Airtable vs Retool
Airtable and Retool are both no-code & low-code tools. Airtable is aimed at small businesses and enterprise, while Retool is aimed at developers and enterprise. Retool costs less, from $12/mo versus $24/mo for Airtable. Both have a free plan.
| Pricing | Freemium · $24 | Freemium · $12 |
| Starting price | $24/mo | $12/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Built for | Small businesses, Enterprise | Developers, Enterprise |
| Platforms | web, ios, android | web |
| Country | US · 2012 | US · 2017 |
| Rating | — | — |
Choose Airtable if
Operations, marketing and content teams that outgrew spreadsheets but do not want a developer-built system.
- Approachable for spreadsheet users yet relational
- Interfaces turn data into usable apps without code
- Rich field types and views
Look elsewhere if: Very large datasets, budget-sensitive teams (Baserow, NocoDB, Grist), or engineering data that belongs in a real database.
Choose Retool if
Engineering and operations teams at startups and enterprises who need internal tools fast.
- Fastest way to build internal tools
- Rich component library and connectors
- Free for 5 users
Look elsewhere if: Customer-facing apps or non-technical builders without SQL/JS basics.
Airtable vs Retool pricing
Airtable
- Free$01,000 records/base, 5 editors, 1 GB
- Team$24/seat/mo$20 billed annually; 50,000 records/base, 20 GB
- Business$54/seat/mo$45 billed annually; 125,000 records, SAML SSO
- Enterprise ScaleCustom500,000 records, enterprise API
Retool
- Free$0Up to 5 users, 500 workflow runs/mo
- Team$12/builder/mo$10 billed annually; internal users $7 ($5); 5,000 runs/mo
- Business$65/builder/mo$50 billed annually; internal users $18 ($15); audit logs
- EnterpriseCustomSSO, SCIM, Git, up to 6 instances
Airtable · Key features
- Relational tables with 25+ field types, lookups and rollups
- Grid, kanban, calendar, gallery, Gantt, timeline and form views
- Interface Designer for dashboards and internal apps
- Automations with triggers, scripts and AI steps
- Sync between bases and external sources (Salesforce, Jira, Google Sheets)
- REST API, webhooks and extensions marketplace
Cons
- Record limits per base can block growth
- Per-seat pricing is high for large teams of light users
- Free plan shrank significantly
Retool · Key features
- 100+ components with drag-and-drop layout
- Native connectors to databases and APIs; SQL and JS everywhere
- Retool Workflows for automation and cron
- Retool Mobile for native internal apps
- AI components and Retool Agents
- Permissions, audit logs, source control and self-hosting (Enterprise)
Cons
- Per-user pricing adds up for large orgs
- Complex apps hit the limits of the model
- JavaScript knowledge needed for real logic
Airtable vs Retool: FAQ
Which is cheaper, Airtable or Retool?
Retool starts at $12/mo and Airtable at $24/mo. Both prices are checked on the vendors' own pricing pages.
Do Airtable and Retool have a free plan?
Yes, both Airtable and Retool have a free plan; paid plans add more usage and features.
Which is better for small businesses, Airtable or Retool?
Airtable lists small businesses as a core audience, while Retool is aimed more at developers and enterprise.