Lovable and Bolt are both tools that beginner vibe coders can use to produce working apps and web pages—similar to Replit and v0.
They have different origins: Lovable started as GPT Engineer, an open source project advancing the use of AI to build software, while Bolt initially launched as a competitor to the K12 learning platform Blackboard and evolved from users' pain at dealing with the complexity of setting up a development environment.
Now that they're both popular vibe coding tools, folks are figuring out which one is best. I've used both (for different purposes), so let's take a look at how I've used them and how they stack up.
Note: Lovable recently released version 2.0, which notably adds a "multiplayer" mode for collaborating on projects. There's been some user backlash, but this is a common reaction to platform updates with AI coding tools, and sentiment tends to level out after the dust settles.
Table of contents:
Bolt gives you a little more control in the development environment
Lovable's deployment and hosting options are better for beginners
Lovable vs. Bolt at a glance
Here's how Lovable and Bolt stack up at a glance:
Lovable is best for designers, marketers, and small business owners because it's excellent for building out stylized user interfaces (UIs) that seamlessly transition into working prototypes and webpages. I think it's the most beginner-friendly AI coding tool currently available—compared to Bolt, Replit, and even Cursor. I'm completely blown away by my ability to build and deploy a working landing page and connect to a custom domain so quickly using Lovable.
Bolt is best for developers and builders looking for a start-to-finish solution for web and mobile app development with lots of support for popular tech stacks. (Just keep in mind I'm referring to Bolt.new, which is StackBlitz's commercial version of the AI development tool, and not Bolt.diy, the open source version.)
| Lovable | Bolt |
|---|---|---|
Best for | Designers, marketers, and small business owners creating stylized interfaces and prototypes | Developers and advanced builders looking for modular architecture and back-end support |
Development environment | ⭐⭐⭐ Browser-based with a simplified coding interface; sanitized error fixing process | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Browser-based with a simplified coding interface alongside developer-centric features like preconfigured tech stacks |
GitHub integration and deployment | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Built-in GitHub integration and Lovable deployment option that supports custom domains; option to deploy to Netlify | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Built-in Stripe and GitHub integrations; no built-in deployment option but seamless Netlify option |
Learning curve and flexibility | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Very beginner-friendly to pick up, but more constrained; limited options for handling complex app logic | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Slightly harder learning curve suited to more experienced builders; greater control over structure and flow |
AI model capabilities | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Handles simple-to-moderate builds well; some recent dissatisfaction with the latest update (may be different by the time you read this) | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ More powerful for advanced builds; recent updates improved design capabilities |
Pricing | Free plan with 5 daily build inputs; Pro starts at $20/month for 100 monthly credits | Free plan includes 1M tokens total and daily limits; Pro starts at $20/month for 10M tokens/month |
Both apps have a similar development environment, but Bolt gives you a little more control
Both Lovable and Bolt are browser-based. And unlike other integrated development environments (IDEs)—like Cursor and Windsurf for more advanced users—much of what's happening behind the scenes is obscured when you use Lovable and Bolt. Technically, you can interact with the code editor and terminal—you just don't have to.
Because of this, there are a few limitations to note when using Lovable or Bolt compared to other IDEs:
Extended use of either tool can be limiting for complex projects.
Both apps may force acceptance of changes that you don't want if you stay in build mode (versus the "chat" and "discuss" modes in Lovable and Bolt, respectively)
But that means both Lovable and Bolt are pretty easy to pick up. Here's chat mode in Lovable—you can see the chat interaction on the left side.
And here's discuss mode in Bolt—very similar look.
Fixing errors in Lovable is particularly easy: it mainly involves clicking a button that copies an error code and message, then auto-prompts Lovable to make a fix to address that error code.
Error troubleshooting is less sanitized in Bolt, which also means you'll have more insight into and opportunities to participate in the vibe debugging process.
If you're using the tools as a developer, Bolt gives you a bit more control, but if you're non-developer, you probably won't notice much of a difference.
AI capabilities in Lovable and Bolt are similar
In my experience, Bolt and Lovable's AI capabilities function much the same. But I did feel like I got a lot further with a lot less effort when building in Bolt, even though it's designed for more advanced use cases than Lovable.
Interestingly, both tools incorporate recent Claude models in their AI agents—the difference is in how each one builds around these interactions. (And to make things even more interesting, Bolt just released a significant update to its design capabilities.)
Here's the same prompt, verbatim, and the result in Lovable and Bolt.
And the results:
Lovable did pretty good (even trolled me with the YouTube placeholder); Bolt's just feels more polished out of the gate (despite the typo in the heading).
Lovable's deployment and hosting options are better for beginners
Lovable and Bolt are also very similarly matched in terms of deployment and hosting options. But one thing that sets Lovable apart: it has its own built-in deployment feature, which means you can use its web hosting to publish your finished project without switching to another tool. (Paid plans even allow you to use custom domains.)
Alternatively, deploying to Netlify—another platform for hosting apps—is really straightforward. And Lovable also has a built-in integration with Supabase for database management. But if you want to build something that requires more than basic database management, I recommend using Bolt or Cursor instead.
Bolt doesn't have a built-in deployment option, but it also offers a built-in integration with Supabase and a seamless deployment option in Netlify. It also has a noteworthy built-in integration with Stripe.
Both apps provide a seamless way to transfer what you've built to GitHub. From there, you can do whatever you want with your code. Even if you're not familiar with exporting and importing code projects, it just takes a few clicks once you've connected your GitHub account.
Bolt offers slightly more value for the price
Lovable and Bolt are generally comparable in terms of the value you get for a paid plan, down to the price you'll pay for a monthly subscription: $20.
But there are a few minor differences to note. For starters, Lovable's free plan includes five daily input messages to build. Bolt, on the other hand, offers a free plan that includes one million tokens and daily usage limits of about 100k tokens per day (with an estimated 25k tokens per build request). Because of the differences between credits and tokens (and other ways AI coding tools measure use), it's hard to be scientific about it, but I found Bolt's free plan to be pretty generous compared to other AI coding tools. I could accomplish more each day before I hit the free limit on Bolt.
Once you move into the paid plans, Lovable's pricing starts at $20/month for the Pro tier, which provides 100 monthly credits and additional levels of customization if you plan to deploy your projects within the same platform.
Bolt's pricing also starts at $20/month for the Pro plan, which includes 10 million monthly tokens. Most other AI coding tools have pricing models based on requests/activity, so this token basis is a bit more novel and variable. Although it doesn't translate cleanly, I'd say it's generally comparable to Lovable's 100 credits/month Pro plan.
I suggest referencing Bolt's guide on maximizing tokens for best practices and efficient spending.
Lovable vs. Bolt: Which coding tool is right for you?
You can use both of these tools in much the same ways, from one-shot prompts to beautiful working apps (she says with heavy caveats). And in an ideal world with an unlimited budget, I'd say don't choose between them: use both for their strengths. Here's what that might look like:
Lovable to build the front-end user interface (the look and feel and basic website structure)
Bolt to add the back-end functionality (things like user authentication and APIs)
Then you might even switch to Cursor for making future changes after building the foundation in Lovable and the architecture in Bolt.
But if you're sticking with one (which, fair), here's what I'd say:
Choose Lovable if you want a complete "managed platform" for AI building, and you're not looking for anything technically complex. You'll get help creating a UI that you can actually use as a working prototype or web page, and you can even deploy it within the same tool.
Choose Bolt if you're building an app or website with advanced functionality (e.g., you need a way to authenticate users, call an API, etc.) or you want a little more control in getting from start to finish in the building process.
The best news: Lovable and Bolt are developing quickly, and current users are just starting to scratch the surface of their potential. As resources catch up with the eagerness to learn and build, you can consult these options to get started:
Find support in the Lovable and Bolt subreddits, each with 5k+ members at publication.
The Every blog is a great resource for big picture thinking about working with AI. Katie Parrott frequently shares her experience building with AI coding tools like Lovable.
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