Mendix vs Retool

Mendix is a low-code platform for building, running, and orchestrating apps and agents for a hybrid workforce. In Studio Pro, teams model application logic, data, workflows, and user experience visually, while retaining the option to add custom code. Its AI capabilities span planning, generation, deployment, and operations, and it can connect external language models, agents, knowledge bases, and tools. The Mendix Connect Catalog can include connectors to enterprise data sources such as Siemens Teamcenter, SAP, and Mendix applications. Applications can be deployed to public cloud or on-premises, including air-gapped environments. Listed capabilities include mobile publishing, a built-in database, user authentication, and API integrations. The free package allows unlimited users and one deployment environment per application, but includes neither product support nor guaranteed availability. Standard pricing is $1,090 a month for One App or $2,725 a month for Unlimited Apps; cloud deployment may cost extra. Mendix was founded in Rotterdam in 2005 and says it was acquired by Siemens in 2018.

Retool provides tools for building apps and automations that connect to a business’s own data and can run in its infrastructure or the cloud. Its AI-native app builder generates a working app from a description for users to refine. The product supports web apps, progressive web apps, and native iOS and Android apps; mobile apps can take photos, scan barcodes, capture signatures, and read NFC tags. Workflows support scheduled and webhook triggers, custom error handling, and automatic retry policies. Listed connections include REST API, Google Sheets, PostgreSQL, MySQL, Firebase, GraphQL, Snowflake, Salesforce, and Slack. Retool lists role-based access controls, audit logging, SSO, independent workspaces, and self-hosting among its security capabilities. It says queries run against customers’ own data sources and that it does not store their data. Hosting can be in the cloud or self-hosted in a customer VPC, with Docker setup listed for self-hosting. The free plan supports up to five users. Team costs $10 a month per builder and $5 a month per internal user, with the listed Team features including 5,000 workflow runs and 1,000 AI credits monthly.