Bolt.new - 2025 Review: Features, Pricing, and Alternatives

Free: 1 million tokens/month · Pro - $25/month
Platform: web browser only (WebContainers)
Engine: Claude Sonnet 4.5 / Opus 4.6 (Pro)
1-click deployment · SSL · custom domains
Open source on GitHub (50,000+ stars)

5 million+

Users

$40 million

ARR (March 2025)

2024

Launch Year

9 million

Visits/month

Bolt.new is a full-stack browser AI agent from StackBlitz, launched in October 2024. The tool generates working web applications from text descriptions: it installs npm packages, runs a Node.js server, and deploys the result with a live URL-all happening directly in the browser tab without a single local command.

Growth in 5 months: from zero revenue to $40 million ARR and 5 million registered users-one of the fastest starts in the history of developer tools.

Key Features of Bolt.new

WebContainers - full environment in the browser - The patented technology from StackBlitz runs Node.js right in the browser tab: npm packages, server, database, and deployment without the terminal.
AI Agent Powered by Claude - Sonnet 4.5 is used by default, while Opus 4.6 is available on the Pro plan; the agent manages the file system, package manager, and console entirely, not just suggesting snippets.
AI Enhancer - One button turns a brief request into a full technical specification with requirements for responsiveness, dark theme, animations, and accessibility, reducing iteration numbers.
Import Figma and GitHub - Upload a Figma file into the chat, and the platform builds an application based on the visual layout; import of existing GitHub repositories is also supported.
Instant Deployment with Hosting - Publication takes one click and provides a live URL with SSL; Netlify and custom domains without Bolt branding are supported on paid plans.
Discussion Mode - A mode for discussing architecture with AI without code generation; saves tokens when planning complex features and debugging errors.
Three-Level Editing - Edits through an AI agent prompt, through a visual preview editor, or directly in the browser IDE; the code can be downloaded and continued in any external environment.

Pros and Cons

Pros

Start without local environment
Frontend + backend + database in one place
Open code, no vendor lock-in
Native integrations: Supabase, Stripe, Netlify
Pro tokens rollover up to 2 months

Cons

Tokens burn quickly on large projects
Reliability drops with 15+ components
JS stack only (React/Vite), no native mobile
Support reportedly weak

Pricing Plans for Bolt.new

Free

$0/month

1 million tokens/month
150,000 tokens/day (limit)
Hosting and unlimited databases
Claude Sonnet 4.5 only
Bolt branding on deployments

Pro

$25/month

13 million tokens/month (from May 2026)
Tokens rollover up to 2 months
All Claude models (Haiku / Sonnet / Opus)
Custom domains, no Bolt branding
File uploads up to 100 MB, SEO settings

Teams

$30/participant/month

Everything from Pro for each participant
Centralized billing
Granular admin rights
Support for private NPM registries

Enterprise

On request

SSO and Audit logs
Compliance support and SLA
24/7 priority support
Dedicated account manager

Note: the token model is unpredictable - one debugging cycle for a complex authentication error may require 5-8 million tokens; use Discussion Mode before writing new code.

Bolt.new vs Competitors

The nearest browser competitor is Replit: a similar audience (100% overlap according to research data), but Replit is stronger in an educational context and real-time collaborative editing, while Bolt generates full-fledged applications from scratch faster.

Lovable outperforms Bolt in pricing for teams: $25/month for unlimited users versus $30/participant. Lovable is also more convenient for non-technical users but lags in working with complex backends and custom logic.

Cursor is a fundamentally different tool: a desktop IDE (fork of VS Code) for professional developers with multi-file refactoring. Bolt covers the niche of a quick start without local installation, whereas Cursor handles in-depth work with an existing code base. v0.dev by Vercel specializes in React/Next.js UI components, not covering backend and databases.

Use Cases

MVP in Hours

Describe SaaS functionality (authentication, dashboard, Stripe payments) - the platform generates the structure, sets dependencies, and deploys. According to user reports, a prototype for $200 instead of weeks of work.

Figma → Live Site

Import a Figma file into the chat - the service builds an application from the visual layout, adding responsiveness, animations, and a dark theme automatically.

Client Demos

Teams create a working proof-of-concept before negotiations instead of a static mockup - the "prompt → live demo" cycle takes minutes.

Internal Dashboards

CRUD interfaces, tables with filters, and analytical panels for internal use - iterative prompting quickly builds up functionality.

Who is Bolt.new For

Indie developers and solo founders - Quick hypothesis testing without environment setup.
Non-technical entrepreneurs - Create prototypes without hiring a developer, given a basic understanding of code.
Frontend developers and designers - Rapid conversion of Figma layouts to working prototypes without boilerplate.
Agencies and freelancers - Accelerate first versions of client projects; the Pro plan removes Bolt branding.
Students - Free plan for experimentation; generated code is structured and serves as educational material.

How to Get Started with Bolt.new

1

Open bolt.new in your browser - Sign up via Google SSO or email takes less than a minute; no local installation is required.
2

Describe your app in chat - Use the AI Enhancer button to automatically expand a brief description into a detailed specification and save tokens.
3

Iterate via Discussion Mode - Discuss architecture without generating code before adding complex features; this prevents uncontrolled token consumption.
4

Deploy in one click - The platform publishes the app with a live URL and SSL; connect a custom domain through Pro plan settings if needed.
5

Export code to GitHub - Continue development in Cursor, VS Code, or any other IDE without any restrictions.

Integrations

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Bolt.new free?

Yes, the free plan includes 1 million tokens per month with a daily limit of 150,000 tokens, without time restrictions. Plan limitations: Bolt branding on deployments, no custom domains, and no token rollover.

How is Bolt.new different from Cursor?

Cursor is a desktop IDE (fork of VS Code) for professionals working deeply with existing code bases; Bolt is a browser agent for creating applications from scratch without local installation. They cater to different needs, not direct substitutes.

Can I export code from Bolt.new?

Yes, the generated code can be downloaded as an archive or exported directly to a GitHub repository. The service's code base is also published on GitHub (50,000+ stars) - no vendor lock-in.

Is Bolt.new suitable for production applications?

For applications with 15+ components or complex business logic, reliability drops to 31% in tests. Optimal uses are MVPs, prototypes, and internal tools, with further development in a professional IDE.

Bolt.new has positioned itself between no-code builders and professional IDEs: powerful enough for real full-stack coding, yet simple enough to launch an application without a single line of configuration. If you need a quick start with one-click deployment, it is one of the most mature tools in the category today.