Lovable
Lovable · Lovable: AI App Builder That Turns Chat Into Full-Stack Web Apps
Lovable is an AI app builder that turns plain-language prompts into working full-stack web apps, with frontend, backend, database, authentication, and hosting. Every app is backed by editable code that syncs to GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket. It suits founders, product managers, designers, and business teams who want to build and iterate on real web apps without starting in an IDE.
Best for
Non-developers and small product teams, including founders, PMs, designers, and operations staff, who want to build, publish, and keep iterating on full-stack web apps and internal tools through chat while keeping ownership of the generated code
Not ideal for
Teams that need native mobile apps, a builder they can self-host inside their own VPC, control over which AI model writes the code, or predictable fixed costs for heavy daily iteration; also experienced engineers working in large existing codebases, who are better served by IDE-based coding agents
Who it's for
Founders, product managers, designers, marketers, and business teams building web apps, prototypes, and internal tools, plus agencies and enterprises that need governance controls
Capabilities
- Chat, Plan, and Build modes: discuss without changing code, approve an editable plan, then let Build mode implement and verify changes
- Build mode inspects logs and network activity, tests in a browser, and can run a single message for up to 10 hours; /goal keeps it working until a stated goal is met
- Workspace-level Chats that see all your projects and send work to several project builders in parallel
- Generates full-stack apps with TanStack Start (SSR), Tailwind, and Lovable Cloud for database, auth, storage, and edge functions
- Two-way Git sync with GitHub, GitLab, and Bitbucket on all plans; code download and custom domains on paid plans
- Automatic security scan on every publish (row-level security, dependency audit, unauthenticated MCP servers), plus on-demand deep scans
- Connectors for Stripe, Salesforce, Shopify, Supabase, Linear, Notion, Jira, Confluence, n8n, and custom REST APIs or MCP servers
- Lovable MCP server for driving Lovable from Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, and other MCP clients, plus a REST API on Business and Enterprise
- Drafts for exploring front-end changes without affecting the live project, and a native iOS/Android app for building on mobile
Limitations
- Builds web apps only; it does not generate React Native projects, and mobile distribution means a PWA or wrapping with Capacitor
- The editor and agent cannot be self-hosted or deployed inside a customer VPC, although the apps you build can be hosted anywhere
- You cannot choose the model used by Build or Plan mode; Lovable manages model routing
- Build mode credit cost varies with task complexity, and work pauses when the credit balance reaches zero
- The Free plan is limited to 5 build credits a day and 30 a month, with no custom domains, code editing, or code download
- The free daily chat allowance is stated to apply only through October 31, 2026, and Enterprise plans do not include it
- Since September 9, 2026, Free and Pro workspace data may be used for model training unless you opt out
- The REST API requires Business or Enterprise, and its endpoints do not include sending build prompts
Use cases
- Turning a product idea into a working prototype with sign-up, a database, and payments in an afternoon
- Building an internal tool or dashboard on top of Salesforce, Snowflake, or an existing API without waiting on engineering
- Launching a marketing site or landing page with a custom domain and iterating on copy and layout through chat
- Turning customer feedback into a plan in Chats and sending the approved changes to the live app's builder
- Starting an MVP in Lovable, then syncing it to GitHub so developers can continue in Cursor or another IDE
Our take
Lovable is aimed at people who would not otherwise write the code. The chat-plan-build loop, Lovable Cloud as a default backend, and publish-time security checks let a non-developer get from idea to a hosted app with real auth and data, and that app keeps working as they iterate. The code remains theirs and can sync to GitHub or be downloaded on paid plans, which matters if a project outgrows the tool. The limits are clear. Lovable builds web apps only, the builder is cloud-only, the model is Lovable's choice, and credits grow with complexity, so large or long-lived products often end up handed to developers in an IDE. It works best for prototypes, MVPs, internal tools, and business-team apps.
Who should use it
Founders validating an MVP, product managers and designers who want working prototypes rather than mockups, and business or operations teams building internal tools and dashboards on top of systems like Salesforce or Snowflake.
Who should skip it
Teams that need native iOS or Android apps, strict on-premise or VPC deployment of the builder, full control over the AI model, or tight cost predictability; also engineers working in large existing codebases, who will get more from IDE-based agents like Cursor or Claude Code.
Strengths
- Produces a deployable full-stack app (auth, database, hosting) from chat, not just a front-end mockup
- You own the code, with two-way Git sync on every plan and no lock-in for hosting
- Plan mode and Chats let non-developers think through changes before spending build credits
- Security scanning on every publish, plus SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, and AIUC-1 certification
Weaknesses
- Credit consumption scales with complexity and can be hard to predict during heavy iteration
- Web apps only, with no native mobile output
- The builder cannot be self-hosted, and you cannot pick the model
- Free and Pro data may be used for training unless you opt out
Lovable pricing
Free
$0
- 5 build credits per day, capped at 30 per month
- Daily chat allowance, 20 Cloud credits and 4 AI credits per month
- Git sync; no custom domains, code editing, or code download
Pro
From $25/month (100 credits)
Billed monthly
- Credit tiers from 100 to 10,000 per month ($25 to $2,250/month; annual from $250/year)
- 5 daily build credits with no monthly cap, plus credit rollover and top-ups
- Custom domains, code editing and download, unlimited workspace members
Business
From $50/month (100 credits)
Billed monthly
- Credit tiers from 100 to 10,000 per month ($50 to $4,300/month)
- SSO, role-based access, internal publishing, and the Lovable API
- Workspace data excluded from model training by default
Enterprise
Custom
- Volume-based credits
- SCIM, audit logs, scheduled security scans, and publishing controls
- No daily chat allowance, daily build credits, or monthly Cloud/AI grants
Free tier limits: 5 build credits per day up to 30 per month, a daily chat allowance, 20 Cloud credits and 4 AI credits per month. No custom domains, code editing, code download, or credit top-ups.
Note: Pricing is per workspace, not per seat. Build mode prompts typically cost about 0.5–2 credits depending on complexity, and Plan mode costs 1 credit per message plus any research. Unused monthly credits roll over while subscribed (expiring 2 months after issue on monthly plans); top-ups are $15 per 50 credits on Pro and $30 per 50 on Business and last 12 months. Chat usage has its own pricing, with a daily free allowance through October 31, 2026. Verified against docs.lovable.dev subscription-plans and credits pages on 2026-09-28.
Technical specs
Modalities
Text, Image input, Code generation, Image and video generation
API pricing
Included with Business and Enterprise plans
Where Lovable excels
MVP for a startup idea
Lovable Cloud supplies the database, auth, and hosting by default, so a founder can publish a working product with sign-ups and payments before hiring engineers, then sync the code to GitHub when the team grows.
Internal tool on top of Salesforce data
The Salesforce connector and internal publishing on Business plans let an operations team build a custom app over CRM data without waiting for engineering.
Acting on customer feedback across several apps
Workspace Chats can turn feedback into a plan and then send approved changes to the builders of multiple projects at once.
Lovable vs. competitors
Lovable vs. Replit AI
Replit pairs its agent with a full cloud IDE, so developers can drop into the code, terminal, and environment directly, and it can build mobile as well as web apps. Lovable centers on chat, with Plan and Build modes and a built-in Supabase-based backend, and suits non-developers who rarely want to open the code, but it outputs web apps only.
Lovable vs. Cursor
Cursor is an AI code editor for developers working in their own repositories. Lovable generates and hosts the whole app from chat. A common pattern is to start in Lovable and move the synced GitHub repo into Cursor once a project needs deeper engineering.
Lovable vs. Claude Code
Claude Code is a terminal and IDE coding agent that works on any codebase you point it at. Lovable is a hosted builder with its own stack, backend, and publishing, so it trades that flexibility for a much shorter path from idea to live app.
Frequently asked questions
What does Lovable do?
Lovable builds full-stack web apps from plain-language prompts. You describe what you want, and it generates the frontend, backend, database, authentication, and integrations. You can then publish the app and keep changing it through chat.
How much does Lovable cost?
There is a Free plan with 5 build credits a day (up to 30 a month). Pro starts at $25/month for 100 credits and Business at $50/month for 100 credits, with larger credit tiers up to 10,000 a month. Enterprise is custom. Pricing is per workspace, not per seat.
Do I own the code Lovable generates?
Yes. Lovable says you own your code and apps. Projects sync two ways with GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket on all plans, and paid plans can download the code and host it anywhere.
Can Lovable build mobile apps?
Not native ones. Lovable generates web apps and does not produce React Native projects. For phones, the documented options are a progressive web app or wrapping the web app with Capacitor.
Lovable vs Replit: what is the difference?
Both build apps from prompts. Replit centers on a cloud IDE where developers can work directly in the code and environment, and it also builds mobile apps. Lovable centers on chat with Plan and Build modes and a built-in Supabase-based backend, which makes it more approachable for non-developers, but it builds web apps only.
Can Lovable be self-hosted?
The builder cannot. Lovable's editor and agent run only in Lovable's cloud and cannot be deployed inside a customer VPC. The apps you build can be exported and hosted anywhere.
Integrations & fit
Alternatives to consider
Replit
Founders, product teams, and developers who want to go from idea to deployed app with an AI agent and zero local configuration
FreemiumAnysphere
VS Code developers who want multi-file AI editing, autonomous cloud agents, and model flexibility — not a plugin layered on top of an existing editor
FreemiumAnthropic
Developers and teams who want deep codebase reasoning, multi-file changes, and persistent project instructions in a terminal-friendly or IDE-native workflow
PaidAbout Lovable
Lovable works through chat. Inside a project there are three modes. Chat mode discusses the app without touching code. Plan mode investigates the project and writes a plan you edit and approve. Build mode (previously Agent mode) implements changes and checks them on its own: it inspects logs, tests in a browser, and a single message can run for up to 10 hours. Since September 2026, workspace-level Chats let one conversation send work to the builder agents of several projects in parallel, and a daily free chat allowance covers Chats and Chat mode through October 31, 2026. New apps use TanStack Start with server-side rendering and Tailwind. The backend is Lovable Cloud, built on Supabase's open-source foundation, which covers the database, auth, storage, and edge functions. Alternatively you can connect your own Supabase project or other APIs. You own the code: it syncs two ways with Git, and paid plans can download it and host the app anywhere. Lovable chooses and routes the models behind its agent (currently including Claude Opus 5.5); you cannot pick one. Connectors reach Stripe, Salesforce, Shopify, Linear, Notion, Jira, and others, and every publish is automatically scanned for issues such as missing row-level security. The main tradeoffs: Lovable builds web apps only (mobile means a PWA or a Capacitor wrapper), the builder itself cannot be self-hosted, and Build mode consumes a variable number of credits per prompt, so costs rise with complexity.
Updates from Lovable
Workspace-level Chats can now see every project and hand work to project builders in parallel. Free, Pro, and Business workspaces get a daily free chat allowance for Chats and Chat mode, stated to apply through October 31, 2026.
Lovable added Claude Opus 5.5 to its builder and says it reaches the same quality as Opus 5 in a third to half fewer steps.
Sutro founder Tomas Halgas and three engineers joined Lovable to work on making generated software easier to explain and trust.
The REST API (version 2026-09-11) covers projects, publishing, embed URLs, workspaces, analytics, and security scans, and is available on Business and Enterprise plans.
Lovable added a Salesforce connector with Headless 360 read and write access and a Publish to Salesforce option for read-only apps.
Lovable raised $400M at a $13.3B valuation, led by Menlo Ventures and co-led by EQT's Scaleup Europe Fund.
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