Facts read November 7, 2026
Glide vs Retool
Retool is Cuely's default internal tool builders pick when your description doesn't favor either one: forms, tables and approvals on your own data, free for up to 5 users. Pick Glide if you care most about native mobile apps.
Side by side
| Fact | Glide | Retool |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A no-code builder for mobile-friendly business apps. | A low-code builder for internal apps on top of your databases and APIs. |
| Free plan | Free: 2 team members, 10 projects, limited credits. | Free: up to 5 users, 500 workflow runs per month, production environment only. |
| Paid from | Basic: $25/month (100 credits, 2 published apps). | Team: $10/month per builder and $5/month per internal user, billed annually. |
| At 1,000 users | $25/month | $55/month |
| Open source | No | No |
| Self-hostable | No | Yes |
| Best for | Phone-first staff apps; Non-developers | Admin panels over an existing database; Small teams (free up to 5 users); Developers who want code escape hatches |
| Watch out | The pricing page is for GlideOS, which it calls separate from Glide Classic. | Team pricing on the page is per builder and per internal user, billed annually. |
Where they differ
The published scores, from −3 to +3, that decide which one Cuely picks for each need.
| Need | Glide | Retool |
|---|---|---|
| keep costs as low as possible | 0 No particular strength here. | +2 Free for up to 5 users. |
| a tool for your own staff | +2 Phone-friendly staff apps without code. | +3 Built for internal apps on your own data. |
| native iOS or Android app | +1 Apps are built for phones first. | 0 No particular strength here. |
Sources: Glide pricing (read November 7, 2026), Retool pricing (read November 7, 2026). No vendor pays for placement.