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Bolt.new vs Cursor

A side-by-side look at Bolt.new and Cursor — pricing, features and where each one wins. Both are reviewed independently on Curata AI.

Bolt.newCursor
SummaryAI-powered full-stack app builder that turns a prompt into a live website, app or mobile prototype in the browser.AI-native code editor built on VS Code with agent workflows.
PricingFreemiumFreemium
CategoryCodingCoding
PlatformsWebmacOS, Windows, Linux
Key features
  • In-Browser Node.js Runtime (WebContainers)
  • Bolt Agent (auto model routing: Standard / Max)
  • Full-Stack App, Website & Mobile Generation
  • Bolt Cloud (databases, auth, hosting, SEO)
  • Figma & GitHub Import
  • One-Click Netlify Deployment
  • Mobile Preview via Expo (iOS/Android, QR code)
  • Design System-Aware Generation
  • Composer
  • Agent
  • Tab Autocomplete
  • Codebase Chat
  • Model Choice
Pros
  • Genuine in-browser Node.js runtime (WebContainers) — zero local setup to start building
  • Multi-framework flexibility: React, Next.js, Vue, Svelte, Astro, Angular and more
  • Full, exportable code control rather than a black-box generator
  • Bolt Cloud bundles databases, auth, hosting and SEO instead of requiring separate services
  • Strong for fast, early-stage prototyping and sharing runnable demos
  • Mobile app generation via Expo extends it past web-only building
  • Very fast
  • Excellent agent mode
  • Works with all major models
  • VS Code compatible
  • Ships improvements weekly
Cons
  • Token consumption is the most common complaint — error-correction loops can burn through millions of tokens in a single session
  • The free plan's daily token cap can run out before a complex first build even finishes
  • Real-world cost on large or bug-prone projects can run well above the advertised plan price
  • Less production-hardened out of the box than a more opinionated builder like Lovable
  • Paid plan needed for heavy use
  • Requests can get expensive

Read the full Bolt.new review

Bolt.new (by StackBlitz) runs a full Node.js environment directly in the browser via WebContainers, and its Bolt Agent builds, tests and iterates on a website, web app or mobile prototype from a natural-language prompt. Bolt automatically routes each request to the best-fit model — a Standard tier for general development and a Pro-only Max tier for harder tasks — instead of locking you into one LLM, and claims 98% fewer errors thanks to automatic testing, refactoring and iteration. Generated projects can use React, Next.js, Vue, Svelte, Astro, Angular, SvelteKit, Remix and the wider npm ecosystem, with mobile builds via Expo (instant QR-code preview for iOS/Android). Bolt Cloud bundles the backend — unlimited databases, enterprise-grade auth and user management, SEO optimization and hosting with analytics — plus native integrations with Supabase, GitHub, Stripe and Figma import, and one-click deployment to Netlify. It's used by teams at Google, Microsoft, Salesforce, AWS, Meta, Shopify and others to go from idea to a running, deployable product without local setup.

Bolt.new review →Bolt.new alternatives →

Read the full Cursor review

Cursor is the AI-first code editor that many senior engineers have quietly switched to. It forks VS Code, adds deep repo understanding, Composer for multi-file edits and background agents that can plan and execute changes on their own. The Tab autocomplete alone is worth the switch. Cursor works with every major model and lets you pick per-request. If you write code for a living, this is the tool most likely to change how you work.

Cursor review →Cursor alternatives →