Lovable PromptsLovable Prompts
    Vendor pages re-read 3 measured Lovable runsBolt.new priced from its own pages, not run

    Lovable vs Bolt.new: what you pay for and what you keep

    Same category, same shape of product: a prompt in, a hosted full-stack app out, GitHub sync in both directions. Read on 23 October 2026, the vendor pages separate them on four things: what the meter counts, how far the free plan goes, who can import an existing repository, and what a second builder costs. Only Lovable has been run here; Bolt is priced from its own pages.

    Which one for you

    Four questions, one answer

    Do you already have a codebase on GitHub?
    How many people will build?
    Will you edit the code by hand often?
    Do you want a flat price for planning before building?

    Your answer

    Either, on these answers

    Nothing you answered separates them. Read the meter section: that is where the bills diverge.

    Browse the measured prompts →

    Scored from the facts in the table below, one row per question. Lovable gets no bonus points.

    What you pay for

    The meter decides the bill, and the two count different things

    Both vendors sell a monthly allowance and spend it per message. What the message costs is where they part, in their own words, read on 23 October 2026.

    Lovable counts work done

    • Build mode is billed on the complexity of the request and the work completed; more codebase exploration, browser checks or generated images cost more. Lovable credits docs
    • Plan mode is a flat 1 credit a message plus any research it runs, and never changes code. Chat mode is a fraction of a credit, priced separately through 31 October 2026.
    • Lovable's illustrative examples run from 0.50 credits for a button colour to 2.00 for a landing page with images. Our measured runs: 1.8, 9.5 and 10.4 credits.
    • A request stopped before any change is not charged; long builds pause at 20 credits by default so you can continue or wrap up.

    Bolt counts tokens, and the project size sets them

    • Most of your token usage comes from Bolt reading, understanding and syncing your project files, so larger projects use more tokens per message. A one-line change to a big app is not a cheap request. Bolt token docs
    • Each message counts both your input and Bolt's output. Editing in Code view uses no tokens.
    • Paid tokens roll over for two months from the start of the cycle they came in and are spent oldest first; free tokens do not roll over. Reloads exist on the top monthly Pro tier and every annual Pro plan, and reload tokens never expire; their price shows only in-app.
    • Bolt prints no example cost per task, and we did not run it. Lovable's own comparison page claims it needs fewer credits for the same tasks and gives no figure, so that claim carries no weight here either. Lovable's own comparison page
    How many builds one month buys on Lovable, from the 3 measured runs

    Free plan (30 build credits a month) in rose, Pro 100 in lime. Each bar divides the plan by the credits that run cost.

    Landing page + email opt-in1.8 credits1655Empty states and skeletons9.5 credits310SaaS MVP with user auth10.4 credits29
    Builds per month on Lovable, per measured run
    RunCreditsFree plan, 30 creditsPro 100
    Landing page + email opt-in1.81655
    Empty states and skeletons9.5310
    SaaS MVP with user auth10.429

    Lovable only. Credits per run read from the workspace credits page before and after, in our own workspace (31 July and 26 September 2026); plan sizes from lovable.dev/pricing on 22 October 2026. Bolt's 1M free tokens and 10M Pro tokens have no measured build behind them here, so no bar.

    Side by side

    Lovable and Bolt.new, row by row

    Lovable and Bolt.new compared on what each is, the meter, free plan, entry price, rollover, team cost, GitHub, other exits, backend, hosting, zero balance and public record, with the date each Bolt.new cell was read
    LovableBolt.newReadSource
    What it isPrompt-to-app builder with a built-in backend (Lovable Cloud, on Supabase's foundation)Prompt-to-app builder with a built-in database and hosting23 October 2026Bolt database docs
    You pay byCredits per message. Build mode is billed on the work completed; Plan mode is a flat 1 creditTokens. Most usage is Bolt reading, understanding and syncing your project files, so larger projects cost more per message23 October 2026Bolt token docs
    Free plan5 build credits a day, up to 30 a month, plus 20 Cloud, 4 AI and 1 connector credit a month. No card1M tokens a month with a 300K daily cap. Free tokens do not roll over23 October 2026Bolt pricing page
    Entry paid planPro €25 a month for 100 credits (€21 billed annually); ladder to 10,000 credits at €2,250Pro $18 a month billed annually ($216 a year) for 10M tokens, no daily cap; the billing docs name a $25 monthly Pro 10M plan23 October 2026Bolt pricing page
    RolloverUnused monthly plan credits roll over, expiring 2 months after issue on monthly plansPaid tokens roll over and stay valid for two months from the start of the cycle they came in; used oldest first23 October 2026Bolt token docs
    A second builder costsNothing: unlimited collaborators on every plan, including Free; per-member credit limits on ProTeams at $27 per member billed annually ($324 a year each); tokens are assigned per member23 October 2026Bolt pricing page
    GitHubTwo-way sync, one branch at a time. Git sync always creates a new repository: it cannot connect to one that existsTwo-way: every change is a commit, and Bolt checks GitHub every 30 seconds for outside changes. Imports an existing repository from the homepage or a URL. No in-app merge23 October 2026Bolt Git docs
    Other ways outClone the synced repository and work locally. Files over 10 MB cannot be saved by LovableDownload as a ZIP and run with npm. Open in StackBlitz is gone for projects on the new storage format (April 2026); Code view stays23 October 2026Bolt project files docs
    Database and authLovable Cloud: database, auth, storage, edge functions and realtime, on every planA Bolt database on every project by default, with sign-in settings; Supabase instead on Pro and Teams. No supported path from a Bolt database to Supabase23 October 2026Bolt database docs
    HostingFree: 5 lovable.app domains, invite-only publishing. Custom domains from ProFree: a .bolt.host domain, 10 GB and 333,333 requests a month with a hard stop, Made in Bolt badge. Pro: custom domains, 30 GB and 1M requests, pay as you go above23 October 2026Bolt hosting plans
    At zero balanceBuilding stops, AI features in deployed apps stop, apps on Cloud pause. A published static site stays upOn Free the daily cap pauses the chat and Code view edits still work, token free. A site over its hosting limit goes offline until the next cycle. What happens when a paid plan runs dry is not documented23 October 2026Bolt token docs
    On the recordCVE-2025-48757 (row-level security in generated projects) and an April 2026 API flaw, patched for new projects, not remediated for projects created before November 2025No major incident in the publications we read23 October 2026The Next Web

    Bolt cells read on the date in the Read column; Lovable prices from lovable.dev/pricing on 22 October 2026, Lovable docs on 23 October 2026. Lovable is shown in euros as displayed to EU visitors. Bolt's pricing page rendered only annual-billed prices today; the $25 and $30 monthly figures are the billing docs' examples and the 26 September read.

    The paid ladders

    What the next tier buys on each

    Paid plan tiers on Lovable and Bolt.new with price, allowance and the source note
    ToolPlanPriceBuysNote
    LovablePro 100€25 a month100 creditsPricing page read 22 October 2026; €0.25 a credit to 800 credits
    LovablePro 1,200€294 a month1,200 creditsFirst discount step, 2%
    LovablePro 10,000€2,250 a month10,000 creditsTop of the ladder, 10% off
    Bolt.newPro 10M, annual$18 a month10M tokens a monthPricing page read 23 October 2026: $216 a year, $300 struck through
    Bolt.newPro 10M, monthly$25 a month10M tokens a monthBilling docs read 23 October 2026; the pricing page rendered only the annual card
    Bolt.newPro 50 and Pro 100, monthly$50 and $100 a monthToken amounts not printedBilling docs read 23 October 2026, as worked examples
    Bolt.newPro 26M, annual$540 a year26M tokens a monthBilling docs read 23 October 2026, as a worked example

    Lovable's ladder is the Pro card's dropdown as printed on 22 October 2026; Bolt's annual Pro 10M card is the pricing page on 23 October 2026, and the other Bolt tiers are the worked examples in its billing documentation, which does not print their token amounts. The two allowances do not convert into each other: a credit is a unit of work done, a token is a unit of text read and written.

    What you keep

    Both sync with GitHub now. The asymmetry is who can import

    In July this page called Bolt's exit a one-shot ZIP. Its Git documentation, read on 23 October 2026, describes something else, so the comparison is rewritten from both vendors' current pages.

    Lovable: two-way sync, one branch, no import

    • Changes made in Lovable sync to GitHub, and changes pushed to the active branch sync back. Lovable only edits and syncs one branch at a time. Lovable GitHub docs
    • Git sync always creates a new repository. Connecting a project to a repository that already exists is listed as unsupported, and reconnecting after a disconnect creates another new repository.
    • Lovable cannot save files larger than 10 MB; a change that touches such a file fails. Everything else clones and runs locally.

    Bolt: two-way sync every 30 seconds, imports, no merge

    • Each working change becomes a commit, and Bolt checks GitHub every 30 seconds for updates made outside Bolt and pulls them in. If both sides change at once, Bolt keeps its version. Bolt Git docs
    • An existing repository imports from the homepage dropdown or Import from URL. Branches can be created and switched, but Bolt does not merge branches in-app: that happens on GitHub.
    • Disconnecting a project from its repository is permanent; reconnecting the same one needs support. The ZIP download still works, and Open in StackBlitz is no longer available for projects moved to the new storage format, as of April 2026. Bolt project files docs

    When to choose Bolt.new and when to choose Lovable

    Bolt.new

    Choose Bolt.new if

    • You already have a repository: Bolt imports it, Lovable cannot
    • You edit code by hand often: Code view edits use no tokens
    • You want a ZIP and a clean ending after one prototype
    • Your security posture is audited: Lovable's record carries a CVE and an April 2026 API flaw, Bolt's carries no comparable report in the publications we read
    • You want to publish publicly on the free plan: Bolt Free publishes to a .bolt.host domain with a badge, where Lovable Free prints invite-only publishing

    Lovable

    Choose Lovable if

    • Two or more people build: unlimited collaborators on every plan, where Bolt bills $27 a member on its pricing page read 23 October 2026
    • You want a flat price for thinking first: Plan mode is 1 credit and never touches code
    • You want auth, storage and functions handled on the Free plan, with 20 Cloud credits a month
    • You want to know what a prompt costs before you pay: Lovable prints 0.50 to 2.00 credit examples and we measured 1.8 to 10.4; Bolt prints no per-task figure
    • You start fresh and want the exit door to be GitHub sync in both directions

    The public record is the row no vendor page prints. Lovable carries CVE-2025-48757, insufficient row-level security in generated projects, and an authorisation flaw in its own API disclosed in April 2026 that let a free account read another user's source and database credentials; reporting says it was patched for new projects and not remediated for projects created before November 2025. Bolt has no comparable incident in the publications we read. Reporting by The Next Web, SC Media. The security guide has the scans we ran on our own project.

    Lovable workspace credits panel after the SaaS MVP run on 26 September 2026, showing the balance the 10.4-credit build left
    The credits panel after the SaaS MVP with user auth run, 26 September 2026, our own workspace: 10.4 credits for the build, read before and after.

    That panel is the only build evidence on this page, and it is Lovable's. The cheapest of the 3 runs, landing page + email opt-in, cost 1.8 credits of the 5 a free account gets each day; the prompt page has the builder and the screenshots, and the pricing guide turns every run into builds per plan. Bolt.new has no equivalent row here because we did not run it.

    The right column describes you?

    Start on the Free plan: 5 build credits a day, no card. Our cheapest measured build, landing page + email opt-in, cost 1.8 credits in one round.

    Disclosure: if you create a Lovable account through links on this page, we may earn a commission. It costs you nothing and does not change what we recommend.Start free on Lovable

    How we compared, and what we did not publish

    • Prices and rules from each vendor's own pricing page and documentation, read on 23 October 2026 for Bolt and the Lovable docs, 22 October 2026 for Lovable's prices; every table row carries its read date and source.
    • Credit figures only from runs in our own Lovable workspace, read from the credits page before and after.
    • Incidents only when reported by named publications, with dates.
    • The one third-party build we cite is Zapier's July 2026 landing-page task; it reports no costs, and we say so where we use it.

    Not published

    • The same prompt run in Bolt. We hold no Bolt account, and we will not estimate a token count.
    • Bolt's monthly-billed prices and the token amounts of Pro 50 and Pro 100: the pricing page rendered only the annual Pro 10M card.
    • Bolt reload prices, shown in-app only, and what happens when a paid Bolt plan runs out of tokens mid-cycle, which its docs do not state.
    • Whether Bolt's Discussion mode costs tokens and what Lovable charges for manual code edits in its editor: neither page we read says.

    What changed since July

    1. 23 Oct 2026Bolt's Git docs now describe two-way sync (a GitHub check every 30 seconds) and import of an existing repository. The July framing of Bolt's exit as a one-shot ZIP is withdrawn on this page and on the alternatives table.
    2. 23 Oct 2026Bolt's pricing page re-read: Pro $18 and Teams $27 per member billed annually; the Pro card printed one token amount (10M) and no monthly-billed prices. Lovable's docs re-read for the meter and the GitHub rules.
    3. 26 Sep 2026Prices re-read on both vendors' pages; per-plan allowances the vendors no longer printed were removed. Hero added.
    4. 30 Jul 2026First published, with every price read on the vendor pages that day.

    Frequently asked

    Is Bolt.new cheaper than Lovable?

    At the entry both print the same headline number: Lovable Pro at €25 a month for 100 credits (read 22 October 2026) and Bolt Pro at $25 a month for 10M tokens, or $18 billed annually (read 23 October 2026). The bills diverge with the project. Bolt's token docs say most usage is reading and syncing your project files, so a big project costs more per message. Lovable bills per message on the work completed and adds a flat 1-credit Plan mode. Neither vendor prints a price per feature.

    Which free plan gets further?

    Lovable gives 5 build credits a day up to 30 a month; Bolt gives 1M tokens a month with a 300K daily cap. Only the Lovable side is measured here: a landing page with stored sign-ups cost 1.8 credits, so the Free month holds 16 of them, or 2 SaaS foundations at 10.4. We have no Bolt run, so we cannot say how many landing pages 1M tokens buys.

    Can I bring an existing codebase?

    To Bolt, yes: its Git docs describe importing a repository from the homepage dropdown or a URL, read 23 October 2026. To Lovable, no: its GitHub docs list connecting to an existing repository as unsupported, because Git sync always creates a new one. If your app exists, this question settles the choice before price does.

    Which one lets me leave with the code?

    Both, by GitHub. Bolt commits every change and pulls outside changes every 30 seconds; Lovable syncs both ways on one branch at a time. Bolt also downloads a ZIP; its Open in StackBlitz export is gone for projects moved to the new storage format, as of April 2026. Bolt cannot merge branches in-app, and Lovable cannot save files over 10 MB.

    What does a team pay?

    On Lovable, nothing per head: every plan, including Free, allows unlimited collaborators, and Pro adds per-member credit limits. On Bolt, Teams is $27 per member billed annually (read 23 October 2026), with tokens assigned to each member. Three builders on Bolt Teams cost $972 a year before any token reload.

    Did you run the same prompt in both?

    No. The three measured runs on this page are Lovable, in our own workspace, with the credits panel read before and after. Bolt's side is its pricing page and documentation, each dated. The only published head-to-head build we found is Zapier's July 2026 landing-page task, where Lovable produced the scroll animation and Bolt did not; it reports no cost figures.

    Sources, with the date each was read

    The other head-to-head pages

    Lovable alternatives →Lovable vs Cursor →Lovable vs Replit →Lovable vs v0 →Best AI app builder →Lovable pricing →

    Written by

    Marco Kohns

    Marco Kohns

    Founder of ProtoBites - Venture Growth Studio

    Growth PM at a Silicon Valley scale-up (a16z and General Catalyst backed), ex-Techstars where he consulted 13 early-stage startups, Reforge-trained. Every prompt on this site comes out of shipping ProtoBites' own portfolio products.

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