Free AI App Builders Compared (2026)

Overview

Six tools currently dominate AI app building: Dyad, v0, Bolt.new, Lovable, Replit, and bolt.diy. All offer some form of free access, but the limits vary significantly. This guide breaks down what you actually get for free and when you will hit a paywall.

Dyad

Dyad is a local, open-source app builder. It runs on your machine and keeps your code private by default.

What You Get for Free

Dyad itself is free. You bring your own API keys, which means your costs depend on which AI provider you use. With Google's Gemini API, you can get dozens of free messages per day. With Ollama, you run models locally with no API cost at all.

As of v0.35.0, free users also get Basic Agent mode with a 5-message daily quota (150 messages per month). The Basic Agent gathers context automatically and can debug its own errors. Once you hit the daily limit, you can continue using standard Build mode. There are no project limits and no sign-up required.

Paid Option

Dyad Pro costs $20/month and includes 200 AI credits (so you do not need your own API keys), the full Agent mode with website cloning, faster file edits, advanced code search, and access to Dyad Academy. Pro users can also generate custom themes by pointing at live websites for color, typography, and spacing inspiration.

Trade-offs

You need to set up API keys yourself. The product is newer than cloud competitors, so some features are still experimental. Your hardware matters: older machines may struggle with local AI models.

Best For

Users who want free, private development. Users who want to choose their own AI models. Users who already have API keys or want to use free tiers from providers like Google.

v0

v0 is Vercel's AI tool for generating React and Tailwind UI components. It focuses on frontend work and integrates tightly with the Vercel ecosystem.

What You Get for Free

Approximately $5 worth of tokens per month. In practice, this means 3-8 prompts per day if you are doing real work. The free tier is useful for testing the tool, but it runs out quickly on actual projects.

Paid Option

Premium costs $20/month. You can also buy additional credits.

Trade-offs

v0 is frontend-focused. If you need backend logic, you will build that separately. All code lives on Vercel's platform. You cannot choose which AI model it uses.

Best For

Developers already using Vercel and Next.js. UI-focused work where you need React components quickly. Designers who want functional code output.

Bolt.new

Bolt.new is a browser-based IDE that generates full-stack applications. It uses Anthropic's Claude models and runs in WebContainers (a browser-based Node.js environment).

What You Get for Free

150,000 to 300,000 tokens per day, with a monthly cap of 1 million tokens. This translates to roughly 3-8 meaningful prompts per day. Free tier projects include hosting but show Bolt branding.

Paid Option

Pro costs $20/month and includes 10 million tokens, Git integration, and Supabase support.

Trade-offs

WebContainers add performance overhead compared to native development. Some npm packages do not work in the browser sandbox. Token limits burn quickly on complex prompts.

Best For

Rapid prototyping when you do not want to set anything up locally. Quick demos and MVPs. Developers who prefer browser-based workflows.

Lovable

Lovable is a cloud-based app builder aimed at non-technical users. It generates clean React code and focuses on polished UI output.

What You Get for Free

5 credits per day. Projects must be public. A mandatory Lovable badge appears on your app. You get GitHub sync and up to 5 lovable.app subdomains.

Credit usage varies: creating an initial app costs around 2 credits, and a small UI change costs around 0.5 credits. Expect about 3 meaningful interactions per day before hitting the limit.

Paid Option

Pro costs $25/month and includes 100 monthly credits plus 5 daily credits, private projects, custom domains, and badge removal.

Trade-offs

The free tier is restrictive. You cannot make projects private without paying. You cannot see which AI model Lovable uses, and its behavior can change without notice.

Best For

Non-technical founders who want functional apps quickly. Users willing to pay for a polished experience. Designers who need clean code output.

Replit

Replit is a cloud IDE with an AI Agent that handles multi-step development tasks. It has a strong educational focus.

What You Get for Free

A limited Agent trial that expires. Up to 10 development apps, all public. Basic workspace with 1 vCPU and 2 GiB memory. After the trial, AI access becomes very limited.

Paid Option

Core costs $20-25/month and includes full Agent access, $25 in usage credits, private apps, and better hardware (4 vCPU, 8 GiB). Heavy users report spending $100-300/month on top of the base plan due to effort-based pricing.

Trade-offs

The free tier is essentially a trial. Once it expires, you need to pay for meaningful AI features. All free projects are public. Usage costs can add up quickly on complex tasks.

Best For

Students and learners. Educational settings with managed environments. Collaborative projects where multiple people need to edit code together.

bolt.diy

bolt.diy is an open-source fork of Bolt.new, originally called "oTToDev." You self-host it and bring your own API keys.

What You Get for Free

The tool itself is completely free. You pay only for API usage from your chosen provider. It supports a wide range of models: OpenAI, Anthropic, Ollama, Gemini, Mistral, DeepSeek, Groq, and others.

Trade-offs

Setup requires command line knowledge. You need to configure Docker or another deployment method. It still uses WebContainers, so the browser sandbox limitations apply. Commercial use may require a WebContainers license. Support comes from the community, not a company.

Best For

Technical users who want Bolt.new functionality without a subscription. Self-hosting enthusiasts. Developers comfortable with command line setup.

Cost Comparison

Actually Free

These options cost nothing if you are willing to set up API keys or run models locally:

• Dyad + Gemini API: 500 free messages per day from Google, plus 5 daily Basic Agent messages
• Dyad + Ollama: Run models locally, zero API cost
• bolt.diy + free APIs: Self-host, bring your own keys

Free Tier Reality

Cloud platforms advertise free tiers, but limits are tight:

• v0: About $5 worth of tokens per month
• Bolt.new: 3-8 prompts per day realistically
• Lovable: 3 meaningful interactions per day
• Replit: Trial expires, then minimal AI access

Things to Consider

Cloud free tiers often require public projects. Token limits run out faster on complex work. Upgrading mid-project can create pressure to stay on that platform.

Which Should You Choose?

Choose Dyad if you want unlimited free usage with your own API keys, local development, or privacy by default.

Choose v0 if you work in the Vercel ecosystem and focus on frontend/UI generation.

Choose Bolt.new if you want browser-based full-stack prototyping without local setup.

Choose Lovable if you are non-technical and willing to pay for polish.

Choose Replit if you are learning to code or need collaborative features.

Choose bolt.diy if you are technical, want to self-host, and want Bolt.new features without a subscription.