I want to set up a copy of my app as Software as a Service. i.e. users can access their copy of my application but I don't want them to have "Edit App" capability.
How do I do this?
Mike
@mdsmith1 Hey Mike,
You should be able to set Own/Use/Edit permissions to Apps with Permission Groups. There are some default groups to choose but creating your own is a bit more flexible:
I am having trouble navigating to "Permission Groups", could you tell me the first few steps.
Thanks.
Mike
Sorry for the delay!
You would go to the main settings page and then find Permissions on the left nav column:
It doesn't say Permissions Groups there on the side but it should be like the above screen where there is a "Create New" button for setting up the group and then for each group you go in and set the permission level for each App/module/folder or for Resources or for Workflows.
I have tried to find the "main settings" page and have not been successful.
How do I get there?
Mike
Are you an admin on your organization's Retool account?
Yes, I am the only developer.
But I don't know if I have set myself as an administrator.
Mike
If you click on your user profile icon in the upper right of the main page:
You should get to the main screen where you see Personal and Organization settings (the screenshot in my previous post). If you are not able to access that I am not sure that your account is setup with admin permissions.
OK, I have found my way in as per the screen shots below.
First, I take it that there is a process for adding a new user.
Then there must be a process for giving certain rights to the new user.
How does that all work?
Mike
If you aren't already, you'll need to be a part of the Admin group. Then you should be able to create Permission Groups and set access levels for each group (don't forget to click the Save Changes button when doing these updates) and then you invite other users to join Retool and assign them to groups -- this can be done during the invite so they are setup and ready to go as soon as they create an account/login.
Everyone gets added to All Users but it seems (from your screenshot) that without being an admin you are not able to adjust the access level here from Edit to Use.
I wish I had understood this before I committed to learning Retool.
We had hoped to charge $30 per month for our Software as a Service. I don't see how we can charge $75 - $80 per month. There are others offering lower prices for Invoicing and Accounting Systems.
We may have to back out of Retool and recode this in another language unless there is a solution for multiple users on the Team Plan.
Mike
According to the attachment, I can have 25 users with the Team Plan if I self-host.
What am I missing?
Mike
Hello,
I, along with many others, find the current billing plans of Retool quite challenging. Many of us use Retool to develop platforms intended for paying users. The existing pricing structure makes it tough to build a startup based on Retool’s products, despite startups being a key audience (as highlighted on Retool's startup page).
I'd be interested to hear the perspectives of other power users on this issue. @PatrickMast, @ScottR, @AnsonHwang, @bradlymathews, what are your thoughts?
Moreover, the billing page and schema have significantly evolved over the last year, leading to a discrepancy between the set of features we start with and what we end up with upon completion of a product.
@mdsmith1, your perspective echoes the thoughts of many in the community.
@Tess, this is a critical issue raised by the community and warrants attention from Retool's executives for the platform's future growth.
Regards,
Hello @MicExpert,
I completely share your concerns about Retool's pricing plans. As a fellow Retool enthusiast, I'm disappointed to see the platform shifting away from its focus on supporting startups and individual developers. The current pricing structure makes it challenging for new businesses to build and scale their products on Retool, and the recent changes to the billing page and schema further complicate matters.
The decision to discontinue support for password-protected public apps is particularly concerning, as it limits the ability of startups to offer their products to a wider audience. This move aligns with the perception that Retool is increasingly catering to enterprise customers, who are willing to pay higher prices for more features.
While Retool is undoubtedly a powerful tool, its pricing structure makes it difficult for startups and small businesses to justify its cost. If we as a startup are charging our customers $15/month for our SaaS product, we can't afford to send 99% of that revenue to Retool in fees. This is a significant barrier for startups trying to build sustainable businesses.
I'm hopeful that Retool will reconsider its pricing strategy and find a way to make its platform more accessible to startups and individual developers. The platform has so much potential to empower innovation, but its current pricing structure is hindering its ability to reach its full potential.
I encourage Retool to take feedback from the community seriously and actively engage with users to address their concerns. If Retool wants to maintain its position as a leading no-code platform, it needs to provide pricing options that are more in line with the needs of startups and individual developers.
Patrick
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One thing that would help me is the transfer of my App to my own Web Server.
If I am understanding the Team pricing properly, I can have 5 users hosted by Retool and 25 users hosted on my own server.
How do I move my App to my own Web Server?
I also agree with @MicExpert and @PatrickMast that we need a pricing plan to allow us to have much more than 25 users for SaaS products. About the most I can charge is $30 per month to my customers. Its going to cost me about $2 per month per user for login and validation service. It does not leave much margin for the developer.
Mike
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As I see it, retool is still a platform for internal tools. They seem to have changed their marketing around this, but have not adjusted their features or pricing to make building a saas app in retool reasonable. Not that I blame them. The ambiguity around whose customers are who's. And many other challenges are not easy hurdles. Say you build a saas product on retool... you get 100 clients. Then you flake out... Retool has your customers data. What is real liable for if something like this happens. It's not so simple when things start to go wrong.
I use retool for internal tools and I think it is good value. I can get the features and tools I need without hitting a developer or having to build it myself. I think the value is there when building internal tools. For the public app use case being expected in this thread, I cannot see the value working out for retool or their clients trying to build these kind of apps.
What tools are available that are priced for Saas developers selling at $30 per month?
Mike
Unlimited if you self host correct but you wont have roles management releases etc