Retool

Retool is a full-stack development platform used to build production-grade internal applications such as admin panels, dashboards, customer and vendor portals, inventory management tools, case management and ticketing systems, and process automation. The core product is a drag-and-drop interface builder in which components like tables, forms, charts and buttons are placed on a canvas and connected to live data through SQL queries, JavaScript or Python. The IDE shows real-time data while coding, supports collaborative editing, and includes Git-based version control. Retool connects to over 100 data sources, including PostgreSQL, MySQL, APIs, and SaaS platforms such as Salesforce and Stripe, while handling authentication, permissions and deployment infrastructure.

Beyond app building, the platform includes Workflows for backend automation (scheduled jobs, webhook handlers, event-driven processes) and Retool Mobile, which uses React Native drag-and-drop components to create iOS and Android field apps with customizable permissions and over-the-air updates; typical mobile use cases include field inspection forms, stock and inventory counting, asset management, attendance tracking and barcode scanning. Recent AI capabilities include AppGen, which generates complete applications from natural-language descriptions, and Agents, which reason over data and take actions inside business processes; both are subject to the same security and governance controls as manually built apps.

As of the sources fetched, Retool markets a new AI app builder, an MCP server that lets external AI coding agents build and deploy apps inside a governed Retool environment, and an import path for React apps built on other platforms such as Lovable and Replit via ZIP upload or GitHub sync. Marketing emphasis is on governance: apps deploy with authentication, access controls and audit logging in place, and access to production data is governed by existing permissions.

Founding story

According to Startup Intros, David Hsu founded Retool in 2017 shortly after graduating from Oxford, motivated by frustration with existing development tools and the effort required to build internal applications; he reused prior code to reduce redundant work. Early traction is described as coming from a $1.5 million enterprise pilot and customer growth through targeted outreach.

Business model

Retool operates as a subscription SaaS platform with per-seat pricing across multiple tiers, where higher tiers add features such as SSO, audit logs and on-premises deployment. Revenue scales through seat expansion as more team members build internal applications and through feature upgrades as organizations require enterprise security and compliance capabilities. The 2025 AI features introduced new monetization units in the form of AI prompting credits and agent hours. Sacra characterizes the model as benefiting from high switching costs once applications run in production, with a portfolio effect as organizations build multiple apps across departments, and notes a shift from lower-margin inference services to higher-margin SaaS attach products.

Subscription-based, per-seat pricing across plan tiers, with enterprise pricing for SSO, audit logging, on-premises deployment and dedicated support, plus consumption-style units for AI features (prompting credits and agent hours).

Traction

Retool states that more than 10,000 teams/companies, from startups to the Fortune 500, use the platform. Sacra estimates $120M ARR in October 2025, up from $90M at the end of 2024, a 39% year-over-year growth rate, and notes large enterprises such as Amazon, Brex and Coinbase running thousands of Retool applications internally. Published customer outcomes include DoorDash saving $6M and 36,000+ hours and Ramp saving $8M and 20,000+ hours. The Retool Mobile Android app shows 10K+ downloads on Google Play. Y Combinator lists team size at 300; Startup Intros lists 201-500 employees.

Latest developments

Retool's current site promotes a new app builder that produces production-ready apps from prompts with enterprise security and governance built in, an MCP server for building apps from external AI coding agents and deploying them into a governed Retool environment, and app import that deploys React code built in Lovable, Replit and other platforms via ZIP upload or GitHub sync. Sacra reports the April 2025 AppGen and May 2025 Agents launches introduced AI prompting credits and agent hours as monetization units and contributed to ARR reaching an estimated $120M in October 2025. The Android Retool Mobile app listing was updated in August 2026 with bug fixes and performance improvements.