Most AI app builders produce a working prototype. Fewer produce something you can actually deploy, maintain, and hand off to a developer. This AI app builder comparison tests what happens when you try to take an app from prompt to production on three platforms: Dyad, Bolt.new, and Replit.
The Test
The goal: build a task management app with user authentication, a database, and a deploy-ready output. Then evaluate each platform on four criteria.
- Deployment workflow. How do you get the app live?
- Database integration. Can the AI set up auth and data persistence?
- Code export. Can you take the code and run it outside the platform?
- Total cost. What does it actually cost to go from zero to deployed?
Bolt.new
Bolt.new is a browser-based IDE that uses Anthropic's Claude models to generate full-stack apps. You type a prompt, it writes code, and you see a live preview in a WebContainers sandbox.
What went well
Getting started is fast. No local setup, no installs. The preview loads in seconds, and Bolt.new handled the initial UI and basic CRUD logic in a single prompt.
Where it stalled
Adding a real database required a paid plan. Bolt.new's Supabase integration is locked behind the $20/month Pro tier. On the free tier, token limits ran out after a few rounds of iteration. The WebContainers sandbox also has compatibility gaps with some npm packages, which caused errors during dependency installation.
Deployment options include Bolt-hosted URLs (with Bolt branding on the free tier) or manual export. Exporting code is possible, but the output assumes a WebContainers environment, so running it locally sometimes requires adjustments.
Cost to go live
Free tier gives you 150K-300K tokens per day, which translates to roughly 3-8 prompts of real work. To access database integration and remove branding, you need Pro at $20/month. Hosting is included, but you are on Bolt's infrastructure.
Replit
Replit is a cloud IDE with an AI Agent that handles multi-step development tasks. It has built-in hosting and a collaborative editing environment.
What went well
Replit's AI Agent can break a prompt into subtasks, create files, install packages, and debug errors in a loop. For the initial prototype, this worked well. Replit also has built-in deployment (Replit Deployments), so you can go live without leaving the platform. Collaborative editing is a genuine advantage if you are working with a team.
Where it stalled
The free tier is limited. Free projects are public, you get 1 vCPU and 2 GiB memory, and the AI trial expires. After the trial, meaningful AI assistance requires the Core plan ($20-25/month). Heavy users report spending $100-300/month on top of that due to effort-based pricing.
Code export is possible, but Replit projects are designed to run on Replit's infrastructure. Moving a Replit-deployed app to your own server requires reconfiguring the runtime, environment variables, and deployment pipeline. The code is yours, but portability takes work.
Database setup worked, but Replit's database options are tied to their platform. Using an external database like Supabase is possible but not integrated the way it is in tools built around that workflow.
Cost to go live
The free tier is effectively a trial. Going to production with private projects, adequate hardware, and full AI access costs at minimum $20-25/month, with usage costs on top. Deployments have separate pricing based on compute.
Dyad
Dyad is an open-source, local desktop app. It runs on Mac, Windows, and Linux, and supports multiple AI providers: OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, and local models via Ollama. You bring your own API keys.
What went well
Building the task management app used the same prompt-based workflow, but everything ran locally. The code lives in a normal directory on your machine. Git-based version control is built in, so every AI edit creates a commit you can inspect or revert.
Database integration stood out. Dyad has a one-click Supabase OAuth connection. After connecting, asking for "user authentication and a tasks table with row-level security" generated working auth pages, database tables, and RLS policies in a single chat exchange. Edge functions for server-side logic worked the same way.
Deployment is flexible. Dyad integrates with GitHub, so you can push to a repo and deploy anywhere: Vercel, Netlify, your own server. The output is standard TypeScript and SQL with no proprietary runtime. You can open the project in VS Code and it runs with npm run dev.
Where it stalled
You need to install the desktop app and set up an API key before you start building. This takes a few minutes, but it is not "open a browser tab and go" like the cloud tools. If your machine is older, running local AI models through Ollama may be slow.
Dyad is also newer than Bolt.new and Replit. Some features are still evolving, and the community, while active, is smaller.
Cost to go live
Dyad itself is free. With Google's Gemini API, you get hundreds of free messages per day. With Ollama, you run models locally at zero cost. Dyad Pro at $20/month adds 200 AI credits, Agent mode with website cloning, and faster file edits, but it is not required for production use. Your hosting costs depend on where you deploy, not on Dyad.
Side-by-Side AI App Builder Comparison
| Criteria | Bolt.new | Replit | Dyad |
|---|---|---|---|
| Runs locally | No (browser) | No (cloud) | Yes (desktop app) |
| Open source | No | No | Yes (MIT + FSL 1.1 for pro) |
| AI model choice | Anthropic only | Replit-selected | OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, local |
| Database integration | Supabase (paid only) | Platform DB / external | Supabase (free, one-click) |
| Code export | Yes, with caveats | Yes, with caveats | Default (code is already local) |
| Version control | Git on paid tier | Built-in | Git built-in (free) |
| Deploy options | Bolt hosting | Replit Deployments | Anywhere (GitHub, Vercel, etc.) |
| Free tier limit | 150K-300K tokens/day | Trial, then minimal | Unlimited (BYOK) |
| Paid plan | $20/month | $20-25/month + usage | $20/month (optional) |
What This AI App Builder Comparison Reveals
The three platforms serve different use cases, and the gaps show up most clearly at the deployment stage.
Bolt.new is the fastest path to a visual prototype. If you need a demo in 10 minutes and do not need a database or custom deployment, it works. Production use requires paying for Pro and accepting the platform's hosting and model constraints.
Replit has the strongest collaboration features and a built-in deployment pipeline. It works well for teams and educational settings. The cost scales quickly for serious projects, and portability requires effort.
Dyad produces the most portable output. The code is standard, the database integration works on the free tier, and you deploy wherever you want. The trade-off is local setup and a learning curve around API keys and desktop installation.
Which Should You Choose?
Choose Bolt.new if you want the fastest browser-based prototype and do not need to control where or how the app runs in production.
Choose Replit if you need real-time collaboration, a managed deployment pipeline, and are comfortable with usage-based pricing.
Choose Dyad if you want to own the code, pick your AI model, use Supabase without a paywall, and deploy to any infrastructure. It is the strongest option in this AI app builder comparison for projects that need to go to production without platform dependencies.
Dyad is free and open-source. Download it at dyad.sh and build with your own API keys.
