Lovable vs Bolt.new
Lovable budgets free building in credits; Bolt.new budgets it in tokens. Compare hosting, branding, and ongoing usage separately rather than treating those allowances as equivalent amounts of work.
Sources checked October 22, 2026 · No paid editorial rankings
| What matters |  Lovable |  Bolt.new |
|---|---|---|
| Category | App builders | App builders |
| Platforms | Web | Web |
| Pricing model | Free plan with paid upgrades | Free plan with paid upgrades |
| Free AI plan | Yes | Yes |
| Why consider it | Prompt-based app prototyping | App and website prototyping |
| Limitations | Review source material and outputs yourself; advertised capabilities are not independently benchmarked here.; Free build allowance: 5 credits per day, capped at 30 per calendar month. Cloud and deployed AI grants are separate and temporary. | Review source material and outputs yourself; advertised capabilities are not independently benchmarked here.; Free: 1 million tokens per month, with daily limits and Bolt branding. |
Verified details & limits
Documented facts, with the source and date for each detail. Unknowns and conflicts are identified separately.
| Detail | Lovable | Bolt.new |
|---|---|---|
| Free access | Ongoing free plan Official sourceChecked October 22, 2026 | Ongoing free plan Official sourceChecked October 22, 2026 |
| Free limits | Free build allowance: 5 credits per day, capped at 30 per calendar month. Cloud and deployed AI grants are separate and temporary. Official sourceChecked October 22, 2026 | Free: 1 million tokens per month, with daily limits and Bolt branding. Official sourceChecked October 22, 2026 |
| Paid pricing | Not verified Official sourceChecked October 22, 2026 | Pro: $216/year billed annually (equivalent to $18/month). Official sourceChecked October 22, 2026 |
| Best suited to | Prompt-based app prototyping Official sourceChecked October 22, 2026 | App and website prototyping Official sourceChecked October 22, 2026 |
| Hosting | Cloud and deployed AI usage draw on separate grants or the general credit balance. Temporary allowances may change. Official sourceChecked October 22, 2026 | Website hosting on Free; own custom domain and removal of Bolt branding listed on Pro. Official sourceChecked October 22, 2026 |
Direct answer
Lovable budgets free building in credits; Bolt.new budgets it in tokens. Compare hosting, branding, and ongoing usage separately rather than treating those allowances as equivalent amounts of work.
A prototype is only the first cost
Lovable's documentation separates build credits from Cloud and deployed AI usage. Bolt's pricing describes a free token budget with daily limits and included website hosting. Neither budget guarantees a particular number of completed apps, because task size and repeated edits affect usage.
Decide what launch requires
Write down whether you need a custom domain, backend features, exported code, or GitHub synchronization. This research pass did not verify every export or integration condition, so those capabilities are not ranked here. Bolt lists a custom domain with Pro; check the current Lovable account and hosting terms for your own requirements.
Who should evaluate which?
A first-time builder can compare the two by creating a small, permitted prototype and reviewing how usage is reported. A commercial launch also needs security, accessibility, and maintenance review. We have not built or benchmarked an app with either service for this comparison.
A practical decision check
Write down your required task, your acceptable limits, and the result you need to keep or export. Check those requirements against the sourced table above and the current account screen before paying. A free allowance is a way to evaluate suitability; it does not establish output quality or guarantee ongoing access.
Methodology
This is an editorial comparison of official product documentation checked 2026-10-22. Recommendations concern workflow fit, not measured accuracy, earnings, or speed. We did not run a hands-on benchmark. Unknown details and conflicting sources remain labeled in the fact table.
Related resources
Sources & verification
Official sources checked October 22, 2026. Information can change; confirm current terms with the provider. This is a source-based editorial overview, not a hands-on test.
Recommendations reflect fit, not guaranteed results. Read our affiliate disclosure.