Hello Retool Team, I’m an IT Specialist and I recently built a complete web application using Retool AI for a commercial client. The application is designed for a retail store and includes: * Point of Sale (POS) * Inventory and stock management * 3 separate warehouses * Delivery management * Store operations and reporting I originally built the application using a free Retool account with Google login, and I have now reached the AI credit limit. Before upgrading, I would like to clarify the best licensing and deployment option because this is a commercial project that I plan to deliver to my client. My main questions are:
Can I upgrade my current Retool account and legally use the application commercially for my client?
Can I transfer the complete application to a separate Retool account owned by my client, so the client becomes the owner of the application and its data?
Is there a way to export or deploy the application as a standalone/local application that can be installed on the computers at the client’s store and warehouses, without depending on Retool Cloud?
If local/self-hosted deployment is possible, which Retool plan would I need, and what would the licensing cost be?
I also noticed that Retool has an Agency program for developers building applications for clients. Would my use case qualify for the Agency program, and would it allow me to develop and commercially deliver this application to my client?
I am happy to pay for the appropriate plan. I just want to make sure I choose the correct plan and deployment model before upgrading.
Thank you for your help
An IT specialist built a complete commercial retail app (POS, inventory across 3 warehouses, delivery, reporting) using Retool AI on a free account, hit the AI credit limit, and wants to know the correct licensing/deployment path before upgrading — including commercial use rights, transferring ownership to the client, standalone/offline deployment, self-hosted plan requirements, and whether an Agency program applies.
AI Response
Retool apps can be built and used commercially on a paid plan, but they must always run inside the Retool environment — there is no way to export an app as a fully standalone/offline program that installs directly on store or warehouse computers with no Retool dependency. To hand the project to the client, the recommended approach is to export the app and import it into a Retool org owned by the client, so the client becomes the owner of the app and its data (users still log in to Retool to use it). A practical tip from the community is to save the final build as the app's live version so it displays correctly regardless of which plan the client's org is on. Self-hosting is possible but is an Enterprise-tier offering that requires a license key obtained from a Retool account manager, and even self-hosted deployments still connect to Retool's licensing service, so it is not a truly offline/local install. Because commercial-use terms and any Agency/partner program eligibility are governed by Retool's pricing and Terms of Service rather than by product docs, those specifics should be confirmed directly against Retool's official pricing and legal pages before upgrading.
Sources
Building and Shipping Apps for Clients and Ownership Options
A solved thread on the identical scenario, confirming apps must run in the Retool environment, that ownership is transferred by exporting/importing into the client's own org, and advising to set the final release as the live version regardless of the client's plan. Deploy self-hosted Retool with Docker | Retool Docs
Documents the self-hosted deployment path, showing it requires a Retool license key (an Enterprise offering obtained via an account manager) and that Docker is non-production only, clarifying that self-hosting is not a fully offline standalone install.
The Community Team is testing out a new automation. Let us know if it's helpful (or not) by leaving a , , or . Or by marking this post as the "Solution"! Let us know if you have any feedback here.
Hi @Emad, congrats on shipping such a complete build. Here's a rundown with sources so you can pick the right path before upgrading.
1. Commercial use. Yes, you can upgrade and use the app commercially. You'll just want to move off the Free plan to a paid plan (Team, Business, or Enterprise). Upgrading also gives you more AI usage.
2. Transferring ownership to your client. The cleanest way is to export the app and import it into an org that your client owns, so they become the owner of the app and its data. You can export from the app's ••• menu as JSON or a Toolscript ZIP, then import with "Replace app with JSON/ZIP" in their org. One important caveat: the export includes your queries, components, and modules, but not your resources (database and API connections). You'll need to recreate those resources in the client's org and confirm the queries point to them. See Import and export apps.
3. Standalone / offline install. This isn't possible today. Retool apps always run inside the Retool environment, and users sign in to Retool to use them. There's no way to export the app as a fully standalone program that installs on store or warehouse computers with no Retool dependency.
4. Self-hosted deployment + plan.Self-hosting is available, but it's an Enterprise plan feature. It requires a license key (from the self-hosted portal or your account manager), and even self-hosted instances still connect to Retool for license checks, authentication, and usage reporting, so it isn't a fully offline setup either. Details here: Self-hosted requirements. Would it help if I connected you with someone on our team to talk through Enterprise pricing and self-hosting for your setup?
5. Agency program. I will look into whether the Agency program is still accepting new applications and follow up here once I find out more info.
Hope that helps you choose the right setup. Let me know if you have more questions about any of these!
The licensing answers are in the bot reply, so I will flag the thing that decides this project and is not a plan choice.
You asked about standalone deployment and the answer is no. That matters more for a POS than for almost anything else you could have built. A retail store cannot stop selling because the shop’s internet is down or the cloud is unreachable, and with three warehouses you have multiplied the number of places that can lose connectivity. No plan changes that. Worth deciding now what a cashier does during a one hour outage on a Saturday afternoon, because that answer is the project. After delivery it stops being a design question and becomes your problem.
Two things I would price before you quote the client. Retool bills per user, so count every cashier and warehouse hand who needs a login, look at the monthly number, and check your delivery fee still makes sense next to it.
And find out where the data actually lives. If you used Retool’s built-in database, the client’s records are in there too, and moving them later is its own project.
Following up on the Agency program question, @Emad.
Retool is retiring the Agency Program on August 31, 2027 and consolidating everything into a single partner program. Existing Agency members keep their current licenses and benefits through that date, but the Agency Program isn't taking on new agencies going forward. Here's the official update with the details:
If partnering with Retool is something you'd like to explore for your client work, the best next step is to reach out to the partnerships team at partners@retool.com, and they can walk you through what the consolidated program looks like.
Hope that helps close the loop! Let me know if you have any other questions.
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