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Retool vs ServiceNow Now Platform 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 Now Platform
Ranking in Rapid Application Development Software
13th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
48
Ranking in other categories
Low-Code Development Platforms (8th), No-Code Development Platforms (4th)
 

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 Now Platform is 1.9%, up from 1.5% 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.
SiddharthZunjarrao - PeerSpot reviewer
Enables us to have significant improvements in operational efficiency
ServiceNow is highly scalable from a customization point of view, allowing for the building of portals, adding and configuring widgets, and designing workflows as preferred. The text-to-code feature is particularly useful for turning natural language instructions into recognizable code on the ServiceNow platform, aiding both implementation teams and customers. The case summarization feature is also great, as it summarizes user comments and agent notes into a resolution code without needing to review the entire activity history.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The most valuable feature of the solution is connectivity with APIs and other databases."
"Retool provides us with the opportunity to save time and be more efficient."
"Retool's most valuable features are its drag-and-drop components and the ability to customize them extensively."
"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."
"We can create the dashboards quickly."
"The stability is okay."
"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."
"It is a stable solution...It is a scalable solution."
"The level of automation within the platform is great."
"It can integrate anywhere, and you can make any kind of workflow."
"We work on it directly to send out tickets. It enables us to work seamlessly, we don't need to send them out manually. We can create a ticket and assign it in the system."
"ServiceNow is highly scalable from a customization point of view, allowing for the building of portals, adding and configuring widgets, and designing workflows as preferred."
"ServiceNow Now Platform is quite useful, scalable, and flexible. The user interface is very good."
"The most valuable features are the ease of use, stability, and the ability to change or upgrade seamlessly."
"Scalability-wise, it is a very good solution."
 

Cons

"The solution lacks inbuilt customization to customize bar charts."
"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 part where we can add some custom logic or custom plugins could be better."
"There are restrictions on the front-end side."
"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."
"The components are changed frequently, which is very irritating."
"This platform is used more by large companies because it is a little bit expensive."
"The integration towards other ERP systems could be improved."
"The Playbooks feature is useful for visualizing steps in a process, however, it lacks support for rollbacks in case of complex customer processes."
"From an improvement perspective, the product's complicated initial setup phase can be made a bit easier."
"When it comes to integration, it can be complex compared to other tools I'm currently using."
"There's always room for improvement, but I think the biggest challenge with ServiceNow is the licensing model. It's not very clear and changes frequently."
"It is still difficult to build a set of services in ServiceNow. It can be done, but it is one of the more difficult things to do. If we're talking about scalability, we're talking about the ability to actually build that set of services a little easier."
"The user interface could be modernized and made more attractive for users."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"For me, I'm in India right now, and we have Retool's subscription for one team member for $10 per month."
"The tool is a little bit expensive."
"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 pricing is very expensive. It costs for each user, for automated users, open-end users, et cetera."
"The solution is expensive, and I rate it a ten for pricing."
"The pricing of this solution is done annually and it is very expensive."
"Pricing is based on the number of users and user licenses, but the product is 20% to 30% more than the competition."
"From what I heard, the license for the ServiceNow Now Platform is paid monthly, and on a scale of one to five, I'm rating it a three in terms of pricing, so it's on the cheaper side. I don't know of any additional costs associated with the ServiceNow Now Platform, apart from the standard licensing fees."
"ServiceNow is not open source, so there is a license you must pay. As for how much it costs, what I have observed is that it often depends on your subscriptions."
"It is expensive only."
"Price-wise, I would describe the product's cost to be more than the average, but it compensates for that with the functionalities that it provides."
"In my opinion, it is expensive. However, they do offer favorable licensing for charities, for example."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Manufacturing Company
17%
Comms Service Provider
15%
Outsourcing Company
9%
University
8%
Financial Services Firm
16%
Government
9%
Computer Software Company
8%
Manufacturing Company
7%
 

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...
What do you like most about ServiceNow Now Platform?
The integration with other tools is pretty good.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for ServiceNow Now Platform?
From what I have heard only from our sales team, ServiceNow Now Platform falls within the more expensive tier of a product, but I can't really judge it.
What needs improvement with ServiceNow Now Platform?
The user interface could be modernized and made more attractive for users.
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Information Not Available
experian, beachbody, health partners
Find out what your peers are saying about Retool vs. ServiceNow Now Platform and other solutions. Updated: July 2025.
865,295 professionals have used our research since 2012.