Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Ionic Framework VS Thunkable

Compare Ionic Framework VS Thunkable and see what are their differences

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Ionic Framework logo Ionic Framework

A front-end SDK to develop applications with HTML5 , CSS3 and JavaScript.

Thunkable logo Thunkable

Powerful but easy to use, drag-and-drop mobile app builder.
  • Ionic Framework Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-04-22
  • Thunkable Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-23

Ionic Framework features and specs

  • Cross-Platform Development
    Ionic allows developers to create applications that work smoothly on both iOS and Android from a single codebase, reducing development time and costs.
  • Rich Pre-Built Components
    Ionic comes with a vast library of pre-built UI components that are customizable, enabling quicker development and a consistent user experience across different devices.
  • Integration with Popular Frameworks
    Ionic can be easily integrated with popular front-end frameworks such as Angular, React, and Vue, providing flexibility for developers to use the tools they are familiar with.
  • Active Community and Ecosystem
    Ionic has a strong and active community, along with extensive documentation and a variety of plugins and third-party extensions that can be utilized to extend app functionalities.
  • Performance Optimization
    Ionic has made significant improvements in performance, particularly with the use of tools like Capacitor, which helps achieve near-native performance for hybrid applications.

Possible disadvantages of Ionic Framework

  • Dependency on Web Technologies
    Since Ionic relies heavily on web technologies like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, performance might not be as optimal as fully native apps, especially in graphics-intensive applications.
  • Learning Curve
    While Ionic is easier to pick up for web developers, those unfamiliar with Angular, React, or Vue might face a steep learning curve initially.
  • Limited Access to Native APIs
    Even though Ionic provides plugins through Capacitor and Cordova for accessing native APIs, there might be scenarios where certain native functionalities are not fully supported or require custom development.
  • Larger App Sizes
    Hybrid applications built with Ionic often have larger file sizes compared to native apps due to the overhead of web runtime and additional libraries.
  • Browser Compatibility Issues
    As Ionic apps run inside a WebView, inconsistencies across different browsers and versions can sometimes lead to unexpected behavior, requiring additional testing and debugging efforts.

Thunkable features and specs

  • User-Friendly Interface
    Thunkable offers a drag-and-drop interface which makes it easy for beginners to create mobile apps without needing to write code.
  • Cross-Platform Development
    It allows you to build apps that work on both iOS and Android platforms from a single codebase, saving time and effort.
  • Community and Support
    Thunkable has an active community and extensive documentation, which can be very helpful for troubleshooting and learning new features.
  • Real-time Testing
    You can test your app in real-time using the Thunkable Live app, which speeds up the development process.
  • Integrations
    Thunkable offers various pre-built integrations such as Google Sheets, Firebase, and REST APIs, making it easier to add functionality to your app.

Possible disadvantages of Thunkable

  • Limited Customization
    While the drag-and-drop interface is user-friendly, it can also be limiting for advanced users who need more control and customization.
  • Performance Issues
    Apps built with Thunkable may not perform as well as those built with native development tools, particularly for resource-intensive applications.
  • Pricing
    While Thunkable offers a free tier, many advanced features and higher usage limits are locked behind a subscription paywall.
  • Learning Curve for Complex Apps
    Although it’s beginner-friendly, creating complex apps can still require a steep learning curve, especially if you don’t have a background in app development.
  • Dependence on Platform Limitations
    As a cross-platform tool, it may not always support the latest features specific to iOS or Android as quickly as native solutions.

Ionic Framework videos

Why You SHOULD Use the Ionic Framework

Thunkable videos

What is Thunkable X?

More videos:

  • Review - Thunkable vs Kodular: Create Android and iOS Apps without Coding
  • Review - ProductHunt Review E8 (Reactful, Thunkable, Tster) by Cleveroad Inc

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Ionic Framework and Thunkable)
Development Tools
100 100%
0% 0
Application Builder
0 0%
100% 100
JavaScript Framework
100 100%
0% 0
Mobile App Builder
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Ionic Framework and Thunkable

Ionic Framework Reviews

THE BEST 34 APP DEVELOPMENT SOFTWARE IN 2022 LIST
One codebase. Any platform. Now in React and Angular. Ionic Framework is an open-source mobile UI toolkit for building high-quality, cross-platform native and web app experiences. Move faster with a single codebase, running everywhere. Free and open-source, Ionic offers a library of mobile-optimized UI components, gestures, and tools for building fast highly interactive apps.
10 React Native Alternatives
Ionic Framework is a free, open-source mobile UI toolkit used for building high-quality cross-platform applications for Android, iOS, and from the web all from a single codebase.

Thunkable Reviews

Top 10 Android Studio Alternatives For App Development
Thunkable is a mobile application development platform that allows users to create apps on Android or iOS without having any coding skills. It consists of a drag-and-drop interface which makes it easier to use by anyone.
Top 5 App Builder To Build Your Own App Without Coding
In the Free Version of Thunkable, You can make a maximum of 10 posts with 200 MB of storage, Don't create a Good Project in the free version because Your project is available in public So that anyone can use it. If you want to create an app to publish your app on the play store, So please buy PRO subscriptions in Thunkable or Move to another app builder. Only you can...
33+ Best No Code Tools you will love 😍
With testing out Thunkable with a friend, it's a bit of s learning curve at first, but once you get used to the platform, there's a lot of potential to build awesome projects. What I do like that they have done is includes video tutorials (which is pulled in from their YouTube page) to understand specific features/tools to help build your app. Something I think more apps...
25 No-Code Apps and Tools to help build your next Startup
Thunkable is a powerful mobile app builder that requires no coding. It emphasizes speed and aesthetics. Its best feature is its functionality for advanced features.
Source: www.ishir.com
10 Best Android Studio Alternatives For App Development
Thunkable is a powerful drag and drops app builder. And this is made by two of the very first MIT engineers on the MIT app inventor. The platform is geared for the most professional users, who may want higher quality and robust apps for their business, community or just for themselves. Thus, Thunkable has an amazingly active and engaged community. And it also offers live...
Source: techdator.net

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Ionic Framework should be more popular than Thunkable. It has been mentiond 90 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Ionic Framework mentions (90)

  • Top 10 Essential Tools for Android Development
    Ionic is an open-source framework for building cross-platform mobile applications using web technologies such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. It allows developers to build apps for Android, iOS, and the web from a single codebase. Ionic is known for its flexibility and wide range of UI components, making it easy to build modern, responsive apps. - Source: dev.to / 6 months ago
  • Building a GenAI Fitness App with Gemini
    For the frontend, I chose Ionic and Angular, which enabled me to create a mobile-first app that could be deployed on the web right away while it could also be shipped as native for both iOS and Android. - Source: dev.to / 7 months ago
  • Design Systems with Web Components
    I was recently able to sit down with some of the core members of Ionic, who also created Stencil a toolchain for building Design Systems and Progressive Web Apps. We talked at great length how typically companies are approaching Ionic from a Design Team and need help building components. As a developer I wanted to talk about the Web Components that are used within the Design System first. There was a decent amount... - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
  • Turning HTML, CSS, JS project into an app
    Look into Ionic Framework https://ionicframework.com/ or Cordova. They might be overkill for what you’re trying to do, but they allow you to create cross-platform apps via html/css/js. Source: over 1 year ago
  • Getting Started with PayloadCMS & Vue JS
    Ionic Framework UI Components are used to build a website and then a mobile application is built using Ionic Capacitor. Ionic UI components are not required but are used for UX. The vue js code presented here will work fine in a separate application. - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
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Thunkable mentions (9)

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What are some alternatives?

When comparing Ionic Framework and Thunkable, you can also consider the following products

React Native - A framework for building native apps with React

Bubble.io - Building tech is slow and expensive. Bubble is the most powerful no-code platform for creating digital products.

Flutter - Build beautiful native apps in record time 🚀

MIT App Inventor - App Inventor is a cloud-based tool, which means you can create apps for phones or tablets right in your web browser.

Apache Cordova - Platform for building native mobile applications using HTML, CSS and JavaScript

Kodular - Much more than a modern app creator without coding