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Comparison · Infra & APIs

Jackett vs Retool

A side-by-side editorial comparison of Jackett and Retool — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.

Jackett vs Retool: at a glance

FeatureJackettRetool
SectorInfra & APIsInfra & APIs
Velocity score5.06.3
Sparks · 30d00
Top themestorrent indexers, open source, media automation, maintenanceinternal tools, self-hosted, security, ai models
Last editorial update1d ago3d ago
WebsiteVisit →Visit →

What is Jackett?

Jackett ships a daily build to keep hundreds of torrent indexers working as sites move and close.

Jackett is an open-source proxy that turns hundreds of torrent tracker sites into a single Torznab API for media automation tools. It ships an auto-generated release roughly every day, and nearly every one is indexer upkeep: new domains, category mappings, selector fixes after site redesigns, and removing dead trackers.

Read the full Jackett trajectory →

What is Retool?

Retool's week is security disclosures and patch trains after a fast run of model launches.

Retool spent mid-October adding models (GPT 6.1 Sol, Claude Sonnet 5.5, Gemini 4 Argon) and widening multi-instance releases to more Git hosts. This week was maintenance: two 4.34/4.0 stable patches, 4.78 on Edge, and two security disclosures. The one that matters is a Node.js RCE (CVE-2026-111497) affecting Retool services that call user-configured URLs.

Read the full Retool trajectory →

Jackett vs Retool: editorial side-by-side

J
Jackett
INFRA · APIS
5.0

Jackett ships a daily build to keep hundreds of torrent indexers working as sites move and close.

◆ Current state

Jackett is an open-source proxy that turns hundreds of torrent tracker sites into a single Torznab API for media automation tools. It ships an auto-generated release roughly every day, and nearly every one is indexer upkeep: new domains, category mappings, selector fixes after site redesigns, and removing dead trackers.

◆ Where it's heading

The work is entirely maintenance. Its value depends on keeping up with a tracker ecosystem where sites change domains and layouts weekly. Where possible, the project is moving definitions to sturdier integrations, such as switching world-of-tomorrow to its Torznab API and retiring trackers that moved to direct downloads.

◆ Prediction

Expect the daily cadence to continue, with more trackers moved to API-based definitions and more dead sites removed. Core changes stay rare.

R
Retool
INFRA · APIS
6.3

Retool's week is security disclosures and patch trains after a fast run of model launches.

◆ Current state

Retool spent mid-October adding models (GPT 6.1 Sol, Claude Sonnet 5.5, Gemini 4 Argon) and widening multi-instance releases to more Git hosts. This week was maintenance: two 4.34/4.0 stable patches, 4.78 on Edge, and two security disclosures. The one that matters is a Node.js RCE (CVE-2026-111497) affecting Retool services that call user-configured URLs.

◆ Where it's heading

Retool runs two tracks: fast AI model onboarding on cloud and a steady, security-heavy cadence for self-hosted customers. Edge builds land about weekly (4.74 to 4.78 in eight days), and the disclosures page is becoming a regular channel for telling on-prem admins what to patch.

◆ Prediction

Expect a stable-channel patch that bundles the Node.js fix, another Edge build within a week, and the next frontier model added soon after it launches.

Alternatives to Jackett and Retool

Other Infra & APIs products tracked by Sparkpulse, ranked by recent ship velocity. Each card links to a full editorial trajectory and lets you pivot into a head-to-head comparison with either Jackett or Retool.

See all Jackett alternatives → · See all Retool alternatives →

Recent activity from Jackett and Retool

Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.

  1. 1d agoJackettJackett adds bigbbs, flags magnetz as pay-to-download
  2. 2d agoJackettUATorrent multi-category search disabled
  3. 2d agoJackettJackett adds UATorrent and Pornorip, bumps three domains
  4. 3d agoJackettJackett drops ptying and bluebird, bumps core packages
  5. 3d agoRetoolCompromised eMudhra/emSign intermediate CAs trusted by bundled certificate stores
  6. 4d agoJackettJackett adds binarybay, renames tocashare to sapibr
  7. 5d agoJackettJackett updates thebrothers categories and v3x engine tag
  8. 5d agoRetoolSelf-hosted Retool 3.334 stable updates
  9. 5d agoRetoolRetool 4.81 Edge for self-hosted instances
  10. 5d agoRetoolNode.js October 2026 security vulnerabilities (CVE-2026-111497)
  11. 6d agoRetoolSelf-hosted Retool 4.34 and 4.0 stable updates
  12. 7d agoRetoolSelf-hosted Retool 4.34 and 4.0 stable updates

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between Jackett and Retool?

They serve adjacent needs but don't currently overlap on shipped themes. Retool is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 6.3 vs 5.0), with 0 editorial sparks in the last 30 days against 0. See the at-a-glance table above for a side-by-side breakdown of velocity, recent sparks, and editorial themes.

Is Jackett better than Retool?

Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. Retool is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 6.3 vs 5.0), with 0 editorial sparks in the last 30 days against 0. For your specific use case, the alternatives sections above list other Infra & APIs products to evaluate alongside.

What are the best alternatives to Jackett?

Top Jackett alternatives in Infra & APIs are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "Jackett alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/jackett for the full list with editorial commentary on each.

What are the best alternatives to Retool?

Top Retool alternatives in Infra & APIs are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "Retool alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/retool for the full list with editorial commentary on each.