.
If your goal is to connect to multiple data sources, apply business logic, and deliver a reliable interface fast, Retool is one of the most efficient ways to do it.

When isn’t Retool the right choice?

Retool is not the best fit for marketing sites, public webshops, or projects where pixel-perfect design outweighs functionality.
  • Public-facing marketing sites or large-scale e-commerce platforms are not a good fit, as Retool is not built for high-traffic, content-heavy experiences.
  • Design-first applications that prioritise pixel-perfect branding over speed and integration are better suited to other tools.
  • Purely no-code projects may struggle, since Retool is designed for teams comfortable writing at least some JavaScript or SQL.
In short: Retool is a master of building business-critical applications fast, but it’s not trying to replace your CMS, e-commerce engine, or full-blown design studio.

Who uses Retool?

From Amazon, Boeing, and Adobe to OpenAI, Pfizer, and Doordash, Retool powers internal tools for some of the world’s most recognisable brands.

It’s built for teams that need to turn ideas into working software fast, without giving up control over data, logic, or integrations.
  • Developers and technical teams who need to deliver reliable tools quickly.
  • Startups and SMBs looking for a scalable platform that’s flexible enough to iterate fast.
  • Enterprises that require governance, SSO, and self-hosting capabilities.
  • Teams exploring AI who want seamless LLM integration and the ability to run task-focused agents.
A list of Retool customers
A list of companies building with Retool.

How to build a Retool app in 5 steps

Building an app with Retool is simple: connect your data, design your interface, add your logic, and deploy.
  • Connect your data: Postgres, MySQL, REST, GraphQL, or Retool’s managed PostgreSQL database.
  • Design your UI: choose from 100+ components like tables, forms, charts, and lists.
  • Customise the logic: add validation, conditional rules, and theming for a consistent look.
  • Add code where it matters: SQL, JavaScript, or Python for business logic or transformations.
  • Deploy instantly: to Retool Cloud or your own infrastructure with full permission controls.
Interface of how Retool works
A glimpse of what building with Retool looks like.

What does Retool offer beside app building?

Workflows let you automate backend processes, whether they run on a schedule or trigger in response to specific events.
Retool Workflows
Mobile Apps built in Retool give iOS and Android users features like barcode scanning, offline sync, and easy data entry in the field.
Retool Mobile
Database provides a fully managed Postgres backend you can query, edit, and manage directly from Retool’s interface.
Retool Database
External Apps allow you to create secure, branded portals where clients or partners can log in and interact with their data.
Retool External Apps
AI & Agents connect your apps to large language models, vector search, and custom or pre-built AI agents that automate tasks.
Retool AI Agents
Self-Hosting gives you the option to run Retool entirely on your own infrastructure for maximum security and control.
Retool Self-hosted

Retool as the application layer for AI

AI has huge potential, but many companies get stuck at the “cool demo” stage. A chatbot or proof-of-concept is one thing, but embedding AI into your business processes in a way that drives measurable results is another.

Retool acts as the application layer between your AI models and your business operations. It connects seamlessly to your data, lets you choose the best model for each task, and gives you the tools to build secure, production-ready applications. Whether it’s natural-language SQL queries, automated document processing, or agentic workflows that execute multi-step tasks, Retool makes AI usable where it matters most: inside the tools your team actually works with.

You’re not locked into a single provider. Retool is model-agnostic and works with OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, Amazon, or your own fine-tuned models. You can enrich prompts with real business context through vector databases and data integrations, and monitor or adjust your AI agents from a single dashboard.

In short, Retool doesn’t just add AI to your apps, it gives you the structure, governance, and flexibility to turn AI into a true operational advantage.
Learn how we built a Retool Agent that automatically processes incoming purchase orders.

How do I maintain Retool apps?

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.

How does pricing work?

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.
Retool Pricing as of August 2025.
Retool pricing in August 2025.

Why do businesses choose Retool?

Retool is built for teams that want a pragmatic approach to software development.

Some of the highlights:
  • Retool offers hundreds of components and templates that help you accelerate delivery.
  • It connects to nearly any database or API, making integration straightforward.
  • It takes a security-first approach with SSO, audit logs, RBAC, secrets management, and self-hosting options.
  • It can serve as an application layer for AI, allowing you to plug in LLMs and use built-in AI agents.
  • It is mobile-friendly with offline support.
Things to keep in mind:
  • You will get the most out of Retool if you have basic JS/SQL knowledge.
  • Its design flexibility is more limited than dedicated design-first tools.
  • It is best suited for business applications rather than public-facing e-commerce or marketing sites.
The impact Retool made at Doordash
The impact Retool made at Doordash.

How does Retool compare to other low-code platforms?

When choosing a low-code platform, it’s important to balance speed, extensibility, and complexity against your team’s skills and resources.
Platform
Pros
Cons
Microsoft Power Platform
  • Quick to build
  • Citizen development
  • Strong RBAC with Entra ID / Dataverse
  • Deep Microsoft 365 integration
  • Not for complex scenarios
  • Governance can be cumbersome at scale
  • Proprietary languages
  • Restrictive advanced integrations
Retool
  • Fast to develop
  • Supports custom JavaScript / SQL
  • Can integrate with nearly any database or API
  • Enterprise-grade governance and security layer
  • Requires some coding knowledge
  • Less suited for pure consumer-facing experiences
  • Visual customisation handled through theming rather than custom design systems
Mendix / OutSystems
  • Fully customisable
  • Pixel-perfect UI
  • Strong enterprise features
  • Broad scalability
  • Resource-intensive to build and maintain
  • Vendor lock-in risk
  • May require re-structuring or expanding engineering teams
Microsoft Power Platform
Pros
  • Quick to build
  • Citizen development
  • Strong RBAC with Entra ID / Dataverse
  • Deep Microsoft 365 integration
Cons
  • Not for complex scenarios
  • Governance can be cumbersome at scale
  • Proprietary languages
  • Restrictive advanced integrations
Retool
Pros
  • Fast to develop
  • Supports custom JavaScript / SQL
  • Can integrate with nearly any database or API
  • Enterprise-grade governance and security layer
Cons
  • Requires some coding knowledge
  • Less suited for pure consumer-facing experiences
  • Visual customisation handled through theming rather than custom design systems
Mendix / OutSystems
Pros
  • Fully customisable
  • Pixel-perfect UI
  • Strong enterprise features
  • Broad scalability
Cons
  • Resource-intensive to build and maintain
  • Vendor lock-in risk
  • May require re-structuring or expanding engineering teams
Retool strikes the balance between speed and flexibility, offering the extensibility of custom code with the efficiency of low-code — ideal for teams that want to move fast without sacrificing control.

Quick answers

Do I need coding skills to use Retool?
Yes, basic knowledge of JavaScript and SQL will allow you to unlock Retool's full potential.

What types of apps can I build with Retool?
You can create business applications to help teams work more efficient, mobile apps to help people on-the-go, secure customer portals to share information with clients, and AI powered apps and agents.

Does Retool offer strong security features?
Yes, Retool includes access control, audit logging, single sign-on and options for self-hosting.

Can I integrate AI in Retool apps?
Retool works with major large language models, supports vector search, and allows you to build both pre-built and custom AI agents.

How Sixth Generation helps

We make sure you get the most out of Retool, from first prototype to enterprise rollout.

As an official Retool Agency Partner, we help you:
  • Evaluate your needs and pick the right setup.
  • Design the architecture, data flows, and integrations.
  • Build apps that work today and adapt to tomorrow.
  • Train your team to use Retool effectively.
  • Provide ongoing support and scaling guidance.
If you’re ready to move from scattered spreadsheets to powerful, cohesive platforms, let’s talk.
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