Comparison · Retool

Croft vs Retool

Retool is the heavyweight of internal tools — a powerful builder where developers assemble apps from components, wire in SQL and JavaScript, and connect any database or API, all under enterprise governance. It's genuinely good, and it assumes a certain buyer: an engineering or IT team that will build the tools and run the platform. Croft assumes the opposite. The person with the problem describes it to their own AI assistant, and a real app lands on a private server that's yours — with the login, access control, and backups already handled. No components to assemble, no platform to operate.

	Retool	Croft
What it is	A powerful low-code platform for building internal tools	Hosting for the apps your team builds by chatting with AI
Who builds	Developers and IT — components, SQL, and JavaScript	Anyone on your team, in plain words to their own assistant
How apps are built	Drag-and-drop the interface, then write queries and code	Describe it to Claude, ChatGPT, or Grok — it writes and deploys the app
The AI	Retool's built-in AI, part of the platform	Your own Claude, ChatGPT, or Grok — no AI resold or metered
Login & security	Built in, configured and governed by your team	Enterprise sign-on in front of every app — nothing to wire up
Where it runs	Retool's cloud, or a deployment your team self-hosts and operates	A private server that's yours — Croft runs it, you don't
Pricing	Per-user, with usage on top — priced for organisations	Flat plan price, no usage meter, and you bring your own AI
When you leave	Apps are built in Retool's framework and live inside it	A single export of plain code and a database that runs anywhere Docker does
Best when	You have developers to build and operate a serious internal-tools platform	You want your team building useful, private apps without a platform to run

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New to Croft?

What Croft actually is.

Croft is a home for the small apps you build with Claude, ChatGPT, or Grok. Your assistant writes the app; Croft runs it on your own private server — with a database, one login for the people you invite, HTTPS, and backups all handled. One flat price, bring your own AI, no lock-in.

How it works Connect an assistant, describe an app, invite your people. Under the hood The stack, the security model, and how your data is handled. Pricing One flat price. 7-day free trial, no card to start. Prompt library Copy-paste prompts to build your first app in minutes. Connect an assistant Point Claude, ChatGPT, or Grok at your croft over MCP. The full picture See everything Croft does on the home page.

Stake out your croft.

Your team's first app could be live before lunch.

Get your croft

7 days free, no card to start. From $24/month — cancel anytime and take everything with you.