Bolt Review

Service Details

Price: Free tier available, Paid plans from $20/month

Pros:

  • Allows users to build apps by simply describing what they want in plain English, without traditional coding.
  • Great for quickly spinning up and iterating on new app ideas, hackathon-style projects, demos, or learning.
  • Users can edit the generated code directly, even on the free plan.
  • Offers useful integrations with tools like Stripe, Figma, GitHub, Netlify, Supabase, and Expo.
  • Provides a live preview of the application as it is built.

Cons:

  • Stops generating code once it runs out of tokens, have to upgrade or wait until next day to continue.
  • Requires clear and specific prompts for optimal results.
  • Some premium features are available only behind paid tiers, but if you need those features I guess you would pay for them.
  • Build Time: There can be a noticeable wait time for the AI to generate code, requiring multitasking.
  • Token-based pricing means you have no idea how many tokens a task will take. A million tokens per month might only last you 2 weeks if you have lots of changes.

Bolt.new is an AI-powered development agent and browser-based integrated development environment (IDE). Developed by StackBlitz, it simplifies the software development lifecycle. This tool allows users to create and deploy full-stack web applications, as well as JavaScript-based mobile apps using frameworks like Expo. Bolt uses Anthropic’s Claude 3.7 Sonnet and Claude Sonnet 4 large language models to generate code based on natural language prompts.

The platform integrates with several popular tools including Figma for design imports, Netlify for hosting and deployment, GitHub for collaboration and version control, and Supabase for backend services. It also supports various JavaScript frameworks, Astro, and Next.js. Bolt offers a live coding environment where users interact with an AI assistant to implement and modify their applications in real time.

Getting Started

To get started with Bolt, users can visit its website, which typically features a chat field allowing immediate interaction with the AI. The interface is designed to be intuitive and offers ready-made prompts to help users begin. New users can click “Get Started” to create an account with a Google account, a Github account or using an email and password. Once your account is created and logged in you can start creating by telling Bolt what you want to create.

The Great

Bolt excels in its accessibility for non-technical users, enabling founders, creatives, and those with zero coding experience to build functional applications simply by describing their ideas. It is highly effective for rapid prototyping and ideation, allowing for quick iteration on new app concepts without extensive setup. The platform provides an intuitive UI and a chat-based development environment that feels natural and engaging. Furthermore, Bolt offers strong integrations with essential development tools like Figma, GitHub, Netlify, and Stripe, streamlining workflows for various aspects of app creation. A notable advantage is the ability to directly edit the generated code even on its free plan, providing users with more control over the output.

In my testing I gave it the task of creating a new Astro template for CloudeeReviews.com. In seven prompts I had a decent start to a new Astro template for CloudeeReviews. You can see in the images below the progress of the

Bolt Agent Page. Starting working on new template for CloudeeReviews Bolt Agent Page. Starting working on new template for CloudeeReviews

Bolt Agent Page. Refining the template using Bolt. Bolt Agent Page. Refining the template using Bolt.

Bolt Agent Page. Simple debugging site errors using Bolt. Make sure to tell it to fix errors across the whole template or it will pop up again. Bolt Agent Page. Simple debugging site errors using Bolt. Make sure to tell it to fix errors across the whole template or it will pop up again.

Bolt Agent Page. Review page, not perfect yet but it is a good start. Bolt Agent Page. Review page, not perfect yet but it is a good start.

The Not So Great

Despite its strengths, Bolt faces challenges. Token based usage makes it difficult to know how many tokens a project might take. In my usage after seven prompts I ran out of the free tokens and could not do anything else. This sounds like it is a common issue with many users. This is no unique to Bolt but I did note that I quickly ran out of tokens after seven prompts. I was not able to actually get to the point of downloading the new template to test locally.

While it generates functional code, the outputs may have poor user flows or require significant review and debugging, especially for non-developers who may struggle to identify or fix underlying issues. In my testing I had very few issues, but I am familiar with Astro and how to create an Astro based website. This is a larger issue for apps and projects that need more back-end processing. While trying to be no code there is still a need to know how to debug the AI output.

Overall

Bolt.new is a promising AI-powered development agent that significantly lowers the barrier to entry for software creation, particularly for non-technical users and those focused on rapid prototyping. Its intuitive browser-based environment and strong integrations make it an attractive option for quickly turning ideas into functional web and mobile applications. However, users should be aware of its token limitations and the necessity for careful review and potential refinement of the generated code, especially for more complex projects or those intended for production. While it speeds up development, the responsibility for code quality, security, and long-term maintainability ultimately remains with the user. Bolt is best suited for individuals or teams looking to rapidly iterate on new ideas, learn through hands-on experience, or build simple applications, but it may require human expertise to navigate its limitations for advanced use cases.