The financial aspect is among the most serious ones to think about before starting your software project realization. Nobody wants to run out of budget and to be left with a half-finished product. To avoid such a situation, it is highly recommended to think about development costs in advance. Retool low-code development is considered to be a cost-efficient approach. That’s why it is often chosen for companies of different types and sizes that are planning to build their business solutions for internal use. If you are also thinking about such an option, this article is for you. In our blog post, we offer you to take a closer look at Retool pricing and its peculiarities.
Is Retool free?
The use of free development tools may seem the best idea for those who are looking for cost optimization. Nevertheless, Retool is not fully free. In general, it is a tool that is provided on a paid basis and you should take Retool cost into account while planning your project budget. However, it has a free plan. Despite some limitations, it can be a good choice for developers and teams, who are just starting their journey in the business world.
As well as other Retool plans, this one includes such roles as standard and end users. While standard users are those who make their contribution to building or editing apps and workflows during the billing cycle, users from the second category do not participate in these activities. The free plan is available to a group of up to 5 users.
Of course, if you compare this offer with paid variants, you will see a row of serious differences that may provoke some doubts at first glance. There are some limitations related to the data storage, as well as the number of workflow runs per month.
Our team has been working with Retool and other low-code development platforms for quite a while. That’s why we can say that with these resources provided for free, it is possible to finish more than half of your software product. This means that you can opt for this plan when you need to test your idea.
Moreover, you can use this plan to familiarize yourself with the platform and its functionality without any financial risks.
But for some serious projects, it will be necessary to opt for any of the other Retool pricing plans. And to make a conscious and cost-effective decision, it will be necessary for you to study the details of each of them.
Paid Retool plans
The platform provides different options that could be feasible for businesses of different types and sizes.
It’s important to mention that monthly subscriptions may look “safer” for companies that do not want to have long-term financial obligations. Nevertheless, with an annual subscription, you can enjoy 20% off.
Team
With this pricing Retool can be a good choice for teams that are in the stage of active growth. Here, you can already have more than 5 users and the number of included workflow runs will be 10 times higher than in the free plan.
It also provides staging and production environments, as well as access to environmental configuration variables and additional professional services.
Based on our experience, we can recommend this option for projects that include testing and enhancing your apps.
Business
This plan offers significantly more possibilities in comparison to the previously discussed ones. With it, you can get access to all environments, as well as unlimited staging and production resources. Teams that choose this option can build a wide range of advanced apps, including authenticated, embedded applications and external solutions. It is also possible to introduce themes for your web apps and implement your own branding. There are also some external features for those who are interested in creating mobile products. They can be easily enriched with offline mode and push notifications.
Moreover, the Business plan allows you to include external users who are not part of your organization.
In general, this Retool pricing plan is quite flexible and can successfully support the scalability of your company and address your changing needs.
Enterprise
Retool enterprise pricing is custom. It means that the plan itself with all the included features is adjusted to the needs of each company or organization. Of course, here we are talking about huge teams with some specific requirements. They can ask for individual offers if standard plans can’t address their needs. Retool cost in this case will be significantly higher. Nevertheless, users of this plan can enjoy access to advanced security features and services, as well as source control, custom branding of all their apps, and dedicated support.
Some enterprises can also enjoy a reduced Retool price thanks to the introduced system of discounts that are based on the volume of ordered services and resources.
Special Retool pricing
If you are a student, an educator, or you run a non-profit organization, there is some great news for you. You can leverage some special offers that Retool provides to these categories of users.
For example, nonprofits can get 25 Business plan seats for free. Eligible organizations can opt for any combination of standard and end users based on their needs. Those who do not want to miss this opportunity need to register on the Retool website and submit an application for revision. In this application, they should provide some info about their activities and projects that they are going to use Retool for.
As for students and educators, they are also asked to complete a short form and share some details about their plans for using Retool. If their applications are approved, they can get access to the cloud-hosted Business plan or the self-hosted Team plan for free.
Moreover, Retool has a very appealing option for startups. Those companies that were established not more than 10 years ago, are not existing Retool customers, and meet the investment-related requirements (they can be bootstrapped, angel-funded, debt-funded, pre-seed, seed, or series A projects) are invited to apply for receiving up to $25,000 in Retool credits for one year.
If you are eligible for these offers, it can be a great way for you to optimize your development costs.
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Why is Retool a cost-effective choice?
If compared with custom development from scratch, low-code development is a much more affordable approach. With this option, it takes significantly less time to build a fully functional app than in those cases when teams need to write hundreds and thousands of code lines.
Thanks to its flexible pricing, Retool can become a very sensible choice for individual developers, startups, actively growing businesses, and enterprises. It can be used for building solutions of any complexity for various domains. If you want to learn more about it, we offer you to follow the link and read one of our previously published blog posts.
But what are other factors that make it appealing to different categories of users?
- Speed of development. Retool provides you with a huge choice of pre-built blocks. The drag-and-drop interface and these ready-made components reduce development time. As a result, this can also translate to significant cost savings.
- Reusable modules. You can build reusable components or templates for all your internal tools. This will steamline future development and ensure consistency across tools.
- Custom queries and logic. You can write custom SQL queries and use APIs within Retool to manipulate data. This gives developers flexibility and control while maintaining the simplicity and speed of project realization.
- Integration with data sources. Quite often in custom development, integration of any external tools or services is associated with significant expenses. Thanks to the seamless integrations offered by Retool, the connection of some data sources won’t make the project cost skyrocket. Retool connects to a wide range of databases, APIs, spreadsheets, and cloud services.
- Security. Security vulnerabilities may result not only in serious reputational damages but also in significant financial losses. Retool provides features like role-based access control, single sign-on, audit logs, and compliance with SOC 2. All this is crucial for businesses handling sensitive data. Moreover, for companies with strict security requirements, Retool can offer an on-premise deployment option to host Retool apps within their own infrastructure.
- Lower initial costs. One more point that proves the possibility of optimizing development costs with Retool is the fact that its use does not require significant upfront investment. Retool provides a flexible subscription model. And you do not need to heavily invest in setting up your development infrastructure or hiring a big team of tech experts with specific skills.
If the Retool cost is not the only factor that you are concerned about at the moment and you also have doubts about whether you really should rely on this low-code platform for building our business solution, you should study more information about it. On our blog, you can find a lot of useful articles about Retool and practical tips on how to make the work on this platform as productive as possible.
At Akveo, we provide a wide range of software development services and work with a rich tech stack that includes low-code tools, including Retool. Our specialists deeply understand their perks and capabilities. That’s why if you need professional advice or tech support of Retool experts, just let us know.
Lead Generation Tool to Reduce Manual Work
Our client, Afore Capital, a venture capital firm focused on pre-seed investments, aimed to automate their lead generation processes but struggled with existing out-of-the-box solutions. To tackle this challenge, they sought assistance from our team of Akveo Retool experts.
The scope of work
The client needed a tailored solution to log and track inbound deals effectively. They required an application that could facilitate the addition, viewing, and editing of company and founder information, ensuring data integrity and preventing duplicates. Additionally, Afore Capital aimed to integrate external tools like PhantomBuster and LinkedIn to streamline data collection.
The result
By developing a custom Retool application, we streamlined the lead generation process, significantly reducing manual data entry. The application enabled employees to manage inbound deals efficiently while automated workflows for email parsing, notifications, and dynamic reporting enhanced operational efficiency. This allowed Afore Capital's team to focus more on building relationships with potential founders rather than on administrative tasks.
Learn more about the case
Retool CMS Application for EdTech Startup
Our client, CutTime, a leading fine arts education management platform, needed a scalable CMS application to improve vendor product management and user experience.
The scope of work
We developed a Retool application that allows vendors to easily upload and manage product listings, handle inventory, and set shipping options. The challenge was to integrate the app with the client’s system, enabling smooth authentication and product management for program directors.
The result
Our solution streamlined product management, reducing manual work for vendors, and significantly improving operational efficiency.
Building Reconciliation Tool for e-commerce company
Our client was in need of streamlining and simplifying its monthly accounting reconciliation process – preferably automatically. But with a lack of time and low budget for a custom build, development of a comprehensive software wasn’t in the picture. After going through the case and customer’s needs, we decided to implement Retool. And that was the right choice.
The scope of work
Our team developed a custom reconciliation tool designed specifically for the needs of high-volume transaction environments. It automated the processes and provided a comprehensive dashboard for monitoring discrepancies and anomalies in real-time.
The implementation of Retool significantly reduced manual effort, as well as fostered a more efficient and time-saving reconciliation process.
Creating Retool Mobile App for a Wine Seller
A leading spirits and wine seller in Europe required the development of an internal mobile app for private client managers and administrators. The project was supposed to be done in 1,5 months. Considering urgency and the scope of work, our developers decided to use Retool for swift and effective development.
The scope of work
Our developers built a mobile application tailored to the needs of the company's sales force: with a comprehensive overview of client interactions, facilitated order processing, and enabled access to sales history and performance metrics. It was user-friendly, with real-time updates, seamlessly integrated with existing customer databases.
The result? Increase in productivity of the sales team and improved decision-making process. But most importantly, positive feedback from the customers themselves.
Developing PoC with Low Code for a Tour Operator
To efficiently gather, centralize, and manage data is a challenge for any tour operator. Our client was not an exception. The company was seeking to get an internal software that will source information from third-party APIs and automate the travel itinerary creation process. Preferably, cost- and user-friendly tool.
The scope of work
Our experts ensured the client that all the requirements could be covered by Retool. And just in 40 hours a new software was launched. The tool had a flexible and easy-to-use interface with user authentication and an access management system panel – all the company needed. At the end, Retool was considered the main tool to replace the existing system.
Testing New Generation of Lead Management Tool with Retool
Our client, a venture fund, had challenges with managing lead generation and client acquisition. As the company grew, it aimed to attract more clients and scale faster, as well as automate the processes to save time, improve efficiency and minimize human error. The idea was to craft an internal lead generation tool that will cover all the needs. We’ve agreed that Retool will be a perfect tool for this.
The scope of work
The project initially began as a proof of concept, but soon enough, with each new feature delivered, the company experienced increased engagement and value.
We developed a web tool that integrates seamlessly with Phantombuster for data extraction and LinkedIn for social outreach. Now, the company has a platform that elevates the efficiency of their lead generation activities and provides deep insights into potential client bases.
Building an Advanced Admin Portal for Streamlined Operations
Confronted with the need for more sophisticated internal tools, an owner of IP Licensing marketplace turned to Retool to utilize its administrative functions. The primary goal was to construct an advanced admin portal that could support complex, multi-layered processes efficiently.
The scope of work
Our client needed help with updating filters and tables for its internal platform. In just 30 hours we've been able to update and create about 6 pages. Following features were introduced: add complex filtering and search, delete records, styling application with custom CSS.
Together, we have increased performance on most heavy pages and fixed circular dependency issues.
Creating MVP Dashboard for Google Cloud Users
Facing the challenge of unoptimized cloud resource management, a technology firm working with Google Cloud users was looking for a solution to make its operations more efficient. The main idea of the project was to create an MVP for e-commerce shops to test some client hypotheses. Traditional cloud management tools fell short.
The scope of work
Determined to break through limitations, our team of developers turned Retool. We decided to craft an MVP Dashboard specifically for Google Cloud users. This wasn't just about bringing data into view; but about reshaping how teams interact with their cloud environment.
We designed a dashboard that turned complex cloud data into a clear, strategic asset thanks to comprehensive analytics, tailored metrics, and an intuitive interface, that Retool provides. As the results, an increase in operational efficiency, significant improvement in cost management and resource optimization.
Elevating CRM with Custom HubSpot Sales Dashboard
Our other client, a SaaS startup, that offers collaborative tools for design and engineering teams, was on a quest to supercharge their sales efforts. Traditional CRM systems were limited and not customizable enough. The company sought a solution that could tailor HubSpot to their workflow and analytics needs.
The scope of work
Charged with the task of going beyond standard CRM functions, our team turned to Retool. We wanted to redefine how sales teams interact with their CRM.
By integrating advanced analytics, custom metrics, and a user-friendly interface, our developers provided a solution that transformed data into a strategic asset.
In 40 hours, three informative dashboards were developed, containing the most sensitive data related to sales activities. These dashboards enable our customer to analyze sales and lead generation performance from a different perspective and establish the appropriate KPIs.
Building a PDF Editor with Low-Code
Our client, a leading digital credential IT startup, needed a lot of internal processes to be optimized. But the experience with low-code tools wasn’t sufficient. That’s why the company decided to hire professionals. And our team of developers joined the project.
The scope of work
The client has a program that designs and prints custom badges for customers. The badges need to be “mail-merged” with a person’s info and turned into a PDF to print. But what is the best way to do it?
Our developers decided to use Retool as a core tool. Using custom components and JavaScript, we developed a program that reduced employees' time for designing, putting the data, verifying, and printing PDF badges in one application.
As a result, the new approach significantly reduces the time required by the internal team to organize all the necessary staff for the conference, including badge creation.
