SMF·THUNKABLE
Can a prompt replace Thunkable?
No-code apps — internal tools and application builders
Exhibit tracking slip
Verdict
Thunkable's actual origin and real differentiator is Scratch-style block-based visual programming for app logic — it began as a fork of MIT App Inventor — genuinely different from this catalogue's Adalo and FlutterFlow entries, which are schema-and-screen generators, not visual logic editors. A block-based logic editor over a fixed set of blocks is a real, if involved, weekend-to-week build.
Exhibit A — The prompt
Received on31.07.2026Build a block-based visual programming editor for simple app logic, Thunkable's actual origin and differentiator, distinct from this catalogue's Adalo and FlutterFlow entries, which generate screens from a data schema rather than compiling visual logic blocks. Use a block-editor library like Blockly, Google's open-source visual programming toolkit, the same category of tool MIT App Inventor and Thunkable itself are built on, for the drag-and-drop block canvas. Implement a small, fixed set of blocks: event blocks (when button tapped, when screen opens), action blocks (navigate to screen, show message, set a variable), and condition blocks (if/then). Compile the assembled blocks into a small Expo (React Native) app's logic — each block maps to a corresponding React Native code snippet, generated and bundled into a real working app. Provide 2-3 pre-built screens, not a screen designer, so the focus stays on the block logic connecting them. Do not build a large block library, a component marketplace, or one-click store publishing — those are out of scope; this demonstrates the block-to-code compilation pattern with a deliberately small block set, not Thunkable's full library. Requires hosting only if you want to preview builds remotely; Expo Go lets you test locally without it.
Opening prefills the prompt — press enter to run it.
Exhibit B — What you lose
- B.1 a large block library covering many app behaviors
- B.2 Thunkable's own compiler maturity across many block combinations
- B.3 a component marketplace
- B.4 one-click store publishing
Prior art
Exhibit C — Why people still pay: connectors, runtime reliability, and governance
A small set of working blocks is a real project; a block library expressive enough for genuinely complex app logic, reliably compiled for years across every block combination someone might build, is the much larger ongoing engineering.
Questions
Is this the same as the Adalo or FlutterFlow builds in this catalogue?
No — those generate screens from a data schema. This one is about visual block-based programming for app logic, Thunkable's actual origin as an MIT App Inventor fork, a genuinely different mechanic.
How many blocks does it support?
A small, fixed starter set — event, action, and condition blocks — rather than Thunkable's larger library, which represents years of accumulated block types.
Do I need to design the screens myself?
The build ships with 2-3 pre-built screens so you can focus on wiring up logic between them, rather than including a full visual screen designer.
What does it cost to run?
Nothing required beyond Expo Go for local testing — hosting is only needed if you want remote preview builds.
Related tools
Receipt