Lovable vs Bolt vs v0 (2026): Which AI App Builder Fits Your Project?
Lovable, Bolt.new and v0 all turn a prompt into a working app, so on the surface they look interchangeable. They aren't. Each is built around a different idea of who the builder is and where the app will live. This page sets out who each tool is for, the problem it solves, its trade-offs and limits, and what its plans include, based only on each tool's official website (pricing checked October 16, 2026). We have not run our own benchmark of these tools, so this is a decision guide, not a test report.
The short answer
- Pick [Lovable](/tool/lovable) if you want to describe a full web app in plain English and get the database, auth and publishing handled for you, with as little code as possible.
- Pick [Bolt.new](/tool/bolt-new) if you want a full-stack app built and run entirely in the browser, with hosting and databases included and a usage model measured in tokens.
- Pick [v0](/tool/v0) if you work in React and Next.js, want polished UI, and plan to deploy on Vercel.
If you are still deciding what your whole stack looks like, start with our Ship an MVP guide, then come back here to pick the builder.
At a glance
| Lovable | Bolt.new | v0 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Made by | Lovable | StackBlitz | Vercel |
| Core idea | Chat to build full-stack web apps | AI builder that writes, runs and deploys full-stack apps in the browser | Prompt to React and Next.js apps you can ship |
| Free plan | $0, no credit card needed | $0, 300K tokens daily limit, 1M tokens per month | $0, 7 messages a day |
| First paid plan | Pro, $25/month (100 monthly credits) | Pro, $25/month billed monthly | Plus, from $30 per user/month ($30 of monthly credits per user) |
| Usage measured in | Credits | Tokens | Credits, with token rates per v0 model |
| Hosting | lovable.app domains; custom domains on Pro | Website hosting included; custom domains on Pro | Deploys to Vercel |
Prices are from each tool's own pricing page on October 16, 2026, in USD, and they change often. Always check Lovable pricing, Bolt pricing and v0 pricing before you commit.
Lovable: for non-developers who want a full product
Who it's for: founders, designers and first-time builders who want a working web app, not a code project.
The problem it solves: going from an idea to a live, logged-in web app without assembling a backend yourself. Lovable describes itself as an AI software engineer that lets anyone build for the web by chatting, with no technical knowledge needed.
What the plans include (official pricing page):
- Free: $0 a month, no credit card needed, workspace-private projects, unlimited collaborators, 5 lovable.app domains and community support.
- Pro: $25 a month with 100 monthly credits, unlimited users, credit rollovers, on-demand top-ups, custom domains, removal of the Lovable badge and email support.
- Business: $50 a month with 100 monthly credits, plus team workspace, role-based access, internal publishing, SSO and priority support.
- Enterprise: custom, volume-based pricing.
Trade-offs and limits:
- Usage is metered in credits, and Lovable's pricing page says the cost of a message depends on task complexity. Its own examples range from 0.50 credits for a small style change to 1.70 for a landing page with generated images. Bigger projects use more credits.
- Monthly plan credits expire two months after they are issued if you don't use them, according to Lovable's FAQ.
- Custom domains and removing the Lovable badge need a paid plan.
Bolt.new: for builders who want everything in the browser
Who it's for: builders who want to prompt, run, edit and deploy a full-stack app in one browser tab, and who are comfortable thinking about usage in tokens.
The problem it solves: no local setup. Bolt.new is StackBlitz's in-browser AI builder that writes, runs and deploys full-stack apps from a prompt, with hosting and databases on every plan.
What the plans include (official pricing page):
- Free: $0, public and private projects, a 300K token daily limit and 1M tokens a month, Bolt branding on websites, a 10MB file upload limit, website hosting up to 333k web requests and unlimited databases.
- Pro: $25 a month billed monthly, no daily token limit, starting at 10M tokens a month, no Bolt branding, private site sharing, a 100MB upload limit, hosting up to 1M web requests, token rollover, custom domains, SEO boosting and expanded database capacity with a choice of database provider.
- Teams: $30 per member a month billed monthly, adding centralized billing and team admin controls.
- Enterprise: custom.
Bolt says yearly billing saves up to 28%.
Trade-offs and limits:
- The free plan's daily token cap is the main constraint for anything bigger than a prototype, and free sites carry Bolt branding.
- Token usage grows with project size, so your costs depend on how much the AI has to read and write. Bolt's FAQ covers how tokens work.
- Custom domains need Pro.
v0: for React and Next.js developers on Vercel
Who it's for: developers and designers who want high-quality React and Next.js output and already use, or plan to use, Vercel.
The problem it solves: turning a prompt or design into production-style React UI and apps that deploy straight to Vercel, with GitHub sync and a visual Design Mode.
What the plans include (official pricing page):
- Free: $0 a month, deploy apps to Vercel, edit visually with Design Mode, sync with GitHub and a limit of 7 messages a day.
- Plus: from $30 per user a month, with access to all models, $30 of included monthly credits per user, $2 of free daily credits on login, extra credit purchases and team sharing.
- Business: $100 per user a month, adding training opt-out by default.
- Enterprise: custom, with SAML SSO and role-based access control.
v0 also lists per-model token rates (v0 Mini, v0 Pro, v0 Max and v0 Max Fast), so the model you choose affects how quickly credits are used.
Trade-offs and limits:
- The free plan's 7 messages a day suits trying v0 out, not building a full product.
- It is built around React, Next.js and Vercel. If you don't want to host on Vercel, the fit is weaker.
- Usage depends on the model you pick, so costs are less predictable than a flat message count.
How to choose
- You don't code and want a finished product: start with Lovable. Read Lovable vs v0 if you are also weighing v0.
- You want zero setup and like a browser IDE: start with Bolt.new. See Lovable vs Bolt.new for the two-way breakdown.
- You are a React developer shipping on Vercel: start with v0, and pair it with Vercel hosting.
- You expect to outgrow the builder: all three let you work with the code. Many builders later move to an AI editor such as Cursor or Claude Code.
Whatever you pick, you will probably need a backend and payments. Supabase and Stripe are common next steps, and our Ship an MVP page lists the full stack. Want more options? See Vibely, another prompt-to-app builder in our directory, or browse our Featured page and the Best AI Tools for Vibe Coders (2026) guide.
Next step
Open the free plan of the tool that matches your situation above and build one small, real screen of your project, such as a sign-up page or a dashboard. A single real task tells you more about fit than any comparison table, including this one.
FAQ
Which is best for beginners: Lovable, Bolt or v0? For people with no coding background, Lovable and Bolt.new are the most approachable because they handle the backend and hosting. v0 suits people comfortable with React and Vercel.
Do Lovable, Bolt and v0 have free plans? Yes. On October 16, 2026, Lovable's free plan was $0 with no credit card needed, Bolt.new's free plan included a 300K token daily limit and 1M tokens a month, and v0's free plan allowed 7 messages a day. Check each official pricing page for current limits.
Which is cheapest? Lovable Pro and Bolt Pro both list $25 a month, and v0 Plus starts at $30 per user a month. Each meters usage differently (credits, tokens or model-based credits), so the real cost depends on how much you build.
Can I use my own domain? Lovable and Bolt.new both list custom domains on their Pro plans. v0's pricing page says apps deploy to Vercel; check Vercel's own docs for how domains work there.
Did Stackdrop test these tools? No. This comparison is based on each tool's official website and pricing page. We have not run hands-on benchmarks, and we don't claim to have.