ZY WEB

I Tried Lovable.dev… and Then I Tried Its Best Alternatives

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I’ve used lovable.dev for a few small apps. It’s fun. It feels like magic when it works. But you know what? Some days I needed more control. Or faster edits. Or a cleaner code base. So I went shopping for a real replacement. If you're curious about how other builders approached the same switch, check out this firsthand roundup of lovable.dev alternatives.

Here’s what I found, what I built, and where each tool won me over.

Quick take

  • lovable.dev is great for a fast demo or a one-off proof.
  • I wanted tools that stick with me after the first build.
  • My top picks: v0 by Vercel, bolt.new by StackBlitz, Cursor, and Replit Agents.

While you’re comparing, it’s worth checking out ZyWeb as another mature platform that balances visual editing with code-friendly workflows.

I’ll share real builds below. Warts and wins.

While stress-testing these builders, I also mocked up a swipe-style dating demo to see how each stack handled real-time matching. To ground that experiment in how established dating platforms actually engage users, I dug into FirstMet’s feature breakdown which walks through its retention loops and can give you concrete ideas for profile onboarding and chat flows you might want to replicate. I also explored the listings on Backpage Elko to see how hyper-local classifieds frame quick meet-ups, which is useful inspiration when you need real-world copy and tag structures to seed a dating prototype.

What I needed from lovable.dev (and what it missed)

I asked lovable.dev to spin up a Next.js habit tracker with login, a simple dashboard, and a weekly chart. It made a working app in about eight minutes. I liked the clean folder setup. Tailwind was in place. It even added a “streak” badge. Cute.

But a few things tripped me up:

  • The chart used a random package that broke on build.
  • The API route names didn’t match the client calls. I had to hunt them down.
  • Auth was “stubbed.” It showed screens, but real auth wasn’t wired to my provider.

Could I fix it? Yes. Did I want to babysit those parts every time? Not really.

So I tried other tools on the same kinds of tasks.

v0 by Vercel: UI first, then real code

I like v0 when I need a clean UI that ships fast.

Real test: I built a “Book Buddy” reading list

  • Prompt: “Make a reading list app with search, tags, and a cozy card layout. Use shadcn/ui and Tailwind. Next.js app.”
  • Result: v0 gave me neat React components with shadcn/ui. No wild class soup. It handled dark mode too.
  • Edits: I asked for a compact card view and a floating filter panel. It updated the JSX without breaking styles.
  • Hook-up: I dropped in my Supabase client for auth and storage. The component props were clear, so wiring took under an hour.

Where it shined:

  • Strong UI bones. Good for teams that care about design.
  • Great with shadcn patterns. Less yak-shaving.

Where I had to push:

  • Data wiring is on you. It doesn’t guess your schema.
  • State stayed simple. For bigger state, I had to add my own store.

Verdict: For front-end speed with stable React, v0 beat lovable.dev for me.

bolt.new by StackBlitz: Build and run right in the tab

Bolt felt like a workshop bench. I could ask for a thing, watch it run, then tweak fast. For a wider look at why some devs end up seeking a bolt.new substitute, here's an honest post-mortem you might like.

Real test: I built a tiny merch store with Stripe test checkout

  • Prompt: “Next.js 15 app router. Product grid. Cart drawer. Stripe test checkout.”
  • Result: Bolt scaffolded the app, installed deps, and started dev in the browser. No local setup. I love that.
  • I added three shirts, a hoodie, and a mug with fake prices.
  • It wired a basic checkout page. I had to paste my Stripe test key. That’s fair.
  • I pressed “Buy,” and Stripe test flow worked on the first try.

Gotchas:

  • One time it used an old Stripe method. I asked it to update to the latest. It did.
  • CSS naming was a bit wild in the cart. I asked it to refactor to shadcn/ui. It worked but needed a second pass.

What I liked most:

  • Instant run. Seeing the app live in seconds kept me moving.
  • Nice with small APIs, webhooks, and tiny dashboards.

Verdict: For quick full-stack builds I can test fast, bolt.new beat lovable.dev. That verdict echoes many of the points surfaced in this hands-on comparison of sites like bolt.new.

Cursor: My daily “change a whole repo” buddy

Cursor isn’t a one-click app maker. It’s an AI-first IDE. But for real projects, it saved my week more than once.

Real test: I migrated an older Next.js 13 app to Next 15

  • I asked Cursor to upgrade the app router layout, fix metadata, and clean up legacy routes.
  • It searched across files, wrote diffs, and ran scripts. I reviewed each change.
  • It missed one dynamic route param on the first go. I pointed it out. It fixed it in the next pass.

Another test: I added role-based access

  • Prompt: “Add roles: admin, editor, user. Gate routes. Show different menu.”
  • It touched server actions, middleware, and layouts. Pretty clean.

Why it stuck:

  • It handles large edits across the repo.
  • It chats in plain language and keeps context.

Where it’s weaker than lovable.dev:

  • It won’t hand you a full app from zero with pretty UI. But once you have a base, it’s gold.

Verdict: For real work and big refactors, Cursor wins.

Replit Agents: “Just make it and deploy it”

This felt like a small team in a box. I didn’t expect to like it. I did. Still, if you need something free and are weighing your choices, this guide to free Replit alternatives breaks them down.

Real test: A Stripe webhook worker and a tiny Flask API

  • I said, “Set up a Flask API that receives Stripe events and logs them to Postgres.”
  • It made the project, set env vars, wrote the Flask routes, and ran tests. Logs were clear.
  • I hit it with Stripe CLI in test mode. Events flowed. No drama.

Then I had it deploy and keep running. It hooked into Replit’s hosting and kept logs tidy.

When it helped most:

  • Background jobs. Simple services. Bots.
  • Places where lovable.dev felt more front-end heavy.

Limit:

  • Front-end scaffolds are fine, but not as nice as v0 or bolt. That’s OK.

Verdict: For small services and “just run it” tasks, I pick Replit Agents. You can see how that stacks up against other Replit rivals in this side-by-side teardown.

A quick head-to-head

  • Need clean UI parts fast? v0 by Vercel.
  • Need a full app running now, in the browser? bolt.new.
  • Need to refactor a real code base? Cursor.
  • Need a tiny service or worker that stays up? Replit Agents.
  • Want a cute demo, fast? lovable.dev still works.

Real talk: bugs, speed, and how it felt to use

  • lovable.dev gave me fun demos. But I kept fixing routes and charts. It felt a bit random at times.
  • v0 felt steady. My UI looked “real” on day one. I wasn’t mad at the code later.
  • Bolt was fast and bold. I could see things live, which made me trust it.
  • Cursor felt like a smart pair buddy who doesn’t get tired.
  • Replit Agents felt like a tiny ops crew. Not fancy. Reliable.

Small note: I did hit rate limits once on bolt when I pushed it with big asks. I just broke the task into chunks. Done.

Also, my cat stepped on my keyboard during a run. Bolt didn’t crash. That’s a real test, right?

So… which one replaced lovable.dev for me?

Honestly, I use a mix:

  • For new UI: v0 to get pixels right.
  • For fast full-stack: bolt.new to see it run right away.
  • For ongoing work: Cursor to steer the repo.
  • For small services: Replit Agents to build and host.

If you want one tool that feels closest to lovable.dev but sturdier, start with bolt.new. If design matters most, pick v0. And if you’ve got a code base already, go with Cursor.

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