ToolJet vs Retool: compare AI, pricing and self-hosting.
Retool is proprietary, charges separately for builders and internal users on cloud Team and Business, and keeps SSO and Git sync on Enterprise. ToolJet is open source, self-hosts from the free tier, and lets the coding agent you already use build the app.
Published by ToolJet. Compare the trade-offs and check the vendor sources for your requirements.
Retool or ToolJet: which fits your team?
Choose Retool for an existing Retool estate
If your team already maintains Retool apps, staying avoids rebuilding and retraining. Its web and mobile app offering is also worth evaluating if native mobile features are a requirement. Confirm governance and self-hosting costs with Retool.
Choose ToolJet for open source and deployment control
Start with the self-hosted Community Edition, or use ToolJet Cloud. Team includes SSO, audit logs and Git sync with an end-user allowance. Builder BYOK is available on Enterprise plans for both Cloud and Self-hosted. The customer-hosted AI gateway is a separate Self-hosted Enterprise add-on.
Compare ToolJet plansTest the same app before migrating
Build one real workflow with the same data, permissions and user count in both platforms. Include builder seats, end users, AI usage, hosting and maintenance in the estimate. There is no automatic Retool export importer.
Plan a Retool migration
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
Our agent builds it, or yours does
ToolJet AI is built in with Luna on Free; Haiku 5.5, GPT, Claude, Gemini and Grok are available on paid plans. Or let Claude Code or Codex compose a visually editable app over the MIT-licensed MCP server with no ToolJet credits. Retool also supports coding agents: its MCP uses Retool AI credits, while its CLI builds React apps locally without Retool AI credits.
Claude Code
Codex
GitHub Copilot
Cursor
Grok Build
Self-host from the free tier
The free Community Edition runs on Docker and Kubernetes. Air-gapped deployment requires the Self-hosted Enterprise air-gapped add-on. Retool lists self-hosting on Enterprise for new deployments.
Docker
Kubernetes
AWS
Google Cloud Run
Azure Container Apps
SSO, audit logs and Git sync on Team
$199 per builder per month, billed annually, with end users included up to 100. Retool needs Enterprise for SSO and Git sync, Business for audit logs, and bills internal end users separately on cloud Team and Business.
SOC 2
ISO 27001
GDPR
Who builds the app, and who pays for it
Both platforms support Claude Code and Codex. ToolJet's MCP builds native apps you can edit visually; Retool offers an MCP relay and a CLI for local React development. Retool CLI details checked on 30 September 2026.
Relay through MCP, or build locally with the CLI.
create_or_append_react_app_thread_messageforwards your prompt to Retool AI, which generates a React app.- The MCP build path consumes both your coding agent's usage and Retool AI credits.
- The Retool CLI lets your coding agent write, validate and publish React apps from your machine without Retool AI credits. Your agent's own usage costs still apply.
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 connect Claude Code, Codex or any MCP client to build 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.
- App builds produce native app configuration you can inspect and edit visually, without a separate frontend codebase; queries and workflow nodes can include code.
- Claude Code
- Codex
- GitHub Copilot
- Cursor
- Grok Build
Your infrastructure, without the enterprise premium
Retool lists new self-hosted deployments on Enterprise with custom pricing. Its cloud Team and Business plans bill builders and internal end users separately.
Self-hosting through an Enterprise contract.
- New self-hosted deployments require Enterprise.
- Self-hosted pricing is custom; cloud Team and Business bill builders and internal end users separately.
- Unlimited users, SSO and advanced self-host features need an Enterprise contract.
Your infrastructure from day one.
- Docker, Kubernetes, AWS, Azure, GCP or on-premise. Air-gapped deployment requires the Self-hosted Enterprise add-on.
- The Community Edition is free to self-host; Team and Enterprise add governance.
- End users included up to the plan limit, not billed per head.
ToolJet vs Retool, feature by feature
Verified against Retool's published pricing and documentation on 7 September 2026. Vendors change plans often; if something has moved, tell us.
| Feature | ToolJet | Retool |
|---|---|---|
| Licensing & deployment | ||
| Open source | Community Edition, AGPL-3.0 | Proprietary, no public codebase |
| Self-hosting | Free, Team and Enterprise | Enterprise for new deployments |
| Deployment targets | Docker, Kubernetes, AWS, Azure, GCP, DigitalOcean, OpenShift, Helm; air-gapped with the Enterprise add-on | Docker, Kubernetes, AWS, GCP, Azure |
| Air-gapped | Enterprise add-on | Enterprise |
| Pricing model | ||
| End-user charges | None; included up to the plan limit, 100 on Team | $15 per internal user per month on cloud Business; $5 on cloud Team |
| Cheapest paid plan with AI | $29/builder/mo Basic, billed monthly: 2,000 credits, pay-as-you-go top-ups | $10/builder + $5/user on Team, 1,000 pooled AI credits |
| AI credit model | Included per plan, top up as needed | Pooled per account, renew monthly, do not roll over; agents billed hourly on top |
| Free tier | Yes, 2 builders, 50 end users, self-hostable | Yes, up to 5 users, 250 AI credits |
| AI & coding agents | ||
| Built-in AI agent | ToolJet AI: Luna on Free; Haiku 5.5, GPT, Claude, Gemini or Grok on paid plans | Retool AI on Retool-managed OpenAI and Anthropic keys; credit-metered |
| MCP server | Open source, MIT. Claude Code and Codex plugins, VS Code and Copilot, any MCP client. Cloud or self-hosted | Proprietary, public beta since May 2026. Cloud plans and self-hosted 4.0+ |
| What the agent does | Composes native app pages, queries, components, events and tables; creates and edits workflow drafts on Self-hosted only | MCP relays prompts to Retool AI; the CLI lets your agent write, validate and publish React apps locally |
| What gets produced | Native, visually editable ToolJet app configuration, without a separate frontend codebase | A React app, generated by Retool AI or imported from your repo |
| AI usage for coding-agent builds | Your agent's usage costs; no ToolJet credits via MCP. Platform plan costs are separate | MCP: agent usage plus Retool AI credits. CLI: agent usage without Retool AI credits. Platform plan costs are separate |
| Edit without prompting | Open the visual builder and change it by hand | Editable, but it is React code either way |
| Bring your own LLM key | Enterprise BYOK on Cloud and Self-hosted. Provider usage is billed separately; no ToolJet AI credits consumed | Enterprise only; no credits charged |
| AI entirely inside your network | Self-hosted Enterprise AI gateway add-on plus a supported local model; external BYOK providers still receive requests | Not documented |
| Security & governance | ||
| SSO | SAML, OIDC and LDAP on Team and above; Google/GitHub login on Self-hosted Free and above | SSO/SAML on Enterprise |
| SCIM provisioning | Enterprise | Enterprise |
| Audit logs | Team plan | Business |
| RBAC / granular permissions | Custom user groups on Team | Business |
| Source control / Git sync | Team plan; cloud or self-hosted Git, custom branches, CI/CD | Enterprise |
| Multi-environment | Self-hosted Team and above; Cloud Enterprise | Staging on Team, unlimited on Business |
| White labelling | Team plan | Branding on Business, full white-label on Enterprise |
| Platform | ||
| Training & certification | ToolJet Academy: hands-on courses and certifications. Explore Academy | Retool University: courses, labs and digital badges. |
| Code in apps | JavaScript and Python | JavaScript; Python in Workflows |
| Built-in database | ToolJet Database on PostgreSQL, no-code editor | Retool Database |
| Integrations | 100+ | Broad first-party library |
| Multiplayer editing | Yes, with inline comments and mentions | Yes |
| Community | 41,000+ GitHub stars, 650+ contributors | No public codebase |
Sources: Navitas: 31 internal applications in 60 days · MGID: 20 active internal applications · ToolJet enterprise security and AI deployment controls · ToolJet vs Retool: same-prompt AI app-building tests (published 7 October 2026) · ToolJet Academy · Retool University · Retool pricing · Retool MCP tools reference · Retool MCP and CLI · Retool CLI public beta · Retool AI providers and BYOK · ToolJet pricing · ToolJet MCP on GitHub
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
ToolJet vs Retool, answered
Is ToolJet enterprise-ready, and who uses it?
ToolJet is an enterprise internal-app platform for teams that need AI app generation, a visual builder and control over deployment. Navitas reports 31 internal applications delivered in 60 days; MGID reports 20 active applications. Team includes SSO, audit logs and GitSync. Enterprise adds SCIM, builder BYOK on Cloud and Self-hosted, and a dedicated support manager. Customer-hosted AI gateways and air-gapped operation are separate Self-hosted Enterprise add-ons. Review the plan, permissions and deployment requirements for your rollout.
Is ToolJet a Retool alternative that I can self-host for free?
Yes. ToolJet's Community Edition is open source under AGPL-3.0 and can be self-hosted on Docker, Kubernetes, AWS, Azure, GCP, DigitalOcean or OpenShift. Self-hosting is available on Free, Team and Enterprise; air-gapped deployment requires the Self-hosted Enterprise air-gapped add-on. Retool lists new self-hosted deployments on Enterprise with custom pricing.
Does ToolJet charge per end user like Retool?
No. Retool bills per builder and internal end user on cloud Team and Business, at $50 and $15 per month respectively on Business when billed annually. Free has a five-user limit; Enterprise has custom pricing. ToolJet charges per builder and includes end users up to the plan limit: 50 on Free and Pro, 100 on Team, unlimited on Enterprise.
Can Claude Code or Codex build ToolJet apps?
Yes. ToolJet ships an MIT-licensed MCP server, packaged as Claude Code and Codex plugins and usable from VS Code, Copilot or any MCP client, against cloud or self-hosted instances. It provides native tools for pages, queries, components, events and tables. On Self-hosted only, MCP can create and edit workflow drafts, validate them, and run them explicitly or inspect executions; authoring never runs or publishes a workflow automatically. The agent composes the app directly and verifies it in a browser. The result is native, visually editable app configuration rather than a separate frontend codebase; queries and workflow nodes can include code. No ToolJet AI credits are consumed.
How is that different from Retool's MCP server?
Retool's MCP build path forwards prompts to Retool AI and consumes Retool AI credits as well as your coding agent's usage. Its CLI, released in public beta on 24 September 2026, also lets Claude Code or Codex write, validate and publish React apps locally without Retool AI credits. ToolJet's MCP instead lets your coding agent compose native ToolJet pages, queries and components that remain editable in the visual builder, without consuming ToolJet credits. Your agent's usage and the applicable platform plan remain separate costs on either platform.
Can I use my own OpenAI or Anthropic key?
Retool offers BYOK on Enterprise without drawing from its AI credit pool. ToolJet builder BYOK is available on Enterprise plans for both Cloud and Self-hosted. The customer-hosted AI gateway is a separate add-on. To keep AI requests entirely within your infrastructure, use that gateway with a supported local model; external providers still receive requests.
Which plan do I need for SSO, audit logs and Git sync?
On ToolJet all three are included on the Team plan at $199 per builder per month, billed annually, with SAML, OpenID Connect and LDAP. Google/GitHub login is also available on Self-hosted Free. On Retool, SSO/SAML and source control require Enterprise, and audit logs require Business.
Can I migrate my Retool apps to ToolJet?
There is no automatic importer for Retool exports. The practical path is to point a coding agent at your Retool app definition and have it rebuild the app in ToolJet through the MCP server, which handles the pages, queries and events. ToolJet also offers migration consultations for larger estates.
What does ToolJet's AI cost if I don't use a coding agent?
Luna is available for app generation on Free. Haiku 5.5 requires a paid plan. In-product AI uses ToolJet credits: 100 on Free, 2,000 on Basic and Pro, 3,000 per builder on Team, with pay-as-you-go top-ups on paid plans. Builds driven through the MCP server from your own Claude or Codex subscription consume no ToolJet credits.
Build your first app this afternoon
Self-host the Community Edition, start free on cloud, or book a migration consultation and we'll walk through your Retool estate with you.