Unlimited users, one flat price.
Retool bills builders, internal users and external users separately. Jestor charges one flat monthly price for the whole company: every employee, every client, every supplier.
Your operations need more than a developer toolkit. See why teams choose Jestor over Retool.
Retool is a low-code platform where developers build internal apps on top of your databases and APIs, priced per builder, per internal user and per external user. Jestor is an operations system you build with AI, change by prompt, and can start for free, with an unlimited-users option.
The short version
Retool is a developer-first low-code platform: you connect your own databases and APIs, and engineers assemble apps, workflows and agents with drag-and-drop plus JavaScript and SQL. Jestor is a no-code operations system with a relational database, automations, forms, kanbans, dashboards and AI agents, where you build with AI on Hero, Growth, and Pro. On Enterprise, Jestor’s team builds it for you. You can start a free trial on Hero AI.
| Feature |  Jestor |  Retool |
|---|---|---|
| Unlimited users at a flat price | Yes | No |
| Change the system by prompt from Claude, Cursor or any MCP client | Yes | No |
| Field-level permissions on every plan | Yes | No |
| Audit log on every plan | Yes | No |
| External users at no extra cost | Yes | No |
| Relational data model (n:m, n:1, 1:1) built in | Yes | Yes |
| Automations and workflows | Yes | Yes |
| AI agents for email, WhatsApp and documents | Yes | Yes |
| Export your data without a fee | Yes | Yes |
| Self-host in your own VPC or on premises | No | Yes |
| Write JavaScript and SQL directly inside the app builder | No | Yes |
The long version
It is priced per builder, per internal user and, on the Business plan, per external user above 50, with custom permission groups, audit logs and portals starting at Business and SSO, source control and technical support reserved for Enterprise. Hero AI and Enterprise include unlimited users, and Growth and Pro can be per seat or one company price, field-level permissions are included on all plans, and changes are made by prompt from any MCP client (Claude, Cursor, ChatGPT) with AI that inherits user permissions and writes to a single audit trail. Retool is the stronger choice when your engineers want code-level control and self-hosting on top of systems you already run; Jestor is the stronger choice when an operations team wants a system that runs the business, built for them and changed without a developer. Here is how the two platforms compare dimension by dimension, using each vendor's published information.
| Dimension | Jestor | Retool |
|---|---|---|
| Users | Unlimited users on Hero AI and Enterprise; seats or company price on Growth and Pro | Billed per builder and per internal user on paid plans; Free is capped at 5 users. External users on Business are also billed per user after a free allowance |
| Best for | Operations teams that want a running system (CRM, back office, field ops, approvals) built for them, without engineering time | Engineering, IT and data teams that want to build internal tools on top of existing databases and APIs with code-level control |
| Changing the system | By prompt from Claude, Cursor, ChatGPT or any MCP client, or by Jestor’s team at the next review. Changes are edits, not rewrites | Builders edit apps in the editor; an AI app builder generates a starting point and uses pooled AI credits (about 12 credits per prompt per Retool) |
| Data model | Native relational database with n:m, n:1 and 1:1 relations, lookups and roll-ups | Retool Database (PostgreSQL, 5 GB on Free) plus connections to any external database or API; Retool proxies queries and does not store data from your own sources |
| Automations | 400+ native automations, conditional kanban stages, SLAs, email and WhatsApp agents, OCR; Python, .NET and PHP for custom logic | Workflows with schedule and webhook triggers, unlimited steps, custom error handling; 500 runs per month on Free, 5,000 on Team and Business, additional runs sold as an add-on |
| Permissions | Field-level permissions on all plans; who sees vs who edits per field | Free and Team: only Admin and All Users groups, and All Users has Edit access. Business and Enterprise: custom groups with Use, Edit or Own per app, workflow and resource; object roles on Enterprise. Row and field restrictions are implemented in your queries and app logic, not as a data-model setting |
| External users | Included; clients and suppliers get portals and forms at no seat cost | Business and Enterprise only; tiered per-user pricing above 50 users; not available on Free or Team |
| Apps and interfaces | Kanbans, tables, forms, docs, dashboards, app pages, mobile app; no coding | Drag-and-drop apps for web and native mobile (iOS, Android, PWA); modules (5 on Free and Team, unlimited on Business); custom branding on Business, full white-label on Enterprise |
| AI | Chat-to-App, Ask Your Data, MCP server, agents for email, WhatsApp and documents; AI inherits the user's permissions and writes to the same audit trail as humans | AI app builder and AI Actions on pooled monthly credits (250 Free, 1,000 Team, 3,000 Business, 10,000 Enterprise; credits do not roll over); Agents billed hourly with 20 free hours per month, execution pauses when hours run out; own API key on Enterprise |
| Reporting | Dashboards and metrics built in; Power BI connector on Enterprise | Charts and tables inside apps; connection to external BI via database; usage analytics on Enterprise |
| API | REST API and webhooks included; no fee to export | Platform APIs limited on Business, full scopes on Enterprise; webhook triggers on all plans |
| Published limits | Every plan starts with an allowance for records and automation runs and grows with add-ons; when you need more, you activate an add-on for that resource without changing plan. Hero AI and Enterprise include unlimited users; Growth and Pro can be per seat or one company price | 5 users on Free; 5 GB database and 5 GB file storage on Free; 500 or 5,000 workflow runs per month, additional runs sold as an add-on; AI credits per plan as above, additional packs on paid plans |
| Security | SOC 2 Type I and Type II, LGPD, annual pentest | SOC 2 Type 2 (minimum standard per docs.retool.com/legal/security), Trust Center, 2FA enforcement, audit logs on Business and Enterprise, SSO and SCIM on Enterprise, self-hosting available |
| Ownership and exit | Your data exports to CSV and via API at any time, no fee | Apps export as JSON; customer data return on request within 30 days of termination; your own databases stay yours because Retool proxies queries |
Retool data from retool.com/pricing and docs.retool.com (billing, permissions, security), accessed September 15, 2026. Features and prices change; verify with each vendor. Jestor data from jestor.com/plans, jestor.com/ai, jestor.com/main-features and jestor.com/security.
Three reasons
Forms, approvals, SLAs and kanban as native features.
Those are operations features, configured on the data model, not assembled as workarounds or generated as custom code you then have to maintain. Jestor ships forms, approvals, SLAs and kanban natively, with more than 400 automations. Python, .NET and PHP cover custom logic when you need it.
Change the system with a sentence.
Retool's AI generates apps from prompts using pooled credits, and its MCP integration is designed to generate and deploy apps into Retool. Editing an existing Retool app still means a builder in the editor. Jestor exposes the whole system through MCP, so you can change a workflow, a field or an automation from Claude, Cursor, ChatGPT or any MCP client. The AI only sees what you are allowed to see, and every change, human or AI, lands in one audit trail.
Why unlimited users matter
Hero AI and Enterprise include unlimited users. Growth and Pro can be one flat company price or per seat. You can start a free trial on Hero AI. Everyone involved in a process can have their own login, from the operations team to field staff, customers and partners. Permissions control what each person sees and edits. Per-seat pricing pushes companies to leave people out. The workarounds that follow, like shared passwords, public links and side tools, cost more in security, traceability and money than the seats they save.
Everyone in, nobody left out
Every employee can use the system, not just the few who justify a seat. Field-level permissions decide what each person can see and edit, so giving more people access doesn't mean giving everyone access to everything.
No more public links
When every user costs extra, teams share data through public links to avoid buying seats. Anyone holding the link can open it, it can be forwarded, and there is usually no way to know who opened it. When everyone has a login, access is tied to a person and can be revoked.
No more shared logins
A shared login turns five people into one user. You lose track of who created, edited or deleted each record. When someone leaves the company, the only safe move is to change the password for everyone. Individual users keep a clear history of who did what, and you can remove one person's access without affecting anyone else.
Easier to meet security standards
Security frameworks like SOC 2 rely on three core controls: unique user identification, least-privilege access and fast offboarding. Those controls also support the safeguards LGPD requires. Shared credentials and open links work against all three. Jestor is SOC 2 Type I and Type II compliant, and unlimited users make it practical to keep those controls in place for everyone.
Customers and partners get access too
Clients, suppliers and partners can log in to follow requests, submit information or approve steps. They see only what their permissions allow. There are no extra seats to budget for and no separate portal tool to buy.
The real cost is the people left out
The per-seat price is only part of the bill. When some people stay out, work moves to spreadsheets, email and WhatsApp, and data gets retyped. Companies often end up paying for a second tool to cover the people without access. A flat price removes the trade-off between cost and adoption.
The system works better when everyone is in it
Features built around people only work when the people are there. You can mention anyone in a chat, assign tasks and approvals to the right person, and send SLAs and notifications to whoever owns each step. The audit trail then shows who did what. Jestor’s AI also follows each user's permissions, which only works when each person has their own user.
Which one should you pick?
Choose Retool if
Your engineers want to write JavaScript and SQL inside the builder, you need to self-host in your own VPC or on premises, your source of truth must stay in existing databases that Retool queries in place, or you want Git-based source control for apps.
Choose Jestor if
You want the system built for you, your whole company and your clients need access without per-seat pricing, you need field-level permissions and audit trail from day one, or you want to change the system by prompt instead of opening the editor.
FAQ
Is Retool a database?
Retool includes Retool Database, a hosted PostgreSQL with 5 GB of storage on the Free plan, but its core model is connecting apps to databases and APIs you already run. Retool proxies queries to your own data sources and does not store that data. Jestor is a relational database and an operations system in one, so the data, the workflows and the interfaces live in the same place.
What is the difference between Jestor and Retool?
Retool is a developer-first low-code builder: your team assembles apps and workflows using drag-and-drop, JavaScript and SQL on top of your existing systems, and pays per builder, per internal user and per external user. Jestor is a no-code operations system where you build with AI on Hero, Growth, and Pro. On Enterprise, Jestor’s team builds the apps, automations, and AI agents. You can start a free trial on Hero AI, and changes are made by prompt through MCP.
Is Jestor a Retool alternative?
For operations teams that want a running system without engineering time, yes. Retool remains the better fit when you need self-hosting, code-level control inside the builder, Git source control, or apps that query existing databases in place without moving data.
Does Retool have unlimited users?
No. Retool prices per builder, per internal user and, on the Business plan, per external user above the first 50. The Enterprise plan lists "unlimited end users" as a negotiated feature. Jestor includes unlimited users on Hero AI and Enterprise. Growth and Pro can be per seat or one company price.
Does Retool have granular permissions?
Yes, on Business and Enterprise: custom permission groups with Use, Edit or Own access per app, workflow and resource, and object roles on Enterprise. On Free and Team there are only Admin and All Users groups, and All Users has Edit access. Row- and field-level restrictions are built in your queries and app logic. Jestor includes field-level permissions on all plans.
Does Retool have approvals and automations?
Yes. Retool Workflows supports schedule and webhook triggers, unlimited steps and custom error handling, with 500 runs per month on Free, 5,000 on Team and Business and additional runs sold as an add-on. Approval flows are built as apps and workflows. Jestor ships approvals, conditional kanban stages, SLAs and 400+ native automations without code.
Who builds the system in Jestor?
On Hero, Growth, and Pro you build with AI, and you can change the system by prompt from Claude, Cursor, ChatGPT, or any MCP client. On Enterprise, Jestor’s team builds the apps, automations, and AI agents. You can start a free trial on Hero AI.
Can I customize Jestor as much as Retool?
Not at the code level of the interface. Retool lets engineers write JavaScript and SQL directly in the app builder and add custom React components. Jestor covers custom logic with Python, .NET and PHP inside automations, and everything else through configuration and prompts. If your customization needs are UI-code deep, Retool is the better tool.
Can I import my Retool data into Jestor?
Yes. Retool Database exposes PostgreSQL connection strings and your own data sources remain yours, so data can be exported to CSV and imported into Jestor tables or loaded through Jestor’s API. Retool apps export as JSON, but app logic is not portable; Jestor’s team rebuilds the workflows during setup.
Is Jestor secure?
Jestor is SOC 2 Type I and Type II certified, LGPD compliant and runs an annual penetration test. Field-level permissions, MFA and audit trail are included on all plans. Retool aligns with SOC 2 Type 2 and offers self-hosting; audit logs start on Business and SSO on Enterprise.
Who owns the data?
You do, in both. Jestor exports to CSV and via API at any time with no fee. Retool proxies queries to your own databases and lets you export apps as JSON and request return of Retool-stored data within 30 days of termination.
What's included in each Jestor plan?
You can start a free trial on Hero AI, with unlimited users. Growth and Pro can be per seat or one company price, each with a starting allowance for records and automation runs that you expand with add-ons. Pro includes MCP, WhatsApp agents, and SuperForm. Enterprise is quoted with sales: Jestor builds the apps, automations, and AI agents, with Power BI, SSO, and unlimited tables, apps, and automations. Cancel anytime, with a 30-day guarantee.
Can Jestor and Retool work together?
Yes. Jestor has a REST API and webhooks, and Retool connects to any REST API, so a Retool app can read or write Jestor data, and Jestor automations can trigger Retool workflows through webhooks.
Sources and legal
Jestor is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Retool, Inc. "Retool" is a trademark of its owner. Information about Retool comes from retool.com, docs.retool.com and G2, current as of September 15, 2026. Prices last verified September 15, 2026. Features, plans and pricing change frequently; verify current offerings directly with each vendor. Provided as is, without warranty, for informational purposes.
- retool.com/pricing
- docs.retool.com/docs/organization-billing-usage
- docs.retool.com/support/billing-usage
- docs.retool.com/permissions/quickstart
- docs.retool.com/permissions
- docs.retool.com/org-users/guides/user-permissions
- docs.retool.com/legal/security
- community.retool.com/t/accounts-users-and-billing-faq/29043
- g2.com/products/retool/reviews
- capterra.com/p/186115/Retool/reviews
- jestor.com/plans
- jestor.com/ai
- jestor.com/main-features
- jestor.com/security
- docs.jestor.com