Retool
Stackby
| Feature | Retool | Stackby |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $10/mo | Free / from $5/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.4 / 5 | 4.1 / 5 |
| Best For | engineering-teams, operations, startups, enterprise | small-businesses, solopreneurs, budget-conscious-teams, non-technical-users |
| Founded | 2017 | 2019 |
| Drag And Drop | ✓ | ✗ |
| Data Connectors | ✓ | ✗ |
| Custom Code | ✓ | ✗ |
| Workflows | ✓ | ✗ |
| Permissions | ✓ | ✗ |
| Mobile Apps | ✓ | ✗ |
| Api Columns | ✗ | ✓ |
| Column Types | ✗ | ✓ |
| Views | ✗ | ✓ |
| Forms | ✗ | ✓ |
| Automations | ✗ | ✓ |
| Pre Built Templates | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Retool Pros
- Fast development
- Many integrations
- Pre-built components
- Good for internal tools
✗ Retool Cons
- Not for customer-facing apps
- Vendor lock-in
- Expensive at scale
✓ Stackby Pros
- Very affordable pricing
- API column type for live data
- Pre-built templates for common use cases
- Good Airtable alternative
✗ Stackby Cons
- Smaller user community
- UI less polished than competitors
- Limited automation capabilities
The Verdict
Retool is built for engineering teams and operations, with a focus on drag-and-drop and data-connectors. Stackby targets small businesses and solopreneurs and leads with api-columns and column-types.
On pricing, Stackby is the clear winner for budget-conscious users — starting at $5/mo compared to $10/mo for Retool. That $5/mo difference adds up quickly for growing teams.
Both offer free plans, so you can test each with your real workflow before committing to a subscription.
Retool edges out on user ratings (4.4 vs 4.1). While both are well-regarded, that gap reflects real differences in user satisfaction worth considering.
Bottom line: Retool has a slight overall edge — but if very affordable pricing matters most to you, Stackby may still be the right call.