User Interface and Experience
Ease of Use
Retool has a reputation as a reliable low-code development platform that can be used to build apps of absolutely different types. Thanks to its rich functionality and great flexibility in terms of customization and integration, you can use Retool to create even complex enterprise-level systems.
Today this platform is chosen by companies across various industries and domains. Retool can allow them to design unique workflows tailored to their needs with minimal manual effort.
When it comes to hosting, you can choose either cloud or on-premise infrastructure.
However, if you plan to use Retool’s advanced tools, it will be quite challenging without specific tech skills. That’s why to build unique apps with complex features, it is necessary to involve professional developers in the process.
Airtable is widely praised for its adaptability in building custom databases and project management tools.
Its intuitive interface makes it easy for teams to organize, collaborate, and automate different aspects of their work.
By focusing on simplicity and versatility, Airtable offers a variety of templates and features designed to help businesses and developers optimize their workflows and data management.
Airtable’s interface is highly visual and intuitive, suitable for non-technical users. And that’s one of the major differences that should be highlighted in our Airtable vs Retool comparison as Retool offers a lot of features with a major focus on professional developers with specific skills.
Customization
Retool is an excellent choice for those teams that are seeking a low-code development platform with wide customization opportunities.
The platform offers access to a rich collection of ready-to-use UI components, such as buttons, tables, charts, and others. But what makes them special is that all of them are customizable. It means that you can adjust them to your needs, which will be easier and faster than creating them from scratch.
Moreover, Retool lets users connect their apps not only to natively supported data sources but also to custom ones.
The platform also provides the possibility of including custom SQL queries and scripts in your applications.
Airtable offers a range of customization features. They enable users to personalize their applications to suit specific needs.
Users can adjust the look and functionality with customizable views to better visualize their data.
Apart from this, Airtable supports conditional formatting, allowing users to highlight key information based on specific criteria.
It means that the customization functionality offered by Airtable is mainly related to the visual aspect of your apps.
Templates and Components
The UI component library offered by Retool includes more than 100 forms, charts, buttons, and many other ready-made elements. All of them can be used for creating your apps in a drag-and-drop builder.
You can apply them as it is or you can customize them based on your requirements.
Apart from this, Retool has a big collection of templates that will allow you to build your apps just in hours, not days. For example, there are such templates as a field sales app, a library management system, a Snowflake admin panel, a support ticket routing system, and many others.
Airtable can boast a rich collection of ready-to-use app templates that are fully customizable.
There are templates for various use cases like project management, marketing, slates, recruiting, IT operations, supply chain management, and many others.
In addition to this, Airtable provides managed components. These are pre-configured building blocks that can be installed into existing apps.
There are three types of components: managed fields, managed tables, and custom components.
Short Recap
Ease of use: Retool is known as a powerful low-code development platform that can be chosen to create unique business apps. Nevertheless, to work with advanced tools on the platform, users need to have specific tech skills.
Customization: Retool ensures great freedom in terms of customization. With some tech expertise, you will be able to build advanced feature-rich apps in full accordance with your unique business requirements.
Templates and components: The big collection of ready-made customizable UI components and app templates can greatly speed up the development process.
Main strength: The platform allows developers to build feature-rich apps quickly and easily with the use of available templates.
Main weakness: To leverage all the provided opportunities, users should have some specific tech knowledge and coding skills.
Ease of use: Airtable is praised for its adaptability and user-friendly interface. It enables teams to organize, collaborate, and efficiently automate tasks. It has a visually intuitive design and navigation, which makes it suitable for users with different tech backgrounds.
Customization: Airtable provides customizable views and fields. The available customization options are primarily focused on the visual aspect.
Templates and components: Airtable offers a wide choice of ready-to-use components and templates that are suitable for various business domains and use cases.
Main strength: It is a very user-friendly no-code development platform. Airtable is accessible to both technical and non-technical users.
Main weakness: Airtable lacks some important functionality for those companies that require advanced customization.
Features and Functionality
Core Features
The platform offers an intuitive drag-and-drop application builder that simplifies the development process. With its visual interface, users can create powerful and high-performing business apps quickly and efficiently.
Retool is equipped with a robust suite of collaboration tools for teams. This includes capabilities like role-based permissions and version control. They allow for effective management of access and tracking of changes.
Moreover, Retool supports real-time data synchronization as it ensures seamless integration with both SQL and NoSQL databases. You can also connect your apps with a variety of business systems and services.
Airtable is positioned as a next-generation app-building platform that allows users to create business apps with no coding.
The range of basic features includes an Interface Designer. It provides tools for creating custom app interfaces based on the data that you have.
There is also the Views feature, which is intended for creating no-code data visualizations. This is extremely valuable for businesses that are looking for solutions to enable fast, efficient, and grounded decision-making.
Apart from this, Airtable allows for flexible reporting that can be fully tailored to your unique business processes and tasks.
Advanced Features
Retool goes beyond its user-friendly core features. It also offers a range of advanced tools for more complex requirements. While the basic functionalities are accessible to non-technical users, leveraging the platform’s full potential may require relevant expertise.
For instance, if you want to customize components, you may need to write additional code in JavaScript or React on your own.
This low-code development platform also supports advanced scripting, which is particularly useful for handling complex data-related processes and tasks.
Additionally, Retool is enhanced with AI-powered capabilities. For example, AI tools can be used to generate text, classify data, recognize images, describe pictures, summarize texts, detect anomalies, etc.
The platform provides its users with the possibility of transforming their operations with Airtable AI.
Artificial intelligence can be applied to processing, analyzing, organizing, and connecting the workflows and data that you have already managed to accumulate in Airtable. AI can also summarize and extract insights, categorize information, generate drafts, translate content, and route work in progress.
Moreover, the platform is strengthened with Airtable Cobuilder.
This tool can help users, regardless of their tech skills, build highly customized, hyper-specific applications just in minutes based on their prompts that can be formulated in a natural human language.
Automation and Workflow
If your business processes rely on multiple versatile workflows, Retool can become an ideal solution for your project. The platform enables businesses to efficiently set up a lot of different processes, such as data synchronization, form updates, and more.
Workflows can be configured to run on a predefined schedule or triggered by specific real-time events. This offers great flexibility and precision in automation.
Retool offers reliable features for effective management even of multi-stage workflows with sophisticated logic.
Great possibilities for automation are one of the benefits that encourage potential users to opt for Airtable.
Airtable allows teams to connect critical systems, streamline tasks and communications, and eliminate a lot of manual tasks.
The automation feature on Airtable enables users to create triggers for their workflows based on specific updates or inputs. This can facilitate a wide range of automatic actions like sending notifications, updating records, or starting workflows on integrated services.
Short Recap
Core features: Retool offers a user-friendly drag-and-drop app builder that will allow you to add customizable UI components and templates to your apps just in one click.
Advanced features: The platform ensures the possibility of extensive customization. Applications created with this platform can efficiently handle sophisticated data processing tasks.
Automation and workflows: Retool will let your team easily set up and configure multiple workflows and apply different scenarios for their activation.
Main strength: Retool makes it possible to create apps powered by sophisticated data flows and processes.
Main weakness: If you want to customize available components or build complex workflows, you need to invest some extra time and effort in such tasks.
Core features: Airtable offers a wide range of features that allow businesses to create tools for working with their data. Even users with no coding skills can build solutions in accordance with their needs.
Advanced features: Airtable is an AI-powered platform. AI can be used not only in the built apps. It can be also utilized for creating applications based on prompts.
Automation and workflows: With Airtable, you can automate various processes and set different triggers for the activation of the designed workflows.
Main strength: Unique apps tailored to specific business needs can be built even by users without any tech expertise.
Main weakness: In comparison with Retool, Airtable provides significantly fewer possibilities for handling complex workflows and data sets.
Integrations
Third-party Integrations
Retool is widely known for its great flexibility in the questions of app integration with various third-party tools, services, and databases.
Here are a couple of examples that boast great popularity among businesses with different needs:
- SQL Databases: MySQL, PostgreSQL, Microsoft SQL Server, and others.
- NoSQL Databases: Firebase, MongoDB, and more.
- APIs: REST APIs, GraphQL APIs, SOAP APIs.
- Cloud Services: Google Sheets, AWS S3, etc.
- Payment Services: PayPal, Stripe.
- Communication Services: Slack, Twilio.
- Developer Tools: Bitbucket, GitHub, GitLab.
To get more detailed info about the available integration options, you can visit Retool’s official website.
Airtable provides seamless integrations with popular tools and services, allowing users to easily connect and synchronize data across multiple applications.
The platform supports the following integrations:
- File management: Box, Dropbox, Google Drive.
- Social networking: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn.
- Development: Jira, GitHub.
- Communication: Slack, Twilio, Gmail.
- Collaboration: Unito, Miro.
- Events: Google Calendar, Outlook Calendar.
- Payments: Stripe.
- Media: WordPress, YouTube.
- Analytics: Snowflake, Tableau Cloud.
- CRM: Salesforce.
If you want to see a full list of the supported integrations, you can find it on the platform’s website.
Ease of Connection
When you need to connect your application with any of the services or databases supported by Retool, you can do it with the help of the tools in the platform’s drag-and-drop interface.
Retool also supports custom scripts and SQL queries that can help you enhance your app with advanced functionality. However, to leverage this opportunity, you need to have some specific tech skills.
Airtable integrates well with numerous tools and services. With this platform, the process of connecting your app with external solutions can be fully a no-code experience.
The integrations can be made just with a couple of clicks and such tasks won’t take long.
They will ensure seamless data flows between your app and external tools, which will significantly expand its functionality and increase its practical value for your team.
Short Recap
Third-party integrations: With Retool, you will have the possibility to connect your app with various third-party databases, tools, and services to ensure seamless data flows and real-time updates.
Ease of connection: Basic integrations can be performed just with a couple of clicks. But in those cases when any custom options are required, coding skills and relevant tech knowledge are a must.
Main strength: Retool offers a lot of integration options so that your apps can efficiently interact with external services and databases.
Main weakness: Custom integrations are not available to business users without any tech knowledge.
Third-party integrations: Thanks to the provided integrations, you can connect your app with popular business tools and synchronize data between them.
Ease of connection: Airtable presupposes that integrations can be conducted even by users who have zero programming skills.
Main strength: The interaction with the platform can become an absolutely no-code experience. Even for connecting your solutions with external data sources, you do not need to write code manually.
Main weakness: Airtable offers a limited range of third-party tools and services that can be connected to your apps.
Performance and Scalability
Speed and Efficiency
Retool is excellent at handling multiple data flows in real time and dealing with complex processes without any negative impact on the app’s performance.
The platform supports real-time updates. This allows users to run Retool apps on various devices. Regardless of the chosen device, apps will demonstrate seamless functioning.
Moreover, Retool is powered by such important features as caching, server-side processing, and query optimization.
Airtable combines the functionality of a spreadsheet with the versatility of a database and demonstrates great power in this.
It allows users to unify multiple bases within a single workspace. This dual capability enhances data organization and fosters a more flexible workflow.
Teams can leverage Airtable’s customizable databases to streamline processes and improve project results.
Scalability
This versatile low-code development platform often becomes a reliable choice for building large-scale applications with advanced features.
Retool is able to seamlessly adjust to the growth of your business, which usually presupposes an increase in the number of users and volumes of transactions.
Retool offers deployment options for both on-premise and cloud environments. With cloud-based backups, your data always remains secure.
Airtable can efficiently scale with your team. It offers numerous integrations that help create a seamless and efficient workspace.
The platform allows its users to create powerful apps with unlimited databases, users, and API calls.
It provides support for up to 500K records per database and robust architecture with data redundancy and backups across multiple zones for maximum reliability.
However, performance can decline when handling very large databases.
Short Recap
Speed and efficiency: Retool apps will always demonstrate seamless performance and data processing even if they need to deal with multiple complex queries at the same time.
Scalability: Its scalability makes it a popular solution for large enterprises looking to develop and manage extensive systems that can support their operations.
Main strength: The platform delivers reliable performance and exceptional scalability, which makes it suitable for a wide range of applications.
Main weakness: If you do not have advanced technical expertise, you may need to hire professional developers to build a sophisticated enterprise-level system with Retool.
Speed and efficiency: Airtable combines spreadsheet functionality with database versatility, allowing users to unify multiple bases within a single workspace.
Scalability: The platform can scale together with your business. With your growing needs, it will be sensible to change the plan as the offered plans differ based on the volumes of data that your apps can work with.
Main strength: Airtable is built for collaboration, allowing multiple team members to work on the same database at the same time. Real-time updates and commenting features enhance teamwork and communication.
Main weakness: Airtable is ideal for small to medium-sized projects but may not be the best option for managing large datasets or highly complex data relationships.
Security and Compliance
Data Security
Retool provides robust security features to ensure the safety of your applications and sensitive business data.
All data in transit and at rest is fully encrypted.
Single Sign-On (SSO) enables secure and streamlined login management.
Apart from this, administrators can establish role-based permissions to control access. This will define who can open applications and view sensitive information.
Thanks to detailed audit logs and version control, it is possible to identify unusual activities and restrict access for chosen users.
For Airtable, safeguarding the security and privacy of its customers’ data is one of the highest priorities.
All information entered into Airtable remains the property of users. The platform ensures that all data can be accessed only by authorized individuals.
Data in Airtable is encrypted both in transit and at rest. For data transmission, the platform uses 256-bit SSL/TLS encryption, while at rest, content is secured with 256-bit AES encryption.
Additionally, Airtable’s production data is routinely backed up to an isolated, secure location, with all backups encrypted for added protection.
Compliance
Retool ensures compliance with major regulations for processing and storing personal data.
For instance, applications developed for use in the EU will fully adhere to GDPR requirements.
Retool is often chosen by organizations creating solutions for the healthcare sector because it can ensure compliance with HIPAA standards. However, for this, some additional configuration will be necessary.
The platform also upholds rigorous standards for confidentiality, security, and transparency. This is demonstrated by its adherence to the SOC 2 framework.
Airtable can enter into Data Processing Agreements with users of its platform upon request.
Such agreements include standard contractual clauses. They are the mechanism for GDPR-compliant data transfer on the platform.
Airtable can also ensure HIPAA and FERPA compliance.
However, it’s important to mention that the HIPAA compliance feature is only available for users who have chosen the Enterprise Scale plan.
Short Recap
Data security: Retool offers a wide range of features to protect your apps and business data. For example, it ensures data encryption, SSO, audit logs, and role-based access control.
Compliance: The platform allows its users to build apps in full accordance with all major data privacy and security legal frameworks, like GDPR, HIPAA, and SOC 2.
Main strength: The platform can guarantee excellent protection of your data and apps. Solutions are created in accordance with the most important regulations that are in force in different jurisdictions.
Main weakness: For compliance with some regulations (like HIPAA), extra settings are required.
Data security: Airtable prioritizes the security and privacy of customer data, ensuring it remains user-owned and accessible only to authorized individuals.
Compliance: Airtable offers Data Processing Agreements with standard contractual clauses for GDPR-compliant data transfer. It also supports HIPAA and FERPA compliance.
Main strength: The platform takes data security and privacy very seriously. Regularly encrypted backups are stored in secure, isolated locations for added protection.
Main weakness: HIPAA compliance is exclusive to Enterprise Scale plan users.
Pricing
Plans Overview
Free Plan
- Cost: Free.
- What it includes: With this plan, you can get access to all basic features and tools that will be enough to create simple apps. The number of apps is not limited. But there are restrictions in terms of users (only 5 seats are provided) and workflow runs per month (500 runs are included).
- Suitable for: Everyone who wants to discover what Retool offers and familiarize themselves with basic tools and functionality.
Team Plan
- Cost: €9 per user/month and €5 per end user/month (annual billing) or €11 per user/month and €6 per end user/month (monthly billing)
- What it includes: The Team plan includes all basic tools, as well as a row of extra features like app release version control. Moreover, the limitations in terms of workflows are not so strict. Up to 5000 workflow runs per month are allowed and the number of users is not restricted.
- Suitable for: Small and mid-sized businesses.
Business Plan
- Cost: €46 per user/month and €14 per end user/month (annual billing) or €60 per user/month and €17 per end user/month (monthly billing)
- What it includes: Embedded apps, audit logs, unlimited modules, and permission controls are among the most important features that make this plan look appealing for businesses.
- Suitable for: Big teams that need to have reliable features for collaboration and compliance control.
Enterprise Plan
- Cost: Custom pricing
- What it includes: This plan can open access to the full set of features provided by Retool, such as custom branding and SAML / OpenID Connect SSO.
- Suitable for: Enterprises and big companies that work with sophisticated data processes.
Basic Plan
- Cost: Free
- What it includes: This plan offers users opportunities to explore its basic functionality. Users can get familiarized with the Interface Designer. The available bases are unlimited but only 1,000 records per base and up to 5 editors are allowed.
- Suitable for: Very small teams and individual users who are just starting their journey with Airtable.
Business Plan
- Cost: $20 per seat/month (annual billing) or $24 per seat/month (monthly billing)
- What it includes: Apart from everything that is available in the Free plan, this plan offers some extra possibilities, like standard sync integrations, extensions, expanded color, formatting, and calendar options. 50,000 records per base, 25,000 automation runs, and 20 GB of attachments per base are included.
- Suitable for: Teams with shared workflows.
Enterprise Plan
- Cost: $45 per seat/month (annual billing) or $54 per seat/month (monthly billing)
- What it includes: This plan provides premium sync integrations, two-way sync, SAML-based single sign-on, and the App Sandbox, among other features. 125,000 records per base, 100,000 automation runs, 100 GB of attachments per base are included.
- Suitable for: Businesses that have specific requirements for advanced features.
Enterprise Scale
- Cost: Custom pricing
- What it includes: This is the most advanced option. It allows for 500,000 records per base, 500,000 automation runs, and 1,000 GB of attachments per base. The plan also includes on-premises sync integrations, extension and integration management, audit logs and DLP, and many other powerful features.
- Suitable for: Enterprises looking to build flexible apps with powerful governance.
Short Recap
Pricing: In general, Retool is not the cheapest platform for low-code development. However, the provided possibilities and excellent performance of apps can compensate for rather high prices.
Best for: The platform is mainly recommended for companies and tech experts who plan to work with advanced Retool’s features.
Pricing: Airtable provides a free plan with basic features and limited usage, alongside paid plans that include advanced functionalities and higher usage allowances. Pricing greatly depends on the required storage capacity.
Best for: The platform can be used by teams of all sizes as it provides various options tailored to different needs.
Use Cases
Type of Work
- Prototyping: Retool is ideal for experimenting and testing concepts. Its drag-and-drop builder and ready-to-use components enable fast and effective prototyping.
- Data management: Retool empowers businesses to handle complex data sets and streamline data flows with ease.
- Workflow automation: Retool enables teams to design tailored workflows that connect multiple steps and utilize diverse data sources to streamline operations.
- Development of business tools: This platform is frequently selected for creating solutions such as dashboards and CRM platforms. Its rich collection of templates and pre-built components greatly facilitates the process.
Want to learn more? You can find detailed information on the platform’s official website. Apart from this, you can visit the page with our portfolio. Our case studies will help you better understand how Retool can be used.
Airtable excels at building and managing custom databases, collaborative workspaces, and project management tools.
Its intuitive interface and adaptability make it a very suitable solution for organizing and tracking diverse data types, such as customer records or content schedules.
This platform is especially beneficial for teams seeking to streamline data management, collaborate effectively, and automate workflows.
All this is available without the need for advanced technical expertise.
On the platform’s website, you can find stories from its customers who shared their cases and explained how Airtable helped them in addressing their needs.
Short Recap
For businesses seeking to build tools to handle complex workflows and data processing, Retool stands out as a strong choice.
Its extensive customization capabilities allow for the creation of specialized tools tailored to unique business requirements. And all this is available with minimal manual coding, which helps to save time.
Airtable performs the functions of a database with a visual interface.
It enables users to store and organize data in a table format, similar to a traditional spreadsheet.
Its visual interface simplifies the creation and customization of apps through a drag-and-drop approach. With a variety of pre-built templates and field types, it’s designed to be accessible to users across various industries and domains.
Reviews
User Feedback
G2:
At the time of writing this Retool Airtable comparison, Retool has 317 reviews on G2. The current rating is 4.6 out of 5.
One of the users wrote that Retool is the perfect fit for functionality, flexibility, and ease of use.
However, some other users mentioned that the learning curve was a bit steep at first when they started working with the platform. They faced major difficulties when they wanted to dive into more advanced features.
G2:
Airtable also has a high rating of 4.6 out of 5. This is a highly demonstrative indicator of the platform’s reliability and excellent performance as it is based on more than 2700 reviews.
People highlighted the ease of use as one of the core benefits. According to them, the drag-and-drop interface and clean design make it approachable, even for non-technical users.
Nevertheless, some users wrote about significant functionality limitations that restrict Airtable’s use cases.
Conclusion
Airtable and Retool serve different purposes and are not interchangeable.
Airtable is best suited for building customizable databases and project management solutions, focusing on data organization and team collaboration.
At the same time, Retool specializes in rapid application development. It enables companies to create custom apps using pre-built components and data integrations.
Both tools offer customization. But they address different needs. Airtable is ideal for managing data, while Retool is intended mainly for application creation.
The choice between them should depend on your project’s specific requirements. In some workflows, they can even complement each other. Airtable can be applied for managing data and Retool can be chosen for handling app development.
If you want to learn more about using low-code or no-code tools for your solutions or if you are looking for professionals who will help you with the realization of your project, do not hesitate to contact us. At Akveo, we have rich expertise in working with low-code/no-code technologies and we will be happy to help you!
