Pega Platform vs Retool comparison

Read 7 Retool reviews

212 Views
139 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Pega Platform

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Download the report

Executive SummaryUpdated on Jan 12, 2025

Pega Platform and Retool are competitors in the business process automation category. Pega Platform holds a distinct advantage in complex automation due to its comprehensive feature set, while Retool is more advantageous for rapid implementation owing to its streamlined approach.

Features: Pega Platform provides robust case management, integration services, and extensive out-of-the-box functionalities suitable for large-scale environments. Retool's key features include its developer-friendly interface, integration with multiple data sources, and the ability to rapidly build applications with its flexible component system.

Room for Improvement: Pega Platform could improve by streamlining its deployment process and reducing the complexity of its infrastructure. Additionally, the upgrade process can be cumbersome for older versions. Retool can enhance its offering by expanding its feature set for more complex use cases, improving database connectivity options, and offering better support for large enterprises.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Pega Platform's deployment often involves longer timelines which are balanced by its comprehensive support and training programs. Retool offers a simple and quick setup with straightforward integration and customization, which is appealing for rapid deployment needs and results in more flexible customer service interactions.

Pricing and ROI: Pega Platform entails higher upfront costs due to its extensive capabilities and customization options, which can generate significant ROI for complex needs. Retool, with its competitive pricing, is appealing to smaller teams seeking cost-effective solutions that deliver quicker ROI due to lower setup and deployment costs.

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

Pega Platform vs. Retool

Download the complete report

Helped 842,672 peers since 2012

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

7th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

7.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Business Rules Management (1st), Business Process Management (BPM) (4th), Process Automation (3rd), 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 March 2025, in the Rapid Application Development Software category, the mindshare of Pega Platform is 6.4%, down from 6.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Retool is 0.4%, 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.

Read full review

Saurabh Tiwari

Back End Developer at Medha

Easy to use, I don't need to write extensive code and built-in components helps to develop tools

Retool provides multiple tools and functionalities that we can use. However, there are restrictions on the front-end side. From the back-end side, we can use anything, but on the front-end, we have limited tools. This limits our ability to enhance functionality. For example, if I'm creating a tool for you to collect feedback from your clients or users, we have limited resources on the front-end. For the back-end, we have unlimited resources, but for the front-end, we are restricted to creating dashboards and similar tools. If you want to enable other functionalities, we can add them, but this is a limitation on the front-end side.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Scalable and stable BPM software with a powerful case management feature. It also has good workflow."

"The most valuable feature is the situational layer cake."

"The new PEGA underwriting platform replaced the former underwriting system and helped to integrate other legacy systems and functionalities in one application. It also helped to save licence costs for other legacy systems."

"Fast prototyping."

"Pega BPM's most valuable features are case management, integration, the convenience of using REST APIs, and the ease of changing things at the UI level."

"The stability has been good. We haven't had any issues."

"This solution is useful for business process management if you have any banking solutions or need to manage a process."

"Pricing is a little on the high side."

More Pega Platform pros

"The stability is okay."

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

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

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

"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."

"We can create the dashboards quickly."

"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."

Cons

"Pega BPM could be improved by including token-based authentication and extending its integration options."

"The previous versions had good training documents but the updated versions need to improve the documentation."

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

"If it could also be integrated with robotics, it could help with a lot of things, even if we don't have APIs, we could still talk to other applications. If it could invoke a bot, for example."

"Reporting is not so clear and not so great. We really struggle to get the right reporting. When we need reporting based on the content of the tickets, we are not able to get it. The MIS reporting is not great. That's one of the reasons why we are switching to ServiceNow. Its compatibility with the higher versions of Internet Explorer should be improved. It really works well in Mozilla Firefox or any other browser, but when it comes to Microsoft Edge or Internet Explorer, sometimes, the layout gets disturbed. The positioning of the buttons changes, and there is some distortion in the layout. I am not sure whether it is our configuration problem or Pega's, but when it is working in Mozilla Firefox, it should also work in Microsoft Edge or Internet Explorer."

"I would like to see Pega BPM improve the user experience."

"In the Middle East and Africa region, Pega was not very strong from the user experience standpoint."

"Implementation is a challenge due to the handling of the code"

More Pega Platform cons

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

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

"Retool should add more resource integration."

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

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

"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."

"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

"Users have to pay a yearly license cost for Pega BPM, which is expensive."

"PegaRULES is a good product, but its pricing is a bit on the premium side, especially for professionals."

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

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

"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 of Pega BPM falls on the higher side of the spectrum if I were to compare it with other solutions in the market."

"We mostly have a yearly license."

"The price could be lower."

More Pega Platform pricing and cost advice

"The tool is a little bit expensive."

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

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

"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."

See which vendors are best for you

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

See recommendations

842,672 professionals have used our research since 2012.

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

28%

Computer Software Company

13%

Manufacturing Company

Government

No data available

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...

ServiceNow vs Pega Platform

Comparisons

Compared 19% of the time

Camunda vs Pega Platform

Compared 16% of the time

Appian vs Pega Platform

Compared 7% of the time

IBM BPM vs Pega Platform

Compared 6% of the time

Microsoft Power Apps vs Pega Platform

Compared 5% of the time

More Pega Platform Competitors

Streamlit vs Retool

Compared 70% of the time

More Retool Competitors

Product Reports

Pega Platform

Download Pega Platform product report

Download Retool product report

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