Microsoft Azure App Service vs Retool comparison

Microsoft Azure App Service

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 17, 2024

Microsoft Azure App Service and Retool compete in cloud solutions and internal tool development. Azure App Service stands out in comprehensive cloud infrastructure, while Retool's strength lies in rapid application development.

Features: Microsoft Azure App Service offers built-in auto-scaling, continuous deployment, and seamless Azure ecosystem integration. It supports Docker, multiple frameworks, and sophisticated scaling options, tailored for extensive cloud deployment. Retool is lauded for its drag-and-drop interface, rich component library, and integration with APIs, making it ideal for quick internal tool assembly. It offers customizable components and seamless database connectivity.

Room for Improvement: Microsoft Azure App Service may need simplification in configuration management and a more intuitive user interface. Integration with non-Microsoft products could be improved, along with better pricing visibility. Retool can enhance its scalability for larger deployments, provide a broader range of components, and include more in-depth technical support documentation to aid complex customizations. Incorporating enhanced analytics tools would also be beneficial.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Microsoft Azure App Service demands more technical expertise due to its complex configurations but benefits from strong support within the Microsoft ecosystem. Retool emphasizes simplicity in deployment, offering a user-friendly experience with tailored support focused on developers creating internal tools. Its straightforward deployment process aids teams in rapid roll-out.

Pricing and ROI: Microsoft Azure App Service has a flexible pricing model suitable for different business sizes, with a potentially higher initial cost that aligns with its extensive functionalities. Retool presents a compelling ROI through reduced development time and complexity, making it a cost-effective choice for rapid internal solutions. Its pricing structure is attractive for environments prioritizing speed and flexibility.

To learn more, read our detailed Microsoft Azure App Service vs. Retool Report (Updated: April 2025).

Microsoft Azure App Service vs. Retool

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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

Microsoft Azure App Service

Ranking in Rapid Application Development Software

10th

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

7.1

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Mobile Development Platforms (4th)

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 May 2025, in the Rapid Application Development Software category, the mindshare of Microsoft Azure App Service is 3.2%, down from 3.7% 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

Sharjeel Khan

Head of Security Operations at Edotco Group

Lets you manage security more efficiently, and supports multiple frameworks, but has limited multi-language support and integration

Limited integration is an area for improvement in Microsoft Azure App Service. Another area for improvement in the platform is multi-language support. That still needs to be added because, at the moment, my team still has to work on specific Python languages whenever the API calls need to be configured. The pricing tier for Microsoft Azure App Service also has room for improvement because it significantly varies. For example, you have premium and dynamic pricing, and people on P2 should be offered dynamic pricing or the high-priced tier on offer could still be worked on. I want a lifecycle pipeline feature, similar to Azure Pipelines from Microsoft Azure App Service. For example, when configuring the pipelines, I should be able to configure the cloud security posture for a specific deployment. By default, there should be a prebuilt cloud security option that can be configured before moving into the production environment. Microsoft Azure App Service should also give you a clue regarding the risks. It would be best if you didn't have to connect to other modules because that wouldn't be as beneficial to platform users, mainly because Microsoft Azure App Service has a lot of security development kits.

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Saurabh Tiwari

Back End Developer at Medha

Easy to use, I don't need to write extensive code and built-in components helps to develop tools

Retool provides multiple tools and functionalities that we can use. However, there are restrictions on the front-end side. From the back-end side, we can use anything, but on the front-end, we have limited tools. This limits our ability to enhance functionality. For example, if I'm creating a tool for you to collect feedback from your clients or users, we have limited resources on the front-end. For the back-end, we have unlimited resources, but for the front-end, we are restricted to creating dashboards and similar tools. If you want to enable other functionalities, we can add them, but this is a limitation on the front-end side.

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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

"This solution is easy to deploy."

"The product is scalable."

"The solution can scale."

"My organization has significantly improved operations using Azure App Service."

"One valuable feature of Azure App Service for us is its integration with Azure DevOps, which we heavily rely on in our development process."

"I've used Microsoft Azure App Service quite a lot, and what I like best about it is that it's a serverless HAM, which is a feature that can run a function, a single function, but faster and more frequently without needing any other assistance. This has been what I found most valuable in Microsoft Azure App Service, the serverless option that's very easy to utilize, and you only need a minimal setup to use this and to enjoy the functionalities required, so the solution gives me a lot of comfort whenever I'm using it."

"The most valuable features in the context of development and deployment are the integration with SDKs and the infrastructure standpoint."

"The product's initial setup phase is fast, and creating a new component and starting is easy."

More Microsoft Azure App Service pros

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

"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."

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

"The stability is okay."

"We can create the dashboards quickly."

"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."

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

Cons

"The solution is quite expensive. If you need more features, you need to pay for them."

"Lacking somewhat in template data flows."

"It would be fantastic if Microsoft morphed after my exit service, removing it from subscriptions and moving it to different regions, especially for that service."

"Extended uptime and improved speed would be beneficial for both development purposes and the free tier of the service. Currently, the uptime is limited to a few hours per day, which could be increased to provide more continuous and efficient usage."

"I would like to see faster adoption and templates that we can use."

"There are no issues with the solution."

"The setup is complex if you have no experience."

"The tool's UI is an area of concern that needs improvements."

More Microsoft Azure App Service cons

"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."

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

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

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

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

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

"Retool should add more resource integration."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The pricing for Microsoft Azure App Service is per hour, and you're billed per hour, and it depends on the plan you're using. Each plan can host up to a minimum of four to eight applications at a time, so the pricing is quite okay with how I use Microsoft Azure App Service currently, but with the little testing I've done, I saw that some other regions tend to be costlier than others. If the same SLE is delivered for all services, there should be a way to make the prices parallel across regions. Having more transparent pricing for Microsoft Azure App Service would give customers more comfort."

"The cost of the solution is based on usage. It is less expensive than other solutions."

"Azure App Service is expensive compared to its competitors, especially its cloud-only version."

"The pricing model of Microsoft Azure App Service could be made more clear. There is a scale and range and it can be complicated and convoluted. Some simplification is needed."

"On a scale of one to five, with one being expensive and five being competitive, I would rate this solution as a four."

"The cost depends on the App Service plan that you choose. There are a number of tiers available."

"Where there are different customer sizes, some customers consume $5,000 US dollars per month. I have some customers who pay and consume more than $20,000 US dollars per month, for example. It is determined by customer sizes and requirements, which vary from month to month."

"Microsoft Azure App Service is an expensive platform, but it depends on the data ingestion. There's a pay-as-you-go plan and a savings plan for compute, but total costs depend on data ingestion and disk space. For high performance, security, and isolation, Microsoft offers a disk space of 1 TB, with a pay-as-you-go price of $40 per hour, if I'm not mistaken."

More Microsoft Azure App Service pricing and cost advice

"The tool is a little bit expensive."

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

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

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

"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."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

13%

Computer Software Company

13%

Government

Manufacturing Company

No data available

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

Would you choose Microsoft Azure App Service or PowerApps?

Microsoft Azure App Service is helpful if you need to set up temporary servers for customers to run their programs in locations that other cloud providers do not cater to. When servers are closer t...

Do you recommend Microsoft Azure App Service?

I highly recommend Microsoft Azure. We have been using it for nearly four years. We mostly use it for creating and maintaining websites, such as content management systems like WordPress sites, whi...

What do you like most about Microsoft Azure App Service?

One valuable feature of Azure App Service for us is its integration with Azure DevOps, which we heavily rely on in our development process.

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

Microsoft Azure App Service

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Also Known As

Azure App Service, MS Azure App Service

No data available

Overview

Microsoft Azure App Service is an HTTP-based mobile application development platform and solution. It is designed to enable organizations to completely control their application development and hosting processes.

Microsoft Azure App Service Benefits

Some of the benefits that come from using Microsoft Azure App Service include:

A high level of security. Microsoft Azure App Service comes with enterprise-level and industry-standard SLAs through the use of PCI security standards. Users can go about developing their applications without having to worry about exposure to security risks. Microsoft Azure App Service keeps the application development process secure so that all that users have to worry about is creating their application.

Collaborate and develop applications from anywhere. Teams that are spread out across the globe can collaborate and build applications from anywhere that they happen to be. Microsoft’s global data center is a cloud hub that developers can take advantage of to connect their teams if they are located in disparate locations. It can handle all of a developer's application hosting needs.

Multi-format and multi-lingual support. Microsoft Azure App Service supports both physical machine and virtual machine formats. In addition, it also supports a variety of different programming languages.

Utilize pre-fabricated templates. Microsoft Azure App Service gives developers access to an extensive list of templates. These can both ease the process of planning the development of applications by providing developers with ideas and make it easier for the developers to build them.

Microsoft Azure App Service Features

Some of the many useful features Microsoft Azure App Service has to offer include:

When users choose to employ the Microsoft Azure App Service solution, they gain access to many different capabilities. These features include:

Manual or automatic auto-scaling capabilities. Microsoft Azure App Service enables developers to control how their applications auto-scale. Developers can employ the auto-scaling feature by hand or set it so that it automatically rescales according to their needs.

IDE integrations. Microsoft Azure App Service can easily integrate with various IDE software solutions. This gives developers access to many analytic, debugging, and monitoring options.

Deployment slots. These are virtual spaces where developers can test and deploy new versions of their applications while working on them. This feature allows developers to resolve any issues before the new version of the application is put into production.

Reviews from Real Users

Microsoft Azure App Service’s versatility offers organizations that use it a great deal. It is a very complete, ready-to-use, out-of-the-box mobile development solution that gives users the capabilities that they need to design their mobile applications with the greatest level of ease. In addition, users can employ the cloud to scale operations so that their applications have the proper amount of space to run at the time that they need it.

Andriy L., the Azure practice leader at a computer software company, writes, “I like that it's a ready-to-use, out-of-the-box solution that provides all of the necessary functions for customers, such as codes that can be quickly switched from the production version, or test and DEV versions to production.”

Yasir M., a solution architect at Komatsu, writes, "The best feature is scalability, which allows you to target potential clients worldwide by connecting the application to a local server. This makes the application readily accessible, and the response time will be much better."

Microsoft

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

Real Madrid, Absolut, AccuWeather, Heineken, NBC News, Paramount

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Microsoft Azure App Service vs. Retool