Retool
Stackby
| Feature | Retool | Stackby |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $10/mo | Free / from $5/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.5 / 5 | 4.1 / 5 |
| Best For | engineering-teams, operations, data-teams, startups, enterprise | small-businesses, solopreneurs, budget-conscious-teams, non-technical-users |
| Founded | 2017 | 2019 |
| Drag Drop Ui | ✓ | ✗ |
| Database Connectors | ✓ | ✗ |
| Api Integration | ✓ | ✗ |
| Workflows | ✓ | ✗ |
| Self Hosting | ✓ | ✗ |
| Rbac | ✓ | ✗ |
| Ai | ✓ | ✗ |
| Api Columns | ✗ | ✓ |
| Column Types | ✗ | ✓ |
| Views | ✗ | ✓ |
| Forms | ✗ | ✓ |
| Automations | ✗ | ✓ |
| Pre Built Templates | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Retool Pros
- Fastest way to build internal tools
- Connects to any database or API
- Self-hostable for security
- Pre-built components save hours
✗ Retool Cons
- Only for internal tools — not customer-facing
- Can get expensive for large teams
- Learning curve for complex queries
✓ 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-drop-ui and database-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 (4.5 vs 4.1). While both are well-regarded, that gap reflects real differences in user satisfaction worth considering.
Feature-wise, Retool offers broader built-in capabilities (7 features vs 6), while Stackby takes a more focused approach — which can mean a simpler, faster onboarding experience.
Bottom line: Retool has a slight overall edge — but if very affordable pricing matters most to you, Stackby may still be the right call.