Top Free Alternatives to Retool
Stop paying expensive subscriptions for Developer Tools tools. Discover the best free and open-source replacements for Retool.
Why switch from Retool?
Retool charges per user, making internal tools extremely expensive as your non-technical team grows. Open-source internal tool builders let you connect to databases, build drag-and-drop GUIs, and self-host for unlimited users.
Appsmith
Build internal tools, admin panels, dashboards, and workflows fast. Drag and drop UI components.
Key Features
- Drag-and-drop page builder
- Javascript integrations
- 45+ database connectors
- Git-based version control
Pros
- + Highly mature component library
- + Supports complex JS coding inside components
- + Robust self-hosting capabilities
Cons
- - Requires basic JS knowledge to build advanced flows
- - Cloud version has performance constraints on free tier
ToolJet
Open-source low-code framework to build and deploy internal tools with minimal engineering effort.
Key Features
- Visual app builder
- Custom widget integration
- Connects to PostgreSQL, MongoDB, Slack
- Multi-page app support
Pros
- + Written in TypeScript
- + Extremely easy to deploy via Docker
- + Clean, responsive grid editor
Cons
- - Fewer complex charts and tables than Retool
- - Smaller plugin ecosystem
Budibase
Low-code platform for internal tools
Key Features
- 100% data control
- Self-hostable
- No vendor lock-in
- Community-driven
Pros
- + Ownership of your data
- + Flexible and customisable
- + Cost-effective
Cons
- - Requires server setup
- - Smaller commercial support
ILLA Cloud
Low-code platform for developers to build internal tools in minutes.
Key Features
- 100% data control
- Self-hostable
- No vendor lock-in
- Community-driven
Pros
- + Ownership of your data
- + Flexible and customisable
- + Cost-effective
Cons
- - Requires server setup
- - Smaller commercial support
Lowdefy
YAML-based low-code platform for internal tools
Key Features
- 100% data control
- Self-hostable
- No vendor lock-in
- Community-driven
Pros
- + Ownership of your data
- + Flexible and customisable
- + Cost-effective
Cons
- - Requires server setup
- - Smaller commercial support
Windmill
Company-wide apps and automations from minimal python or typescript scripts
Key Features
- 100% data control
- Self-hostable
- No vendor lock-in
- Community-driven
Pros
- + Ownership of your data
- + Flexible and customisable
- + Cost-effective
Cons
- - Requires server setup
- - Smaller commercial support