Bubble vs Retool
Which automation & integration tool is right for you? Compare features, pricing, and user reviews to make the best choice.
Bubble
From $29Free plan
Founders and small product teams building a customer-facing web app, and optionally native mobile apps, with custom logic, user accounts and payments, who accept running on Bubble's platform long term.
vs
Retool
From $10Free plan
Engineering teams building many internal apps on production databases and APIs, who want the widest connector set and are fine paying per builder and per internal user.
Side by side
| Bubble | Retool | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free; paid from $29/month per app (web, annual) | Free (5 users); Team from $10/builder + $5/internal user/month |
| G2 Rating | Not yet verified | Not yet verified |
| Best For | Founders and small product teams building a customer-facing web app, and optionally native mobile apps, with custom logic, user accounts and payments, who accept running on Bubble's platform long term. | Engineering teams building many internal apps on production databases and APIs, who want the widest connector set and are fine paying per builder and per internal user. |
Pros and cons
Bubble
Pros
- Most flexible no-code option for custom logic and data models
- Web and native mobile apps share one backend and database
- No per-user fees, so large user bases are not billed per seat
- Large ecosystem of plugins, templates and freelance Bubble developers
Cons
- Steep learning curve compared with data-first builders
- Workload unit pricing makes costs harder to predict
- No code export: apps only run on Bubble
- Live apps start at $29/month per app, and mobile costs more
Retool
Pros
- Broadest mix of database and API connectors in this group
- Enterprise can run in Retool Cloud, self-hosted or air-gapped
- Team plan is cheap for small groups ($10 per builder, $5 per internal user, annual)
- Apps, Workflows and Agents live in one product
Cons
- Internal users are billed separately, so cost grows with headcount
- Audit logs start on Business ($50 per builder, annual); granular roles, SSO and self-hosting are Enterprise only
- SAML/OpenID SSO and Git source control are Enterprise only
Sarah Chen