Retool
Build internal tools and admin panels in hours, not weeks
Overview
Retool eliminates the most thankless work in software development: building internal tools. Every company needs admin panels, customer dashboards, moderation tools, and data management interfaces - but engineering teams understandably prioritize customer-facing features.
With Retool, you connect your databases and APIs, drag pre-built components onto a canvas, and wire up the logic. A functional admin panel that would take a developer weeks to build from scratch can be assembled in hours. The components - tables, forms, charts, modals, wizards - are designed specifically for internal tool use cases.
For engineering teams, Retool's approach is pragmatic: it handles the UI layer while you maintain full control over your data and business logic. Your databases, APIs, and backend services remain exactly where they are - Retool provides the interface layer on top.
Key Features
Drag-and-Drop Components
100+ pre-built UI components designed for internal tools
Database Connections
Connect to PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB, and more with one click
API Integration
Call any REST or GraphQL API directly from your tools
JavaScript Logic
Write custom JavaScript for complex transformations and logic
Role-Based Access
Fine-grained permissions to control who can see and do what
Self-Host Option
Deploy on your own infrastructure for data sovereignty
Why We Recommend Retool
Internal tools are a time sink that every growing startup faces. Retool lets engineering teams build these necessary but unglamorous tools quickly, freeing them to focus on the product that generates revenue.