Convex vs Retool

Convex

Retool

Convex · 18 features

• Actions — Non-deterministic functions for external I/O (fetch, AI APIs, email). Cannot rea…
• Authentication — Convex Auth (built-in) or BYO provider (Clerk, Auth0, Kinde, WorkOS). ID tokens …
• Convex Agents — AI agent framework with durable memory, threads, tool use. Works with OpenAI / A…
• Convex Auth — First-party auth library: passwords, magic links, OAuth, phone — stored in your …
• Convex Components — Reusable backend modules (rate limiter, workflow, aggregate, action-retrier, etc…
• Cron Jobs — Recurring schedules defined in convex/crons.ts. UTC, cron-style patterns.
• Durable Workflows — Long-running multi-step workflows with retries and at-least-once guarantees.
• Exception Reporting — Auto-capture errors to Sentry, Axiom, Datadog.
• File Storage — Upload/download via storage API. Returns storage IDs referenced in documents.
• Full-Text Search — BM25 search index on table fields. withSearchIndex query helper.
• HTTP Actions — Expose public HTTP endpoints for webhooks, OAuth callbacks, third-party integrat…
• Log Streams — Stream function logs to Axiom, Datadog, Sentry. Pro+.
• Mutations — Transactional write functions. All reads + writes in one mutation are ACID; conf…
• Preview Deployments — Every Git branch gets its own isolated deployment. Integrates with Vercel/Netlif…
• Queries — Deterministic read-only TS functions. Automatically cached and re-run when under…
• Real-Time Subscriptions — useQuery auto-subscribes; server invalidates when data a query read changes. No …
• Scheduler — schedule.after / schedule.at — enqueue functions to run later. Durable, survives…
• Vector Search — Native vector index on tables. withIndex + filter fields. Up to 4096 dims.

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.