Bolt.new
AI full-stack web app builder in the browser — prompt, generate, deploy
📋 Overview
Bolt.new by StackBlitz is an AI-powered full-stack development environment that runs entirely in the browser. Describe an app in natural language, and Bolt generates a complete Next.js or similar project with a real Node.js runtime — not just code, but a running server with hot reload, npm install, and one-click deployment. Unlike Lovable or v0 (which generate static code), Bolt.new spins up a live WebContainer environment where the AI can actually run your app, see errors, and fix them iteratively. The open-source version (bolt.diy) supports any LLM; the commercial version uses Claude under the hood.
✨ Key Features
- •19K+ OSS stars with commercial-grade UX
- •Real Node.js runtime in browser via WebContainer — AI sees actual errors
- •Generates full-stack apps: frontend, backend, DB, auth
- •Iterative debugging — AI catches and fixes runtime errors
- •One-click deploy to StackBlitz, Vercel, or Netlify
- •OSS version supports any LLM (OpenAI, Anthropic, Llama, etc.)
- •Generates production-ready Next.js code, not throwaway prototypes
🎯 The Problem It Solves
Building a full-stack web app from a prompt requires more than code generation — it requires running the environment, resolving dependencies, debugging runtime errors, and deploying. Bolt.new is the only AI tool that handles the entire loop in a single browser tab.
🔧 How It Works
Bolt.new uses StackBlitz WebContainer technology to boot a real Node.js environment in the browser via WebAssembly. The AI (Claude on commercial, any LLM on OSS) generates a full project structure, installs dependencies, runs the dev server, and streams the preview. When errors occur, the AI sees the actual stack trace and iterates — this is the key difference from static code generators. One-click deploy pushes to StackBlitz edge or exports to Vercel/Netlify.
🚀 Installation & Quick Start
Installation
git clone https://github.com/stackblitz-labs/bolt.diy && cd bolt.diy && npm installQuick Start
- Clone bolt.diy
- Add .env with any LLM API key
- npm run dev
- Open localhost:5173
- Enter app prompt
✅ Pros
- •Only AI app builder with a real runtime — sees actual errors and fixes them
- •Full-stack generation: frontend + backend + database + authentication
- •Live preview with hot reload — no environment setup
- •One-click deploy to production
- •OSS version (bolt.diy) is fully free with your own LLM keys
- •Active development with weekly feature releases
- •StackBlitz backing ensures long-term viability
❌ Cons
- •Free tier token limits are restrictive for heavy use
- •Generated apps can feel generic — heavy customization still manual
- •Limited to Next.js and similar frameworks — no mobile or desktop
- •Complex business logic often requires manual code editing
- •Commercial version locked to Claude — no model choice
💬 Practitioner Verdict
“Bolt.new is the fastest path from idea to deployed full-stack app — the live runtime debugging is genuinely differentiated, and the one-click deploy removes the last mile. The trade-off: it generates boilerplate Next.js apps that can feel generic, complex custom logic still requires manual editing, and the free tier token limits are restrictive. For prototypes, MVPs, and hackathon projects, Bolt.new is unmatched.”
Self-Hosted (Free)
Open source, MIT/Apache licensed. Run it yourself.
⭐ Star & Clone on GitHubFree forever. Your infrastructure, your data.
Bolt.new Free
Limited daily tokens
- Daily token limit
- Basic projects
- Community support
Bolt.new Pro
Unlimited tokens, priority
- Unlimited tokens
- Priority queue
- Advanced features
Enterprise
Team, SSO, dedicated
- Team workspaces
- SSO
- Dedicated support
Deployment Options
Ways to run Bolt.new in production
📊 Specifications
- Language
- TypeScript
- License
- MIT (OSS) / Proprietary (Commercial)
- Platform
- Linux, macOS, Windows
- Supported Models
- REST API, CLI
💰 Pricing Reality
Commercial: Free tier (limited daily tokens), Pro 0/mo (unlimited), Enterprise custom. OSS bolt.diy: 100% free with your own LLM API keys. WebContainer runtime is free for development; production deploys pay standard hosting rates.