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Retool vs ServiceNow comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 17, 2024

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

Retool
Ranking in Rapid Application Development Software
16th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.4
Number of Reviews
7
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
ServiceNow
Ranking in Rapid Application Development Software
2nd
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
223
Ranking in other categories
Help Desk Software (1st), IT Asset Management (1st), IT Service Management (ITSM) (1st), No-Code Development Platforms (1st)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2025, in the Rapid Application Development Software category, the mindshare of Retool is 0.7%, up from 0.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of ServiceNow is 10.3%, down from 10.8% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Rapid Application Development Software
 

Featured Reviews

PriyankJain - PeerSpot reviewer
Has notably streamlined the creation and management of admin panels in my organization
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 functionalities to integrate seamlessly into the admin panels. Retool should include enhanced graphical customization tools in its next release, particularly for creating more dynamic visual representations within the admin panels.
Nikhil Gohil - PeerSpot reviewer
Enables effective incident management and seamless workflow automation with valuable mobile accessibility
I haven't thought deeply about improvements for ServiceNow or what might be missing right now. There are so many modules and features in ServiceNow that I haven't explored them all, so it's hard to say what might be missing or should be improved. I suggest making the cost more affordable for smaller companies.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"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's most valuable features are its drag-and-drop components and the ability to customize them extensively."
"Retool provides us with the opportunity to save time and be more efficient."
"The stability is okay."
"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."
"We can create the dashboards quickly."
"Some of the valuable features I have found the solution to have are it can serve many different types of businesses, it has strong platform capabilities, provides application development, built-in predictive intelligence, and performance analytics reports."
"We used ServiceNow for change management, release management, and event management."
"If it is a high priority, they will respond very quickly. If it is a low priority issue, it might take some time, some three or four days. I would rate the technical support as a 10 out of 10."
"Creating a ticket is much simpler in this tool. That is one big advantage. Also, the simplicity and ease of use are much better. I've used HPSM and it is very complex in comparison to ServiceNow."
"A workflow automation platform that's reliable, performs well, and has good reporting and integration."
"The solution is stable, scalable and easy to use."
"Makes ticket information easy to access."
"ServiceNow provides quite good insights about what is happening in the organization."
 

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."
"The solution lacks inbuilt customization to customize bar charts."
"The components are changed frequently, which is very irritating."
"Retool should add more resource integration."
"The part where we can add some custom logic or custom plugins could be better."
"There are restrictions on the front-end side."
"One area for improvement in Retool is expanding its library support to include a broader range of third-party JavaScript libraries."
"There are sometimes challenges with the portal being a bit confusing for new users. The implementation of the portal and workspaces is quite different, and improvements in this area would be beneficial."
"The discovery of assets could be improved; right now they only allow for one domain."
"There are sometimes challenges with the portal being a bit confusing for new users."
"The scalability needs improvement."
"The solution’s user interface could be improved and given a better design."
"The interface can be a bit more intuitive."
"The interface requires an upgrade."
"The interface is not user-friendly."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The pricing is very expensive. It costs for each user, for automated users, open-end users, et cetera."
"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."
"I don't know Retool's current pricing, but it cost around $12 per month earlier."
"The tool is a little bit expensive."
"The solution is priced for medium to enterprises sized businesses. However, it is expensive compared to competitors."
"$230 per user."
"For the modules we use, we found it competitive. I can't think of any costs in addition to the licensing fees."
"The mandatory minimum is US$ 20,000 for licensing."
"It is very expensive because it is a big organization. You have to pay for additional things."
"The platform offers a free trial, by providing a free developer instance once you sign up."
"The license model is based on a number of fulfillers (active users who play some role within the ServiceNow functionality). Therefore, you can serve as many end-users as you want, without additional costs."
"There is an annual subscription to use this solution."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Manufacturing Company
17%
Comms Service Provider
15%
Outsourcing Company
9%
University
8%
Computer Software Company
13%
Financial Services Firm
12%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Government
9%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

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...
Which solution is better for developing non-ITSM applications: OutSystems or Service Now?
The short answer is that OutSystems is far better for 2 main reasons. Firstly, with Service Now you are locked into that platform for good. The business model is to lock in and then keep pumping th...
Would you choose ServiceNow over Microsoft PowerApps?
Hi Netanya, I will choose ServiceNow because ServiceNow is a very good tool compared to Microsoft PowerApp. Because ServiceNow has a very strong module (Performance Analysis) reporting which will ...
What do you like most about ServiceNow?
The solution has a user-friendly interface.
 

Comparisons

 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Information Not Available
AAA, AstraZeneca, Becton, Dickinson and Company, Broadcom, Christus Health, Epicor, Equinix, GE Capital, Intuit, KPMG, Loyola Marymount University, OshKosh, Quantas, RedHat, Royal Bank of Scotland, Swiss Re, U.S. Department of Energy, Safeway, Yale University, and Zillow    
Find out what your peers are saying about Retool vs. ServiceNow and other solutions. Updated: July 2025.
865,384 professionals have used our research since 2012.