Workflow automation
Self-hosted alternatives to Retool, priced
1 open-source tool that can replace Retool, each shown with what it would actually cost to run for a team of 10 people. Retool on the Team tier costs $57.96 a month at that size.
| Tool | Server only | With your time | vs Retool | Operational weight | Licence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Windmill | $26.40 | $139 | -$3,364 | medium | source-available |
The final column is the 36-month difference: positive means self-hosting is cheaper.
Which one to pick
Windmill 17,901 stars
Rust server with PostgreSQL and one or more workers. Faster per job than the Node-based options, which matters if the workflow count is high.
At 10 people it needs 2.6 GB of memory and 16 GB of disk, which fits the Starter 4 GB at VPSServer for $22.00 a month. Setting it up is roughly 6 hours of work, then 1.5 hours a month to keep it healthy.
Full Retool versus Windmill breakdown · Windmill at every team size
How the pricing was established
Retool pricing was read from its own pricing page on 2026-09-14, quoted in euros and converted at 1.1592 dollars to the euro, the Frankfurter, European Central Bank reference rates rate for 2026-09-11. Server prices come from the providers listed on the hosting page. The sizing model and the cost of your time are set out in full on the methodology page.