Bolt.new generates complete full-stack web applications from a description — React frontend, Node.js backend, database — and runs them live in the browser instantly. Built on StackBlitz's WebContainers technology. Free tier: 1 million tokens per month. Pro: $20 per month.
Bolt.new is a browser-based AI app builder made by StackBlitz. You describe an application in plain English and Bolt generates the complete frontend and backend code, runs it live in the browser and lets you iterate immediately. No local installation. No configuration. You type a description, click generate, and a working application appears.
Bolt is built on StackBlitz's WebContainers technology — a system that runs a full Node.js development environment inside the browser itself. This means the code Bolt writes actually executes locally in your tab, not on a remote server. You see a real running application, not a static preview.
Bolt is particularly popular for rapid prototyping, landing pages and small web applications. The 1 million tokens per month free tier is the most generous in the category, making it one of the best tools for trying AI app generation at no cost.
Bolt generates full-stack web applications. A typical Bolt project includes a React or Next.js frontend, a Node.js or Express backend, a database connection (PostgreSQL or SQLite via Prisma), routing and API endpoints. You can export the generated code to GitHub and deploy to Vercel, Netlify or any standard hosting provider.
Bolt supports multiple frontend frameworks including React, Next.js, Vue, Svelte and SvelteKit, Angular and plain HTML. This is broader than some competitors — v0 by Vercel, for example, focuses primarily on React and Next.js.
Bolt is well-suited for developers who want to skip the project scaffolding phase — the time spent setting up folder structure, installing packages, configuring routing and wiring together boilerplate that is the same in every project. Describe what you want to build and Bolt handles the scaffold. You focus on the parts that are specific to your idea.
It is also genuinely useful for non-developers who have enough technical understanding to read and modify generated code but do not want to write it from scratch. Bolt's interface is approachable and the generated code is clean enough to hand to a developer if the project grows beyond what you can manage alone.
When you ask ChatGPT to write an application, it gives you code. You then need to create files, copy the code into them, install dependencies, configure the environment and run it. If something does not work, you describe the error back to ChatGPT and repeat the cycle.
Bolt runs the code as it writes it. You see the result immediately. Errors appear inline. The iteration loop is seconds rather than minutes per change. For building something from scratch, this is a fundamentally faster experience.
Yes. The free tier includes 1 million tokens per month with a 300K daily cap, a live preview, deployment to a Bolt URL with Bolt branding, and unlimited databases. This is the most generous free tier in the AI app builder category. Pro is $20 per month and removes daily limits and Bolt branding. Teams is $40 per month per user.
Go to bolt.new in your browser. No account required to try it — you can generate and preview code immediately. Sign up for a free account to save projects and access your full token allowance.
Type a description of your application in the prompt bar. Bolt works best when you describe both the purpose and the main functionality: what it does, what users can do with it, and what data it needs to store. A one-paragraph description is usually enough to generate a functional starting point.
Bolt generates code and runs it simultaneously. A live preview appears alongside the code. Click through the application to see what was built. Look for anything missing or wrong and describe the next change in the chat.
When you are satisfied, click Export to GitHub to get a repository with the full codebase. From there you can deploy to Vercel, Netlify or any other hosting provider. Or click Deploy to publish directly to a Bolt URL.
Describe the end state, not the steps. Instead of "first build the header, then build the sidebar, then build the main content", say "Build a dashboard with a sidebar navigation, a header with user menu and a main content area showing [data]." Bolt figures out the implementation — give it the requirement.
Export to GitHub early. Once your project has a working base, export to GitHub. This creates a real repository with a proper history. Continue developing in Bolt but commit to GitHub regularly. If Bolt ever generates something broken that is hard to recover from, you can revert to a known-good state.
Use the lock icon for files you do not want changed. Bolt has a lock feature for individual files. If you have customised a component and do not want the AI to touch it when making other changes, lock it. This prevents accidental overwrites.
Bolt.new is built by StackBlitz, the company behind WebContainers — a technology that runs a full Node.js development environment inside a browser tab using WebAssembly. According to StackBlitz's official documentation, WebContainers allow Bolt to execute npm install, run build tools and serve web applications entirely client-side without a remote server. This architecture is what allows the instant preview experience.
Per Bolt's official site, supported frameworks include React, Next.js, Vue, Nuxt, Svelte, SvelteKit, Angular, Remix, Astro, and vanilla HTML/CSS/JavaScript.
Bolt uses a token-based pricing model. Each AI generation consumes tokens. The free tier includes 1 million tokens per month with a 300K daily cap. Pro ($20/month) removes the daily cap. Tokens are not rolled over between months. Complex generations (large applications, many files) consume tokens faster than simple ones.
Bolt integrates with Netlify's built-in database, Supabase, Neon and other PostgreSQL providers. SQLite via Prisma works for simpler projects. The AI can set up and configure any supported database as part of the initial build.