Retool vs Zapier comparison

Retool and Zapier are both solutions in the AI Software Development category. Retool is ranked #12 with an average rating of 8.1, while Zapier is ranked #14 with an average rating of 7.5. Retool holds a 0.5% mindshare in ASD, compared to Zapier’s 0.5% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of Retool users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 94% of Zapier users who would recommend it.

Retool

Read 10 Retool reviews

790 Views
237 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Zapier

Read 48 Zapier reviews

1,779 Views
160 Comparison Views

94% willing to recommend

Retool

Zapier

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 11, 2025

Zapier and Retool compete in the automation and internal tool development category. Zapier holds an edge with its extensive integrations, while Retool is more effective for rapid internal tool development with its ease of customization.

Features: Zapier facilitates over 7,000 app integrations, multi-step automations, and features webhooks for flexible workflow automation. Retool offers quick internal tool development with drag-and-drop functionalities, API and database connectivity, and customization options that don’t require extensive coding.

Room for Improvement: Zapier could advance by enabling two-way synchronization, improving error handling, and making its pricing more competitive. Retool needs broader support for third-party libraries and enhanced frontend customization options. Both platforms can benefit from better support and documentation for non-technical users.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Zapier supports public cloud deployments with easy setup but requires improvement in customer support response times. Retool is adaptable to both public and hybrid cloud environments, complemented by efficient and responsive customer service for smooth troubleshooting and deployments.

Pricing and ROI: Zapier's pricing may increase with more automated tasks, though it offers substantial ROI by reducing development labor. Retool is seen as cost-effective for smaller deployments, requiring plan upgrades for larger implementations. Despite transitions to paid tiers, its pricing remains competitive for agile internal app building.

To learn more, read our detailed Retool vs. Zapier Report (Updated: December 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Retool vs. Zapier

December 2025

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Helped 881,114 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

Retool

Ranking in AI Software Development

12th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

6.5

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Rapid Application Development Software (15th)

Zapier

Ranking in AI Software Development

14th

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

6.8

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Data Integration (17th), Cloud Data Integration (12th), Business Orchestration and Automation Technologies (16th)

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the AI Software Development category, the mindshare of Retool is 0.5%, down from 0.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Zapier is 0.5%, up from 0.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

AI Software Development Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Retool	0.5%
Zapier	0.5%
Other	99.0%

AI Software Development

Featured Reviews

Yannick LE GAL

IT consultant for healthcare sector at Freelancer

Has provided a quick way to build mobile apps and could improve usability for non-technical users

The best features Retool offers include the ability to quickly create a mobile app and use this mobile app in a native mobile app for Android. I found the process of creating and deploying those mobile apps for Android with Retool to be smooth as the documentation is very good, and I found answers and examples to create a mobile app. I can access a debug mode in the mobile app which was really convenient to make tests and find what can be improved, where I have a problem, and how to correct it. Retool positively impacted my organization as the proof of concept we built gave us a way to convince power users and key users before developing the real software. It was a way to maintain the launch date of the project, which helped speed up the project timeline and save resources.

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René Ludwigs

Product Owner | Integration

Diverse integration options support workflow automation while pricing and support need improvements

You can build similar or dependent automations in one Zap, which helps with understanding the process without switching between different records. I would appreciate quicker response times and more direct interactions. It would be great to have a direct contact person for support, but bigger companies usually have solution partners handling support. I do not have a solution partner for Zapier due to using it for small use cases.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Retool positively impacts our organization by saving costs compared to using other data repositories, and teams prefer Retool for daily tasks that perform customizations to showcase web pages or link their data backend, making it more efficient and cost-effective than other software available in the market."

"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 positively impacted my organization as the proof of concept we built gave us a way to convince power users and key users before developing the real software."

"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 positively impacted my organization as the proof of concept we built gave us a way to convince power users and key users before developing the real software."

More Retool pros

"There are a few valuable features, like the stability that it comes with and also the number of features that it offers. I've used other services like Pabbly, but they don't offer similar numbers of applications that Zapier has or allows to integrate with – it's maximum."

"Zapier's interface, for me, is the solution's greatest value proposition. It is designed and developed for people who don't have a clue about what they're trying to do. It has a very user-friendly interface."

"The solution is a SaaS and does not require a complex setup."

"The connection between Facebook lead forms and MailChimp integrations is the most valuable feature."

"The product's initial setup phase was very easy."

"Zapier is a really good tool for connecting multiple different platforms and data sources. For example, with Quickbase, I can easily integrate data from other sources like AWS or task-tracking platforms such as ClickUp or Asana."

"Zapier is the tool with the most connectors and has been quite forward in that case."

"The product's most valuable feature is automation."

More Zapier pros

Cons

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

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

"The UI of Retool could be improved, as I am not fond of the current design, and there should be a platform for learning how to use Retool efficiently, especially since our software team customizes it for their needs, leaving the operational team with limited knowledge on how to customize it."

"In the mobile app development, you have to use JavaScript to interact with components, and for non-technical users, it's already too technical, so Retool has to add some integrated solutions."

"Retool, being a low-code/no-code platform, could improve by allowing users, particularly non-technical users, to use it more easily."

"Retool should add more resource integration."

"In the mobile app development, you have to use JavaScript to interact with components, and for non-technical users, it's already too technical, so Retool has to add some integrated solutions."

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

More Retool cons

"The pricing of the solution is quite expensive."

"The user interface for Zapier could be improved. It also takes some time to sync the data between different environments."

"The solution does not work properly when we apply filters and we get errors."

"One issue I experienced was that when Zapier did not automate or threw an error, the error was not user-friendly."

"System-to-system is fine, but when it comes to system-to-user, where Zapier is helping to communicate to a user, that's a one-way communication. If that user has to perform some action on that notification, the action isn't handled by Zapier. So there's no way to orchestrate that and it's very cumbersome."

"The pricing could be a little cheaper."

"It can be challenging to get timely responses as they typically answer questions after a long period, sometimes taking up to a month to respond."

"Some apps are not available yet. For instance, a connection with Joomla! would be great. In general, all the most-used apps are available, but I bumped into Joomla! with a client."

More Zapier cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The tool is a little bit expensive."

"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."

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

"It's very affordable."

"The price of Zapier is approximately $75 monthly."

"The product is reasonably priced."

"It's very straightforward licensing. There's only one cost you have to pay, and if you want a relevant pricing plan, I think you have two or three different models or packages which include the number of notifications or Zaps, as they call it, that you can program."

"Zapier's price is good."

"Think your Zaps through to make sure you don't use more Zaps than you need."

"Zapier is a paid service. Its license renews monthly, and Zapier will downgrade your subscription to the free version when your credit card doesn't have funds. That significantly impacts your service because everything halts completely. Zapier doesn't have any hidden costs."

"The least expensive plan is $24 a month, and you can go all the way to $800 a month if you're a huge company using many tasks."

More Zapier pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Manufacturing Company

14%

Comms Service Provider

14%

University

10%

Outsourcing Company

10%

University

10%

Financial Services Firm

Retailer

Computer Software Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	5
Midsize Enterprise	3
Large Enterprise	3

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	30
Midsize Enterprise	10
Large Enterprise	7

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Retool?

The pricing, setup cost, and licensing experience were good as the free plan was enough for us.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Retool?

Retool, being a low-code/no-code platform, could improve by allowing users, particularly non-technical users, to use it more easily. In the mobile app development, you have to use JavaScript to int...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Retool?

My main use case for Retool involves an inventory app project. I built a mobile app to make an inventory of chemistry products. Retool helped me with that project as it was a good way to show a qui...

See all answers

What do you like most about Zapier?

The product's most valuable feature is automation.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Zapier?

The pricing is in accordance with market standards and even lower in some cases. The license setup cost is reasonable.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Zapier?

In my opinion, what could be improved in Zapier is its UI, which operates as a one-line system. Compared to Make.com and other tools that have a drag-and-drop system, this is lacking. If the scenar...

See all answers

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Retool

January 2026

Download Retool product report

Buyer's Guide

Zapier

January 2026

Download Zapier product report

Overview

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.

Retool

Zapier connects thousands of apps, enabling seamless automation without coding. It supports webhooks, multi-step tasks, and a wide array of integrations. Despite needing enhancements in Google Sheets capabilities, API limits, and UI, it remains a tool for boosting productivity across many sectors.

By linking tools such as Google Sheets, HubSpot, Slack, and Salesforce, Zapier allows users to automate workflows without coding expertise. Its integrations serve logistics operations, CRM, and social media management. Users can process tracking exceptions and streamline operations with third-party software like QuickBooks, Zoho, and Power BI. Although users suggest features like better Google Sheets handling and improved collaboration tools, Zapier continues to provide expansive automation, enhancing efficiency and facilitating new opportunities through integrations.

What Features Stand Out in Zapier?

App Connectivity: Integrates thousands of tools, simplifying task automation.
Ease of Use: No coding needed to set up integrations.
Webhooks: Offers real-time data transfer between applications.
Multi-step Zaps: Allows complex workflows across various apps.
Comprehensive Library: Extensive list of app integrations for users.

What Benefits Should You Expect?

Increased Productivity: Facilitates seamless automation of tasks.
Efficiency Improvement: Streamlines processes across multiple tools.
Business Agility: Supports varied workflows to meet specific needs.
Integration Flexibility: Connects a wide range of popular applications.
Simple Automation: Users automate processes without technical skills.

In logistics, Zapier enhances operations by automating exception tracking and third-party software integration. Its use in CRM and social media streamlines lead creation and workflow automation. Users from diverse industries leverage its extensive connectivity to support intelligence management, generate analytical insights, and execute cross-functional tasks efficiently.

Zapier

Sample Customers

Information Not Available

BuzzFeed, Groupon, Spotify, Columbia University, FOX

Buyer's Guide

Retool vs. Zapier

December 2025

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