True cost comparison — not just what the pricing page says
Quick Verdict
Retool saves you 17%
Best for Sketch
Build internal tools fast with drag-and-drop. Free tier is limited, paid plans are expensive for tea
Best for Retool
Mac-only design tool. Standard plan $12/editor/mo. Simpler than Figma but limited to macOS and less
Mac-only design tool. Standard plan $12/editor/mo. Simpler than Figma but limite...
Advertised
$12
/month
True Cost
$20
/month (typical)
Mac Hardware Requirement
Sketch runs only on macOS. Teams must buy Macs ($1,000-2,500 each). This is the biggest hidden cost ...
Business Plan for SSO
SSO/SAML requires Business at $20/editor/mo — 67% more than Standard. Required for any company with ...
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...
Retool advertises $10/mo. Sketch advertises $12/mo.
Retool has 5 documented hidden fees. Sketch has 2.
Retool confidence: 70%. Sketch confidence: 74%.
| Metric | Sketch | Retool | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Advertised Price | $12/mo | $10/mo | Retool |
| True Monthly Cost | $20/mo | $600/mo | Sketch |
| Hidden Fee Total | +$8/mo | +$590/mo | Sketch |
| # Hidden Fees | 2 | 5 | Sketch |
| Confidence Score | 74% | 70% | Sketch |
| Pricing Tiers | 0 | 4 | — |
| Affiliate Program | None | None | — |
Sketch advertises $12/mo and Retool advertises $10/mo. However, when you include hidden fees, Sketch has 2 documented hidden fees adding +$8/mo, while Retool has 5 hidden fees adding +$590/mo. Based on true cost, Retool is typically 17% cheaper.
Sketch has 2 documented hidden fees: Mac Hardware Requirement, Business Plan for SSO. These add approximately +$8/mo on top of the $12/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 Sketch if: Build internal tools fast with drag-and-drop. Free tier is limited, paid plans are expensive for tea. Choose Retool if: Mac-only design tool. Standard plan $12/editor/mo. Simpler than Figma but limited to macOS and less . 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. Sketch data has a 74% 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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