Best for
Best for solo makers and small teams that want to describe a mobile app, then refine it visually or in code and publish it to both stores.
- Freelancers
- Small and mid-sized
- Enterprise
AI App Builders Comparison
Thunkable vs. Xano
At a glance
At a glance
Best for
Best for teams building a scalable backend and API without managing servers, with the frontend built elsewhere.
- Freelancers
- Small and mid-sized
- Enterprise
Cataleo does not name a winner. Both statements come from the vendors themselves.
Full Comparison
| Criterion | Thunkable | Xano |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | lower value Free plan; paid from $18 / month Billed yearly; billed monthly the same plans cost $19, $59 and $189. Every plan carries a monthly AI token allowance, from 2,000 on Free to 100,000 on Advanced. Enterprise and education plans are quoted on request. | Free tier; paid from $85 / month Prices are billed annually: Essential $85 and Pro $224 per month. Custom plans are quoted by the vendor. |
| Free trial | Free plan with 3 public projects, 5 screens per project and no published apps | Free tier with rate limits, up to 100K database records and 1 workspace |
| Output | Native iOS and Android apps plus web apps, published from one project | Backends: PostgreSQL databases, REST APIs, background tasks and agent tooling |
| API | Not stated | Yes, the platform's purpose is generating APIs, with autogenerated OpenAPI docs and an MCP server |
| Hosting | Not stated | Xano-managed regions or self-hosted on Azure, AWS, GCP or on-premise |
| What it generates | Native iOS and Android apps plus web apps, generated from a written description by the AI Builder and then editable screen by screen | The backend rather than the whole app: database, REST APIs, custom functions, middleware, background tasks and triggers, with the frontend left to another tool |
| Stack and frameworks | Drag-and-drop designer with blocks, plus a built-in code editor for direct edits alongside the AI | PostgreSQL with Redis caching and Docker microservices; logic is built visually or written as XanoScript, which the CLI syncs to files on disk; works with React, Next.js, Flutter, Webflow, Framer and AI-generated frontends from Lovable and Bolt |
| Auth and database | Local tables, Google Sheets, Airtable, Webflow, the Firebase Realtime Database and Cloudinary; user sign-in through the Firebase Authentication REST API | PostgreSQL with unlimited records from the Essential tier; authentication endpoints (/signup, /login, /me) ship by default on JWE tokens, with role-based access control and enterprise SSO through GitHub, Google and Microsoft |
| Hosting and deploy | Published from the platform to the Apple App Store, Google Play and the web on a custom domain, with TestFlight for iOS beta builds | Xano-managed hosting across multiple regions, or self-hosted on Azure, AWS, GCP or on-premise; releases are immutable versioned objects promoted through staging |
| Payments | Yes, in-app purchases through RevenueCat, plus AdMob for advertising | Not stated |
| Access to the code | Compiled builds rather than a repository: downloading an Android app sends an APK by email, and publishing sends an AAB to upload to the Play Store. No source-code export or Git sync is documented, so edits stay in the builder | XanoScript is readable and editable, and the CLI syncs the workspace to files on disk; APIs carry autogenerated OpenAPI documentation |
| MCP-ready | No | stated Yes |
| Deployment | Cloud (SaaS), Browser-based | more entries Cloud (SaaS), Browser-based, On-premise |
| Support | Chat, Community forum | Chat, Community forum |
| Onboarding | Documentation and knowledge base | more entries Documentation and knowledge base, Video tutorials |
| Company size | Freelancers, Small and mid-sized, Enterprise | Freelancers, Small and mid-sized, Enterprise |
| Integrations | more entries Firebase, Google Sheets, Airtable, Webflow, Cloudinary, OpenAI, Google Maps, Google Translate, RevenueCat, AdMob, OneSignal | Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, Lovable, Bolt.new, Webflow, Framer, Flutter, Datadog |
Add a tool
Adds a column to the table, from the tools in this category.
Row where the values differ The small markers point at the lower number, the longer list or the stated feature. They describe the data, they are not a verdict.
The short version
Key Differences
- Starting price Thunkable Free plan; paid from $18 / month Xano Free tier; paid from $85 / month
- Free trial Thunkable Free plan with 3 public projects, 5 screens per project and no published apps Xano Free tier with rate limits, up to 100K database records and 1 workspace
- Deployment Thunkable Cloud (SaaS), Browser-based Xano Cloud (SaaS), Browser-based, On-premise
- MCP-ready Thunkable No Xano Yes
- Output Thunkable Native iOS and Android apps plus web apps, published from one project Xano Backends: PostgreSQL databases, REST APIs, background tasks and agent tooling
Every line is one datapoint from the table above, picked automatically. Nothing here is written text.
The trade-offs
Strengths and Limitations
Thunkable
Strengths
- AI Builder turns a written description into a working, fully editable project
- One project publishes to iOS, Android and the web
- Visual blocks and a built-in code editor sit side by side, so edits are not limited to prompting
- Documented data sources and integrations cover Firebase, Google Sheets, Airtable, OpenAI, RevenueCat and more
Limitations
- The free plan has no private projects and no published apps
- Every plan meters AI use by token allowance
- Live published apps are capped below the Advanced plan
- Private projects fall back to read-only if the subscription lapses
Xano
Strengths
- Self-hosting on Azure, AWS, GCP or on-premise, not only the vendor's cloud
- Frontend-agnostic: pairs with React, Flutter, Webflow, Framer, Lovable or Bolt rather than dictating one
- An official MCP server, so external AI agents build against the same workspace rules
Limitations
- The first paid tier is $85 a month, a steep step up from the free one
- It builds only the backend, so a second tool is needed for the interface
- The free tier is rate-limited to 10 requests per 20 seconds and watermarks stored images
Plans
Pricing
Thunkable
- Free $0 2,000 AI tokens per month, 3 public projects, 5 screens per project. No private projects and no published apps.
- Accelerator $18 Per month, billed yearly ($19 billed monthly). 20,000 AI tokens, 5 public and 1 private project, 10 screens per project.
- Builder $37 Per month, billed yearly ($59 billed monthly). 50,000 AI tokens, unlimited public projects, 10 private projects, unlimited screens, 1 live published app, custom branding.
- Advanced $99 Per month, billed yearly ($189 billed monthly). 100,000 AI tokens, unlimited private projects and unlimited live published apps, priority support.
- Enterprise Not stated Quoted on request, for teams. A separate education plan covers students, teachers and districts.
Xano
- Free $0 Core building tools, rate-limited to 10 requests per 20 seconds. Up to 100K database records, 1GB watermarked image storage, 1 workspace.
- Essential $85 Per month billed annually. Dedicated infrastructure without API rate limits, unlimited database records, 3 workspaces, 5 team seats, 100GB storage.
- Pro $224 Per month billed annually. 5 workspaces, 10 team seats, 250GB storage, managed load balancer, role management, 99.99% SLA.
- Custom Custom Quoted by the vendor. Self-hosting, advanced security, multiple tenant configurations and dedicated support.
What users say
Review Scores · opens after launch
Thunkable
- Ease of use
- Not rated yet
- User interface
- Not rated yet
- Onboarding
- Not rated yet
- Support and service
- Not rated yet
- Value for money
- Not rated yet
- Features
- Not rated yet
No reviews yet. Be the first to review this tool. Every review is checked for fairness before it appears, and the vendor cannot have one removed.
Xano
- Ease of use
- Not rated yet
- User interface
- Not rated yet
- Onboarding
- Not rated yet
- Support and service
- Not rated yet
- Value for money
- Not rated yet
- Features
- Not rated yet
No reviews yet. Be the first to review this tool. Every review is checked for fairness before it appears, and the vendor cannot have one removed.
Where this comes from
Where this comes from
Thunkable https://thunkable.com · checked against the official source on 2026-09-12
Xano https://www.xano.com · no check date recorded yet
This table lists factual criteria taken from information the vendors publish themselves. For how we put it together, see the methodology.