Thunkable Live vs MIT App Inventor
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Thunkable Live
This platform allows users to create mobile applications using a visual, block-based programming language. It empowers individuals to design and control their own mobile device applications through an intuitive drag-and-drop interface. Explore tutorials and documentation to build your own projects.
- Drag and drop interface
- Blocks based programming
- Mobile device control
- In-app tutorials
- Extensive documentation
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Thunkable is a drag and drop platform where anyone can use a blocks based programming language to control their mobile device. In addition to using the tutorials in the app, you can follow us for more extensive video tutorials and documentation to make your own Thunkable project.
MIT App Inventor
Learn programming and build mobile applications using a visual, block-based interface. This educational tool helps users understand computational thinking and design their own projects, with built-in tutorials and over 60 components for diverse app creation.
- Visual block-based programming
- Mobile app development
- Computational thinking education
- Built-in tutorials
- Over 60 app components
- Project testing and debugging
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MIT App Inventor is an educational tool to learn computational thinking and computational action principles through building mobile apps. Used by over one million people worldwide every year, it is one of the premier platforms for computer science education. Use this companion app to test drive projects, debug blocks code, and show your friends and family your creations. Using a blocks based programming language, design and code your own projects, or use one of the many books and curricula to learn about coding. App Inventor also includes built-in tutorials for running student workshops. This version of App Inventor includes over 60 components, from user interface elements such as buttons and switches, to sensors, connectivity and multimedia components so your projects can interact with the world.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Thunkable Live at 4.1 against MIT App Inventor's 2.6. Thunkable Live also leads on review sentiment (54% vs 20%) and update cadence (weekly vs every 3 months). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Thunkable Live holds the better App Store score, 4.1 against 2.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Thunkable Live has 324 ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 54% of Thunkable Live's written reviews are positive against 20% of MIT App Inventor's.
Thunkable Live ships an update weekly, MIT App Inventor every 3 months. Both last shipped on September 23, 2026.
| Parameter | Thunkable Live | MIT App Inventor |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.1 (324 ratings) — better | 2.6 (7 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 53.5% of reviews — better | 19.6% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 324 — better | 7 |
| Update frequency | Weekly — better | Every 3 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 114 MB | 49 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Thunkable | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Customer experience
Thunkable Live
MIT App Inventor
User reviews
Thunkable Live
From 324 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Easy to create apps
- 🚀 Instant live testing
- 💡 Innovative learning platform
- 👍 User-friendly interface
- 👍 Versatile for all skill levels
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🐛 Compatibility issues with newer iOS devices
- 🐛 Laggy performance and glitches
- 🐛 Unreliable live testing and preview
- 🐛 Confusing navigation and UI
MIT App Inventor
From 7 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Fast and responsive
- 💡 Great for learning and creating apps
- 👍 Useful for school and coding classes
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🔌 Connectivity issues, especially with iOS devices
- 👎 Confusing and outdated user interface
- ⚠️ Unreliable and glitchy performance
Bugs and requests
Thunkable Live
Reported bugs
5 issues- Login screen freezes or crashes
- White screen issues and app not loading
- Inability to view or edit code
- Inconsistent behavior between web and mobile versions
- Firebase integration problems
Requested features
5 requests- Dark mode option
- Improved code editor and customization tools
- Better integration with external services
- More comprehensive documentation and tutorials
- Ability to test apps on multiple devices
MIT App Inventor
Reported bugs
3 issues- App frequently crashes or freezes
- Connectivity problems when trying to test apps
- Inconsistent behavior and unexpected errors
Requested features
3 requests- Improved compatibility with modern devices and operating systems
- More intuitive and user-friendly interface
- Better error handling and debugging tools
In-app purchases
Thunkable Live
No in-app purchases
MIT App Inventor
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Thunkable Live free?
Is MIT App Inventor free?
Which has better reviews, Thunkable Live or MIT App Inventor?
Do Thunkable Live or MIT App Inventor have ads?
Which is updated more often, Thunkable Live or MIT App Inventor?
Other comparisons
