Retool vs Superblocks: pricing, AI and deployment compared.
Retool charges per builder and internal user on its paid cloud tiers. Superblocks Teams uses a flat subscription plus app and AI usage allowances. Compare their governance, AI building and deployment options below, with ToolJet included as an open-source alternative.
Published by ToolJet. Compare the trade-offs and check the vendor sources for your requirements.
When to choose Retool, Superblocks or ToolJet
Retool: existing apps and web or mobile requirements
Shortlist Retool when you already operate its apps or need its mobile capabilities. Estimate builders and internal users separately on cloud Team and Business. SSO, source control and new self-hosted deployments require an Enterprise quote.
Superblocks: managed AI development and deployment
Shortlist Superblocks for Clark-led app building and vendor-managed operations. Compare Teams app and GAU allowances against your usage. Enterprise offers Hybrid or Cloud-Prem; Cloud-Prem runs the full platform in the customer’s AWS environment, managed by Superblocks.
ToolJet: an open-source alternative
Consider ToolJet if you want to operate the platform yourself, build native apps from your own coding agent, or use SSO and Git sync on Team. Check end-user limits and Self-hosted Enterprise add-ons against your requirements.
ToolJet vs Retool
Tencent, Swisscom, Duolingo, Gojek, Orange, Unity and hundreds more run internal tools on ToolJet.
Implementing ToolJet has been a massive accelerator for our internal operations. It allows us to rapidly build, deploy, and standardize mission-critical internal data apps and CRUD applications at a fraction of traditional development time.
Key takeaways
Seats versus a flat pack
Retool bills every builder and every end user: $50 and $15 a month on Business. Superblocks charges a flat $125 a month for up to 15 builders and unlimited end users, but includes one hosted app and 100 GAUs. ToolJet bills builders only and includes end users up to the plan limit.
Compare deployment models
Retool lists self-hosting on Enterprise for new deployments. Superblocks Hybrid runs only the data plane in your VPC, with the control plane and app definitions in their cloud; Cloud-Prem runs the full platform in the customer’s AWS environment, managed by Superblocks. ToolJet runs everything on your infrastructure, from the free Community Edition, with air-gapped deployment through an Enterprise add-on.
Docker
Kubernetes
AWS
Google Cloud Run
Azure Container Apps
Who does the AI building, and what it costs
Retool's MCP uses Retool AI credits; its CLI lets your coding agent build React apps locally without Retool AI credits during public beta. Superblocks' Clark spends GAUs based on request complexity, and its Builder MCP is a chat channel to Clark. ToolJet's built-in agent offers Luna on Free and Haiku 5.5, GPT, Claude, Gemini or Grok on paid plans, or your own coding agent builds with no ToolJet credits.
Claude Code
Codex
GitHub Copilot
Cursor
Grok Build
Pricing for ten builders and ninety end users
The figures below show published entry or Business prices, not equivalent governance packages. Retool and Superblocks require Enterprise quotes for SSO. ToolJet Team includes it. Compare annual-billing monthly equivalents, then add app hosting, AI usage and infrastructure.
$50 per builder, $15 per end user, then Enterprise for SSO.
- Business is $50 per builder and $15 per end user per month with annual billing: $1,850 for ten builders and ninety end users.
- That tier includes audit logs and RBAC. SSO/SAML and Git sync need an Enterprise contract with no published price.
- Free tier for up to 5 users; 3,000 pooled AI credits on Business that reset monthly.
$125 a month for the whole team, until you need the governed tier.
- Teams is $125 monthly or $100 annual for up to 15 builders and unlimited end users: before extra hosted apps or AI usage.
- It includes one hosted app ($10 a month each after that), 100 GAUs, RBAC, and staging plus production.
- SSO, audit logs, source control, secrets management and VPC deployment are all Enterprise, with no published price.
Team governance at $199 per builder per month, billed annually.
- Team is $199 per builder a month, billed annually with SSO, audit logs, Git sync, custom user groups and white labelling included: $1,990 for ten builders.
- End users are included up to 100 on Team and unlimited on Enterprise, not billed per head.
- Basic is $29 per builder per month, billed monthly, with a free tier below that. Enterprise is custom-priced.
What actually runs in your network
ToolJet and Retool can self-host the whole platform. Superblocks Hybrid hosts the data plane in your VPC; managed Cloud-Prem hosts the full platform in your AWS environment.
A full deployment on Enterprise with custom pricing.
- Docker, Kubernetes, AWS, GCP and Azure on Enterprise; the whole platform runs in your infrastructure.
- Enterprise includes SSO and advanced deployment options; contact Retool for self-hosted pricing.
- Air-gapped deployment is an Enterprise feature.
Hybrid for local execution; Cloud-Prem for the full platform.
- Hybrid runs the on-premise agent in your AWS, GCP or Azure VPC to execute queries and code.
- Configuration, permissions, app definitions and Clark inference stay in Superblocks' cloud, reached outbound-only, so disconnected operation isn't possible.
- Cloud-Prem on Enterprise runs the full platform, including AI inference, in the customer’s AWS environment, managed by Superblocks. Air-gapped operation is not documented.
Everything runs where you put it.
- Control plane, data plane and app definitions on your infrastructure: Docker, Kubernetes, AWS, Azure, GCP, on-premise, with air-gapped deployment through an Enterprise add-on.
- Self-hosting starts on the free Community Edition; Team and Enterprise add governance.
- The Self-hosted Enterprise AI gateway add-on can run locally; fully local AI also requires a supported local model.
Who builds the app when you connect Claude Code
All three have an MCP server. The difference is whether your agent does the work or hands the prompt to theirs.
Retool AI through MCP, or local React development through the CLI.
- The MCP's single build tool forwards your prompt to Retool AI, which generates a React app and bills Retool AI credits on top of your agent's tokens.
- The CLI lets your coding agent write, validate and publish React apps locally; no Retool AI credits during public beta, but your agent usage and platform costs apply.
- BYOK for OpenAI and Anthropic keys is Enterprise-only.
Your agent talks to Clark. Clark builds.
- Builder MCP creates, edits and publishes apps from Claude by conversing with Clark, so every build consumes GAUs.
- You pick a mode (Max, Standard or Smart), not a model; Superblocks routes to frontier or open-source models behind the scenes.
- Admin MCP lets Cursor, Claude Code and Windsurf administer the org; it does not build apps and is an Enterprise feature.
Our agent, or the one you already use.
- ToolJet AI is built in with Luna on Free; Haiku 5.5, GPT, Claude, Gemini and Grok are available on paid plans.
- Or Claude Code, Codex or any MCP client builds native apps over the MIT-licensed MCP server on Cloud or Self-hosted, without ToolJet AI credits. On Self-hosted, MCP also authors and validates workflow drafts; execution is explicit.
- Either way the result is a native app you can inspect and edit in the visual builder.
- Claude Code
- Codex
- GitHub Copilot
- Cursor
- Grok Build
Retool vs Superblocks, feature by feature
Comparison baseline checked against each vendor's published pricing and documentation on 11 September 2026. Later source checks are noted where available. Confirm current features and plan terms with the vendors before purchasing.
| Feature | Retool | Superblocks | ToolJet |
|---|---|---|---|
| Licensing & deployment | |||
| Open source | Proprietary | Proprietary; only the on-premise agent is published | Community Edition, AGPL-3.0; MCP server MIT |
| Self-hosting | Enterprise for new deployments | Hybrid (data plane) or Cloud-Prem (full platform, vendor-managed), both Enterprise | Free, Team and Enterprise |
| What runs in your network | The whole platform | Hybrid: data plane; Cloud-Prem: full platform in AWS, vendor-managed | The whole platform |
| Air-gapped | Enterprise | Not documented | Enterprise add-on |
| Pricing | |||
| Free tier | Yes, up to 5 users, 250 AI credits | No; 14-day trial of Teams | Yes, 2 builders, 50 end users, self-hostable |
| Cheapest paid plan | Team: $10/builder + $5/user per month | Teams: $125 monthly or $100 annual, flat, up to 15 builders | Basic: $29/builder/mo, billed monthly, with 2,000 AI credits |
| Tier with SSO and audit logs | Enterprise for SSO; audit logs on Business at $50/builder + $15/user | Enterprise, no published price | Team: $199/builder/mo, billed annually |
| End users | Per user on cloud Team and Business | Unlimited | Included up to 100 on Team; unlimited on Enterprise |
| Apps | Unlimited | 1 hosted app included; $10/mo each after | Unlimited on Team |
| AI metering | Pooled credits that reset monthly; agents billed hourly on top | Shared monthly GAUs; packs and optional refills | Credits per plan with pay-as-you-go top-ups; none over MCP |
| AI & coding agents | |||
| Built-in AI agent | Retool AI on Retool-managed OpenAI and Anthropic keys | Clark, announced on Claude Opus 4.6; modes, not models | ToolJet AI: Luna on Free; Haiku 5.5, GPT, Claude, Gemini or Grok on paid plans |
| MCP server | Public beta since May 2026; cloud plans and self-hosted 4.0+ | Builder MCP (Claude at launch) and Admin MCP (Enterprise) | Open source, MIT; Claude Code and Codex plugins, any MCP client |
| What your agent does | MCP relays prompts to Retool AI; CLI builds React apps locally | Converses with Clark, which does the building | Composes native apps; creates and edits workflow drafts on Self-hosted only |
| Credits consumed by an agent build | MCP: Retool AI credits. CLI: none during public beta. Coding-agent usage is separate | GAUs, same as any Clark session | No ToolJet AI credits via MCP; coding-agent usage is separate |
| What gets produced | A React app | A Superblocks app built by Clark | A native app, editable in the visual builder |
| Bring your own LLM key | Enterprise only | Not for Clark, except Bedrock on AWS Cloud-Prem | Enterprise (Cloud or Self-hosted) |
| Security & governance | |||
| SSO / SAML | Enterprise | Enterprise | SAML, OIDC and LDAP on Team and above; Google/GitHub login on Self-hosted Free and above |
| SCIM | Enterprise | Enterprise | Enterprise |
| Audit logs | Business | Enterprise | Team plan |
| RBAC | Business | Teams | Custom user groups on Team |
| Source control / Git sync | Enterprise | Enterprise: GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, Azure DevOps | Team plan; any cloud or self-hosted Git |
| Secrets management | Enterprise | Enterprise | AWS, Azure, GCP, HashiCorp Vault |
| Environments | Staging on Team; unlimited on Business | Staging and production on Teams | Self-hosted Team and above; Cloud Enterprise |
| White labelling | Branding on Business; full on Enterprise | Not listed on Teams | Team plan |
| Platform | |||
| Training & certification | Retool University: courses, labs and digital badges. | Documentation, tutorials, and training and onboarding resources. | ToolJet Academy: hands-on courses and certifications. Explore Academy |
| Integrations | Broad first-party library | 50+ | 100+ |
| Code in apps | JavaScript; Python in Workflows | JavaScript and Python | JavaScript and Python |
| Workflows | Retool Workflows | Workflows as REST endpoints | Visual builder with JS and Python; MCP draft authoring and validation, explicit execution; Self-hosted only |
| Community | No public codebase | Proprietary platform | 41,000+ GitHub stars, 650+ contributors |
Sources: ToolJet Academy · Retool University · Superblocks training and onboarding · Superblocks deployment models (checked 30 September 2026) · Retool pricing · Retool MCP tools reference · Retool CLI and AI credits (checked 4 October 2026) · Superblocks pricing · Superblocks Hybrid architecture · GAU usage and refill options (checked 9 October 2026) · ToolJet pricing
ToolJet is an open-source, AI-native platform for building internal tools and business applications, with Workflows and AI agents on Self-hosted only. The Community Edition is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and has over 41,000 GitHub stars and 650 contributors. It runs on ToolJet Cloud or self-hosted on Docker, Kubernetes, AWS, Azure, GCP, on-premise, with air-gapped deployment through an Enterprise add-on. Apps can be generated by the built-in ToolJet AI on GPT, Claude, Gemini or Grok, composed by Claude Code or Codex over an MIT-licensed MCP server, or built visually with 78+ components and 100+ integrations. ToolJet is SOC 2, ISO 27001 and GDPR compliant and is used in production by Tencent, Swisscom, Duolingo, Gojek, Orange, Unity, ClearScore, Bandwidth, Toss, Endeavour Group, ShareChat, YMCA NYC and hundreds of other organisations. Plans: Free; Basic at $29 per builder per month billed monthly; Pro at $79 and Team at $199 per builder per month billed annually ($99 and $249 respectively when billed monthly). Team includes up to 100 end users, SSO, audit logs, Git sync and white labelling; Self-hosted Team also includes multiple environments. Enterprise has custom pricing with unlimited end users, SCIM, Cloud multi-environment, an optional Self-hosted air-gapped add-on, custom data retention and a dedicated support manager.
SOC 2
ISO 27001
GDPR
Frequently asked questions
Which is cheaper, Retool or Superblocks?
Can Retool and Superblocks be self-hosted?
How do Retool AI and Superblocks Clark differ?
Do Retool and Superblocks work with Claude Code or Codex?
Which plans include SSO, audit logs and Git sync?
Is there an open-source alternative to Retool and Superblocks?
Is ToolJet enterprise-ready, and who uses it?
The third option runs anywhere
Open source, self-hosted from the free tier, and built by the agent you already use. Start on cloud or run the Community Edition today.