Bolt.new is the AI full-stack app builder from StackBlitz, the company behind WebContainers (Node.js running natively in the browser). It generates working web applications from a text description and runs them instantly in-browser, no setup, no DevOps. Bolt hit 1 million users in its first week after launch in 2024.
What Bolt.new does
Bolt is a chat-to-code agent that scaffolds, runs, and iterates on full-stack apps entirely in the browser. Users describe an idea, and Bolt generates the React or Next.js frontend, the backend logic, and database schema, then boots the app inside a WebContainer for live preview. Distinguishing capabilities include Figma and GitHub import, integration with custom design systems like Porsche Design System and Material UI, built-in unlimited databases, user authentication, SEO optimisation, and one-click hosting with custom domains and analytics. Automated testing and refactoring are claimed to reduce errors by up to 98%.
Who it's for
- Product managers and founders who want to prototype real apps without an engineer
- Marketers and growth teams building SEO-optimised landing pages and campaign sites at speed
- Agencies scaling delivery without growing headcount, and developers using Bolt for greenfield scaffolding before exporting to GitHub
How Bolt.new compares
Versus v0 (Vercel), Bolt builds full-stack apps with backend, database, and auth, while v0 focuses on UI components and frontend-first generation. Versus Cursor, Bolt is browser-first and end-to-end runnable, while Cursor is the IDE for editing local code. Versus Lovable and Replit Agent, Bolt's WebContainer architecture gives it a meaningful speed advantage on iteration loops because nothing runs on a remote server.
Pricing and access
Free tier with limited tokens. Pro at $20/month for higher usage and private projects, Teams with collaboration features, and custom Enterprise pricing. All plans include hosting, databases, and auth at no additional cost beyond the subscription.
Why it matters in 2026
Bolt is the leading example of the vibe coding shift: software built by describing intent rather than writing files. Its moat is the WebContainer technology that no competitor has cleanly replicated, plus the StackBlitz developer brand. The threat is v0 closing the full-stack gap, Lovable iterating quickly on UX, and frontier model labs commoditising the chat-to-code layer. Bolt's bet is that owning the runtime where apps execute matters more than owning the model.