Bolt.new costs $25/mo.
These cost $0.
3 free alternatives to Bolt.new, checked for license, recent activity and real adoption. Each one tells you the catch, so you can switch with your eyes open.
Bolt.new vs Free Alternatives Matrix
Quick side-by-side comparison · $0/mo vs $25/mo
| Alternative | Type | License | Where It Runs | Stars | Head-to-Head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| open-lovable | open source | MIT | Local or hosted | ★ 28k | Bolt.new vs open-lovable → |
| Onlook | open source | Apache-2.0 | Local or hosted | ★ 26k | Bolt.new vs Onlook → |
| Dyad | open source | Apache-2.0 | Local | ★ 21k | Bolt.new vs Dyad → |
The picks
3 open source · ranked by fit
- 01
open-lovable
open sourceMITLocal or hosted28knov 2025Same prompt-to-app loop in a cloud sandbox, powered by your own model keys.
The catch vs Bolt.newIt is a developer-run example requiring several service keys, without Bolt's managed account, persistent workspace and integrated deploy experience.
Install, platforms & data +
- platforms
- webself-hostedself-host, real ops
- install
- Clone the repo, install with pnpm, add service keys to .env and run the Next.js development server
- setup
- Several model, extraction and sandbox service keys are needed before the complete workflow works
- engines
- Gemini, Anthropic, OpenAI or Groq; Firecrawl for extraction; Vercel or E2B sandboxes; optional Morph
- your data
- Generated React source lives in the selected cloud sandbox; local configuration is in .env, and prompts or site content go to the selected services
- checked
- 2026-08-10
- 02
Onlook
open sourceApache-2.0Local or hosted26kjul 2026Open source visual builder on a real React codebase; the grown-up sibling of the browser sandbox.
The catch vs Bolt.newIt is narrower and more design-first, with less mature prompt-to-full-stack generation and deployment than Bolt's browser workspace.
Install, platforms & data +
- platforms
- webself-hosteddocker to self-host
- install
- Hosted signup, or self-host with Bun or Docker plus Supabase configuration
- setup
- Hosted access may be gated; self-hosting needs Bun or Docker, Supabase and several environment variables
- engines
- OpenRouter plus configurable code-edit services such as Morph or Relace
- your data
- Project code lives in the workspace or sandbox; application metadata and assets use the configured Supabase instance
- checked
- 2026-08-10
- 03
Dyad
open sourceApache-2.0Local21kaug 2026Bolt on your laptop, minus the hosting fairy.
The catch vs Bolt.newIt has no managed browser sandbox, instant public hosting or one-click deployment comparable to Bolt, so you own the local environment and deployment.
Install, platforms & data +
- platforms
- desktopone-click install
- install
- Desktop installer
- setup
- A model-provider API key or a separately installed and configured local Ollama model
- engines
- OpenAI, Anthropic, Google Gemini, OpenRouter-compatible providers and local Ollama
- your data
- Generated project source and app metadata stay on the computer; prompts and selected context go to the chosen provider unless a local model is used
- checked
- 2026-08-10
Frequently Asked Questions
Direct answers · Bolt.new open-source replacements
What is the best free alternative to Bolt.new?+
The top free alternative to Bolt.new is open-lovable (open source, MIT). Same prompt-to-app loop in a cloud sandbox, powered by your own model keys. Other popular Bolt.new replacements include Onlook, Dyad.
Can I self-host a free replacement for Bolt.new?+
Yes. Of the 3 free alternatives to Bolt.new, 2 can be self-hosted on your own server or local machine: open-lovable (MIT), Onlook (Apache-2.0).
How much does switching from Bolt.new to a free alternative save?+
Bolt.new starts at $25/month per seat ($300/year). Switching a 5-person team to a free alternative like open-lovable saves $1,500 per year in software subscription fees.
Should I vibe-code or build my own Bolt.new clone from scratch?+
Our build verdict for Bolt.new is NOT REALLY (use a free alternative, save the tokens). A consolation build is possible, but the paid product's decisive value sits outside a solo rebuild. For Bolt.new, generate and edit a small web project in a local sandbox from structured prompts. The hard boundary is browser sandbox, model orchestration, package execution, deployment, and hosted compute, plus frontier models, context infrastructure, and execution safety.
What is the catch when switching from Bolt.new to open-lovable?+
It is a developer-run example requiring several service keys, without Bolt's managed account, persistent workspace and integrated deploy experience.
