Thunkable

This Thunkable review covers what the platform is used for, its key features, Thunkable pricing, publishing to the app stores, where it shines and falls short, and how it compares with other no-code tools. Thunkable is a no code platform for mobile app development that lets users build mobile apps without writing code: you design screens in a drag and drop interface, add the app's logic with visual blocks, test on your phone and publish to the Apple App Store, Google Play and the web. The company was founded in 2015 by Arun Saigal and WeiHua Li, who worked together on MIT App Inventor, and it went through Y Combinator in 2016 (MIT News). Today Thunkable positions itself as a way to "vibe code" native apps, with AI that generates screens and logic from a prompt.

What is Thunkable used for?

Thunkable is used to build native mobile apps for iOS and Android from one project. Typical apps are MVPs for startup ideas, event and community apps, internal tools for field teams, booking and directory apps, classroom and education projects, and simple games. Many first timers start on Thunkable because the block-based logic is easy to read, and schools use it to teach app development. Small businesses use it to publish mobile apps without hiring a mobile developer, and founders use it to test an idea in the app stores before investing in custom code.

It suits non technical users who want a real app in the stores rather than a web app wrapped in a browser. It is less suited to complex apps with heavy backend logic, where a platform with its own database and server workflows fits better.

Key features: drag and drop, logic and AI features

• Drag and drop interface: the Design tab handles app design and places pre built components such as buttons, lists, maps, forms, camera and media players on each screen.
• Blocks for the app's logic: the Blocks tab turns user input, navigation, data and API calls into visual blocks, so you build fully functional apps without coding experience.
• Thunkable Live: live testing on your own phone through the Thunkable Live app, updated as you edit.
• AI features: an AI assistant that generates screens and logic from a description, metered in AI tokens per plan.
• Data and external services: third party integrations with Firebase, Airtable, Google Sheets and third party APIs for data, login and database management.
• Native device features: camera, location, notifications, sensors and in app purchases on iOS and Android.
• Publishing: build and submit to the Apple App Store and Google Play store, or publish a web version.
• Custom branding: remove Thunkable branding on the Builder plan and above.

Thunkable pricing: free plan and premium plans

Thunkable offers a free tier and three premium plans, with AI tokens, projects and live published apps as the main limits; enterprise customers get custom pricing. The plans below come from the Thunkable pricing page as of September 2026.

• Free plan: $0. 2,000 AI tokens, 3 public projects, 5 screens per project, no private projects and no live published app.
• Accelerator: about $19 a month billed yearly. 20,000 AI tokens, 5 public and 1 private project, 10 screens per project.
• Builder plan: $37 a month billed yearly, $59 billed monthly. 50,000 AI tokens, unlimited public projects, 10 private projects, unlimited screens, 1 live published app, chat support and custom branding.
• Advanced plan: $99 a month billed yearly, $189 billed monthly. 100,000 AI tokens, unlimited projects and unlimited apps live in the stores, priority support.
• Enterprise and Education: custom pricing.

The cost surprise to check is the gap between monthly and yearly billing on the higher tiers: the Advanced plan costs almost twice as much month to month. The Builder plan also allows only one app live at a time, so multiple apps in the stores means the Advanced plan. Apple's developer program ($99 a year) and Google Play's one-time fee ($25) come on top of Thunkable.

Publishing iOS and Android apps to the Apple App Store and Google Play

Thunkable builds real native apps for iOS and Android, not a web view. You connect your Apple developer account and Google Play console, and Thunkable builds the app binary for each store. The free plan cannot publish; app store publishing starts on a paid plan, and the number of live apps depends on the tier. Every Thunkable app shares one codebase, so you do not maintain a different platform version for iOS and Android. Web publishing gives you a link to share the same app in a browser, which helps for testing with different users before the store review. Store review itself is done by Apple and Google, so plan time for screenshots, privacy details and rejections.

Is Thunkable good for beginners in mobile app development?

Yes. The drag and drop editor and the blocks make Thunkable one of the easier ways into mobile app development, and the learning curve is shorter than for tools built around databases and backend workflows. First timers usually move from app creation to a first working Thunkable app in a day. The limits show up later: complex apps with many screens, heavy data and advanced logic can become slow to build in blocks, and there is no code export, so the app stays on the platform.

Where Thunkable shines — and where it falls short

Strengths:

• Native iOS and Android apps from one project, with publishing built in.
• Visual blocks that are easy to learn for non technical users, with the design tab and blocks tab side by side.
• Live testing on a real phone through Thunkable Live.
• AI features that generate a first version from a prompt.

Trade-offs:

• Live published apps are capped per plan; the Builder plan has one.
• No built-in relational database; data lives in Firebase, Airtable or APIs.
• Monthly billing on the higher plans costs far more than yearly.
• No code export, so moving off Thunkable means rebuilding, which can limit growth for many apps that outgrow the platform.

How Thunkable compares

• FlutterFlow: native apps built on Flutter with code export, for teams that want more control.
• Adalo: no-code native apps with a built-in database.
• Draftbit: an AI and visual builder that outputs React Native code.
• Bravo Studio: turns Figma designs into native apps.
• Glide: fast data-driven apps from spreadsheets, published as web apps.
• Bubble: full web apps with native mobile support and its own database and workflows.

Is Thunkable worth it?

Thunkable is worth it if you want native mobile apps in the Apple App Store and Google Play without writing code, and your app's logic fits in visual blocks. It is a strong choice for first timers, schools and MVPs. It is a weaker fit for complex apps that need a real backend, for teams that want code export, or for anyone who needs several live apps on a budget. If you want help building or finishing a mobile app, the low-code agencies and developers on LowCodeDevs can take it on.

Sources

• Thunkable pricing: plans, AI tokens, projects and live published apps.
• Thunkable about us: company background.
• MIT News: Thunkable and App Inventor: founders and MIT App Inventor origin.
• Thunkable review, Bubble: features and comparison (written by a competitor).
• Thunkable pricing guide, Adalo: pricing criticism (written by a competitor; its $69 Builder price and 25-download limit do not match Thunkable's current pricing page, which lists $59 monthly and no download limit).
• What is Thunkable?, RapidDev: features and how Thunkable works.