True cost comparison — not just what the pricing page says
Quick Verdict
Figma saves you 100%
Best for Figma
Collaborative design and prototyping platform. Free for 3 files, then per-editor pricing with viewer
Best for Retool
Build internal tools fast with drag-and-drop. Free tier is limited, paid plans are expensive for tea
Collaborative design and prototyping platform. Free for 3 files, then per-editor...
Advertised
$0
/month
True Cost
$65
/month (typical)
Viewer-to-Editor Auto-Upgrade
Anyone who edits a file automatically becomes a billed editor. A manager who tweaks one text box get...
Figma AI Add-On
Figma AI (auto-layout suggestions, visual search, text generation) is a separate add-on at $5/editor...
Shared Libraries Require Organization
Team-wide shared component libraries require Organization plan at $45/editor/mo — 3x the Professiona...
Dev Mode Seat Costs
Dev Mode for developers to inspect designs requires paid seats. Full seat at $15/editor/mo or restri...
$12/mo annual
Build internal tools fast with drag-and-drop. Free tier is limited, paid plans a...
Advertised
$10
/month
True Cost
$600
/month (typical)
Dual User Pricing (Builder vs User)
Retool charges differently: builders (devs who create apps) cost $10-50/mo, internal users (employee...
Workflow Run Overage
$75 per 5,000 additional workflow runs/month ($0.015/run). A single workflow running every 5 minutes...
External User Tiered Pricing
Customer-facing portals on Business: first 50 free, then $8/user/mo (51-250), $6 (251-500), $4 (500+...
SSO/SAML Requires Enterprise
SAML/OpenID SSO is Enterprise-only with custom (undisclosed) pricing. Any company with SSO requireme...
Audit Logs Require Business
Audit logging needs Business at $50/builder/mo — 5x the Team price. Required for SOC 2, HIPAA compli...
Figma advertises $0/mo. Retool advertises $10/mo.
Figma has 4 documented hidden fees. Retool has 5.
Figma confidence: 81%. Retool confidence: 70%.
| Metric | Figma | Retool | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Advertised Price | $0/mo | $10/mo | Figma |
| True Monthly Cost | $65/mo | $600/mo | Figma |
| Hidden Fee Total | +$65/mo | +$590/mo | Figma |
| # Hidden Fees | 4 | 5 | Figma |
| Confidence Score | 81% | 70% | Figma |
| Pricing Tiers | 4 | 4 | — |
| Affiliate Program | No public affiliate program | None | — |
Figma advertises $0/mo and Retool advertises $10/mo. However, when you include hidden fees, Figma has 4 documented hidden fees adding +$65/mo, while Retool has 5 hidden fees adding +$590/mo. Based on true cost, Figma is typically 100% cheaper.
Figma has 4 documented hidden fees: Viewer-to-Editor Auto-Upgrade, Figma AI Add-On, Shared Libraries Require Organization, Dev Mode Seat Costs. These add approximately +$65/mo on top of the $0/mo advertised price.
Retool has 5 documented hidden fees: Dual User Pricing (Builder vs User), Workflow Run Overage, External User Tiered Pricing, SSO/SAML Requires Enterprise, Audit Logs Require Business. These add approximately +$590/mo on top of the $10/mo advertised price.
Choose Figma if: Collaborative design and prototyping platform. Free for 3 files, then per-editor pricing with viewer. Choose Retool if: Build internal tools fast with drag-and-drop. Free tier is limited, paid plans are expensive for tea. The right choice depends on your team size, usage volume, and which features you need most.
This comparison is based on manual research of official pricing pages, terms of service, and user reports. Figma data has a 81% confidence score and Retool has 70%. Prices were last verified in April 2026. For the most accurate estimate, enter your specific usage in our calculator.
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