Bolt

Bolt.new

Bolt.new provides a web-based AI environment where you can develop applications quickly. Built by the StackBlitz team, it uses natural language prompts to create complete project structures. The platform works as a web-based AI development environment where developers can generate, test, and deploy web applications using modern frameworks. Solo developers benefit from rapid prototyping capabilities without complex environment setup.

Strengths

• Instant deployment: Built-in deployment features right in the chat interface with one-click Netlify integration
• Zero setup required: Bolt runs a full Node.js environment with no installation needed using WebContainer technology
• Beginner-friendly interface: Chat-style interface makes sense right away for newcomers similar to ChatGPT
• Automated package management: Bolt handles dependency installation automatically while other tools need manual setup
• Framework scaffolding: Creates complete project structures with folders, files, and boilerplate code automatically
• Fast prototyping: Create and deploy simple web applications in minutes instead of hours

Weaknesses

• Code regeneration issues: Each iteration regenerates entire files and sometimes causes unwanted modifications
• Stability problems: Runs into a lot of errors at some point and gets into loops of fixing its own errors
• Framework limitations: Shows best results with popular frameworks like React but reported issues with Vue/Nuxt
• No direct code editing: You can only interact through prompts, requiring migration to StackBlitz for manual edits
• Work loss risk: Developers lost hours of fine-tuning work when AI overwrote changes without recovery options

Best for

Quick MVPs, rapid prototyping, and beginners who need web applications deployed fast.

Pricing plans

• Free tier — $0/month — Free daily tokens with features paused when tokens are exhausted
• Pro 20 — $20/month — Enhanced token limits for regular usage
• Pro 100 — $100/month — Ideal if you use AI to accelerate daily dev work across multiple projects
• Pro 200 — $200/month — For full-time environment users who prefer uninterrupted, high-speed AI assistance

Tech details

• Type: Web-based AI development environment
• IDEs: Browser-based (no external IDE required), can export to StackBlitz
• Key features: Natural language to code generation, automated deployment, WebContainer technology, one-click error fixing
• Privacy / hosting: Cloud-hosted, web-based development environment
• Models / context window: Anthropic's Claude 3.5 Sonnet LLM, 200K context window

When to choose this over Cursor

• Rapid deployment needs: Built-in Netlify integration enables one-click deployment versus Cursor needing external tools
• No-setup development: Complete browser-based environment requires no installation compared to Cursor's desktop setup
• Beginner accessibility: Chat-style interface feels familiar to newcomers versus Cursor's steeper learning curve

When Cursor may be a better fit

• Complex project development: Cursor handles sophisticated, multi-layered projects with multiple file editing capabilities
• Production-grade applications: Advanced debugging and complete error handling suit applications that need thorough testing
• Existing codebase integration: Cursor's codebase indexing and VS Code foundation work better with established projects

Conclusion

Bolt excels at creating frameworks and quick prototypes for beginners, while Cursor offers a detailed development environment with advanced AI help for professional coders. Many developers find success using both tools strategically. Many experienced developers use both tools together - Bolt for initial framework and rapid prototyping, then switch to Cursor for detailed development as projects become complex. This approach among Cursor alternatives maximizes each tool's strengths while minimizing limitations.

Sources

• Official site: https://bolt.new/
• Docs: https://support.bolt.new/
• Pricing: https://bolt.new/pricing