AppMachine vs Thunkable (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Thunkable grades higher than AppMachine: 2.2 against 1.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 5, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Thunkable grades higher on ease of use and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan and features.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
AppMachine
No-code builder for iOS, Android and web apps
Thunkable
AI builder for native iOS and Android apps, built by chatting
Which one is for you
Pick AppMachine if
- Fits if you want an app for a small business and are happy to build it from blocks
- Works for agencies, as Agency has a white-label client CMS
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a free plan, as there is only a 30-day trial
- Too light for the app stores on Instant: it is a web app only
- Pricey if you also want AppMachine branding gone, an extra $10 per app a month on Instant and Professional
- Watch out: rows, active users and actions are capped, and extra data waits until you upgrade
- Watch out: Apple at $99 a year and Google at $25 once are separate costs
Pick Thunkable if
- Fits if you can't code and want a native app in the App Store and on Google Play
- Works for students and teachers, who can apply for a discounted Education plan
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you want to publish, since a live app starts on Builder at $37 billed yearly or $59 monthly, and that's one app
- Not for you if you might let the plan lapse, as published apps then stop working and private projects turn read-only
- Tight if you're staying free, with about eight build prompts a month, 5 screens a project and nothing private
- Watch out: monthly billing costs far more on higher tiers, with Advanced at $189 monthly against $99 yearly
- Skip it if you want a desktop app to build in, as you build on the web
How we grade them
| 1.8GPAAppMachineWeak | 2.2GPAThunkableFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | DInstant is $15 a month yearly, but it is a web app only. Store apps start at Professional, $63 yearly, about three times the $20 middle. | DAccelerator is $18 a month billed yearly, just under the $19 middle for builders here — but it lists no live published app, and publishing is rather the point. That starts on Builder at $37 billed yearly or $59 monthly, above the $29 where the dearest tenth begins, and Builder includes exactly one live app. |
| Free plan and trial | CA 30-day trial of any paid plan, no card needed, and it starts the paid plan after unless you cancel. No free plan. | CFree for good, with 2,000 AI tokens a month. A build prompt runs about 250 of them, so that's roughly eight goes. Three public projects at 5 screens each, and no private projects at all, so whatever you make, everyone can see. |
| Features | CDrag-and-drop blocks, publishing, spreadsheet and web-service data, push and a white-label CMS. Rows, active users and actions are capped by plan. | CA description generates the screens, logic and design, Plan mode outlines first, one project targets iPhone and Android and goes to both stores from inside Thunkable, and data sits on the device or in Supabase. But the listing names a serious gap: if your subscription expires, published apps stop working. |
| Ease of use | CA web builder where the work is building the app. No store rating on record. | BNo rating on record. You chat, it builds, and the Thunkable Live app runs the result on your own phone while you work. Discuss Mode is there when you're stuck, at about 100 tokens a prompt. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWeb builder for iOS, Android and web apps, with Zapier as the one connection named. | BYou build on the web — no desktop app, which is what holds it to a B — and the Thunkable Live app for iPhone and Android runs your project on a real device. It connects to Supabase, Firebase, RevenueCat, AdMob, OneSignal, OpenAI and Google Maps. |
| Best for | drag-and-drop apps for iOS, Android and web | native phone apps built by chatting |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: AppMachine and Thunkable. How we grade
Price against what you get
AppMachine starts at $15 a month and scores 2.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Thunkable starts at $18 a month and scores 2.7.
Thunkable scores higher, and starts $3 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other AI app builders on the chart, 15 score higher than AppMachine for less, and 3 score higher than Thunkable for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- AppMachine also covers workflow automation.
At a glance
| AppMachine | Thunkable | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free plan |
| Starts at | $15 per month, billed annually ($19 billed monthly) | $18 per month, billed yearly; $19 billed monthly (Accelerator) |
| Free plan | None | 2,000 AI tokens a month (a build prompt uses roughly 250), 3 public projects and 5 screens per project. Private projects are not included. |
| Free trial | 30-day free trial of any paid plan, no credit card required; the paid plan starts automatically afterward unless cancelled | None listed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | AppMachine | Thunkable, Inc. |
| Price read from | appmachine.com | thunkable.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Oct 5, 2026 |
Worth knowing
AppMachine
- Instant is limited to a web app; apps for the iOS and Android stores need Professional or higher.
- Removing AppMachine branding costs $10 per app per month on Instant and Professional.
- Usage limits apply to rows, active app users and app actions; when exceeded, the dashboard flags it and the excess data is held until the plan is upgraded.
- Apple and Google developer accounts are separate costs: $99 a year for Apple and a one-time $25 for Google Play.
Thunkable
- Free and Accelerator do not list a live published app; Builder includes 1 and Advanced is unlimited.
- The Free plan has no private projects, and private projects become read-only if a paid subscription lapses.
- If a subscription expires, published apps become unavailable to their end users.
- Monthly billing costs far more on the higher tiers: Builder is $59 billed monthly against $37 billed yearly.
Key features
AppMachine
- Drag-and-drop app blocks
- Features are added as blocks, such as contact details, products, FAQs and news, without writing code.
- Store and web publishing
- Apps can be published to the web, Google Play and the Apple App Store; native store apps start on Professional.
- Data from spreadsheets and web services
- App content can come from a spreadsheet or a web service, and web service connections start on Professional.
- Push notifications
- Push notifications can be sent to app users on the Professional and Agency plans.
- White-label client CMS
- The Agency plan lets clients edit their own apps in a white-labelled CMS.
Thunkable
- AI Builder
- A text description generates a mobile or web app's screens, logic and design, and follow-up prompts change it. Each build prompt uses roughly 250 AI tokens.
- Discuss Mode and Plan mode
- Discuss Mode helps plan a project and troubleshoot issues at about 100 tokens a prompt. Plan mode has the AI outline an app for review before it builds anything.
- Live testing on a phone
- The Thunkable Live app for iOS and Android runs a project on a real device during building. A generated code can also open the test in a browser without logging in.
- App store and web publishing
- One project targets both iOS and Android and is submitted to the App Store and Google Play from inside Thunkable, or published as a mobile or responsive web app.
- Data and backend options
- App data can stay on the device or live in Supabase, and the docs cover Firebase authentication, RevenueCat purchases, AdMob ads and OneSignal push notifications.
- Code editor and version history
- Generated apps can be edited directly in a code editor alongside AI prompts, and an earlier version of a project can be restored.
Plans
AppMachine
Instant$15
per month, billed annually ($19 billed monthly)
1 web app (PWA) for phone and tablet, 1 team member, 500 rows, 50 active app users and community support.
Professional$63
per month, billed annually ($79 billed monthly)
1 published app for iOS, Android and web, 2 team members, push notifications, web services, 10,000 rows and 1,000 active users.
Agency$159
per month, billed annually ($199 billed monthly)
5 published apps, 3 team members, white-label client CMS, logic and workflows, branding removal included and 100 GB of storage.
EnterpriseCustom
Unlimited options and custom integrations for larger agencies. Sold through sales.
Thunkable
Free$0
2,000 AI tokens a month, 3 public projects and 5 screens per project. Private projects are not included.
Accelerator$18
per month, billed yearly; $19 billed monthly
20,000 AI tokens a month, 5 public projects, 1 private project, 10 screens per project and Intercom support.
Builder$37
per month, billed yearly; $59 billed monthly
50,000 AI tokens a month, 10 private projects, unlimited screens, 1 live published app, custom branding and chat support.
Advanced$99
per month, billed yearly; $189 billed monthly
100,000 AI tokens a month, unlimited private projects and live published apps, custom branding and priority support.
EnterpriseCustom
Plans for whole teams and custom arrangements, priced on request through a sales form.
EducationCustom
Special plans and pricing for students, teachers and districts, requested through an application form.
Ways to pay less
AppMachine
- Annual discount
Save 20% with annual billing
The pricing page shows an Annual billing switch labelled Save 20%, which is on by default.
Thunkable
- Annual discount
Lower monthly price with yearly billing
Billed yearly, Builder is $37 a month instead of $59 and Advanced is $99 instead of $189. Accelerator drops from $19 to $18.
- Education
Discounted Education plan
Thunkable's pricing page offers discounts for students and educators. Applicants fill in a form and receive a promo code for the Education plan by email.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, AppMachine or Thunkable?
As of Nov 13, 2026, AppMachine is cheaper to start with: $15 a month, against $18 a month for Thunkable. AppMachine starts at $15 per month, billed annually ($19 billed monthly), and Thunkable starts at $18 per month, billed yearly; $19 billed monthly (Accelerator).
Which has a free plan, AppMachine or Thunkable?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Thunkable has a free plan. AppMachine does not, though it has a free trial.
Which platforms do AppMachine and Thunkable run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Thunkable lists iOS and Android apps. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.