By Ryan Walker, Founder of Shareables|Last edited April 15, 2026At a glance
| Functionalities |  Shareables |  Retool |
|---|---|---|
| Internal tools | Retool is built for internal apps | Retool is built for internal apps |
| Ease of use | No-code | Requires SQL/JS |
| Embeddability | Embeds on public sites | Internal tools |
| Public-facing display | Public-facing | Internal-only |
| Pricing value | Per-user pricing vs flat per-widget pricing | Per-user pricing vs flat per-widget pricing |
Detailed comparison
Target Audience
Retool targets engineering teams building internal admin panels, dashboards, and CRUD tools. It requires SQL and JavaScript knowledge.
Shareables targets anyone who wants to display data on a website. It requires zero coding.
Bottom line: Retool = internal tools for developers. Shareables = public widgets for anyone.
Pricing
| Shareables | Retool | |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier | Yes (1 widget, 1,000 records) | Yes (5 users, limited features) |
| Starting price | $6/mo | $10/user/mo |
| Business tier | $12/mo (Pro) | $50/user/mo |
| Top tier | $40/mo (Ultimate, unlimited widgets) | Custom |
| Pricing model | per-widget | per-user |
Strengths and weaknesses
Retool
Strengths
- + Powerful internal tool builder with 90+ components
- + Direct database connections (Postgres, MySQL, MongoDB)
- + JavaScript and SQL support for custom logic
- + Workflow automations
Weaknesses
- - Not designed for public-facing content
- - Requires technical knowledge (SQL, JavaScript)
- - Per-user pricing gets expensive
- - Overkill for simple data display
Shareables
Strengths
- + Supports 10+ data sources (Airtable, Google Sheets, Notion, Excel, Trello, and more)
- + Embeddable widgets that work on any website or page builder
- + 20+ widget templates (blog, products, events, FAQ, testimonials, charts, and more)
- + Quick setup, under 5 minutes from data to live widget
Weaknesses
- - No user authentication or login portals
- - No form submissions or data write-back
- - Newer platform, smaller community compared to established players
- - Limited to displaying and presenting data (read-only)
Who should choose what?
Choose Retool if you need...
- Engineering teams building internal admin panels
- Database management dashboards
- Complex internal tools with custom logic
Choose Shareables if you need...
- Teams that want to display spreadsheet/database data on their website
- No-code builders who need embeddable widgets
- Small businesses wanting a quick, affordable data-driven site
- Agencies managing multiple client widgets
- Anyone using Airtable, Google Sheets, or Notion as a CMS
What customers say
“This is a game-changer for our agency in terms of enhancing our clients' experience without complicating our backend support, as the clients can simply update spreadsheet information in real time. Once it's set up and optimized, it's pretty much plug and play. If you want dynamic content displayed in a very digestible, beautifully presented format, Shareables will be a great tool for you. Ryan also provides very fast support to solve all my questions.”
Byron
Aranka Media
“For product showcases and micro-directories, Shareables feels like a perfect starter replacement for Softr, Glide, and CommonNinja — especially when embeds and flexibility matter. Setup was fast. I connected my data, picked a layout, and published in minutes. Embeds worked exactly how I needed. Audio players, videos, and custom elements felt native inside the listings, not bolted on. Simple tool. Fast results. Exactly what I needed.”
Prashant
Mahakatha
“Shareables is exactly what I was looking for to quickly build and share curated directories. The interface is incredibly clean, and the setup process is fast and intuitive. I looked into heavier directory tools like Brilliant Directories and also considered building custom frontends connected to Airtable. Those solutions felt too bulky, expensive, and time-consuming. Shareables strikes the perfect balance between simplicity and functionality.”
Noah Reed
Frequently Asked Questions
They solve different problems. Retool builds internal tools for engineering teams. Shareables creates public-facing embeddable widgets for websites. Retool needs coding; Shareables is no-code.