Top 5 Thunkable alternatives

Whether it’s for your business, your employees, or simply a side project, you’re probably interested in creating apps. Both mobile and web apps are increasingly necessary for any business, which means a lot of time and money go into app creation. 

But what if you want to create an app without learning to code? That’s where platforms like Thunkable come in.

Thunkable is a no-code app builder (one of many that have flooded the market to address the increasing need to build apps without learning to code). Founded in 2015, Thunkable remains one of the most highly regarded app-building software programs. 

With Thunkable’s drag-and-drop features, users can visually move around app components, leading to a more intuitive app creation experience. Apps created with Thunkable are available as native apps on both Android and iOS devices, and the platform offers plenty of customization options. 

With more than 16 million monthly active users, Thunkable is a major platform many users swear by. However, Thunkable isn’t without its drawbacks, and it may not be right for your business. 

Some users find the platform difficult to navigate, and many of its competitors offer cleaner, more modern designs. Though Thunkable does offer a free plan, it’s limited, and the higher tiers can get pricey, ranging from $45 to $200 per month. 

Before signing up with Thunkable, check out some alternatives to see if there’s a better fit for you. Here’s a list of five Thunkable alternatives with some pros and cons to help you begin building apps that will take your business to the next level.

1. Jotform Apps

Jotform offers tools to automate workflows and create forms. Recently, Jotform introduced Jotform Apps, a no-code app builder that allows users to create and easily customize apps with drag-and-drop features and an extensive number of widgets. 

The app builder stands out as a Thunkable alternative because of its design options, pricing, and integrations, which allow users to connect with many other programs.

The best thing about Jotform Apps is the price, which is free. If you want more form submissions, storage, etc., you can choose a paid plan, starting at $34 per month and going up to $99 per month. You’ll have access not just to Jotform Apps, but to the full suite of Jotform products, including Jotform Approvals and Jotform Tables. 

Jotform is perfect for those looking to solve problems and streamline operations in their business beyond just creating apps.

2. Adalo

If you have a smaller team and need to build a relatively simple app, Adalo might be right for you. Unlike Thunkable, Adalo is considered fairly easy to navigate, with virtually no learning curve. If you’re looking to create simple apps — to share forms, databases, or lists, for example — using complex software like Thunkable probably isn’t necessary. 

Adalo is perfect for uncomplicated projects. It offers a number of customization options and modern designs. In addition to being famously user-friendly, Adalo’s customer support team can help publish your app to any app store, while integrations with Zapier let you connect to third-party apps. 

Adalo also has a large library of features that it frequently updates, giving you a variety of options when designing your app. Adalo offers a free Explore plan, a $50 per month Pro plan, and $200 per month Business plan.

3. Appy Pie

With its competitive pricing, easy-to-use interface, and 6 million customers worldwide, Appy Pie is another leading Thunkable alternative. Ideal for companies with 50–200 employees, Appy Pie is perfect for making the relatively simple apps most businesses need. 

Appy Pie provides a learning platform and training videos to guide users through the interface, and it offers a number of advanced features like chatbots, artificial intelligence (AI), and augmented and virtual reality. Appy Pie apps also integrate with Google Analytics.

Appy Pie does have its drawbacks. If you want to build complex apps, this isn’t the builder for you. However, the pricing is competitive: The basic ad-free experience is $16 per app, per month, while the Gold and Platinum tiers are $36 and $60 per app, per month, respectively.

4. Bubble

One of the earliest entrants into the code-free app-building market, Bubble is one of the best Thunkable alternatives for advanced app building. It offers application programming interface (API) integrations for third-party services and customer support for large development teams. 

Bubble also has a large and active community behind it, building plug-ins that you can integrate into your own custom-built app. No other app builder offers such an extensive list of plug-ins in the marketplace, and the community forums can help answer any questions about the platform. 

Bubble stores all data in the Amazon Web Services cloud, one of the most trusted cloud storage systems when it comes to data security and recovery. Bubble offers a free plan, a $29 per month Personal plan, a $129 per month Professional plan for two users, and a $529 per month Production plan for 15 users.

5. Kissflow’s Workflow

Kissflow’s Workflow is another good Thunkable alternative for those focused on building simple apps for their business. It offers a number of templates primarily geared toward workflow automation. 

Kissflow’s app builder also offers extensive integrations, so you can organically add Kissflow’s apps into your existing processes. The platform is designed primarily for larger corporations and is built to facilitate collaboration between users.

Kissflow’s pricing begins with the Basic plan for 10–30 users at $12 per user, per month. The Advanced plan is $18 per user, per month for 20–100 users, and the Fully Loaded plan, geared toward teams of more than 50 users, comes in at $25 per user, per month. Custom pricing options are also available.

There are plenty of no-code app builders available to help make your business processes more efficient — the trick is finding the right one for you and your team. Be sure to check out these five Thunkable alternatives in your search.

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels