HCL Domino vs Retool comparison

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HCL Domino

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 17, 2024

HCL Domino and Retool both compete in the business application solutions category. Retool seems to have an upper hand in adaptability and integration capabilities, whereas HCL Domino stands out with robust security features.

Features: HCL Domino's strengths include its advanced security architecture, integrated mail and messaging, and reliable workflow automation. Retool is recognized for its intuitive application design, extensive integration options, and customization flexibility.

Room for Improvement: HCL Domino could improve in ease of deployment and modernizing certain applications for broader usability. Retool may benefit from enhancing its security features to match enterprise-level needs and expanding offline capabilities for various applications.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: HCL Domino requires more setup due to its on-premises model, offering control over data security. Retool's cloud-based deployment allows for faster setup and scalability. Retool is noted for efficient customer service, providing a user-friendly experience, while HCL Domino usually needs specialized support.

Pricing and ROI: HCL Domino involves higher initial costs due to infrastructure needs, resulting in a steady long-term ROI from reliable services. Retool offers competitive pricing focused on minimizing initial costs and providing a faster ROI through flexible, scalable solutions.

To learn more, read our detailed HCL Domino vs. Retool Report (Updated: June 2025).

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HCL Domino vs. Retool

June 2025

Helped 856,873 peers since 2012

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

HCL Domino

Ranking in Rapid Application Development Software

19th

Average Rating

7.8

Reviews Sentiment

6.8

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Retool

Ranking in Rapid Application Development Software

18th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

7.4

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2025, in the Rapid Application Development Software category, the mindshare of HCL Domino is 0.6%, up from 0.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Retool is 0.5%, up from 0.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Rapid Application Development Software

Featured Reviews

FrederickLim

Technical Service Manager at Top Level Corporation Limited

Provides mobile email systems with solid stability and easy deployment

The initial setup is easy. You need to sign up. It depends on the scope. It will take longer if there are more than one or more applications. The project usually includes infrastructure and deployment may take anywhere from one month to six months. I rate the initial setup an eight out of ten, where one is difficult and ten is easy.

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Tabraiz Ahmed

Technical Lead at a manufacturing company with 10,001+ employees

Its focus lies in building dashboards for cloud operations and data management, as well as generating analytical reports

In some of my past projects, I collaborated with others, and we used GitHub for version control. It served as a repository where we pushed our code updates, facilitating seamless collaboration and version tracking among team members. One limitation of Retool currently is the lack of support for parallel editing, meaning that multiple users cannot collaborate on the same application simultaneously. This restriction aligns with the application's context, as it's typically more practical for only one person to edit an application at a time. They recently integrated AI models, such as Ahmed AI, and consistently incorporate new OpenAPI module releases into the cloud environment. This integration allows users to leverage the latest advancements, including AI assistance for error detection and resolution within queries, particularly in JavaScript and SQL, enhancing the development experience in Retool. If you are going to invest in Retool and you have a clear vision. Definitely, it is worth it. Some users say it is a bit pricey. There are a couple of other software like Ubiquiti, but even Microsoft also providing a low code platform, but it's more enterprise-level based applications, not for everyone. Retool is still leading and have a good price plan, which users are comfortable with. It will not be too difficult if you have some technical background. If you know how to write JavaScript queries, how SQL queries work, and understand how front-end development operates in real-time, then maybe one or two years of development experience will be sufficient for a user to develop a basic application in Retool. However, it does require some level of development experience. For example, a project manager without any development experience would not be able to work within Retool and develop a dashboard or define a workflow unless they first educate themselves and gain some proficiency with the tool. A normal business user cannot use it; you must have some development experience. When you mention a low-code platform, it implies that a user with a certain level of development knowledge can develop applications. That's where we may fall short. However, looking at the advantages, you can customize and control your application at a very detailed level within Retool. So, it excels in both positive and negative aspects. Overall, I rate the solution a seven out of ten.

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Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"HCL Domino is the best product from a security point of view."

"We can scale it if we want to."

"One valuable feature of HCL Domino is its integration with other directories."

"HCL Domino is an application development and collaboration platform with strong stability and security. Deployment of this platform is easy and takes only 10 minutes."

"The email system is the most valuable feature."

"Overall, I would rate HCL Domino as eight out of ten. I would recommend HCL Domino and Notes applications for small and medium-sized companies since it offers a good return on investment."

"The DAOS feature is the most valuable. It helps to save some of my storage."

"It serves as a centralized solution that fulfills all my requirements from operating my email server to managing various aspects of my operations."

More HCL Domino pros

"The stability is okay."

"We can create the dashboards quickly."

"Retool provides us with the opportunity to save time and be more efficient."

"The most valuable feature of Retool is the workflow because I can integrate multiple features, such as RESTful API, JavaScript API, or different databases on the same dashboard."

"There are several key aspects to Retool that make it stand out. Firstly, its extensive range of components makes integration straightforward. Secondly, its support for SQL and JavaScript allows for the implementation of complex logic, which is particularly beneficial for developers like yourself with experience in .NET development."

"The most valuable feature of the solution is connectivity with APIs and other databases."

"Retool's most valuable features are its drag-and-drop components and the ability to customize them extensively."

Cons

"Scalability needs to be improved to be on the level that's required. Support could also be enhanced."

"Scalability is also an issue. We have problems with large databases."

"An area for improvement in HCL Domino is security. New enhancements in the IT industry mean that security should be improved. The HCL Domino GUI also needs improvement."

"The solution could improve Kubernetes or Dockers migration to new environments in the cloud."

"The product's user interface is one of its shortcomings since it is outdated, making it an area for improvement."

"From the Domino side, it should support DKIM and DMARC."

"HCL Domino needs to be more user-friendly."

"For me, the one thing missing is a really good reporting engine."

More HCL Domino cons

"The solution lacks inbuilt customization to customize bar charts."

"The components are changed frequently, which is very irritating."

"There are restrictions on the front-end side."

"The part where we can add some custom logic or custom plugins could be better."

"Retool should add more resource integration."

"One area for improvement in Retool is expanding its library support to include a broader range of third-party JavaScript libraries."

"Retool could enhance support, including efforts to establish support centers in Europe, which was lacking previously. However, the community is still in the growth phase, leading to potential delays in receiving responses to queries."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"I'd rate it a seven out of ten in terms of price."

"The pricing is individually determined. For us, in our current deployment, we pay $12.50 Canadian per month per user."

"We pay annually for the use of this solution and it is only a standard fee."

"My company's customers need to make monthly or yearly payments towards the license charges of the product."

"HCL Domino is costly, but it still depends on how your organization views it price-wise."

"For 30 licenses, we pay $1,500 every year. It is not an expensive product."

"The license for Domino is yearly. The price is high."

"We're happy with the price of our license — it's pretty standard."

More HCL Domino pricing and cost advice

"I don't know Retool's current pricing, but it cost around $12 per month earlier."

"For new users, evaluate the scale of their administrative needs as Retool provides excellent free services for smaller setups, but larger deployments might require transitioning to a paid plan."

"For me, I'm in India right now, and we have Retool's subscription for one team member for $10 per month."

"The pricing is very expensive. It costs for each user, for automated users, open-end users, et cetera."

"The tool is a little bit expensive."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

14%

Government

10%

Manufacturing Company

Construction Company

Manufacturing Company

19%

Comms Service Provider

15%

University

10%

Outsourcing Company

10%

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about HCL Domino?

The most valuable features of the solution are security and integration.

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for HCL Domino?

The Notes client is very expensive, costing around $105 per client. Overall, HCL Domino is a costly product.

What needs improvement with HCL Domino?

The speed of the Notes client is an area that could be improved. Many people are not very happy with its speed. Additionally, in-line editing of documents and a document viewer are functionalities ...

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Retool?

For new users, evaluate the scale of their administrative needs as Retool provides excellent free services for smaller setups, but larger deployments might require transitioning to a paid plan.

What needs improvement with Retool?

One area for improvement in Retool is expanding its library support to include a broader range of third-party JavaScript libraries. This would enhance the tool's versatility and allow more complex ...

What is your primary use case for Retool?

I employ Retool primarily to build admin panels that effectively manage office and backend project staff. These panels facilitate the management of various organizational functions and streamline u...

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Product Reports

Download HCL Domino product report

HCL Domino

June 2025

Download Retool product report

May 2025

Also Known As

IBM Lotus Domino, Lotus Domino

No data available

Overview

HCL Domino (formerly IBM Domino) is a secure, enterprise-grade, application development platform. From IT to business, HCL Domino is the only low to pro-code application development platform that allows your business to build robust applications to solve workflow and process challenges fast. HCL Domino powers businesses around the world with 15,000 customers and 10 million apps built on our platform. HCL Domino has always been a secure, rock-solid, and proven solution.

Low cost of ownership - minimizing administration needs through automated installations, policies and monitoring helps staff focus on higher value tasks.
Minimized infrastructure - reducing costs by using less power, memory, data storage, network bandwidth and servers.
Rich application environment - supporting workflow-driven and people-oriented applications that help a wide variety of business operations deliver enhanced results.
Security-rich - helping protect your critical business assets. You can control information access, protect information and guarantee document authenticity.
High availability - featuring advanced clustering, replication, server fault recovery and automated diagnostic tools.

HCLSoftware

Retool enables rapid construction of internal tools with minimal coding, streamlining workflows across HR, customer support, and compliance. Praised for its drag-and-drop interface, extensive component library, and SQL support, it boosts organizational efficiency by automating tasks and enhancing data management.

Sample Customers

A1 Telekom, Acubiz, Afrisam, E. A. Juffali & Brothers, Fiducia & GAD, and Pakistan State Oil

Information Not Available