Lovable vs Bolt.new: Which AI App Builder is Best?
Compare Lovable and Bolt.new for building apps with AI. We analyze features, pricing, code quality, and help you choose the right no-code/low-code AI builder.
Quick Comparison
Lovable
$20-100/month
Building polished, production-ready apps with beautiful UI
- Excellent UI/UX out of the box
- Supabase integration built-in
- One-click deployment
- Great for MVPs and startups
- Responsive design by default
- More expensive at higher tiers
- Less flexibility for custom architectures
- Limited backend complexity
- Credit system can be costly
Bolt.new
$0-50/month
Rapid prototyping and iterative development with full code access
- Full StackBlitz environment
- Complete code visibility and control
- Generous free tier
- Great for learning
- Multiple framework support
- UI polish requires more iteration
- Steeper learning curve
- Deployment needs manual setup
- Can burn through credits fast
The AI App Builder Showdown
Building apps with AI has never been easier. Lovable and Bolt.new are two of the most popular AI app builders, but they serve different needs.
Philosophy: Polish vs Flexibility
Lovable: The App Factory
Lovable focuses on shipping beautiful apps fast:
- Produces polished UI by default
- Integrated backend with Supabase
- One-click deployment
- Designed for non-technical founders
Bolt.new: The AI Sandbox
Bolt.new prioritizes flexibility and learning:
- Full StackBlitz development environment
- Complete code access
- Multiple framework options
- Great for developers who want control
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Lovable | Bolt.new |
|---|---|---|
| UI Quality | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Code Access | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Backend | Supabase built-in | Manual setup |
| Deployment | One-click | Manual/Netlify |
| Free Tier | Limited | Generous |
| Frameworks | React/Next.js | Multiple |
| Learning Curve | Easy | Moderate |
Real-World Use Cases
Building a SaaS MVP: Lovable Wins
For quickly shipping a polished SaaS:
Lovable delivers:
- Beautiful landing page
- Auth and user management
- Database integration
- Payment setup
- All in a few hours
Building a Prototype: Bolt.new Wins
For rapid experimentation:
Bolt.new excels:
- Try different approaches fast
- Full code visibility
- Easy to iterate
- Learn while building
Code Quality Comparison
Both produce clean, modern code:
Lovable:
- Tailwind CSS
- React/Next.js
- TypeScript
- Supabase integration
Bolt.new:
- Framework of your choice
- Full StackBlitz environment
- Real-time preview
- Easy debugging
Pricing Breakdown
| Plan | Lovable | Bolt.new |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Limited messages | Decent allowance |
| Starter | $20/month | Free tier |
| Pro | $50/month | ~$20/month |
| Team | $100/month | ~$50/month |
Deployment Options
Lovable
- One-click Lovable hosting
- Connect to custom domain
- GitHub sync for CI/CD
Bolt.new
- Export to Netlify
- Deploy to Vercel manually
- Full control over hosting
When to Use Which
Choose Lovable for...
- Production-ready MVPs
- Non-technical founders
- Apps that need to look polished
- Supabase-powered backends
- Quick time-to-market
Choose Bolt.new for...
- Rapid prototyping
- Learning to code
- Full code control
- Custom architectures
- Budget-conscious projects
The Power User Workflow
Many developers combine both:
- Prototype in Bolt.new - Fast iteration, full control
- Polish in Lovable - Beautiful UI, easy deployment
- Customize in VS Code - Fine-tune the exported code
- Earn with Idlen - Passive income while building
Our Verdict
For non-technical founders: Lovable is the clear choice. It produces polished, deployable apps with minimal effort.
For developers: Bolt.new offers more flexibility and learning opportunities. The full code access and StackBlitz environment are invaluable.
For production apps: Lovable's polish and integrated backend make it better for shipping real products.
For experimentation: Bolt.new's generous free tier and flexibility make it ideal for prototyping.
Related Resources
- Lovable vs v0 - Compare with another UI builder
- Multi-Tool Vibe Coding Workflow - Combine AI tools effectively
- 15 AI Tools That Improve Developer Workflow - Complete AI tool guide
Use both and earn money
Install Idlen and earn passive income while using Lovable, Bolt.new, and other AI tools.
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about Lovable vs Bolt.new