Software Alternatives & Startups

create-api.dev by Kong VS Retool

Compare create-api.dev by Kong VS Retool and see what are their differences

create-api.dev by Kong

Generate and share OpenAPI specs with AI

No screenshot yet
Rating
0 reviews
Retool

Build custom internal tools in minutes.

Retool Landing page
Rating
0 reviews
Pricing
Freemium Free trial $10 / Monthly (Startup)

Which is more popular?

Based on our record, Retool seems to be more popular. It has been mentioned 104 times since March 2021.

social mentions
0 vs 104
APIs popularity
100% vs 0%
alternatives listed
12 vs 240+

Base details

Website, pricing, platforms and company facts side by side.

cK
create-api.dev by Kong
Retool
Website api.dev retool.com
Pricing
Freemium Free trial $10 / Monthly (Startup) Official pricing
Company Startup from the United States · 10 - 19 employees · 2017
Listed in

Features and specs

What each product offers, as listed by its team.

cK
create-api.dev by Kong 5 features
Retool 5 features
  • Rapid API Development
    create-api.dev by Kong enables developers to quickly scaffold and create APIs, significantly reducing the time needed to go from concept to a working API endpoint.
  • Kong Ecosystem Integration
    Being a Kong product, it integrates well with the broader Kong ecosystem including Kong Gateway, providing access to powerful API management, authentication, rate limiting, and other plugins out of the box.
  • Developer-Friendly Interface
    The platform offers an intuitive and streamlined interface that simplifies the API creation process, making it accessible to developers of varying skill levels.
  • Built-in Best Practices
    The tool encourages API design best practices and standards such as OpenAPI specification compliance, helping teams produce well-structured and consistent APIs from the start.
  • Free to Get Started
    The platform allows developers to get started for free, lowering the barrier to entry for individuals and small teams who want to experiment with API creation and management.

Possible disadvantages

  • Vendor Lock-in Risk
    Building APIs on Kong's platform may create dependency on their ecosystem, making it potentially difficult and costly to migrate to alternative API management solutions in the future.
  • Limited Documentation and Community
    As a relatively newer product, the documentation and community support may not be as extensive or mature compared to more established API development tools and frameworks.
  • Pricing Uncertainty at Scale
    While free to start, costs can escalate as usage grows and teams need more advanced features, enterprise support, or higher throughput, which may not be transparent upfront.
  • Limited Customization
    The opinionated nature of the tool may limit flexibility for developers who need highly customized API architectures or non-standard configurations that fall outside the platform's predefined templates and workflows.
  • Dependency on External Service
    Relying on an external hosted service for API creation means potential downtime, latency issues, or service disruptions that are outside the developer's control, which could impact development workflows.
  • Speed of Development
    Retool allows developers to rapidly build internal tools with a drag-and-drop interface, reducing the time it takes to get functional applications up and running.
  • Integration Capabilities
    Retool supports integration with a wide range of databases, APIs, and other services, making it easier to connect different data sources and systems.
  • Customizability
    While Retool provides prebuilt components, it also allows for custom code and scripting, enabling developers to tailor applications to specific requirements.
  • Collaboration Features
    Retool supports collaborative features, such as sharing applications with team members and version control, making it easier to work in teams.
  • Security
    Retool provides robust security features, including access control and data encryption, to help protect sensitive information.

Possible disadvantages

  • Cost
    Retool can be relatively expensive compared to building internal tools from scratch or using some other platforms, potentially making it less accessible for smaller teams or startups.
  • Learning Curve
    Despite its user-friendly interface, there can be a learning curve for new users who need to become familiar with its specific functionalities and scripting capabilities.
  • Customization Limitations
    Though Retool offers customizability, there might be certain limitations compared to fully bespoke solutions, impacting highly specific or complex use cases.
  • Dependency on Retool
    Relying heavily on Retool may create a dependency that could be problematic if the company changes its pricing, features, or discontinues services.
  • Performance
    For very large datasets or highly complex operations, performance can become an issue, as it is with many platform-based solutions.

Analysis

An editorial look at what each product does well and who it suits.

cK
create-api.dev by Kong
Retool

Overall verdict

  • create-api.dev by Kong is a solid, developer-friendly resource that helps teams design, build, and manage APIs effectively, backed by Kong's strong reputation in the API gateway and management space.

Why this product is good

  • Backed by Kong, a well-established leader in API management and gateway technology
  • Offers practical guidance and tools for designing and building modern APIs
  • Focuses on developer experience with clear documentation and best practices
  • Helps teams accelerate API development with proven patterns and standards
  • Aligns with industry-standard approaches to API-first development

Recommended for

  • Developers looking to build APIs following best practices
  • Teams adopting an API-first development strategy
  • Organizations already using or considering Kong's API management platform
  • Startups and enterprises needing scalable and well-designed APIs
  • Engineers seeking educational resources on modern API design

No analysis of Retool yet.

Videos

Walkthroughs and reviews on video.

cK
create-api.dev by Kong 0 videos + Add
Retool 3 videos + Add

No create-api.dev by Kong videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

Retool - Logic Review

More videos

  • Review - #Worth?! Ep.12 - Retool (Gameplay / Review)
  • Demo - February NY Enterprise Tech Meetup: Retool Demo

Category popularity

How often each product is chosen within a category, 0–100% relative to the other.

Score bands 0–20 21–40 41–50 51–60 61–100
cK
create-api.dev by Kong
Retool
100% 100%
0% 0%
0% 0%
100% 100%
4% 4%
96% 96%
100% 100%
0% 0%

User comments

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Reviews and articles

External articles and on-site reviews we used to compare the two products.

cK
create-api.dev by Kong no reviews yet
Retool no reviews yet

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Social recommendations and mentions

Recommendations tracked on public social media and blogs since March 2021.

cK
create-api.dev by Kong 0 mentions
Retool 104 mentions

Tracking create-api.dev by Kong since Jul 2025.

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Alternatives to create-api.dev by Kong and Retool

When comparing create-api.dev by Kong and Retool, you can also consider the following products.