Cal.com vs Retool
Open-source scheduling infrastructure — the self-hostable Calendly alternative
vs. The low-code platform for internal tools, workflows, and AI agents
Pricing tiers
Cal.com
Free (Cloud)
$0. 1 user. Unlimited event types. Unlimited meetings. Cal branding.
Free
Self-Hosted (OSS)
Free forever. AGPL-3.0. Docker/K8s deploy. Full feature parity with cloud.
$0 base (usage-based)
Teams
$12/user/mo. Round-robin, collective events, routing forms, Cal Video, Workflows.
$12/mo
Organizations
$37/user/mo. SSO, advanced routing, dashboards, analytics, dedicated support.
$37/mo
Enterprise
Custom. SAML, HIPAA, dedicated deployments, security reviews.
Custom
Retool
Free
$0. Up to 5 users. Unlimited apps + mobile. 500 workflow runs/month. 5GB DB + storage. 20 hrs/mo Agents.
Free
Team
$10/builder/mo + $5/internal user/mo. 5k workflow runs. Staging env. App releases.
$10/mo
Business
$50/builder/mo + $15/internal user/mo. Audit logs, rich permissions, portals, embedded apps, external user pricing.
$50/mo
Enterprise
Custom. SAML/OIDC SSO, source control, error monitoring, full white-labeling, volume discounts.
Custom
Free-tier quotas head-to-head
Comparing free on Cal.com vs free on Retool.
| Metric | Cal.com | Retool |
|---|---|---|
| No overlapping quota metrics for these tiers. | ||
Features
Cal.com · 16 features
- Availability — Multiple schedules per user.
- Buffer Time — Padding between meetings.
- Cal Video — Built-in video conferencing.
- Embed — Inline/popup/floating-button embeds.
- Event Types — One-on-one, group, collective, round-robin.
- Insights Dashboard — Booking trends + team analytics.
- Paid Bookings — Stripe integration for paid appointments.
- Platform API — Embed scheduling in your SaaS.
- Recurring Events — Weekly/monthly recurring bookings.
- Round-Robin — Distribute bookings across team.
- Routing Forms — Route leads by answers.
- Self-Host — Deploy to your infra.
- SSO — SAML + OIDC.
- Timezone Detection — Auto-detect viewer timezone.
- Webhooks — Outbound events.
- Workflows — Automated email/SMS reminders.
Retool · 14 features
- Apps (Web + Mobile) — Drag-drop UI builder with 100+ components.
- Audit Logs — Track every user action.
- Custom JavaScript — Write JS anywhere in app logic.
- MCP Support — Expose Retool workflows to AI agents.
- Modules — Reusable component bundles.
- Retool Agents — AI agents that use Retool queries + apps as tools.
- Retool Database — Managed Postgres with GUI + collab.
- Retool Embed — Embed apps into your SaaS.
- Retool Forms — Public forms that write to DBs.
- Retool Portals — External-facing apps for customers.
- SAML/OIDC SSO (Ent) — Enterprise auth.
- Source Control (Ent) — Git-backed version control for apps.
- White-labeling (Ent) — Full brand customization.
- Workflows — Cron + webhook-triggered automations with branching.
Developer interfaces
| Kind | Cal.com | Retool |
|---|---|---|
| CLI | cal CLI (self-host) | — |
| SDK | @calcom/embed-react | — |
| REST | Cal.com REST API v2, Platform API (embed in SaaS) | Retool REST API (Workflows) |
| MCP | — | Retool MCP |
| OTHER | Cal.com Dashboard, Cal.com Webhooks | Retool Database, Retool Editor, Self-Hosted (on-prem) |
Staxly is an independent catalog of developer platforms. Some links to Cal.com and Retool may be affiliate links — Staxly may earn a commission if you sign up through them, at no extra cost to you. Pricing is verified against vendor pages at publication time — reconfirm before buying.
Want this comparison in your AI agent's context? Install the free Staxly MCP server.