Lovable vs Retool
Lovable and Retool are both developer tools tools. Lovable is aimed at developers and small businesses, while Retool is aimed at developers and enterprise. Retool costs less, from $12/mo versus $25/mo for Lovable. Both have a free plan.
| Pricing | Freemium · $25 | Freemium · $12 |
| Starting price | $25/mo | $12/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Built for | Developers, Small businesses, Freelancers, Creators | Developers, Enterprise |
| Platforms | web | web |
| Country | SE · 2023 | US · 2017 |
| Rating | — | — |
Choose Lovable if
Founders, product managers and designers who want a working full-stack web app prototype in hours, not weeks.
- Fastest path from idea to a working full-stack prototype
- Real code you own and can export through GitHub
- Credit-based pricing with unlimited workspace members
Look elsewhere if: Teams building complex, long-lived production systems or native mobile apps (Bubble, FlutterFlow, Cursor).
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.
Lovable vs Retool pricing
Lovable
- Free$05 build credits/day, up to 30/mo; no code editing
- Pro$25/mo100 credits; ~$21/mo billed annually; custom domains
- Business$50/mo100 credits; ~$42/mo billed annually; SSO, templates
- EnterpriseCustomVolume-based credits set by contract
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
Lovable · Key features
- Prompt-to-app generation of React and TypeScript web apps
- Lovable Cloud and Supabase for database, auth and storage
- Stripe payments and Shopify store integrations
- Visual edits alongside chat-based changes
- Two-way GitHub sync for moving code into your own IDE
- One-click deploys with custom domains on paid plans
Cons
- Credits run out quickly on large or iterative projects
- Generated code needs review for security and structure
- Free plan cannot edit or download code
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
Lovable vs Retool: FAQ
Which is cheaper, Lovable or Retool?
Retool starts at $12/mo and Lovable at $25/mo. Both prices are checked on the vendors' own pricing pages.
Do Lovable and Retool have a free plan?
Yes, both Lovable and Retool have a free plan; paid plans add more usage and features.
Which is better for small businesses, Lovable or Retool?
Lovable lists small businesses as a core audience, while Retool is aimed more at developers and enterprise.