Bolt as a Lovable alternative: the closest like-for-like swap

Contents

1. What Bolt does
2. Security before publishing
3. The points to check
4. Published evidence
5. Strengths and limits
6. Pricing
7. Questions to ask Bolt
8. Sources

Type	AI app builder
Pricing	Published
Website	bolt.new

Bolt is the builder most often named alongside Lovable, and for good reason: both turn a chat into a hosted web app with a database. The differences lie in mobile, billing and what happens to the data later⁠1Bolt AI builder: websites, apps and prototypesBolt.

Best for: The closest like-for-like swap for Lovable: chat-built web apps and Expo mobile apps with a built-in database, sign-in and hosting, plus a security audit before publishing.

Not the right fit for: Long-lived systems whose data may later need to move to another database, or teams that need SSO and audit logs below Enterprise.

What Bolt does

Bolt builds websites, apps and prototypes by chat. Bolt Cloud adds unlimited databases, user management and authentication, and hosting with analytics and custom domains⁠1Bolt AI builder: websites, apps and prototypesBolt. Authentication covers email and Google sign-in, and storage uses buckets⁠2Add and manage a built-in database in your Bolt projectBolt Help Center. Projects sync with GitHub: Bolt commits automatically, checks GitHub for outside changes every 30 seconds and can import an existing repository⁠3GitHub for version controlBolt Help Center.

Unlike Lovable, Bolt builds iOS and Android apps with Expo. Its help centre advises asking for a mobile app in the first prompt, because web projects do not easily switch over, and describes publishing through TestFlight and Google Play with paid developer accounts⁠4Expo for mobile appsBolt Help Center.

Security before publishing

On paid plans, a project security audit checks access rules, public page exposure, sign-in flows, abuse paths, input handling and exposed keys. It costs no tokens when run from the Publish menu and can be run up to 30 times a day; a database security check is available on all plans⁠5Check your project’s securityBolt Help Center.

The points to check

Tokens are spent mostly on reading and syncing the project's files, so larger projects use more tokens per message⁠6TokensBolt Help Center. There is currently no supported way to migrate an existing Bolt database to Supabase; Supabase has to be chosen when a project starts, on Pro or Teams⁠2Add and manage a built-in database in your Bolt projectBolt Help Center. Databases in unpublished projects may pause after six or more days of low use, though published projects are not paused⁠2Add and manage a built-in database in your Bolt projectBolt Help Center.

Published evidence

No case studies with named customers are published.

Strengths and limits

Strengths

• The same chat-to-app workflow as Lovable, with a free plan of 1M tokens a month for trying it.
• Builds native mobile apps with Expo when asked for a mobile app in the first prompt, and documents publishing to TestFlight and Google Play.
• A project security audit on paid plans checks access rules, exposed pages, sign-in flows and exposed keys, and costs no tokens when run from the Publish menu.
• Syncs with GitHub and can import an existing repository.

Limits

• Token use grows with the size of the project, so a mature app costs more per change than a new one.
• There is currently no supported way to migrate an existing Bolt database to Supabase; Supabase has to be chosen when the project starts.
• Databases in unpublished projects may pause after six or more days of low use.
• SSO, audit logs and data-retention controls are Enterprise features.

Choose another option if: The app will hold the company’s operating records for years, or you need the database to be portable. Replit, Bubble or OpenLazarus suit that lifespan better.

Pricing

Published: Free with 1M tokens a month; Pro $25 a month billed monthly, starting at 10M tokens; Teams $30 per member a month. Enterprise on request.

Questions to ask Bolt

• How many tokens does a typical change use on a project of our size?
• If we start on Bolt's database, how would we move the data later?
• Which plan includes the security audit we need, and what does it not check?
• When would SSO and audit logs be available below Enterprise?

See how Bolt compares with the other builders in the main guide.

Sources

1. Bolt AI builder: websites, apps and prototypes. Bolt. Accessed 8 Nov 2026.
2. Add and manage a built-in database in your Bolt project. Bolt Help Center. Accessed 8 Nov 2026.
3. GitHub for version control. Bolt Help Center. Accessed 8 Nov 2026.
4. Expo for mobile apps. Bolt Help Center. Accessed 8 Nov 2026.
5. Check your project’s security. Bolt Help Center. Accessed 8 Nov 2026.
6. Tokens. Bolt Help Center. Accessed 8 Nov 2026.
7. Plans and pricing. Bolt. Accessed 8 Nov 2026.

Further reading

• Buyer's guide · Updated quarterlyThe best Lovable alternatives for 2027An analysis of eight builders for people whose Lovable prototype now has to hold real data, compared on seven published criteria, with the evidence behind each and the established path to production.
• Guide · CostLovable vs Bolt vs Replit, what each costs in 2027All three start between $20 and $25 a month. They meter different things, and that difference decides what a busy month costs once a project grows.
• Guide · Reasons to switchWhy people leave Lovable in 2027, and when they shouldn'tCost per change, a record of security incidents and a backend built for speed rather than portability. What each reason rests on, how much weight it deserves and what to check before leaving.