User Interface and Experience
Ease of Use
Retool is a popular low-code development platform. Its functionality is designed with the needs of both technical and non-technical experts in mind.
However, users without specific skills and knowledge will be able to leverage only the most basic features.
As a result, without the help of professional developers, they will be able to build only simple apps and workflows with standard functionality. Nevertheless, their contribution to projects remains valuable as they can share business perspectives that technical teams may lack.
The learning curve may be steep. But once users understand how to deal with the platform, the interaction with it becomes rather simple.
OutSystems offers a highly advanced development environment designed primarily for experienced developers.
Nevertheless, as well as in the case of Retool, the platform can be helpful to a wide audience of users, thanks to its inclusive drag-and-drop functionality.
However, what makes this platform a good choice for complex apps is its emphasis on customization, coding support, and advanced features.
These aspects can be more challenging for non-tech users to learn.
Additionally, OutSystems provides robust mobile development capabilities.
Customization
Retool allows for extensive customization of apps based on the specific business needs that different organizations may have.
For instance, it offers great UI customization flexibility. Users can modify the properties of all the provided drag-and-drop components like tables, buttons, forms, and charts. Apart from that, it is possible to add fully custom components created with React, or HTML and JavaScript.
Moreover, solutions built with Retool can be connected to custom databases, as well as numerous third-party tools, services, and APIs.
Those users who have relevant skills can also introduce custom scripts and conditional logic for their workflows.
In this OutSystems Retool comparison, it can be rather difficult to choose a leader when it comes to customization.
As well as in the case of Retool, drag-and-drop tools provided by OutSystems can be seriously customized to make applications look and feel unique.
The platform also offers advanced coding support with C# and SQL. This option enables deeper customizations for more complex functionality.
Users can also explore a variety of templates, plugins, and third-party integrations to customize their applications to fit their needs.
Templates and Components
With a wide range of ready-made components like buttons, charts, and tables, users can build applications much faster than starting from scratch.
Retool includes templates for common tasks. If you need to create a sales report, set up a CRM, or build an admin dashboard, you can find one that fits.
Additionally, businesses can customize these templates to fit their specific requirements. It’s very convenient that after customizing some components and templates, businesses can reuse them in their further projects.
OutSystems is known for its vast collection of various components. Its repository of open code modules, UI elements, different connectors, etc. is called Forge.
There are available components and templates for both web and mobile solutions. And what is really convenient is that the offered assets can be customized by users (however, without relevant tech skills these tasks will be impossible to fulfill).
The Forge collection offers Advanced Excel integration, some features of ChatGPT, charts, OutSystems maps, HTML2PdfConevrter, DBCleaner, and many others.
As of February 2025, the collection includes more than 7,000 assets.
Short Recap
Ease of use: Retool has a lot of powerful tools, but it might take some time to get used to, especially for beginners.
Customization: It is very flexible, so it works well even for building complex applications and features.
Templates and components: A large collection of pre-built templates and components helps teams speed up development and streamline their workflow.
Main strength: Retool offers deep customization, which is why many enterprises with specific needs choose it for their low-code projects.
Main weakness: The majority of advanced features are not available to users without proper tech skills.
Ease of use: The basic functionality of OutSystems can be rather clear for everyone to work with. However, more advanced features were primarily designed for developers.
Customization: OutSystems offers possibilities for deep customization. Nevertheless, for non-tech users such tasks can be pretty challenging.
Templates and components: OutSystems has a rich Forge marketplace with plenty of reusable components and plugins to choose from.
Main strength: It’s great for building scalable, enterprise-level applications. Offers a wide range of components to work with.
Main weakness: Customization and templates can be complex, which might feel overwhelming for non-technical users.
Features and Functionality
Core Features
The core functionality is built around a drag-and-drop interface, which makes the process of adding or deleting any components from the canvas really fast and simple.
To create an app, users can just choose all the required components and templates from the available library. If any elements or templates do not meet the requirements, it is possible to modify them (JavaScript and SQL knowledge may be required).
Retool provides key collaboration features like version history and role-based access, ensuring smooth teamwork even with large teams.
The core functionality is built around a drag-and-drop interface, which makes the process of adding or deleting any components from the canvas really fast and simple.
To create an app, users can just choose all the required components and templates from the available library. If any elements or templates do not meet the requirements, it is possible to modify them (JavaScript and SQL knowledge may be required).
Retool provides key collaboration features like version history and role-based access, ensuring smooth teamwork even with large teams.
Advanced Features
For users with tech skills and professional development, Retool offers an impressive range of advanced features. Their skillful usage can help to make really unique apps fully tailored to the requirements of a particular business.
For example, the platform supports Advanced Scripting. Thanks to it, it becomes possible to handle complex data tasks such as custom visualization.
With Embedded Apps, users can integrate apps created on Retool with other third-party platforms. As a result, users can organize smooth data flows between Retool applications and other systems that they rely on.
Apart from this, the platform is powered by built-in AI tools. Artificial intelligence can be applied to deal with such tasks as image recognition, data classification, and text generation.
As you may have noticed in our OutSystems vs Retool comparison, the core features of both platforms are quite similar. Nevertheless, the key differences start with the advanced functionality presented on each of them.
For instance, OutSystems can help to enhance development with its AI Mentor system. This feature provides guidance on performance and security improvements.
It includes a variety of AI-powered integrations, so you can add features like voice recognition and video calls to your apps.
The platform also includes AI tools like chatbots that can handle repetitive tasks and improve how users interact with your app.
Automation and Workflow
This low-code platform offers an efficient and user-friendly way to set up various workflows.
The provided tools support the creation of both simple and complex, multi-step workflows that involve more intricate logic.
Retool supports event-driven automation.
Workflows can be triggered either at a scheduled time or in response to specific real-time events.
It means that you can choose a particular event (for example, order placement) to trigger an automated process that will send a relevant email with confirmation to the user.
OutSystems features an intuitive workflow builder that streamlines business process automation.
With built-in business process management tools, the process of setting automated workflows is seamless and fast.
Users can integrate their workflows with multiple APIs and data sources to expand the range of actions that can be performed automatically.
With AI built into the platform, teams can work more efficiently and make more informed decisions.
Short Recap
Core features: Retool’s interface allows users to create apps by dragging and dropping pre-built components like tables, buttons, forms, and charts.
Advanced features: Retool provides built-in AI-powered tools, as well as various options for app and workflow customization.
Automation and workflows: Automated workflows can be activated either with particular events or according to the introduced schedule.
Main strength: Retool is able to cope with the automation of complex enterprise-scale processes.
Main weakness: Advanced features are targeted at professional developers. Non-tech users may find it too tricky to use them.
Core features: OutSystems offers strong tools for managing the entire app development process, along with a wide range of API integrations.
Advanced features: It comes with tools for managing business processes, improving workflows with AI, and working across different development environments.
Automation and workflows: The platform helps automate workflows with built-in process management tools and features that support complex decision-making.
Main strength: It’s a good platform for managing complex workflows and building scalable, enterprise-grade applications.
Main weakness: With its advanced features, OutSystems is not very suitable for beginners or smaller-scale projects.
Integrations
Third-party Integrations
Thanks to the supported integrations of various third-party services and tools, users can significantly enrich the functionality of their business solutions and enable seamless data exchange within their IT ecosystems. Here are a couple of available integrations.
- APIs: REST APIs, GraphQL APIs, SOAP APIs.
- SQL databases: MySQL, Microsoft SQL Server, PostgreSQL, etc.
- NoSQL databases: Redis Firebase, MongoDB, etc.
- Cloud services: AWS, Google Sheets, and others.
- Developer tools: GitHub, GitLab.
- Communication tools: Slack, Twilio.
- Payment gateways: PayPal, Stripe.
- CRM & Analytics: Google Analytics, Salesforce, and others.
To view a full list of supported integrations, please visit the official Retool website.
The Forge collection includes pre-built connectors to 400+ systems, services, and tools that are widely used by businesses for solving the most common tasks across various industries. Below you can see some of the available connectors.
- AI and ML: Azure Cognitive Services Connector, IBM Watson Services, TensorFlow, etc.
- IoT: Alexa, Azure IoT Connector, Ambulance Tracking, SmartThings Connector, etc.
- Payments: Stripe, MetaMask, Visa API, RazorPay Utility, etc.
- Collaboration and communication: MicrosoftTeams Connector, LinkedIn Connector, JIRA, Twilio.
- CRM: Salesforce, Microsoft CRM, Zendesk.
- Cloud storage: Google Drive, Dropbox, Amazon S3, and others.
You can find more detailed information about supported integrations here.
Ease of Connection
Connecting your Retool apps to various services and databases is not a very challenging task. To do this, users can link APIs or data sources with the help of the provided drag-and-drop components.
Those users who have relevant coding experience can also apply SQL queries and custom scripts to leverage extra flexibility.
This low-code platform offers a big collection of pre-built connectors that can be securely configured based on unique business requirements.
Developers can create reusable connectors to manage APIs, integrate with other platforms, and connect their own internal systems.
Short Recap
Third-party integrations: Retool connects with many external tools and databases, giving users plenty of options. It also allows for a lot of customization.
Ease of connection: Many tasks can be completed using the drag-and-drop interface. More complex requirements can be met with custom scripts and SQL queries.
Main strength: Retool excels at integrating various services and data sources.
Main weakness: Advanced integrations may pose a challenge for users without the necessary experience.
Third-party integrations: The platform offers connectors to the majority of commonly required business tools and services.
Ease of connection: System integrations are simplified with plug-and-play elements. Users can adjust their integrations over time if their needs change.
Main strength: OutSystems has a wide choice of pre-built connectors.
Main weakness: The customization of the provided connectors and the introduction of custom interactions require specific tech knowledge.
Performance and Scalability
Speed and Efficiency
Retool demonstrates excellent results in handling complex data operations and real-time processing, even when managing large datasets or integrating multiple sources simultaneously. This makes it a good option for enterprises that need to deal with complex data flows.
The platform delivers strong performance thanks to features like caching, server-side processing, and optimized queries.
It also supports real-time updates, keeping applications responsive and adaptable across different devices.
When comparing Retool and OutSystems, it's worth noting that both platforms are known for building fast, high-performing applications.
To improve the performance of applications, users of OutSystems can also rely on the provided AI-driven solutions. For example, the AI Mentor System can help to enhance workflows and refine application logic.
The platform is able to work with complex workflows efficiently. However, the performance can be slower when it comes to large-scale integrations in sophisticated systems.
Scalability
Retool can handle large applications and complex workflows while keeping performance steady as your project grows. Its infrastructure is built to scale without slowing things down.
Reliability is a key strength of apps built with Retool. The platform offers flexible deployment options, supporting cloud and on-premise environments. If you choose cloud technologies, you will be able to leverage seamless scaling based on workload and user demand, without interruptions.
With multi-tenant architecture and enterprise-grade scalability, Retool is well-suited for large organizations and businesses requiring powerful, adaptable solutions.
OutSystems is designed to scale efficiently, which makes it suitable for businesses of all sizes.
To ensure smooth scalability, a couple of years ago, the platform introduced cloud-native capabilities with OutSystems Developer Cloud (ODC).
It also works with Kubernetes and Linux containers, making deployment smoother, managing resources more efficiently, and improving scalability.
OutSystems scales well for mid-sized applications without losing performance or speed. But for large-scale deployments, users might run into some challenges.
Short Recap
Speed and efficiency: This platform delivers exceptional performance, even for highly advanced applications that handle real-time data processing and complex queries.
Scalability: Thanks to the ensured scalability, Retool is often chosen by enterprises that are looking for a suitable platform to build their inner tools.
Main strength: Even complex apps and processes created with Retool will demonstrate excellent performance and reliability.
Main weakness: Without a technical background, users won't be able to build enterprise-scale solutions with sophisticated functionality.
Speed and efficiency: Though the platform is good at managing complex workflows, its performance can slow down in such cases.
Scalability: OutSystems supports great scalability, especially when it comes to mid-sized apps.
Main strength: The platform is efficient for many types of apps and can smoothly scale thanks to its cloud-native capabilities.
Main weakness: The performance and scalability of large solutions with complex features may be limited.
Security and Compliance
Data Security
Retool ensures the security of sensitive business data by encrypting it both in transit and at rest.
Apart from this, businesses have the possibility to implement role-based access control. This feature enables administrators to provide specific permissions to users with different job responsibilities and levels of liability.
With version control and detailed audit logs, organizations can track when and by whom changes were made.
Moreover, to enhance secure authentication, Retool also supports Single Sign-On (SSO) for streamlined login management.
As well as Retool, OutSystems also ensures reliable encryption for data both in transit and at rest.
The range of protection measures includes logging and audit features. However, here we should highlight that the platform lacks the comprehensive capabilities required for large-scale compliance monitoring.
By default, OutSystems also offers Single Sign-On (SSO) for apps with cookies enabled. Once users authenticate in one application, they can seamlessly access all other apps without needing to log in again.
Compliance
Retool is fully compliant with GDPR regulations regarding the storage and processing of personal data. Thanks to this, businesses can build apps that will meet EU privacy standards.
Additionally, the platform can be configured to comply with HIPAA standards, which is crucial for healthcare applications that handle sensitive health data.
Retool also adheres to key industry standards such as SOC 2. Users can get access to SOC 2 reports prepared after the regularly conducted audits.
OutSystems adheres to SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR, HIPAA, and PCI DSS standards.
Some extra compliance options are available to users of OutSystems Sentry. It is a premium cloud offering, which is equipped with the functionality of the OutSystems platform, but also can offer extra security, risk management, and monitoring features in accordance with SOC2 Type II, ISO 27001, ISO 22301, and HIPAA requirements.
This option will be highly valuable for companies with advanced compliance needs.
Short Recap
Data security: Retool uses robust security measures like data encryption, role-based access control, SSO, and audit logs to safeguard data and minimize the risk of fraudulent activity on the platform.
Compliance: Retool follows key industry standards and regulations like SOC 2, GDPR, and HIPAA (with the right setup).
Main strength: It provides strong data protection and meets major compliance requirements in both the EU and the US.
Main weakness: Some of the advanced security features can be tricky to navigate without tech background.
Data security: The platform provides strong encryption for data in transit and at rest, along with logging and audit features.
Compliance: The platform can ensure compliance with SOC2 Type II, ISO 27001, ISO 22301, and HIPAA requirements.
Main strength: The platform can offer a dedicated option for businesses with high compliance needs.
Main weakness: Extra compliance features may be not affordable for smaller businesses and companies with limited budgets.
Pricing
Plans Overview
Free Plan
- Cost: Free
- What it includes: This option offers access to all essential features needed to build applications, allowing up to 5 users. While there is no limit on the number of web and mobile apps, workflow runs are capped at 500 per month.
- Best for: Anyone new to Retool who wants to explore its capabilities and get familiar with the platform.
Team Plan
- Cost: €9 per user/month and €5 per end user/month (if billed annually) or €11 per user/month and €6 per end user/month (if billed monthly)
- What it includes: In addition to all the features offered in the free plan, businesses can benefit from unlimited users, up to 5000 workflow runs per month, and access to app release versions, among other enhancements.
- Best for: Growing teams and small to mid-sized businesses in need of more flexibility.
Business Plan
- Cost: €46 per user/month and €14 per end user/month (if billed annually) or €60 per user/month and €17 per end user/month (if billed monthly)
- What it includes: This plan offers additional features such as audit logging, embedded apps, unlimited modules, permission controls, and more.
- Best for: Larger teams that require robust control over data security and compliance.
Enterprise Plan
- Cost: Custom pricing
- What it includes: This plan includes a complete suite of advanced features, such as custom branding, SAML/OpenID Connect SSO, and dedicated support.
- Best for: Large organizations and enterprises looking to build complex, scalable solutions capable of handling intricate data management.
Evaluation Edition
- Cost: No charges for 10 days
- What it includes: This plan opens access to the basic development tools to up to 100 internal users. However, users can only test their applications as the production runtime is not available.
- Best for: Developers who have never worked with OutSystems before and want to understand whether this platform is a suitable option for their projects.
OutSystems Developer Cloud (ODC)
- Cost: From $36,300 per year (price is calculated based on apps, users, and advanced add-ons)
- What it includes: Users who opt for this plan can leverage a full range of all available tools and features, including advanced add-ons.
- Best for: Businesses that are looking for a reliable development platform with a wide range of tools for building and customizing web and mobile apps.
Short Recap
Pricing: Retool is usually viewed as a rather expensive low-code development platform. However, it offers a big amount of advanced tools for paid users. As a result, it ensures a quite reasonable price-quality ratio.
Suitable for: This platform may be not the most feasible choice for small projects with standard requirements. At the same time, big companies and enterprises will be able to benefit from all the provided opportunities.
Pricing: The platform has a rather appealing free plan. However, users can enjoy free access only during the first 10 days. There is a paid full-scale plan. However, it can be pretty expensive, especially for small businesses.
Suitable for: OutSystems can become a good option for enterprises looking for rapid, large-scale app development.
Use Cases
Type of Work
Retool is a flexible platform for building custom internal tools and apps. Here are some common ways it's used:
- Admin dashboards: Businesses use dashboards to keep an eye on their data as it updates. This helps teams stay on top of things and make decisions based on what’s happening right now.
- Data management: With its powerful querying and data manipulation capabilities, Retool is often used for managing large datasets, updating records, and visualizing data from multiple sources.
- Customer support tools: Retool helps build support systems, such as ticket management and live chat platforms, which can be integrated with customer databases to streamline workflows.
Want to learn more? We recommend you study other use cases and projects from the portfolio of our team.
OutSystems is a powerful low-code platform that is widely used across various industries for building apps of different types.
- Mobile applications: With OutSystems, companies can build iOS and Android apps without needing to write much code. It’s a great option for businesses that want to launch their apps quickly.
- Regulated industry solutions: OutSystems is often used in industries like healthcare, finance, and insurance, where strict regulations like HIPAA and GDPR apply. It comes with built-in compliance features to help keep data secure.
- Business process automation: Businesses leverage OutSystems to automate workflows, approvals, and processes, reducing manual intervention and improving operational efficiency.
More info can be found on the platform’s website.
Short Recap
For complex applications that handle large volumes of data and multiple simultaneous queries, Retool can become a very good choice. It’s an excellent platform for creating internal apps and custom workflows tailored to meet specific business requirements.
OutSystems enables users to build tools for various purposes. For example, it is widely applied to deliver advanced software solutions for improving customer experiences, addressing software gaps, or modernizing core systems.
Reviews
User Feedback
G2:
On the G2 platform, you can find more than 320 reviews on Retool. As of February 2025, the platform has 4.6 out of 5 stars.
Users find the platform’s drag-and-drop interface easy to use and responsive, making it great for building complex applications without a lot of coding.
That said, some users have noted that it takes time to learn, especially when getting into the more advanced features.
G2:
Based on more than 1,100 reviews, OutSystems is ranked at 4.6 out of 5.
What some users like most about OutSystems is its combination of speed and flexibility for creating complex apps without sacrificing quality. Moreover, the platform enables rapid prototyping while maintaining scalability and robustness, which is ideal for enterprise environments.
The platform works well for applications in general, but, as some users shared, performance issues such as slow load times can arise when dealing with very complex systems.
Conclusion
When it comes to making a choice, first of all, you need to analyze the exact goals that you have for your future projects. What apps are you going to build? Will they be complex or rather simple? What integrations will you make? Do you need great scalability? Only after having a clear understanding of your requirements, you can proceed to a deep analysis of all the peculiarities of the low-code development platforms that are available to you.
Both platforms that we considered in this article have a lot of similar features. They both are rather flexible and customizable. If you have professional developers by your side, you can expect them to build unique apps tailored to your needs with the help of these platforms.
Nevertheless, they still have important differences.
- OutSystems can be an excellent choice for organizations looking to build scalable, enterprise-grade applications with a strong focus on security, compliance, and long-term growth. However, this platform can be too expensive for smaller companies.
- At the same time, Retool is often viewed as a more universal solution. It excels at quickly creating internal, data-driven tools and workflows. It provides a simpler interface and faster development for smaller-scale as well as data-intensive applications.
If you need expert assistance, consultation, or technical support, feel free to reach out. At Akveo, we have extensive experience in low-code development and will always be ready to help you achieve your business goals with advanced software tools.
