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No-Code · head to head

OutSystems vs Thunkable

OutSystems logo

OutSystems

No-Code

Enterprise low-code platform priced by application complexity units, not just users

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Thunkable logo

Thunkable

No-Code

No-code, drag-and-drop mobile app builder priced by AI tokens and project counts

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Thunkable has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: OutSystems application Objects grow with every screen, table and API an app gains, so a successful app that keeps adding features can push the account into AO overage charges that were not modelled at initial budget time.; 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: OutSystems covers Visual application modelling, 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 OutSystems and Thunkable actually diverge.

Attributes where OutSystems and Thunkable differ
AttributeOutSystemsThunkable
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelApplication Object consumption plus internal and external user packsPer month, tiered by AI token allowance and project count
Free tierNoYes

Identical on both: platforms (Web, iOS, Android), 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 OutSystems

  • Visual application modelling
  • Generated deployable code
  • One-click deployment
  • AI-assisted development
  • Application Object governance
  • Prebuilt integrations

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.

OutSystems

  • An enterprise replacing custom .NET or Java application development with a governed low-code platform at scalenot Thunkable
  • A company building customer-facing portals where the external-user pricing tier (packs of 10,000) is materially cheaper than licensing customers as internal usersnot Thunkable
  • An IT department that wants generated, inspectable code rather than a proprietary black-box runtimenot Thunkable
  • An organisation with a large existing application portfolio needing centralised governance across many apps built by different teamsnot Thunkable

Thunkable

  • A non-developer or founder prototyping an app idea before hiring an engineernot OutSystems
  • An educator teaching app-building concepts without requiring students to write codenot OutSystems
  • A small business needing a simple internal or customer-facing app with modest logicnot OutSystems
  • A hobbyist building a single published app who does not need more than one live app slotnot OutSystems

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

OutSystems

  • Application Objects grow with every screen, table and API an app gains, so a successful app that keeps adding features can push the account into AO overage charges that were not modelled at initial budget time.
  • Internal users are sold in packs of 100 and external users in packs of 10,000, so a company just over a pack boundary in either category pays for a full additional pack rather than a handful of extra seats.
  • Entry-level ODC pricing starts around 36,300 US dollars a year before any AO overage or extra user packs, which puts it out of reach for smaller teams evaluating low-code options.
  • Cloud infrastructure and hosting costs are frequently separate from the platform licence, so the all-in bill is higher than the headline subscription figure suggests.
  • Migrating a large application portfolio off OutSystems once built is difficult, since the generated code and platform-specific patterns are not designed for a clean export to standard frameworks.

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

OutSystems

On request
  • ODC Entry$undefined/year
    • Entry-level Application Object allowance included
    • Internal users sold in packs of 100
    • External users sold in packs of 10,000
  • ODC Enterprise$undefined/year
    • Custom AO, user pack and environment volumes
    • Negotiated multi-year enterprise agreements
    • Premium support and dedicated infrastructure options

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 OutSystems if

  • You need visual application modelling.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want generated deployable code.
OutSystems review

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.
Thunkable review

Questions people ask

Is OutSystems or Thunkable better?
Neither clearly leads. OutSystems 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, OutSystems or Thunkable?
Thunkable has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for OutSystems and Free for Thunkable.
Does OutSystems or Thunkable run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, iOS, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Thunkable for free?
Yes. Thunkable has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. OutSystems starts at On request.
What is OutSystems best used for?
OutSystems is most often used for an enterprise replacing custom .net or java application development with a governed low-code platform at scale, a company building customer-facing portals where the external-user pricing tier (packs of 10,000) is materially cheaper than licensing customers as internal users, an it department that wants generated, inspectable code rather than a proprietary black-box runtime, an organisation with a large existing application portfolio needing centralised governance across many apps built by different teams. Of those, an enterprise replacing custom .net or java application development with a governed low-code platform at scale and a company building customer-facing portals where the external-user pricing tier (packs of 10,000) is materially cheaper than licensing customers as internal users are not what Thunkable is typically brought in for.
What can OutSystems do that Thunkable cannot?
OutSystems covers Visual application modelling, Generated deployable code, One-click deployment, AI-assisted development. Thunkable covers Block-based logic editor, Native compilation, AI app assistant, Component marketplace.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

OutSystems: What is an Application Object?

A unit OutSystems uses to measure application complexity, counting elements such as screens, database tables and exposed APIs; more AOs mean a bigger licence requirement.

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.

OutSystems: Is there a free tier?

OutSystems has offered free or trial tiers historically for evaluation, but production use at any scale runs on paid ODC plans.

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.

OutSystems: How does external user pricing work?

External users, typically customers or partners, are sold in packs of 10,000 at roughly a hundredth of the per-seat cost of internal (employee) user packs.

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.

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