Try our new research platform with insights from 80,000+ expert users

Retool vs Zoho Creator 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
17th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.4
Number of Reviews
7
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Zoho Creator
Ranking in Rapid Application Development Software
14th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.0
Number of Reviews
21
Ranking in other categories
Low-Code Development Platforms (9th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of July 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 Zoho Creator is 1.0%, down from 1.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Rapid Application Development Software
 

Featured Reviews

Tabraiz Ahmed - PeerSpot reviewer
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.
Gokulakrishnan G - PeerSpot reviewer
Quick turnaround on project closures with a drag-and-drop interface and good value for money
Zoho Creator provides a quick turnaround in terms of project closures, which is the most important benefit. Its drag-and-drop interface enhances app development. Integrations and schedulers are also used. Zoho applications are cloud-based, which makes updates automatic since it's a SaaS-based application. In terms of stability, we have had no issues. It is satisfactory and has value for money, especially if things are properly strategized to save time.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The stability is okay."
"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."
"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."
"The most valuable feature of the solution is connectivity with APIs and other databases."
"We can create the dashboards quickly."
"Retool's most valuable features are its drag-and-drop components and the ability to customize them extensively."
"Zoho Creator is easy to design and accessible for any business purpose. The solution is priced low and helps you meet business requirements. You can write a script based on requirements and trigger it whereby the customer will receive notifications. It is a customizable application."
"Zoho Creator boasts a multitude of impressive features, but one of the most outstanding is its flexibility in creating interactive reports and pages. With Zoho Creator, users have the ability to utilize HTML and CSS to create visually appealing pages that are rich in information, utilizing data from the system itself. This exceptional feature provides a remarkable advantage and adds immense value to Zoho Creator."
"The deployment process is quite straightforward."
"The solution's flexibility and quick turnaround are valuable."
"The integration capabilities in Zoho Creator are quite good and support our existing workload. It provides open and proprietary APIs, making interfacing with other applications easier."
"We can create multiple applications simultaneously with it."
"Zoho Creator provides a quick turnaround in terms of project closures, which is the most important benefit."
"Zoho Creator provides a quick turnaround in terms of project closures, which is the most important benefit."
 

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 part where we can add some custom logic or custom plugins could be better."
"The components are changed frequently, which is very irritating."
"The solution lacks inbuilt customization to customize bar charts."
"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."
"Retool should add more resource integration."
"Sometimes, codes that are working fine can suddenly throw errors without any specific reason."
"They should allow for more UI customization."
"Zoho Creator could benefit from improvement in regard to the user interface and user experience of the forms. The forms themselves could benefit from being made more interactive, with increased flexibility and customization options for both developers and users. This would allow for a more engaging experience when interacting with the forms and provide more opportunities for customization to meet individual needs and preferences."
"Zoho Creator's UX design needs to be improved."
"We are looking for a single portal across all Zoho apps."
"Though the pricing level is low compared to other products in the market, I suggest they allow portal users to pay for the solution based on their requirements."
"Zoho Creator falls short on data management, so we must connect it to other databases to handle larger datasets. However, it may still be sufficient for smaller databases. Better templates and examples for support teams or programming could be improved. Learning the Zoho Creator language, known as "Deluge," can be challenging for native programmers, so having clear examples and training materials would benefit users."
"I would rate the scalability a seven out of ten. So some room for improvement as well for scalability."
 

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."
"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."
"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."
"Zoho Creator is the cheapest option in the market right now that can deliver this level of quality."
"I rate the solution an eight out of ten for pricing since it is really cheap."
"The tool's pricing is flexible."
"Zoho Creator started at 800 rupees, about $10 per month."
"The tool's licensing costs are annual. You need to pay more if you need a bigger database."
"The tool has three plans and one of them costs 50 dollars per month."
"We would prefer it if the price went down drastically."
"Zoho Creator's pricing is fine. It's subscription-based."
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Rapid Application Development Software solutions are best for your needs.
860,168 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Manufacturing Company
19%
Comms Service Provider
14%
University
9%
Outsourcing Company
9%
Educational Organization
42%
Financial Services Firm
10%
Computer Software Company
8%
University
5%
 

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 Zoho Creator?
The deployment process is quite straightforward.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Zoho Creator?
Pricing is a little on the higher side for the Indian market, especially for mid-sized and small-sized companies with 30 to 40 users. Thus, it becomes a little price-sensitive.
What needs improvement with Zoho Creator?
Sometimes, codes that are working fine can suddenly throw errors without any specific reason. This requires reaching out to support for resolution. In terms of scalability, there are certain limita...
 

Comparisons

 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Information Not Available
Estate Crush Winery, Integra Services, Avidpays, Napa Valley Film Festival, Marionnaud, The Institute of Hormonal Health, Stone Tapert
Find out what your peers are saying about Retool vs. Zoho Creator and other solutions. Updated: June 2025.
860,168 professionals have used our research since 2012.