Retool vs. UI Bakery: Which Low-Code Platform is Better for Building Internal Tools?
Tags: illa, lowcode, startup, tooling
Published: 2023-04-18 11:42:58

Low-code platforms are transforming the way applications are built, and Retool and UI Bakery are two of the most promising options in this field. Both platforms offer unique features, advantages, and limitations. This article will compare Retool and UI Bakery, exploring their capabilities and highlighting the strengths of each. Whether you are a seasoned developer or just starting out, this comparison will provide valuable insights into which platform is best suited for your needs.

It is important to note that while Retool is widely recognized as a strong player in the market, UI Bakery is also a very capable solution and should not be overlooked. In fact, there is a new low-code platform that combines the best of both worlds: ILLA Cloud. ILLA Cloud is a low-code internal tool development platform that offers an intuitive visual interface, real-time collaboration, flexible deployment, and AI-powered SQL generation. But before we get to that, let’s take a closer look at Retool and UI Bakery.

## What is Retool?

![retool](https://blog.illacloud.com/content/images/2023/04/retool-4.png)

Retool is a low-code platform that allows developers to build internal tools quickly and easily. Retool connects to any database or API and provides a drag-and-drop interface for assembling UI components such as tables, forms, charts, and buttons. Retool also supports custom JavaScript and React components for more advanced functionality.

Retool is designed for developers who want to save time and effort on building internal tools without compromising on quality or control. Retool claims to be used by over 10,000 companies, including Airbnb, Brex, DoorDash, and Amazon.

## What is UI Bakery?

![UIBAKERY](https://blog.illacloud.com/content/images/2023/04/uibakery.png)

UI Bakery is another low-code platform that enables developers to create internal tools with minimal coding. UI Bakery also connects to various data sources and offers a drag-and-drop interface for building UI components. UI Bakery has a more modern and trendy UI design than Retool, and also supports custom JavaScript components.

UI Bakery is aimed at developers who want to create beautiful and responsive internal tools with ease and speed. UI Bakery boasts over 5,000 users across 120 countries, including IBM, Accenture, Siemens, and Deloitte.

## How do they compare?

Let’s compare Retool and UI Bakery based on some key criteria:

### UI library and component design

Both applications provide a wide range of components necessary for users to create a user interface for internal applications. In this case, users can choose based on the appearance of the application, preferring the more modern and trendy UI design of UI Bakery or the simpler, unpretentious, and office-style design of Retool.

Currently, Retool has more components than UI Bakery. However, UI Bakery still provides all the necessary components for building an interface, and users can also use custom JavaScript components to add their own components.

### UI building experience

Both tools employ a similar approach to designing interfaces, using drag-and-drop functionality to assemble components within a layout system based on columns. However, UI Bakery boasts a more fine-tuned control over dimensions due to its more frequent layout on working area and in cards.

The methods of working with grids in both applications differ somewhat. UI Bakery utilizes a visual approach, allowing users to see what’s happening in the workspace when adding a component. Retool uses a more code-based approach, requiring users to specify the position and size of each component using numbers.

### Data integration

Both platforms allow users to connect to various data sources such as databases, API/GraphQL endpoints, SaaS tools, and cloud storage services. These include popular options like PostgreSQL, MongoDB, MySQL, Stripe, Google Sheets, and AWS S3.

Once connected, both platforms can run queries to fetch and update data from these sources. The user interface (UI) provides convenient components for visualizing and modifying the data, such as tables, charts, and forms.

### Data manipulation

Both platforms support SQL and JavaScript for writing queries and interacting with data. However, UI Bakery offers a more advanced workflow with an interface that allows users to create multiple action steps within a single action and a patient action sidebar behavior. Retool’s query list is simple - one query - one action, but the sidebar constantly bounces which can be bothersome and cause confusion.

### Collaboration and deployment

Both platforms offer cloud-based and self-hosted deployment options, depending on the user’s preference and security requirements. However, UI Bakery has the edge over Retool regarding collaboration and sharing features. UI Bakery allows users to invite team members, assign roles and permissions, and publish applications to a custom domain or a UI Bakery subdomain. Retool does not have a built-in feature for publishing applications and requires users to set up their own hosting and domain.

### Pricing

Both platforms have free plans that allow users to create up to 10 applications with limited features and integrations. The paid plans vary depending on the number of applications, users, data sources, storage, and support. Retool’s paid plans start from $10 per user per month for the Team plan, which includes up to 50 applications and 10 data sources. UI Bakery’s paid plans start from $49 per month for the Individual plan, which includes up to 3 workspaces and unlimited data sources.

## What is ILLA Cloud?

![ILLA Cloud](https://blog.illacloud.com/content/images/2023/04/ILLA-CLOUD-blog-3.png)

ILLA Cloud is a new low-code platform that combines the best features of Retool and UI Bakery and adds some unique ones of its own. ILLA Cloud is an open-source low-code platform for developers to build and deploy internal tools remarkably fast. With ILLA Cloud, you can easily connect to various data sources such as databases, API/GraphQL endpoints, SaaS tools, and cloud storage services. These include popular options like PostgreSQL, MongoDB, MySQL, Stripe, Google Sheets, and AWS S3.

ILLA Cloud also provides a drag-and-drop interface for building UI components with a modern and trendy design. ILLA Cloud supports custom JavaScript components for more advanced functionality and also allows users to write queries using SQL and JavaScript.

[One of the most exciting features of ILLA Cloud is its real-time online collaboration(1)](https://blog.illacloud.com/announcing-illa-cloud-20/). Team members can now easily collaborate, share, and discuss projects. With the option to create teams on our platform, project development and management can be done more efficiently.

Another innovative feature of ILLA Cloud is its AI-powered SQL generation[(2)](https://blog.illacloud.com/introducing-illa-clouds-next-level-feature-harnessing-the-power-of-ai-generation/). With this feature, you can input natural language commands to generate SQL statements that can be run directly. This works in databases like MySQL, Postgre, Supabase, etc. This feature streamlines the development process, as you can quickly and easily create queries without the need for complex coding.

ILLA Cloud also offers flexible deployment options. You can use the ILLA Cloud to quickly start building your apps on any device. You can also use the ILLA CLI for free with better security to ensure data safety.

## Why choose ILLA Cloud?

ILLA Cloud is a low-code platform that offers an intuitive visual interface, real-time collaboration, flexible deployment, and AI-powered SQL generation. It is a platform that combines the best of both worlds: Retool and UI Bakery.

With ILLA Cloud, you can:

* Build beautiful and responsive internal tools with ease and speed
    
* Connect to any database or API and interact with data using SQL and JavaScript
    
* Use custom JavaScript components for more advanced functionality
    
* Collaborate with your team members in real time and share your projects
    
* Publish your applications to a custom domain or a ILLA subdomain
    
* Use natural language commands to generate SQL statements
    
* Deploy your applications on any device using ILLA Cloud or ILLA CLI
    

ILLA Cloud is a low-code platform that is built for developers who want to save time and effort on building internal tools without compromising on quality or control. It is a platform that is designed to accelerate your internal tools development.

[If you are interested in trying out ILLA Cloud, you can sign up for a free account here(3)](https://www.illacloud.com/?ref=illa-blog). You can also join our Discord Community[(4)](https://www.illacloud.com/en-US/docs/about-illa?ref=illa-blog) to get support from our team and other users.

We hope this article has helped you understand the differences between Retool and UI Bakery, and why you should consider ILLA Cloud as a viable alternative. If you have any questions or feedback, feel free to contact us in our discord: [https://discord.com/invite/illacloud](https://discord.com/invite/illacloud)

> *Join our Discord Community:* [*discord.com/invite/illacloud*](http://discord.com/invite/illacloud)
> 
> *Try ILLA Cloud for free:* [*cloud.illacloud.com*](http://cloud.illacloud.com)
> 
> *ILLA Home Page:* [*illacloud.com*](http://illacloud.com)
> 
> *GitHub page:* [*github.com/illacloud/illa-builder*](http://github.com/illacloud/illa-builder)

Source:  
(1) Announcing: ILLA Cloud 2.0. [https://blog.illacloud.com/announcing-illa-cloud-20/.  
(2)](https://blog.illacloud.com/announcing-illa-cloud-20/.￼(2)) Introducing ILLA Cloud's Next-Level Feature: Harnessing AI Power. [https://blog.illacloud.com/introducing-illa-clouds-next-level-feature-harnessing-the-power-of-ai-generation/.  
(3)](https://blog.illacloud.com/introducing-illa-clouds-next-level-feature-harnessing-the-power-of-ai-generation/.￼(3)) ILLA Cloud | Accelerate your internal tools development. [https://www.illacloud.com/.  
(4)](https://www.illacloud.com/.￼(4)) About ILLA - ILLA. [https://www.illacloud.com/en-US/docs/about-illa.  
(5)](https://www.illacloud.com/en-US/docs/about-illa.￼(5)) ILLA Cloud Pricing, Reviews and Features (March 2023) - [SaaSworthy.com](http://SaaSworthy.com). [https://www.saasworthy.com/product/illa-cloud](https://www.saasworthy.com/product/illa-cloud).      
(6) UI Bakery vs Retool. [https://uibakery.io/ui-bakery-vs-retool.  
(7)](https://uibakery.io/ui-bakery-vs-retool.￼(7)) Retool vs. UI Bakery | G2. [https://www.g2.com/compare/retool-vs-ui-bakery.  
(8)](https://www.g2.com/compare/retool-vs-ui-bakery.￼(8)) Retool vs UI Bakery | What are the differences? - StackShare. [https://www.stackshare.io/stackups/retool-vs-ui-bakery](https://www.stackshare.io/stackups/retool-vs-ui-bakery).