Thunkable
Prototype a mobile app with fixed components and local data
A consolation build is possible, but the paid product's decisive value sits outside a solo rebuild. For Thunkable, prototype a mobile app with fixed components and local data. The hard boundary is native build infrastructure, device integrations, publishing pipeline, and education ecosystem, plus connectors, runtime reliability, and governance.
Build verification: not recorded. How we judge buildability
What you give up
- native build infrastructure, device integrations, publishing pipeline, and education ecosystem
- hundreds of connectors
- pixel-perfect app design
- mobile app-store builds
- enterprise permissions and scale
Why people still pay
People still pay for Thunkable because the builder is only useful when its runtime, connectors, permissions, and deployments remain boring for years. The recurring cost buys schema migration, auth, permissions, connector drift, queues, deployments, backups, and auditability, not just the visible interface.
Your build guide
The stack, security requirements, and agent rules for a focused replacement.
Before you start
- Docker
- PostgreSQL
- self-hosted deploy target
- API credentials for one selected integration
Use these project rules and optional skill references alongside the prompt. Review each skill before adding it to your agent; the AGENTS.md export includes the same guidance.
Project rule, data: Model repositories, builds, deployments, logs, and rollback points; store source IDs and timestamps for each.
Project rule, behavior: Create a schema editor for text, number, boolean, date, enum, and relation fields.
Project rule, recovery: If API credentials for one selected integration is unavailable, keep the source record and show a recoverable error instead of a fabricated result.
Implementation plan
Phase 1, architecture and data
Use Next.js 15, TypeScript, Tailwind CSS, PostgreSQL, Drizzle ORM, and Docker Compose. Model repositories, builds, deployments, logs, and rollback points; store source IDs and timestamps for each.
Phase 2, implement
Create a schema editor for text, number, boolean, date, enum, and relation fields.
Phase 3, implement
Generate list, detail, create, edit, and kanban views from the schema.
Phase 4, review and output
Implement role-based read and write rules for admin and member roles. Add an activity log, CSV import or export, backups, and health checks.
Phase 5, recovery and acceptance
If API credentials for one selected integration is unavailable, keep the source record and show a recoverable error instead of a fabricated result. Verify this invariant with a saved fixture: An invalid input or interrupted operation must retain the source and show a recoverable state; exported records must reload with the same IDs. State the practical limit: native build infrastructure, device integrations, publishing pipeline, and education ecosystem.
Build me a focused internal tools and application builders workflow for the personal core of Thunkable. Requirements: - Use Next.js 15, TypeScript, Tailwind CSS, PostgreSQL, Drizzle ORM, and Docker Compose. Model repositories, builds, deployments, logs, and rollback points; store source IDs and timestamps for each. - Paid product context: Prototype a mobile app with fixed components and local data. Build only this DIY scope: Prototype a mobile app from fixed components, define tables and views, build a constrained CRUD interface over local data or one approved data source, and deploy it for a small trusted team. - Create a schema editor for text, number, boolean, date, enum, and relation fields. - Generate list, detail, create, edit, and kanban views from the schema. - Implement role-based read and write rules for admin and member roles. Support one REST connector with encrypted credentials and explicit field mapping. Add an activity log, CSV import or export, backups, and health checks. - Use a local web page with input, progress, review, and export views. Required input or access: Docker; self-hosted deploy target. - Recovery: If API credentials for one selected integration is unavailable, keep the source record and show a recoverable error instead of a fabricated result. - Acceptance: with one labelled sample, show the input, saved intermediate state, and exported result; verify this invariant: An invalid input or interrupted operation must retain the source and show a recoverable state; exported records must reload with the same IDs. - Out of scope: native build infrastructure, device integrations, publishing pipeline, and education ecosystem; hundreds of connectors. Keep this a personal, inspectable workflow. - Include a README with setup, a sample input, required keys or permissions, data location, and the supported scope.
$ open in your agent (prompt prefilled, you press enter), copy the prompt or copy AGENTS.md · generated from this app's build plan
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Alternatives to building your own
all 3 free alternatives to Thunkable →· no votes, no pay-to-list · just what's real
Thunkable pricing
| plan | monthly | annual (per mo) | what you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| free | $0/workspace | $0/workspace | 2,000 AI tokens/month; 3 public projects; 5 screens/project; 0 private projects; 0 live published appsPrivate projects and ongoing published-app availability require a paid plan. |
| accelerator | $19/workspace | $18/workspace | 20,000 AI tokens/month; 5 public projects; 1 private project; 10 screens/project; 0 live appsThe official pricing DOM exposed $18 and $19 with conflicting billing labels; values are recorded conservatively as annual/monthly. |
| builder | $59/workspace | $37/workspace | 50,000 AI tokens/month; unlimited public projects; 10 private projects; unlimited screens; 1 live appMonthly and annual billing. |
| advanced | $189/workspace | $99/workspace | 100,000 AI tokens/month; unlimited public/private projects and screens; multiple live-app and collaboration featuresMonthly and annual billing. |
| enterprise | — | — | Custom users, apps, governance, support and contract termsContact sales. |
| education | — | — | Custom classroom, educator and institution termsContact sales. |
free tier2,000 AI tokens/month; 3 public projects; 5 screens/project; 0 private projects; 0 live apps
billingmonthly + annual; exact Accelerator labels were inconsistent in the official page markup
hidden costsAI tokens reset and expire each month; additional token packs cost extra at unpublished rates, an active paid plan is needed to keep private/published apps available, and Apple/Google developer accounts are separate
pricing sources checked 2026-08-14 · pricing source ↗
Questions about Thunkable
Can you build your own Thunkable with AI?
A full replacement is not the recommended project. A consolation build is possible, but the paid product's decisive value sits outside a solo rebuild. For Thunkable, prototype a mobile app with fixed components and local data. The hard boundary is native build infrastructure, device integrations, publishing pipeline, and education ecosystem, plus connectors, runtime reliability, and governance.
What does the Thunkable build prompt cover?
The prompt starts with this scope: Prototype a mobile app from fixed components, define tables and views, build a constrained CRUD interface over local data or one approved data source, and deploy it for a small trusted team. Full-product capabilities excluded from the comparison include: native build infrastructure, device integrations, publishing pipeline, and education ecosystem; hundreds of connectors; pixel-perfect app design. Follow the implementation plan and its prerequisites before expanding the build.
How do I use the prompt, AGENTS.md and agent skills?
Start with the Thunkable prerequisites and stack, then copy the prompt into your coding agent. Save the project rules as AGENTS.md in the project root. Linked skills are optional packages or source instructions for specific tasks; review their current contents and install only those matching the chosen stack. A skill does not supply API credentials or verify the finished app.
How long will this Thunkable project take?
The catalogue estimate is closest consolation build: one sitting for the limited scope. Setup, integration approvals, debugging, deployment and ongoing maintenance can add time. This is an estimate, not a delivery guarantee.
What would I give up by replacing Thunkable?
native build infrastructure, device integrations, publishing pipeline, and education ecosystem; hundreds of connectors; pixel-perfect app design; mobile app-store builds; enterprise permissions and scale. People still pay for Thunkable because the builder is only useful when its runtime, connectors, permissions, and deployments remain boring for years. The recurring cost buys schema migration, auth, permissions, connector drift, queues, deployments, backups, and auditability, not just the visible interface.
What price is this guide comparing against?
The recorded Builder plan is $59/mo (monthly), checked 2026-07-31. Check the linked pricing source before buying. Building your own also has hosting, API and maintenance costs; the recorded amount is not a guaranteed saving.
What can I use instead of building Thunkable?
MIT App Inventor: Blocks, fixed mobile components, local storage, and installable apps; aesthetically still very much MIT App Inventor. Nowa Starter: A more modern visual mobile builder with local projects and source export; overkill for a prototype, but genuinely free. Thunkable Free: The same product is free for its stated job, prototyping with fixed components and local data, provided public projects are acceptable. Compare all listed options at https://howtovibecodeit.dev/thunkable/alternatives. Check each option's license, hosting needs and feature limits.