Pega Platform vs Retool comparison

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Pega Platform

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Apr 20, 2025

Pega Platform and Retool both offer business automation solutions, yet their strengths cater to different organizational needs. Pega stands out with its enterprise-grade capabilities, while Retool is preferred for fast, flexible internal tool development.

Features: Pega Platform provides advanced decisioning, case management tools, and AI-driven insights. Retool offers an intuitive drag-and-drop interface, seamless integration options, and a quick setup process.

Room for Improvement: Pega would benefit from a simplified user interface and reduced deployment complexities. It could also improve integration speed and reduce total cost of ownership. Retool could enhance its analytical capabilities, offer more out-of-the-box solutions, and expand support for large-scale enterprise deployments.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Retool's cloud-based model allows for easy deployment without deep technical knowledge, supported by responsive customer service. Pega requires a more detailed setup and technical expertise, but offers comprehensive support tailored to complex deployments.

Pricing and ROI: Pega's higher setup costs are justified by its extensive capabilities, yielding significant ROI for large organizations. Retool's pricing is more accessible, providing a faster ROI with its efficient development environment, making it a cost-effective solution for small to mid-sized companies.

To learn more, read our detailed Pega Platform vs. Retool Report (Updated: June 2025).

Pega Platform vs. Retool

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Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

Pega Platform

Ranking in Rapid Application Development Software

9th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

7.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Business Rules Management (1st), Business Process Management (BPM) (5th), Process Automation (4th), Low-Code Development Platforms (7th)

Retool

Ranking in Rapid Application Development Software

17th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

7.4

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of July 2025, in the Rapid Application Development Software category, the mindshare of Pega Platform is 6.4%, down from 6.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Retool is 0.7%, up from 0.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Rapid Application Development Software

Featured Reviews

Mallik-Kesavaraju

Independent Consultant at Selfemployed

Significantly improves the overall cycle time, and offers robotic automation, and the BPM workflow

The extensive availability of ready-made gadgets in Pega BPM is a double-edged sword. While it offers convenience, it also leads to a steeper learning curve. Our developers and business analysts need to invest significant time and effort to fully understand and utilize the platform's capabilities. In essence, it's a complex product that demands a deep understanding to be used effectively. So, it cuts both ways. This complexity can be both an advantage and a disadvantage, depending on the user's expertise. So, the learning curve is pretty high! So, it's very good if you are a professional user, but you need to be a really good professional user to use this solution effectively.

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Tabraiz Ahmed

Technical Lead at a manufacturing company with 10,001+ employees

Its focus lies in building dashboards for cloud operations and data management, as well as generating analytical reports

In some of my past projects, I collaborated with others, and we used GitHub for version control. It served as a repository where we pushed our code updates, facilitating seamless collaboration and version tracking among team members. One limitation of Retool currently is the lack of support for parallel editing, meaning that multiple users cannot collaborate on the same application simultaneously. This restriction aligns with the application's context, as it's typically more practical for only one person to edit an application at a time. They recently integrated AI models, such as Ahmed AI, and consistently incorporate new OpenAPI module releases into the cloud environment. This integration allows users to leverage the latest advancements, including AI assistance for error detection and resolution within queries, particularly in JavaScript and SQL, enhancing the development experience in Retool. If you are going to invest in Retool and you have a clear vision. Definitely, it is worth it. Some users say it is a bit pricey. There are a couple of other software like Ubiquiti, but even Microsoft also providing a low code platform, but it's more enterprise-level based applications, not for everyone. Retool is still leading and have a good price plan, which users are comfortable with. It will not be too difficult if you have some technical background. If you know how to write JavaScript queries, how SQL queries work, and understand how front-end development operates in real-time, then maybe one or two years of development experience will be sufficient for a user to develop a basic application in Retool. However, it does require some level of development experience. For example, a project manager without any development experience would not be able to work within Retool and develop a dashboard or define a workflow unless they first educate themselves and gain some proficiency with the tool. A normal business user cannot use it; you must have some development experience. When you mention a low-code platform, it implies that a user with a certain level of development knowledge can develop applications. That's where we may fall short. However, looking at the advantages, you can customize and control your application at a very detailed level within Retool. So, it excels in both positive and negative aspects. Overall, I rate the solution a seven out of ten.

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Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"The initial setup is pretty straightforward."

"Overall, the ability to integrate with multiple applications and effective case management is the most valuable."

"Pega is a local platform that has evolved from a BPM perspective. This allows teams using this solution to address complexities without having deep knowledge in a specific development area."

"Whenever a customer needs to do something, the way Pega designs the whole thing into an easy number of steps makes the flow from the actual intent to the actual final results pretty fast."

"Fast prototyping."

"We can use the rules as per the class."

"The technical support of Pega BPM is very good."

"Pega BPM has a full suite for any enterprise. It is a process orchestration platform. It has detailed features for case management and workflows."

More Pega Platform pros

"The most valuable feature of Retool is the workflow because I can integrate multiple features, such as RESTful API, JavaScript API, or different databases on the same dashboard."

"Retool's most valuable features are its drag-and-drop components and the ability to customize them extensively."

"There are several key aspects to Retool that make it stand out. Firstly, its extensive range of components makes integration straightforward. Secondly, its support for SQL and JavaScript allows for the implementation of complex logic, which is particularly beneficial for developers like yourself with experience in .NET development."

"The most valuable feature of the solution is connectivity with APIs and other databases."

"The stability is okay."

"We can create the dashboards quickly."

"Retool provides us with the opportunity to save time and be more efficient."

Cons

"We need more light retail BPM tools within the Pega system. However, Pega is mostly for big companies."

"Pega currently is trying to add chatbots to their systems, and it's still quite immature. This part definitely needs to be improved."

"I've spent some hands-on time with the platform, and you can do those things, and it is all low code, but is it as easy as they make it sound? No. That's my two cents. For example, if I want to do something, there is no way to switch from low code. I just want to do a simple If-Then-Else rule, but I have to go through their low-code tool and do dragging and dropping. I'm a development person, and in my opinion, even some business users could do this easier. There is no way to go back and forth to an editor where I can just type in an If-Then-Else rule, which would be much faster than drawing in their low-code editor. They don't support that. They lead you too much."

"The usability of the solution for developers is sometimes difficult to work with because instead of fixing the existing bugs in the previous version, there is always a rush to push out a new version leaving the bugs in the old versions unresolved."

"The UI has always been the weakest part."

"An area for improvement in Pega BPM is security. It's secure, but it still has a lot of vulnerabilities. Pega BPM is robust, but it still needs some improvement performance-wise."

"We would like to have a better ability to customize PegaRULES."

"Sometimes when we are patching some data from the database, we are getting added as a timeout."

More Pega Platform cons

"Retool should add more resource integration."

"There are restrictions on the front-end side."

"The part where we can add some custom logic or custom plugins could be better."

"The solution lacks inbuilt customization to customize bar charts."

"Retool could enhance support, including efforts to establish support centers in Europe, which was lacking previously. However, the community is still in the growth phase, leading to potential delays in receiving responses to queries."

"The components are changed frequently, which is very irritating."

"One area for improvement in Retool is expanding its library support to include a broader range of third-party JavaScript libraries."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"This upgrade process is very expensive; although I haven't been on the sales team responsible for the pricing, I know it costs millions of dollars."

"In terms of the price, if I were to compare Pega to other tools, it would be more expensive, but it would also provide you with the same features."

"The price could be lower."

"There are multiple Pega licensing models, including outcome- and revenue-based licensing models"

"Pega BPM is expensive because it's a leading product, but it also delivers a good return on investment (ROI)."

"The licensing fees are based on the number of users."

"The licensing model for Pega BPM needs to be improved."

"The solution could be less expensive according to my customers. However, I think the price of the solution is fair."

More Pega Platform pricing and cost advice

"The tool is a little bit expensive."

"I don't know Retool's current pricing, but it cost around $12 per month earlier."

"The pricing is very expensive. It costs for each user, for automated users, open-end users, et cetera."

"For new users, evaluate the scale of their administrative needs as Retool provides excellent free services for smaller setups, but larger deployments might require transitioning to a paid plan."

"For me, I'm in India right now, and we have Retool's subscription for one team member for $10 per month."

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Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Rapid Application Development Software solutions are best for your needs.

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860,632 professionals have used our research since 2012.

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

27%

Computer Software Company

12%

Manufacturing Company

Government

Manufacturing Company

19%

Comms Service Provider

14%

University

Outsourcing Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

Is Pega BPM easy to work with and can beginners utilize this software?

You do need some preparation to be able to use all functions of Pega BPM. However, all users of this platform are in luck as it comes with good documentation and you can learn pretty much everythin...

Have you encountered any issues while using Pega BPM and were you assisted by the company?

My company has been using this tool for years and the only issue we have had, if you can call it that, was while setting it up. When we were setting it up initially, we had some drawbacks and could...

When you consider the features and benefits of Pega BPM, would you say this product is fairly priced?

Pega BPM can be considered overpriced for some; it all depends on the size of your company and the requirements of your customers. Sure, there are products out there that do the things that Pega B...

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Retool?

For new users, evaluate the scale of their administrative needs as Retool provides excellent free services for smaller setups, but larger deployments might require transitioning to a paid plan.

What needs improvement with Retool?

One area for improvement in Retool is expanding its library support to include a broader range of third-party JavaScript libraries. This would enhance the tool's versatility and allow more complex ...

What is your primary use case for Retool?

I employ Retool primarily to build admin panels that effectively manage office and backend project staff. These panels facilitate the management of various organizational functions and streamline u...

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Product Reports

Pega Platform

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Also Known As

Pega BPM, Pegasystems, SmartBPM, PegaRULES

No data available

Overview

Pega Platform facilitates business process management, case management, and workflow automation for industries like banking, insurance, and healthcare. It supports digital transformation and customer service enhancements with its low-code capabilities and seamless integrations.

Pega Platform enables users to create efficient systems for case management, financial operations, and digital transformations. It provides tools for client onboarding, quoting, claims processing, customer experience improvements, and content management. Pega's low-code approach allows for the automation of complex processes, making it suitable for enterprises looking for adaptability and rapid deployment. While it offers strong real-time analytics and decision automation, users acknowledge challenges in user interface, integration, and performance aspects. High costs and a learning curve need attention, and enhancements in AI features and cloud services are desired.

What are the key features of Pega Platform?

Easy Implementation: Quick setup for fast project kick-off.
Seamless Process Adaptation: Adapts processes efficiently as business needs evolve.
Fast Prototyping: Enables rapid model creation and testing.
Unified Architecture: Streamlines operations across the platform.
Low-Code Environment: Facilitates swift application development.
Scalability: Supports growth and high-demand scenarios.
Real-Time Analytics: Provides immediate insights into operations.
Decision Automation: Automates standard decision-making processes.
Reusable Components: Encourages efficiency in development through component reuse.

What benefits do organizations find with Pega Platform?

Rapid Deployment: Quick launch of new processes saves time and resources.
Cost Efficiency: Reduces costs through automation and streamlined workflows.
Customer-Centric Solutions: Enhances customer experiences through integrated systems.
Improved Productivity: Automation frees up employee resources for other tasks.
Reliable Performance: Consistent platform performance ensures business continuity.

In banking, Pega Platform automates loan processing, accelerates customer onboarding, and manages compliance. Insurance companies benefit from streamlined claims processing and policy management. Healthcare sectors use the platform for patient engagement and care coordination, enabling organizations to adapt quickly to changing industry requirements.

Pega

Retool enables rapid construction of internal tools with minimal coding, streamlining workflows across HR, customer support, and compliance. Praised for its drag-and-drop interface, extensive component library, and SQL support, it boosts organizational efficiency by automating tasks and enhancing data management.

Sample Customers

The State of Maine, ANZ, Coca-Cola, Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA), ME, New South Wales, OptumRx, Texas Department of Transportation, UnitedHealthcare Medicare & Retirement

Information Not Available

Pega Platform vs. Retool