Looking for the best no-code platform to build your mobile app? Comparing Thunkable against other options is a smart move before committing to any tool.
Adalo is a no-code app builder for database-driven web apps and native iOS and Android apps—one version across all three platforms, published to the Apple App Store and Google Play. Thunkable is a drag-and-drop platform focused on building mobile apps using a block-based programming interface, originally designed for educational purposes and inspired by MIT App Inventor.
When evaluating these platforms, what matters most is app success—launching your MVP as quickly as possible and reaching the largest audience. That means building not just a web app, but native iOS and Android apps published directly to the App Store and Google Play. Store presence unlocks massive distribution potential and essential features like push notifications that keep users engaged and coming back.
Pricing: Thunkable has a free version that lets you get familiar with the look and feel of its building interface. Its lowest tier version, at $15/month (billed monthly), only allows 15 downloads from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. To get unlimited downloads, try the Pro Version, at $45/month (billed monthly). However, getting access to a Progressive Web App that can be published requires a $59/month plan with usage restrictions, and responsive app capabilities require custom pricing beyond their advertised $189/month Advanced tier.
Note: Prices subject to change.
Thunkable Alternatives: What Other Tools Should You Try?
Looking for something a bit different than Thunkable? Try out our alternatives:
- Adalo, an AI-powered app builder for database-driven web apps and native iOS and Android apps—one version across all three platforms. With Magic Start generating complete app foundations from descriptions and Magic Add building features from natural language requests, you can launch to the Apple App Store and Google Play in days rather than months. Paid plans include no data caps and unlimited usage with no bill shock.
- Builder.ai, for those who want to lay down the basic blueprints of how their app will look and function and then have a team of developers do the building.
- Bubble, if you want a flexible app builder with nearly endless third-party API connections and other integrations. Note that Bubble's mobile solution uses a web wrapper approach, and their pricing starts at $59/month with usage-based Workload Unit charges and record limits.
What is Thunkable?
Thunkable is a no-code native mobile app builder that leverages a drag-and-drop interface allowing for tons of design freedom and customization.
After signing up, you'll have the option to watch a very brief video tutorial. In under a minute, you'll learn the basics of using Thunkable's intuitive building interface. I recommend taking 53 seconds and giving it a quick watch. Then, you're off to the races.
Unlike other no-code mobile app builders, Thunkable doesn't let you select a template from a template library. In fact, Thunkable doesn't have a template library. You'll start building your app from a blank screen. While Thunkable now offers an AI-draft feature for initial app builds, you'll still need to do significant manual work to refine your creation.
If starting from scratch sounds intimidating, worry not. You can learn to use Thunkable's drag-and-drop interface by trying out its demo app. It has six different screens filled with elements like text, pictures, buttons, and more. Thunkable gives you a few tasks inside each box, familiarizing you with the system.
Reviewing Thunkable's Building Interface: The Front-End Builder
Thunkable lays out its building interface in a logical way. It actually consists of two layers, which are tabs found at the top left of the dashboard. The first tab is called "Design," and clicking on it pulls up the part of the canvas where you create your app's front-end.
Using the "design" building interface is easy. Drag elements like buttons, labels, and images from the left-hand dashboard to your screen. Then, using the dashboard on your right, click on each element and customize its color, size, layout, and more.
For those with a database, Thunkable has integrations with the following databases:
- Google Sheets
- Airtable
- Xano
- Webflow
- Firebase
- Backendless
Connecting an external database to a Thunkable app is simple. Scroll down to "Data" on the left-hand dashboard. Drag over the icon that shows how you want it presented on your app. Configure your properties on the right-hand dashboard, and you're good to go.
Reviewing Thunkable's Building Interface: The Backend Builder
Navigating to your Thunkable app's backend builder is almost as simple as flipping over a piece of paper. Next to the "Design" tab, you'll find a "Blocks" tab. When you click on it, you'll arrive at the other side of your screen. It's here that you'll create your backend.
What stands out about this layout is the amount of design control: After you finish building a screen's front-end layout, you can flip over to the backend and piece together your app's actions.
At the top of your canvas, toggle through each screen you've created. After choosing a screen to work on, its user interface (UI) elements will appear at the top of the left-hand dashboard. You'll have a long list of core actions to choose from, like logic, control, functions, and more.
Drag over each action, which will appear as a block. Then, you can command what you want that element to do by typing it in the block. For instance, command a button to open another screen by just dragging over a few blocks and entering commands.
Here are a few more of Thunkable's features that I really like:
- When you start building your app on the free version, members of the Thunkable community can view it on the Public Gallery. You can also check out other people's apps in progress. Use this for inspiration and ideas.
- Thunkable also has an enormous user community. There are active forums where you can quickly get answers to technical questions.
- The ability to connect your Thunkable app to devices using Bluetooth. This feature can let you breathe life into app ideas that control external devices like lights, speakers, TVs, and more.
Thunkable vs Adalo: Key Differences
When comparing Thunkable to Adalo, several important distinctions emerge that could influence your choice.
Building approach: Thunkable requires starting from a blank canvas with block-based logic programming. Adalo's AI-assisted platform lets you describe what you want—Magic Start generates complete app foundations including database structure, screens, and user flows from a simple description. What used to take days of planning happens in minutes.
Pricing and limits: Thunkable's $59/month plan introduces usage restrictions, and responsive app capabilities require custom pricing beyond $189/month. Adalo starts at $36/month with unlimited usage, unrestricted database storage on paid plans, and no additional charges for app updates once published.
Canvas experience: Thunkable's interface works screen-by-screen. Adalo's visual builder—described as "easy as PowerPoint"—can display up to 400 screens at once on a single canvas, giving you a bird's-eye view of your entire app architecture.
Scalability: Adalo 3.0, launched in late 2025, completely overhauled the backend infrastructure. The platform is now 3-4x faster with modular infrastructure that scales to serve apps with millions of monthly active users. X-Ray identifies performance issues before they affect users, ensuring your app maintains speed as it grows.
Is Thunkable Right For You?
Thunkable is an easy-to-use app builder offering lots of design freedom. Select Thunkable if:
- You want lots of design freedom and don't mind starting from scratch.
- You have your own database and are comfortable with block-based programming.
- You want to publish your app in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store and can work within download limits on lower tiers.
However, you should take a look at other app builders if:
- You want to build an app that has several third-party integrations.
- You'd like to brand your own app and not pay exorbitant fees to do so.
- You want to publish a web app with your free trial for a test run.
- You prefer AI-assisted building that generates app foundations from descriptions rather than manual block programming.
What Kinds of Apps Can I Build With Thunkable?
With Thunkable, you can bring most app ideas you have to life. Thunkable users have leveraged the platform to create everything from internal business tools that streamline quotations for sales teams to apps that can track live road conditions in a city.
Thunkable's Bluetooth integration lets you build unique apps—apps that control lighting, sound, and even the temperature in your home.
While Thunkable doesn't come preloaded with thousands of third-party integrations, you can connect to various APIs from all over the web. However, doing this takes some technical acumen, as you'll need to type complex command lines in the command blocks.
Learning to do this could take some time. By contrast, over 3 million apps have been created on Adalo, with users building everything from marketplace apps to fitness trackers using the visual builder and AI-assisted features.
Thunkable Pricing: Is it Worth it?
Thunkable's free version allows you to get comfortable with its app-building interface. Its lowest tier offering, at $15/month (billed monthly), lets you build up to 20 public projects and one private project that's not viewable on the Public Gallery.
For $45/month (billed monthly), you can get Thunkable's mid-tier version. It gives you up to 50 private projects and unlimited public ones. Plus, Thunkable will let you publish 2 web apps. However, you are allowed no more than 1GB of storage space.
The Business Plan, at $200/month (billed monthly), unlocks loads of features, like unlimited private and public projects and storage space. You'll also be able to publish 5 web apps and get your own branding.
Thunkable's top tier, the Team Plan, coming in at $500/month (billed monthly), gives you all the features from the Business Plan. In addition, you'll get unlimited web apps, access to team collaboration (several team members can work on one app together in real-time), and a dedicated account manager.
How does this compare? Adalo's paid plans start at $36/month with no record limits, unlimited app updates after publishing, and no usage-based charges. You get native iOS and Android compilation plus web apps from a single codebase—without the storage constraints or tiered download limits.
My Verdict
And now, it's time for my recommendation. Should you get Thunkable now, shortlist Thunkable, or avoid Thunkable?
Get Thunkable now if you want an easy-to-use app builder for creating a native mobile app, you don't plan on integrating with too many other platforms, you're comfortable with block-based programming, and you have no gripes about starting to build from a blank sheet.
Shortlist Thunkable if you want a lot of design freedom but aren't sure if you want to spend $200/month for more than 1 GB of storage space, or if the usage restrictions on lower tiers concern you.
If you want an AI-powered app builder that creates native mobile apps and web apps from a single codebase, get Adalo. Adalo gives you an incredible degree of design freedom, no storage constraints on paid plans, and AI-assisted building with Magic Start and Magic Add. The platform handles the hardest part—publishing to the Apple App Store and Google Play Store—automatically from one build.
FAQ
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Why choose Adalo over other app building solutions? | Adalo is an AI-powered app builder that creates true native iOS and Android apps. Unlike web wrappers, it compiles to native code and publishes directly to both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store from a single codebase. Magic Start generates complete app foundations from descriptions, and paid plans include unlimited database records with no usage-based charges. |
| What's the fastest way to build and publish an app to the App Store? | Adalo's drag-and-drop interface combined with AI-assisted building through Magic Start and Magic Add lets you create apps in days rather than months. The platform handles the App Store submission process automatically, publishing to both Apple App Store and Google Play Store from a single build. |
| Which is more affordable, Adalo or Thunkable? | Adalo starts at $36/month with unlimited usage, no record limits, and unlimited app updates after publishing. Thunkable's comparable features require higher tiers—$200/month for adequate storage and branding, with Progressive Web App publishing requiring $59/month with usage restrictions. |
| Which is faster to build with, Adalo or Thunkable? | Adalo's AI-assisted features like Magic Start generate complete app foundations from descriptions, dramatically reducing build time. Thunkable requires starting from scratch with block-based programming. Adalo's visual builder can display up to 400 screens at once, while Thunkable works screen-by-screen. |
| Which is easier for beginners, Adalo or Thunkable? | Adalo's visual builder has been described as "easy as PowerPoint," with AI assistance that generates database structures and screens from natural language descriptions. Thunkable requires learning block-based programming logic and starting from a blank canvas without templates. |
| Is Adalo better than Thunkable for mobile apps? | Adalo creates true native iOS and Android apps from a single codebase with automatic App Store publishing. Thunkable also builds native apps but requires block-based programming and has download limits on lower pricing tiers. Adalo's 3.0 infrastructure is 3-4x faster with scalability to millions of users. |
| What is Thunkable and how does it work? | Thunkable is a no-code native mobile app builder that uses a drag-and-drop interface for design customization. It features two building layers: a 'Design' tab for front-end creation and a 'Blocks' tab for backend logic using visual command blocks. It doesn't offer templates, so you'll need to build from scratch. |
| What databases does Thunkable integrate with? | Thunkable integrates with several external databases including Google Sheets, Airtable, Xano, Webflow, Firebase, and Backendless. Connecting a database is done through the left-hand dashboard by configuring your properties, though the integration options are more limited compared to other app builders. |
| How much does Thunkable cost? | Thunkable offers a free version for testing, with paid plans starting at $15/month for basic features with limited downloads. The Pro version at $45/month offers unlimited downloads but only 1GB storage, while Business ($200/month) and Team ($500/month) plans unlock advanced features like custom branding and team collaboration. |
| Can I migrate from Thunkable to Adalo? | While there's no direct migration tool, Adalo's AI-assisted building makes recreating apps straightforward. Describe your existing app's functionality to Magic Start, and it generates the foundation. Magic Add then helps you build specific features through natural language requests, often faster than manual migration. |
