If you've been exploring Bolt.new for building web applications with AI, you already know the appeal: prompt-to-app magic that eliminates tedious setup and gets you from idea to working prototype in minutes. But Bolt.new isn't the only player in this rapidly evolving space.
Whether you're hitting token limits, looking for better pricing, or just want more control over your codebase, there are compelling alternatives worth considering. After testing the leading platforms and analyzing their features, pricing, and real-world performance, I've put together this comprehensive guide to help you find the right tool for your needs.
What Makes a Great Bolt.new Alternative?
Before exploring specific platforms, let's establish what matters most when evaluating these AI-powered development tools:
Full-Stack Capabilities: The best alternatives handle both frontend and backend, including databases, authentication, and API integrations.
Code Quality and Ownership: You should get clean, production-ready code that you actually own and can export.
Developer Experience: Intuitive interfaces, good documentation, and reliable AI that understands context without excessive hand-holding.
Deployment Options: One-click deployment is table stakes. The question is whether you get flexibility in hosting choices.
Pricing Transparency: Usage-based models can rack up surprise bills. Look for platforms with clear limits and predictable costs.
With that framework in mind, here are the ten best alternatives to Bolt.new in 2025.
1. Base44 – The All-in-One Champion
Base44 has emerged as the most complete alternative to Bolt.new, and for good reason. This platform doesn't just generate code—it provides a true end-to-end solution that includes everything you need to launch a functional web application.
What Sets Base44 Apart
Base44 takes an "everything included" approach that eliminates the integration headaches common with other platforms. When you describe your app idea in plain English, Base44 generates not just the UI components, but also configures your database schema, sets up user authentication with proper security measures, implements role-based permissions, and provisions hosting—all automatically.
The platform recently caught major attention when Wix acquired it for a reported eighty million dollars, signaling serious validation of its approach. That acquisition brings additional resources and distribution while maintaining the core product velocity that made Base44 stand out.
Key Features
- Conversational AI Builder: Describe your application in natural language and watch Base44 build it. The AI uses either Claude Sonnet 4 or Gemini 2.5 Pro, automatically selecting the best model for your request.
- Built-in Backend Infrastructure: Unlike platforms that require you to connect external databases, Base44 includes database management, file storage, and analytics right out of the box.
- Instant Deployment: Apps are hosted automatically on Base44's infrastructure with custom domain support. No configuration needed.
- Iterative Refinement: After the initial build, you can chat with the AI to make adjustments. Need a different layout? Just ask. Want to add new features? Describe them in the chat.
Who Should Use Base44
Base44 shines for non-technical founders, solo entrepreneurs, and teams that want speed without sacrificing functionality. If you need to validate an idea quickly or build internal tools without hiring developers, this is your platform.
It's particularly strong for projects where you want everything managed in one place rather than stitching together multiple services. The trade-off is less flexibility compared to platforms that let you bring your own backend, but for most use cases, what Base44 provides out of the box is more than sufficient.
Pricing
Base44 offers a free tier for testing ideas, with paid plans starting around twenty-five dollars per month. The pricing scales based on usage credits for integrations like LLM calls, file uploads, and database queries. This model makes costs predictable for typical projects while allowing you to scale as needed.
2. v0 by Vercel – The Frontend Specialist
Vercel's v0 takes a different approach than full-stack builders. It focuses exclusively on generating high-quality React components and frontend interfaces, which it does exceptionally well.
The v0 Advantage
If you're building modern web interfaces with React, v0 delivers production-ready components that use current best practices. The tool generates clean code with Tailwind CSS for styling, and the results typically require minimal tweaking.
What makes v0 unique is its integration with the Vercel ecosystem. You can generate components, preview them in real-time, and deploy to Vercel's edge network with minimal friction. The platform also offers Figma integration, making it valuable for designer-developer handoff workflows.
Strengths and Limitations
The code quality from v0 is consistently high. Components are well-structured, accessible, and follow React conventions. However, v0 doesn't generate backend logic. You'll need to implement API routes, database connections, and authentication separately.
This focused approach has advantages. If you already have backend infrastructure or prefer services like Supabase or Firebase, v0 slots in perfectly without making assumptions about your stack. But if you need a complete application from a single prompt, you'll want a full-stack alternative.
Pricing
v0 offers a free plan with limited credits, perfect for occasional use. The Pro plan at twenty dollars per month includes extended usage limits and access to more powerful AI models. For teams, there's a thirty-dollar per user monthly plan with collaboration features and shared credits.
3. Lovable – The GitHub-First Builder
Lovable positions itself as the bridge between no-code convenience and traditional development workflows. Every app you build with Lovable can be exported to GitHub, giving you full code ownership and integration with standard development practices.
What Makes Lovable Different
Lovable generates full-stack applications from conversational prompts, similar to Bolt.new and Base44. The distinction lies in its developer-friendly approach. Apps sync automatically to GitHub repositories, making it easy to collaborate using pull requests, branching, and version control.
The platform includes Supabase integration for databases, so while it requires connecting an external service, you get the flexibility of PostgreSQL with a straightforward setup process. The AI can scaffold database schemas, set up relationships, and generate the necessary queries.
The Iterative Workflow
After Lovable generates your initial app, you continue refining through conversation. The platform maintains context across multiple requests, so you can make incremental improvements without restarting from scratch. Version 2.0 introduced multiplayer coding, allowing multiple developers to work on the same codebase simultaneously.
Pricing Reality
Lovable uses a credit-based system where each message to the AI costs one credit. The free tier includes five credits daily. Paid plans start at twenty-five dollars monthly for one hundred credits, scaling to five hundred or more on higher tiers.
The credit model means costs can add up for complex projects requiring many iterations. However, "fix" requests don't count toward your limit, letting you debug without burning through credits.
4. Cursor – The Pro Developer's Choice
While tools like Base44 and Lovable aim to make development accessible to non-coders, Cursor targets professional developers who want AI assistance without giving up control.
Understanding Cursor
Cursor is an AI-native code editor built on VS Code's foundation. Rather than generating entire applications from prompts, it provides intelligent assistance throughout your coding workflow. Think of it as having an expert pair programmer who can write code, debug issues, and explain complex logic on demand.
The platform integrates multiple AI models, including GPT-4, Claude Opus, and Gemini, allowing you to choose the best model for each task. Advanced features like Agent mode can handle multi-file refactoring and complex implementation tasks.
The Learning Curve
Cursor is more powerful than app builders but requires actual coding knowledge. You're not describing what you want in plain English and getting a finished app—you're writing code with AI assistance. The benefit is complete control over your architecture, dependencies, and implementation details.
This makes Cursor ideal for experienced developers building production applications. It accelerates development without introducing the constraints of template-based systems.
Pricing Controversy
Cursor's pricing has been contentious. The platform recently shifted to a usage-based model where the twenty-dollar Pro plan includes twenty dollars of API credits at cost. Heavy use of premium models can exhaust these credits quickly, triggering additional charges.
For developers doing serious work, the Pro Plus plan at sixty dollars monthly provides three times the usage, while the two-hundred-dollar Ultra plan offers twenty times more capacity.
5. Replit Agent – The All-in-One Development Platform
Replit combines a cloud IDE, AI agent, and hosting platform into a comprehensive development environment. Unlike tools focused solely on initial generation, Replit supports the entire development lifecycle.
How Replit Agent Works
Replit's Agent can build applications from natural language descriptions, but it goes further by helping you iterate, debug, and deploy within the same environment. The platform supports over fifty programming languages and provides real-time collaboration features for team projects.
When you describe an application, Replit Agent scaffolds the structure, implements features, and can even debug itself when it encounters errors. The "effort-based pricing" model means simple tasks cost less while complex implementations carry higher charges.
The Reality of Costs
Replit's pricing structure has faced criticism for unpredictability. The Core plan at twenty-five dollars monthly includes twenty-five dollars in usage credits, but complex projects can burn through these quickly. Some users report unexpectedly high bills when the Agent takes longer than anticipated to complete tasks.
Despite pricing concerns, Replit's integrated approach makes it valuable for teams that want a unified platform. You can code, test, deploy, and monitor applications without switching between multiple tools.
6. Windsurf – The Context King
Windsurf, developed by Codeium, represents a newer generation of AI coding assistants that prioritize deep contextual understanding over simple autocomplete.
Cascade: The Secret Weapon
Windsurf's standout feature is Cascade, an AI system that maintains awareness of your entire codebase, understanding relationships between files, tracking changes in real-time, and making suggestions that account for your project's full context.
This contextual awareness means Windsurf can handle complex refactoring across multiple files, catch potential conflicts before they become bugs, and maintain consistency in coding patterns throughout your project.
Workflow Integration
Windsurf offers three modes: Write Mode for direct code changes, Chat Mode for contextual help, and Turbo Mode for fully autonomous task execution. This flexibility lets you control how much autonomy you give the AI.
The platform also includes in-editor previews for web projects, letting you see changes live without leaving your development environment. Deployment can be handled with one-click configuration generation for platforms like Railway and Heroku.
Pricing
Windsurf provides a free tier with limited prompt credits and basic features. The Pro plan at twenty-five dollars monthly includes five hundred prompt credits, access to advanced AI models, and unlimited autocomplete.
7. Softgen – The Code-First Alternative
For users who want AI assistance but prefer working directly with code, Softgen offers a middle ground between no-code builders and traditional IDEs.
The Softgen Approach
Softgen generates full-stack applications from natural language prompts, similar to other platforms on this list. The key difference is its built-in IDE that lets you edit generated code directly within the platform.
This is valuable when the AI gets something almost right but needs manual adjustment. Rather than trying to prompt your way to perfection, you can dive into the code and make precise changes.
Technical Stack
Softgen uses Next.js for frontend, Firebase for backend services, and includes integrated authentication and payment processing through Stripe. The platform handles the boilerplate while giving you access to customize implementation details.
Pricing
Paid plans start at twenty dollars monthly with one-click Vercel integration for deployment. GitHub repository sync is included, ensuring code ownership and version control.
8. UI Bakery – The Internal Tools Specialist
While most platforms target general web development, UI Bakery focuses specifically on building internal tools, admin panels, and data-heavy applications.
What UI Bakery Does Best
UI Bakery excels at creating applications connected to databases, APIs, and authentication systems. The platform provides pre-built components optimized for CRUD operations, data visualization, and workflow automation.
The AI app generator can scaffold responsive UIs from natural language descriptions, but where UI Bakery really shines is in its data connectivity. You can connect to SQL databases, REST APIs, GraphQL endpoints, and various SaaS tools, then build interfaces that interact with this data.
Best For
Teams building internal dashboards, customer support tools, or admin interfaces will find UI Bakery's focus valuable. It's less about consumer-facing applications and more about the operational tools businesses need.
9. Trickle – The Rapid Prototyper
Trickle positions itself as a platform for quickly validating ideas without deep technical knowledge. The all-in-one ecosystem includes frontend, backend, database, and hosting in a unified package.
Standout Features
Trickle's built-in database eliminates the need for external services like Supabase. Authentication, verification, and basic business logic are handled automatically. The platform also includes a one-click Vercel deployment option for going live.
The drag-and-drop interface makes it accessible to non-developers, while the AI capabilities help generate more complex functionality that would typically require coding.
Limitations
Trickle works best for straightforward applications. Complex custom features can be challenging to implement, and the platform's opinionated structure may feel limiting for developers used to full control.
10. Bubble – The No-Code Veteran
While newer platforms leverage cutting-edge AI, Bubble has been in the no-code space for years and recently integrated AI capabilities into its mature platform.
Why Bubble Still Matters
Bubble's ecosystem is vast. The platform offers extensive plugins, templates, and community resources that newer platforms can't match. Recent AI additions allow natural language prompts to scaffold pages, logic, and workflows, bringing some of the magic of newer tools to a proven platform.
For complex web applications requiring sophisticated business logic, workflows, and integrations, Bubble's depth remains unmatched. The learning curve is steeper than AI-first platforms, but the payoff is greater control and capability.
Pricing Consideration
Bubble's pricing starts higher than AI-first platforms, with plans ranging from twenty-nine to over three hundred dollars monthly depending on features and capacity needs.
How to Choose the Right Alternative
Selecting the best Bolt.new alternative depends on your specific situation:
Choose Base44 if: You want the fastest path from idea to working app with minimal technical knowledge required.
Choose v0 if: You're building frontend interfaces and already have backend infrastructure.
Choose Lovable if: You want AI assistance but need code ownership and GitHub integration.
Choose Cursor if: You're an experienced developer who wants AI to accelerate your existing workflow.
Choose Replit if: You need an all-in-one platform for development, testing, and deployment.
Choose Windsurf if: Deep contextual understanding of large codebases is your priority.
Choose Softgen if: You want to generate code but maintain the ability to edit it directly.
Choose UI Bakery if: Internal tools and data-connected applications are your focus.
Choose Trickle if: Rapid prototyping with built-in infrastructure appeals to you.
Choose Bubble if: You need maximum functionality and don't mind a steeper learning curve.
The Future of AI App Development
The platforms covered in this guide represent a fundamental shift in how software gets built. We're moving from code-first to intent-first development, where describing what you want is often sufficient to create functional applications.
That said, we're still in the early stages. AI-generated code can be inconsistent, costs can surprise users, and complex requirements often require human intervention. These tools excel at getting you eighty percent of the way there quickly—the final twenty percent still demands traditional development skills.
As the technology matures, expect to see better context retention, more accurate cost predictions, and improved ability to handle complex requirements. The platforms that succeed will likely be those that balance AI assistance with developer control, providing power without sacrificing flexibility.
For now, the best approach is to start with a specific project in mind, test multiple platforms, and see which workflow feels most natural for your needs. Most offer free tiers or trials that let you experiment before committing.
The barrier to building software has never been lower. Whether you're a non-technical founder validating a startup idea, a developer seeking to move faster, or a team looking to prototype without extensive resources, there's a platform on this list that can help you ship faster.
The question isn't whether AI can help you build applications—it's which tool will help you build them best.