Retool (YC W17) vs. Forest Admin

In 2016, I started working on Forest Admin with Hexa (eFounders).

I was asked 100 times a day about competitors and always replied, "only admin panels built internally." It was uncharted territory and honestly, it was frustrating.

Building a completely new product category is a rare luxury, and it can be scary, especially for investors. I was convinced that admin panels were one of the last pieces of the operational puzzle to be SaaS-ified.

Today, I discover new players every week, mainly in the internal tool market, which is close but very different from our mission at Forest Admin.

One of the most successful actors in recent years is Retool. I had the chance to meet David Hsu a while ago, and our discussions about how our respective companies shape the market were very interesting.

Naturally, I receive requests for explanations between Forest Admin and Retool every day.

I finally decided to write an article to explain the positioning of our two companies. Beyond comparing features, price, or anything likely to change over time, I decided to take a purely strategic positioning angle on the market and highlight our completely different but coherent long-term visions.

Enjoy the reading!