Retool alternative
The Retool alternative for teams without a developer
Retool is the internal-tools platform for engineering teams. It assumes you will write SQL for queries and JavaScript for everything else, and it prices per seat. For a five-person ops team that wants a CRM or an inventory tracker, that is the wrong tool and the wrong bill.
Emberblocks is the no-code version of the same idea: connect Postgres, arrange blocks, set roles, publish. There is no query editor and no JavaScript, and builders are never charged.
Builders are always free. Facts about Retool on this page were last checked on against Retool's own site. Tell us if something is out of date: hello@emberblocks.com.
Why small teams look for a Retool alternative
SQL and JavaScript
Real Retool apps are queries plus scripts. Emberblocks blocks read tables directly, and you set up filters, sorts, formulas and workflows in the editor.
Per-seat pricing
Retool has charged per seat since launch and the complaints about it go back to 2020. Emberblocks never charges for builders and includes app users in the plan.
External portals
Retool is built for internal users. Emberblocks roles, per-user record filters and public links are designed for clients and field staff too.
Phones
Published apps are responsive, install on a phone's home screen, and queue edits made offline until the connection is back.
AI drafts the app
Describe the tool and Ember proposes tables, views and workflows for review. There is no generated code to debug afterwards.
Agencies
Retool's agency plan is for prototypes that must be handed to the client's own Retool account. Emberblocks apps can be built in your workspace and transferred by email invite.
Emberblocks vs Retool at a glance
| Capability | Emberblocks | Retool |
|---|---|---|
| Built-in database | Yes | Retool Database |
| Connect your own Postgres | Yes | Yes |
| Airtable as a source (two-way) | Yes | via API resource |
| Google Sheets as a live source | No | Yes |
| No code required | Yes | SQL and JavaScript expected |
| Formula language | Yes | JavaScript |
| Field-level permissions | Yes | by code, Business tier for groups |
| Workflows and automations | Yes | Retool Workflows |
| Versioned publishing with rollback | Yes | releases |
| Public links without accounts | Yes | public apps |
| Offline edits queued on phones | Yes | No |
| AI drafts the first version | Yes | AppGen |
| Builders never pay | Yes | No |
| Paid plans priced by | app users | per seat per month |
| Custom domains | not yet | Yes |
| SSO / SAML | not yet | paid tiers |
Emberblocks cells reflect what ships today. Retool cells were checked against Retool's public pages on the date shown at the top of this page; "unverified" means we could not confirm it and would rather say so than guess.
What you get in Emberblocks
Your data, live
Start on a built-in database, your own Postgres (Supabase, Neon, RDS, anything that speaks Postgres) or an Airtable base. Apps read and write live rows, so there are no exports to keep in sync.
Blocks on a grid
Drag tables, cards, record pages, kanban boards, calendars, maps, timelines, charts, stats, forms, buttons, comments, activity feeds, file viewers, signatures, barcodes and embeds onto a grid and wire them to tables. What you arrange is exactly what your team gets.
Real field types
Fields include text, email, phone, URL, number, boolean, date, date-time, time, duration, select, multi-select, reference, multi-reference, image, file, signature, address and JSON. Barcode scanning and signatures work in the browser without a native app.
Workflows
Workflows run when a row is created, updated or deleted, on a schedule, or from a button; steps update records, send email, call webhooks, branch on conditions and run code.
Roles and permissions
Roles decide which views a user sees and which fields they can read or edit; app users can be loaded from a table in your own data.
Publishing like software
Every publish is a versioned snapshot you can inspect and roll back, with a stable and a latest channel.
Phones and offline
Published apps are responsive, install on a phone's home screen, and queue edits made offline until the connection is back.
AI where it helps
Ember drafts a first version of an app from a plain-language description, and end users can ask questions of the data in plain language when you turn it on.
Where Retool is still the better pick
- You have developers and want them to write SQL, JavaScript and custom components. Retool is far more flexible for a team that codes.
- You need dozens of connectors: REST, GraphQL, MongoDB, Snowflake, BigQuery and the rest. Emberblocks connects Postgres and Airtable.
- You need SSO, audit logs and self-hosting. Emberblocks does not offer these yet.
- The app is a control panel over a large engineering system rather than a tool over a few tables.
How to move from Retool
- 1
Bring the data
Connect the Postgres database the data already lives in, point Emberblocks at the Airtable base, or export a CSV and import it into a built-in table. Column types are detected on import.
- 2
Let Ember draft the app
Describe the tool in a sentence or two. Ember proposes tables, views and workflows; you review the plan before anything is created.
- 3
Rebuild the screens you actually use
Most teams find a third of their old views were never opened. Rebuild the ones that matter as blocks on a grid; the table, kanban, calendar and map blocks cover most of them.
- 4
Set roles, then publish
Decide who sees which views and fields, publish a versioned snapshot and send the link. Roll back in one click if something is off.
Questions
- Can Emberblocks connect to the same Postgres as Retool?
- Yes. Point it at the database and it reads the tables and columns. Emberblocks reads and writes rows through its own gateway; it never needs your app to write SQL.
- Is there any way to run code?
- Workflows have a run-code step for the cases a formula cannot cover, and an MCP server lets AI assistants build and query apps. The app screens themselves are built in the editor without code.
- How is Emberblocks priced?
- Builders are always free. Paid plans are priced by the number of people who sign in to your published apps: Starter $29, Pro $79 and Business $199 a month billed yearly. Every new workspace starts with a 14-day Pro trial, no card needed, and there is a free plan after that. Full details on the pricing page.
- Do I need to write code?
- No. Blocks, a spreadsheet-style formula language and visual workflows cover most internal tools. A run-code workflow step is there when you want it, and an MCP server lets AI assistants build and query apps for you.
- What does Emberblocks not do yet?
- Custom domains, SSO and an Enterprise plan are not available yet. There is no live Google Sheets connector (import the sheet as CSV instead). Apps run in the browser and install to the home screen; there are no App Store or Play Store builds.
Try it on your own data.
Every workspace starts with a 14-day Pro trial without a card. You can also open a template in the editor first and sign up only when you want to keep it.