Retool vs Forest
Retool and Forest both give a team screens on top of its own data, and both are common answers to "we need an admin panel." They get there differently. Retool is a builder: you assemble apps from components and queries. Forest, which dropped the "Admin" from its name, generates an admin panel from your database that you then customize. Prices are far apart too.
Side by side
| Topic | Retool | Forest |
|---|---|---|
| Approach | Build apps from components, queries, and code. | An admin panel generated from your data, then customized. |
| Free plan | Up to 5 users and 500 workflow runs a month. | Sandbox: 2 users, 2 data sources, 500 write events a month. |
| Entry price | Team: $10 per builder and $5 per internal user a month, annual. | Starter: $499 a month with 7 users and 10 data sources. |
| How price grows | Per builder and per user. | Per user past the included seats, plus write events. |
| Beyond admin panels | Workflows, agents, a database, and external apps. | Focused on operating on your production data. |
| Self-hosting | Yes, on every plan. | Not listed on the pricing page. |
| Best when | Engineers want to build many internal tools. | An ops team needs a full admin on production data quickly. |
Based on how each product describes itself, checked October 2026. Sources: Retool pricing, Forest pricing. If something here is out of date, tell us and we will fix it.
How the pricing compares
Retool charges per person. Team is $10 per builder and $5 per internal user a month on annual billing ($12 and $7 monthly). Business is $50 per builder and $15 per internal user ($65 and $18 monthly). The Free plan covers up to 5 users.
Forest charges per plan with seats included. Starter is $499 a month with 7 users and 10 data sources, then $60 per extra user, and 5,000 write events with a charge per event after that. Professional is $2,199 a month with 25 users and unlimited data sources, and Enterprise starts at $5,999.
For a small team, Retool is much cheaper on paper. The trade is build time: Forest gives you a working admin from day one, while every Retool screen is one you make and maintain.
Where each one is stronger
Where Retool is stronger
- FlexibilityAdmin panels and every other internal tool: dashboards, workflows, and apps for outside users.
- Price for small teamsA team of five on Team costs a fraction of Forest's Starter.
- Self-hostingAvailable on every plan, including Free.
- Wider platformWorkflows, agents, and its own database.
Where Forest is stronger
- Ready on day oneThe admin panel comes from your data model, so there is little to build before it is useful.
- Made for operationsBuilt around support and ops teams working on production records.
- Seats includedStarter includes 7 users, Professional 25.
- Less to maintainScreens follow your data model instead of being hand-built.
Both connect to your database, so both carry the care that comes with writing to production. Retool fits engineering-led teams that want to build many tools. Forest fits ops-heavy teams that want a complete admin quickly.
Which one to pick
Pick Retool if
Engineers on your team want to build many kinds of internal tools, and you want to self-host.
Pick Forest if
Your ops or support team needs a complete admin panel on production data soon, and the budget is there.
If you run several products
If what you need is not editing records but knowing how each of your products is doing, an admin panel builder is a long way round.
LopeBase never connects to your database. It reads the tools each product already uses, like Stripe, PostHog, Search Console, and Sentry, and shows revenue, traffic, uptime, errors, and SEO for every product in one place. Many teams use an admin panel and LopeBase side by side. It is free for one product.
Questions
Something else? Contact us.
Is Forest Admin now called Forest?
Yes. Its site at forest.app uses the name Forest, and forestadmin.com redirects there.
Is Retool or Forest cheaper?
For a small team, Retool: Team is $10 per builder and $5 per user a month. Forest's first paid plan is $499 a month, though it includes 7 users.
Can I self-host Retool or Forest?
Retool lists self-hosting on every plan. Forest's pricing page does not list a self-hosted option.