Anvil gives you the power to create amazing web apps with only Python. You can use all your favourite Python libraries to build your code, and the drag-and-drop designer makes building UIs a breeze.

Retool offers a very limited range of customisation options and the ability to re-use styling in the form of themes is only available on the highest paid tier. Anvil’s preset themes make it possible to create a wide range of different apps on any plan, and with our color schemes you can give your app a complete makeover with just one click.

Drag-and-drop systems are great as UI builders, but when it comes to an app’s logic, they can only take you so far. With Anvil, you will write actual code rather than relying on drag-and-drop workflows or flowcharts, so you can create exactly what you need.

Want to use your favourite JavaScript libraries or query your database with SQL? You can! There are no limits to what you can do with Anvil. You also have full control over your data. Use Anvil’s built-in database and query your data with no-nonsense Python statements, or connect to an external database.

Retool’s pay-per-user pricing model means that if you want to build apps accessed by many users, costs will multiply quickly. In Anvil, all apps can have unlimited users.

Anvil also offers out-of-the-box support for user authentication and access controls on any plan, custom domains, and many other features, so you get more for your money.