Retool vs Mendix: comparing two low-code app platforms
Retool and Mendix are both low-code platforms, but they solve different problems. Retool is built for internal business applications and automations that connect to your company’s own data sources. Mendix, offered by Siemens, is built for department-level business applications and larger core systems.
Both list a free tier, both use a visual, low-code builder, and both price and target things differently. Here’s how they compare, and where a prompt-to-production platform like Sticklight fits as a separate option.
- Retool targets internal business applications and automations that connect to your company’s own data sources.
- Mendix targets department-level business applications and larger core systems, and it’s offered by Siemens.
- Retool’s Free plan is $0/month; its Team plan starts at $10/month per builder seat (billed annually) plus $5/month per internal-user seat.
- Mendix’s Free plan is €0/month with no credit card required; its Standard One App tier starts at €918/month, and Standard Unlimited Apps starts at €2,295/month.
- Retool’s free tier caps at 5 users and 500 workflow runs per month. Mendix says there’s no technical or platform-capability difference between its One App and Unlimited App Standard tiers, only the number of apps covered.
- Sticklight is a separate option worth weighing alongside either tool: it turns a prompt into a production-ready site, app, dashboard, CMS, or internal tool, built by the Elementor team.
What Retool and Mendix are built for
Retool is a platform for building internal business applications and automations that connect to your company’s own data sources. The building blocks are a drag-and-drop UI builder combined with JavaScript and SQL for app logic, and the platform keeps workflow automation (scheduled or triggered runs) separate from the app builder itself. Your data stays connected to your own databases and APIs rather than living inside Retool.
Mendix is a low-code application development platform, offered by Siemens, used to build department-level business applications and, at the higher end, larger core systems. It gives you a visual, low-code environment for both web and mobile applications, and its cloud deployment plans are priced in euros on the official pricing page.
Retool vs Mendix at a glance
| Dimension | Retool | Mendix | Sticklight |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | A platform for building internal business applications and automations connected to a company’s own data sources. | A low-code platform, offered by Siemens, for department-level business applications and larger core systems. | A vibe-coding platform that turns a prompt into production-ready websites, apps, dashboards, CMS, and internal tools. |
| Output | Internal apps and automations, built with a drag-and-drop UI plus JavaScript/SQL. | Web and mobile applications, built in a visual low-code environment. | Production-ready sites, apps, dashboards, CMS, and internal tools generated from a prompt. |
| Backend / data | Connects to a company’s own databases and APIs; data is customer-hosted. | Cloud deployment plans, priced in euros on the official pricing page. | Additive to an existing WordPress/Elementor stack, built by the Elementor team and powered by Claude. |
| Publish / hosting | Cloud and self-hosted deployment options, both with mirrored per-user pricing. | Cloud deployment; Premium tier adds scaling, high-availability, and fallback options. | Publish is included as part of the prompt to build to publish flow. |
| Best for | Teams building internal tools and automations on top of data they already manage. | Organizations building department-level or larger core business applications. | Professional web creators who want a full production-ready build from one prompt, alongside an existing WordPress/Elementor site. |
| Entry pricing | Free ($0/month); Team Builder seat from $10/month (billed annually). | Free (€0/month, no credit card); Standard One App from €918/month. | Additive to your WordPress/Elementor stack |
How the pricing structures differ
Retool prices per seat and per role. The Free plan is $0/month. The Team plan charges $10/month per builder seat (billed annually, or $12/month billed monthly) and $5/month per internal-user seat (billed annually, or $7/month billed monthly). The Business plan raises this to $50/month per builder seat (annually) or $65/month (monthly), with internal-user seats at $15/month (annually) or $18/month (monthly). External users on Business and above are free for the first 0-50, then billed at tiered rates starting around $8-10/month. Enterprise pricing is custom, arranged through sales.
Mendix prices primarily by app, not by seat. The Free plan is €0/month with no credit card required. The Standard tier comes in two options: One App, starting at €918/month, and Unlimited Apps, starting at €2,295/month. Mendix’s own pricing page states there’s no technical or platform-capability difference between these two Standard options, only the number of applications covered. A Premium tier above that is quote-based and adds features the vendor describes as scaling, high-availability, and fallback options.
Where Sticklight fits as a third option
Retool and Mendix are both established low-code platforms for internal and departmental business applications, each with a different pricing model and target scope. If you’re comparing them, or already using one, you might also be building or maintaining a public-facing site or product, which is a different problem than either tool is primarily built for.
Sticklight is a vibe-coding platform built by the Elementor team and powered by Claude. It turns a prompt into a production-ready website, app, dashboard, CMS, or internal tool, and publishing is included in that same flow. It’s additive to WordPress and Elementor rather than a replacement for them, which makes it a fit if you want to add a full-stack build to a stack you already run, rather than adopt a separate internal-apps platform from scratch. Sticklight’s AI agent capabilities are coming soon, so hold off on comparing that front until they ship.
Frequently asked questions
What’s the main difference between Retool and Mendix?
Retool is built for internal business applications and automations connected to your company’s own data sources, and it’s priced per seat. Mendix is a low-code platform, offered by Siemens, for department-level and larger core business applications, priced primarily by the number of apps.
Do Retool and Mendix have free plans?
Yes, both do. Retool’s Free plan is $0/month. Mendix’s Free plan is €0/month and doesn’t require a credit card.
How much does Mendix cost above the free tier?
Mendix’s Standard tier starts at €918/month for one app, or €2,295/month for unlimited apps, with a custom-quoted Premium tier above that. According to Mendix’s own pricing page, the two Standard tiers differ only in app count, not capability.
How much does Retool cost above the free tier?
Retool’s Team plan starts at $10/month per builder seat (billed annually) plus $5/month per internal-user seat. Its Business plan starts at $50/month per builder seat plus $15/month per internal-user seat, and Enterprise is custom-priced.
Is Sticklight a replacement for Retool or Mendix?
No. Sticklight is a separate, prompt-to-production platform for building sites, apps, dashboards, CMS, and internal tools, and it’s additive to an existing WordPress/Elementor stack rather than a like-for-like substitute for an internal-apps platform such as Retool or Mendix.
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