No-Code · head to head
Stacker vs Thunkable
Stacker
No-Code
Permissioned portals over data that stays in Airtable, Salesforce or Postgres
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
Thunkable
No-Code
No-code, drag-and-drop mobile app builder priced by AI tokens and project counts
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Thunkable has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Stacker there is no source export and no self-hosting, so leaving means rebuilding the entire interface and permission model elsewhere, even though the underlying records remain yours.; Thunkable every paid tier is metered by a monthly AI token allowance, so heavy use of the AI assistant, which is the tool's main productivity feature, can be exhausted well before a billing period ends.
- They diverge on capability: Stacker covers Per-record permissions, Thunkable covers Block-based logic editor.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Stacker and Thunkable actually diverge.
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (No-Code).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in Stacker
- Per-record permissions
- External user portals
- Live connection to the source
- Page and layout builder
- Workflow actions
- Custom domains and branding
- User onboarding
- Role based navigation
Only in Thunkable
- Block-based logic editor
- Native compilation
- AI app assistant
- Component marketplace
- Live testing
- Custom branding
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Stacker
- Giving clients a login that shows only their own records inside an internal Airtable basenot Thunkable
- Contractor or franchisee portals where each account must see one slice of a shared datasetnot Thunkable
- Replacing a spreadsheet emailed to partners with a permissioned live view of the same datanot Thunkable
- Putting a usable interface on a Salesforce or Postgres dataset for users who should never see the underlying systemnot Thunkable
Thunkable
- A non-developer or founder prototyping an app idea before hiring an engineernot Stacker
- An educator teaching app-building concepts without requiring students to write codenot Stacker
- A small business needing a simple internal or customer-facing app with modest logicnot Stacker
- A hobbyist building a single published app who does not need more than one live app slotnot Stacker
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Stacker
- There is no source export and no self-hosting, so leaving means rebuilding the entire interface and permission model elsewhere, even though the underlying records remain yours.
- Performance is bounded by the data source, so an Airtable base near its row limit or an API under rate limiting produces a slow portal that no amount of Stacker configuration will fix.
- Pricing distinguishes internal editors from external portal users, so a portal that succeeds by adding hundreds of light-touch external users can end up costing more than the internal system it fronts.
- Custom logic is limited to the actions and conditions the builder exposes, so anything resembling a calculation engine or a branching multi-step approval hits a wall and needs an external automation tool bolted on.
- It is a portal and CRUD tool by design, with no offline mode, no native mobile application and no real reporting layer, so it will not be the only system a growing operation runs.
Thunkable
- Every paid tier is metered by a monthly AI token allowance, so heavy use of the AI assistant, which is the tool's main productivity feature, can be exhausted well before a billing period ends.
- Only the Builder tier and above allow a live published app at all in useful numbers, so the entry-level paid plan cannot actually get an app onto the store in a meaningful way.
- Block-based logic becomes unwieldy for apps with genuinely complex business rules, and there is no clean escape hatch to written code within the platform.
- Native integrations and performance-sensitive features (heavy graphics, background processing) are limited compared to a coded framework, so the tool has a real complexity ceiling.
- App ownership and export options are more restrictive than an open source framework; leaving the platform typically means rebuilding rather than exporting a portable codebase.
Pricing, plan by plan
Stacker
On request- Stacker$undefined/month
- Priced by workspace tier with caps on apps and users
- External portal users charged differently from internal editors
- Higher tiers add permission depth and support
Thunkable
Free- FreeFree
- 2,000 AI tokens
- 3 public projects
- 5 screens per project
- Accelerator$19/month
- 20,000 AI tokens
- 5 public and 1 private project
- 10 screens per project
- Builder$37/month
- 50,000 AI tokens
- Unlimited public, 10 private projects
- Unlimited screens, 1 live published app
- Advanced$99/month
- 100,000 AI tokens
- Unlimited private projects and live published apps
- Priority support
Which should you pick?
Choose Thunkable if
- You need block-based logic editor.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android.
- You also want native compilation.
Questions people ask
- Is Stacker or Thunkable better?
- Neither clearly leads. Stacker starts at On request and Thunkable at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Stacker or Thunkable?
- Thunkable has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Stacker and Free for Thunkable.
- Does Stacker or Thunkable run on more platforms?
- Stacker runs on Web. Thunkable runs on Web, iOS, Android.
- Can I use Thunkable for free?
- Yes. Thunkable has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Stacker starts at On request.
- What is Stacker best used for?
- Stacker is most often used for giving clients a login that shows only their own records inside an internal airtable base, contractor or franchisee portals where each account must see one slice of a shared dataset, replacing a spreadsheet emailed to partners with a permissioned live view of the same data, putting a usable interface on a salesforce or postgres dataset for users who should never see the underlying system. Of those, giving clients a login that shows only their own records inside an internal airtable base and contractor or franchisee portals where each account must see one slice of a shared dataset are not what Thunkable is typically brought in for.
- What can Stacker do that Thunkable cannot?
- Stacker covers Per-record permissions, External user portals, Live connection to the source, Page and layout builder. Thunkable covers Block-based logic editor, Native compilation, AI app assistant, Component marketplace.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Stacker: Where does my data live?
In the source you connect: Airtable, Salesforce, HubSpot, Google Sheets or your own Postgres. Stacker reads and writes to it rather than becoming the system of record.
Thunkable: Can I publish an app on the free plan?
The free plan is aimed at building and testing; live publishing capacity in a meaningful way starts on the Builder plan.
Stacker: Can I export the app if I cancel?
No. The data stays in your source system, but the interface, permissions and workflows are Stacker configuration and do not come with you.
Thunkable: What happens if I run out of AI tokens?
AI-assisted generation stops working until the next billing cycle or an upgrade; manual block-based editing still works.
Stacker: Is it suitable for hundreds of external users?
Technically yes; check the pricing arithmetic first, because external portal users are charged separately and that is where the bill grows.
Thunkable: Is this suitable for a complex business app?
No. It is built for simple to moderately complex apps; heavy custom logic and native integrations are better served by a coded framework.
Stacker: Will it replace Airtable?
No, it sits in front of Airtable. If the base itself is at its limits, the fix is moving the data to Postgres rather than changing the portal.
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