Replace Retool
Build internal CRUD screens and admin panels visually, connected to your production database.
Why teams move off Retool
Retool charges per user for CRUD screens over a database you already own, and needs a network path into production to build them.
What you give up
The visual builder. Every engine here asks you to write Ruby instead of dragging components, which is faster for some teams and slower for others.
This directory says so when an engine only covers part of the job. A replacement that needs a caveat is still worth knowing about — it just should not surprise you in week three.
9 Rails engines that replace Retool
-
Avo
Drop-in replacement Admin and internal toolsResources, actions, filters, custom cards and dashboards — the things people build Retool apps for.
Retool → avo
5.0 · 4 ratings → -
Motor Admin
Drop-in replacement Admin and internal toolsCustomisable admin screens, SQL-backed dashboards and forms, configured in the browser.
Retool → motor-admin
No ratings yet → -
SQLite Dashboard
Covers the core of Admin and internal toolsThe 'let me look at the data' case, without building a tool for it.
Retool → sqlite_dashboard
No ratings yet → -
Rails DB
Covers the core of Admin and internal toolsReading and querying production data without building a screen. Not custom write workflows.
Retool → rails_db
No ratings yet → -
Madmin
Covers the core of Admin and internal toolsCRUD over your models, without the visual builder. Custom dashboards you write yourself.
Retool → madmin
No ratings yet → -
Administrate
Covers the core of Admin and internal toolsCRUD and search. Not arbitrary internal tools with custom widgets.
Retool → administrate
No ratings yet → -
Trestle
Covers the core of Admin and internal toolsResource administration rather than arbitrary internal tooling.
Retool → trestle
No ratings yet → -
ActiveAdmin
Covers the core of Admin and internal toolsStrong at resource CRUD. Custom pages take more work than a visual builder.
Retool → activeadmin
No ratings yet → -
Maintenance Tasks
Covers the core of OperationsThe 'run a script over production data safely' case, without building a Retool app for it.
Retool → maintenance_tasks
No ratings yet →
Questions
- Is there an open-source alternative to Retool for Rails?
- Yes — Avo, Motor Admin, SQLite Dashboard, Rails DB, Madmin, Administrate, Trestle, ActiveAdmin, and Maintenance Tasks. They all mount into an application you already run, so there is no second deployment and no second database.
- What do I give up by replacing Retool?
- The visual builder. Every engine here asks you to write Ruby instead of dragging components, which is faster for some teams and slower for others.
- How do I replace Retool in a Rails app?
- Add avo to your Gemfile, mount it in config/routes.rb at /avo, and run its migrations. The whole integration is two lines and a migration.
- How much does replacing Retool save?
- Retool is priced from $10/user/mo. The engines here are open source, so the cost becomes the time to mount one and the resources it uses inside your existing application.
Same category
