Why do companies choose Softr over Retool?
Over 500,000 companies rely on Softr for building internal tools, no coding skills required. You can involve your entire team in the building process, produce more efficient and beautiful apps faster, and save with fixed pricing.
Softr vs. Retool
Softr and Retool are both platforms for businesses to create business apps. With Softr you can create portals and internal tools, while Retool’s most typical use cases are internal tools. Customers usually choose Softr over Retool because it is easier to use, cheaper, and can build apps both for internal and external use.
"I had already tried other tools, so when I started using Softr, it was clear immediately that the capabilities were beyond what I found elsewhere." 5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Yohei Nakajima General Partner, Untapped Capital
A real no-code experience
With Softr, anyone can build powerful and beautiful apps. You will use pre-built elements to build the interface, manage users' permissions, and interact with your data. You don’t have to trust our word on this: try out Softr for free and see how it works. Contrarily, in order to use Retool, you must know the basics of software development, SQL, and JavaScript.
From web app to mobile app in one click
With one click, your Softr application becomes installable on your team, clients, and users' phones, both IOS and Android. The apps will adapt and look great on every screen automatically.
Get support when you need it
Our support team is available 24/7 and rated 5-stars from our customers. Every single user gets an answer, whatever the plan. And if you want someone to create your app for you, we also have a team of certified Softr experts ready to jump in and help you.
Share your apps easily
Allowing external users to create an account on your app takes seconds, thanks to our pre-built functionalities. This flexibility allows you to build both internal tools and customer-facing apps in one place. Retool is only focused on internal-facing applications and makes it harder to share apps externally.
Save $10,000+ per year
Retool's pricing scales with the number of users building and using applications. At the rate of $50 per user per month, Retool pricing can go pretty quickly. For example, Softr's Professional plan includes access for 50 internal and 5000 external users at $139 per month. Retool Business would cost you an extra $7376 per month for the same number of users.
Connect with Tools you Love
Softr offers native integrations with commonly used apps like Stripe, Zapier, Integromat, Google Analytics, Intercom, Mailchimp and obviously Airtable. Run payments, analyze data, chat with customers - all possible via Softr apps. Learn More
Compare features: Softr vs Retool
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Don't take our word for it
See what some of our 500,000+ users from across the globe have to say.
As a small business, we needed to use a tool that could grow with us, and we feel that this is what Softr offers us. After wasting time and money trying every web builder under the sun, Softr came to save the day. We cannot recommend this platform enough – it's perfect, easy to use even for a non-technical person like me.
Lucia Borraccino
Founder, Nanny NetworkI like the diversity of templates that are available and the thoughtfulness that has been taken in making the building process as simple as possible for non-coders.
Kwaku Dapaah-Danquah
Entrepreneurship Manager, YSYSI used Softr to build the MVP for my company www.tallsize.com.When I discovered how easy it was to use Softr to create a frontend interface for our users, my mind was blown!!! It was so easy to set up that I literally launched my site in a single weekend. Their support team was incredible throughout this journey and the ability to customize everything the way I wanted was very intuitive and easy to accomplish.
Nicole Murphy
Founder, Tall SizeI have been using Softr for a few months now, and the list of new features & improvements is PHENOMENAL. A no-brainer pick for now and a really good bet for the future!
Nic Touron
Founder, ToolMeUpWith Softr, I’m able to create beautifully intuitive and responsive front-ends that integrate directly with Airtable and Stripe. Softr allows me to create and iterate at least twice as fast as traditional web platforms.
Connor Gustafson
Founder, LendingAppSoftr is THE website builder to use. From SEO and site responsiveness to database backends and customer support, Softr is the deal of the century!
Patrick Ford
Founder, AdastacksSoftr helps you take action on your ideas quickly by allowing you to leverage your Airtable data and build powerful websites and web apps. I was blown away by how user-friendly and well-documented the entire product was! I was able to create an app within hours without any external help.
Karthik Puvvada (KP)
Program Director, On Deck No-Code FellowshipSoftr’s ease and speed of use is it’s standout characteristic. No tool is faster to create with. Although there is limited design customizability, this should be viewed as a strength of Softr as it acts as a positive restraint to help you ship things more quickly than you ordinarily would.
Max Haining
Founder, 100DaysOfNoCodeI have been impressed with the flexibility of Softr. The ability to pull data from different Airtable bases into different blocks and display them on one page was one of the main reasons I chose Softr.
Dan Smith
Director, DS AutomotiveI had already tried other tools, so when I started using Softr, it was clear immediately that the capabilities were beyond what I found elsewhere.
Yohei Nakajima
General Partner, Untapped CapitalThey say that if you can’t explain it in a simple way, you don’t understand it well enough. I say the same thing about any software. If you can’t figure it out in the first 10 min by yourself without any tutorial, it’s probably not for you. Since the first moment we discovered Softr, we started the work.
Akiki Rachid
COO, Bookzdoctr IncIt took me one day to build the product, learn the integrations, and see how the customer service acts. I was completely flashed that it is so easy, and that everything is working really well. So, I quickly decided 3 weeks later to set up our main page and transferred it to Softr.
Sabine Wildemann
Co-Founder, KidsCircleAs a small business, we needed to use a tool that could grow with us, and we feel that this is what Softr offers us. After wasting time and money trying every web builder under the sun, Softr came to save the day. We cannot recommend this platform enough – it's perfect, easy to use even for a non-technical person like me.
Lucia Borraccino
Founder, Nanny NetworkI like the diversity of templates that are available and the thoughtfulness that has been taken in making the building process as simple as possible for non-coders.
Kwaku Dapaah-Danquah
Entrepreneurship Manager, YSYSI used Softr to build the MVP for my company www.tallsize.com.When I discovered how easy it was to use Softr to create a frontend interface for our users, my mind was blown!!! It was so easy to set up that I literally launched my site in a single weekend. Their support team was incredible throughout this journey and the ability to customize everything the way I wanted was very intuitive and easy to accomplish.
Nicole Murphy
Founder, Tall SizeI have been using Softr for a few months now, and the list of new features & improvements is PHENOMENAL. A no-brainer pick for now and a really good bet for the future!
Nic Touron
Founder, ToolMeUpWith Softr, I’m able to create beautifully intuitive and responsive front-ends that integrate directly with Airtable and Stripe. Softr allows me to create and iterate at least twice as fast as traditional web platforms.
Connor Gustafson
Founder, LendingAppSoftr is THE website builder to use. From SEO and site responsiveness to database backends and customer support, Softr is the deal of the century!
Patrick Ford
Founder, AdastacksSoftr helps you take action on your ideas quickly by allowing you to leverage your Airtable data and build powerful websites and web apps. I was blown away by how user-friendly and well-documented the entire product was! I was able to create an app within hours without any external help.
Karthik Puvvada (KP)
Program Director, On Deck No-Code FellowshipSoftr’s ease and speed of use is it’s standout characteristic. No tool is faster to create with. Although there is limited design customizability, this should be viewed as a strength of Softr as it acts as a positive restraint to help you ship things more quickly than you ordinarily would.
Max Haining
Founder, 100DaysOfNoCodeI have been impressed with the flexibility of Softr. The ability to pull data from different Airtable bases into different blocks and display them on one page was one of the main reasons I chose Softr.
Dan Smith
Director, DS AutomotiveI had already tried other tools, so when I started using Softr, it was clear immediately that the capabilities were beyond what I found elsewhere.
Yohei Nakajima
General Partner, Untapped CapitalThey say that if you can’t explain it in a simple way, you don’t understand it well enough. I say the same thing about any software. If you can’t figure it out in the first 10 min by yourself without any tutorial, it’s probably not for you. Since the first moment we discovered Softr, we started the work.
Akiki Rachid
COO, Bookzdoctr IncIt took me one day to build the product, learn the integrations, and see how the customer service acts. I was completely flashed that it is so easy, and that everything is working really well. So, I quickly decided 3 weeks later to set up our main page and transferred it to Softr.
Sabine Wildemann
Co-Founder, KidsCircle
4.9/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
4.7/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
4.8/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Build better apps
Migrate your app to Softr
If you’re coming to Softr from Retool, you’ll be able to migrate your app quickly. Got any questions? Contact us ->
Get started for free
Custom domain. Unlimited applications. No credit card is required. Get started ->
Frequently asked questions
Got a question? We've got answers.
Absolutely! We offer a free consultation and answer any questions you may have. Our support and Softr experts teams are ready to jump in and help you move everything effortlessly. To get started, please create an account, reach out to support@softr.io and schedule a consultation call.
No. Your data is always stored in your Airtable. We do not store your data in our systems, but only retrieve it via Airtable API, and map it to our frontend. Your data is always secure.
Yes. Softr Integrates with both Zapier and Make which lets you run more powerful automation in your Softr app.
Yes. Softr provides a native Stripe integration, that lets you sell any goods or services, add subscriptions to your SaaS or offer premium membership to your community.
Yes. Softr offers a 30% discount to all non-profits, educational institutions and students. To apply, please create an account and contact us via support@softr.io.
If you know how to use apps like Canva, Mailchimp or Zapier, you’ll have an easy time building apps with Softr. As for Retool, you’ll either need a good big-picture understanding of how backend development works and it’s helpful to know SQL and JavaScript to take advantage of all the features.
Softr and Retool both have extensive documentation to help you understand and use all of the available features. The main differences lie in the technical skill requirements for each app. Softr’s documentation is more accessible for a non-technical audience, while Retool’s is at times more extensive but frequently uses developer jargon and coding examples.
Softr has an active community that you can engage with in our forum. As for help resources, we have a YouTube channel filled with videos to help unpack each feature, a dedicated Get Started page with plenty of links to begin your journey, a Softr Academy for structured learning, and range of workshops to provide a more hands-on experience. We also have a blog where you can read Softr news, learn more about Google Sheets and Airtable, and dive deeper into the world of building apps without code. Retool also has an active community, both on the forum and on a Discord server, and offers a blog with technical advice and feature highlights.
Yes. Softr helps you create progressive web apps (PWAs): apps you can use on your mobile phone that require a connection to the internet. You can deploy mobile apps when you subscribe to the Business plan. Retool offers both PWAs and native apps (native apps can run offline on your mobile phone), but require you to pay $10 more for each mobile user, per month on top of your regular plan.
Softr doesn’t offer the possibility of hosting your own apps on your own infrastructure. Retool does let you choose either cloud (hosted by Retool) or self-host (on your servers, with a set of feature constraints).
Definitely! Both Softr and Retool are great options to build internal tools and dashboards for your company. The main difference here has to do with the technical skills of your team. Softr is more accessible as it doesn’t require your team to know anything about code to start building. As for Retool, you need to have a good understanding of how backend development works and SQL and JavaScript skills to build freely. This could reduce the number of people participating in the tool-building process, so keep it in mind as you make a decision.
Softr’s quality of support is rated on G2 at 9.7 out of 10. You can connect with our support team via email and live chat. Retool’s quality of support is rated on G2 at 9.0 out of 10. You can access support via live chat.
