GitHub vs Retool
GitHub and Retool are both developer tools tools. GitHub is aimed at developers and small businesses, while Retool is aimed at developers and enterprise. GitHub costs less, from $4/mo versus $12/mo for Retool. Both have a free plan.
| Pricing | Freemium · $4 | Freemium · $12 |
| Starting price | $4/mo | $12/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | 30 days | — |
| Built for | Developers, Small businesses, Enterprise | Developers, Enterprise |
| Platforms | web, macos, windows, ios, android | web |
| Country | US · 2008 | US · 2017 |
| Rating | — | — |
Choose GitHub if
Software teams of any size that want hosted Git, CI/CD, security scanning and AI coding help in one platform.
- Industry standard with the largest developer community
- Generous free plan including private repos and CI minutes
- Huge marketplace of Actions and integrations
Look elsewhere if: Teams that need deep issue tracking or a single self-managed DevSecOps suite (Jira, GitLab).
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.
GitHub vs Retool pricing
GitHub
- Free$0Unlimited repos; 2,000 Actions min/mo, 500MB Packages
- Team$4/user/mo3,000 Actions min/mo, 2GB Packages, protected branches
- Enterprise$21/user/moFrom; 50,000 Actions min, SAML SSO, data residency
- Copilot Pro$10/moIndividual AI coding; Pro+ $39, Max $100 per month
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
GitHub · Key features
- Unlimited public and private Git repositories with pull request reviews
- GitHub Actions CI/CD with hosted Linux, Windows and macOS runners
- Issues, Projects boards and roadmaps for planning work
- Copilot code completion, chat and an autonomous coding agent
- Codespaces cloud development environments billed per hour
- Dependabot, code scanning and secret scanning for supply chain security
Cons
- Actions, Codespaces and Copilot usage can push costs up
- Advanced security features are paid add-ons
- Project planning is lighter than Jira or Linear
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
GitHub vs Retool: FAQ
Which is cheaper, GitHub or Retool?
GitHub starts at $4/mo and Retool at $12/mo. Both prices are checked on the vendors' own pricing pages.
Do GitHub and Retool have a free plan?
Yes, both GitHub and Retool have a free plan; paid plans add more usage and features.
Which is better for small businesses, GitHub or Retool?
GitHub lists small businesses as a core audience, while Retool is aimed more at developers and enterprise.