Bolt vs Lovable: which AI app builder comes out on top?

Summary

In this video, the host compares two AI-powered coding tools, Bolt and Lovable, by testing their ability to create a task app similar to Trello. Both tools were asked to implement drag-and-drop functionality, task editing, column creation, and more. Bolt showed quicker performance and more design flexibility, while Lovable offered a guided approach with a slightly slower generation process. The tools also implemented advanced features like due dates, commenting, and multi-board support. Both tools are powerful, with Bolt excelling in speed and customization, and Lovable offering simplicity and ease of use.

Takeaways

• 😀 **Bolt** and **Lovable** are AI-powered tools for building apps like Trello by writing code based on prompts.
• 😀 The initial comparison task was to build a **task management app** with a **drag-and-drop interface**, using both tools with the same prompt.
• 😀 **Bolt** generates the app slightly faster, thanks to its **diffs feature**, which makes updates quicker by only changing the necessary parts of the code.
• 😀 **Lovable** starts by outlining a plan with design elements and features before generating the app, taking a bit longer initially compared to **Bolt**.
• 😀 Both tools allow users to **add tasks**, **move tasks**, and **add columns**, but **Bolt** enables these features faster and more intuitively right out of the box.
• 😀 When adding more complex features like **editing tasks** and **adding new columns**, both tools responded well, but **Bolt**'s **diffs feature** made it quicker to update.
• 😀 The **design customization** was requested to look like **Spotify’s dark mode** with green accents. Both tools successfully implemented this style, but **Bolt** seemed to offer better hover effects and green accents.
• 😀 For more advanced features like **multiple boards** and **task due dates**, both tools added functionality smoothly, though **Bolt** was slightly quicker and more intuitive in handling new boards.
• 😀 Adding **task comments** worked well in both tools, with **Bolt** providing a slightly smoother experience with its comment feature integration.
• 😀 **Bolt**’s **diffs feature** provided a speed advantage, allowing faster iterations and less rewriting of code, making it ideal for rapid updates and testing.
• 😀 Both tools can integrate with databases like **Firebase** and **Supabase**, but without these integrations, data won’t persist on refresh, highlighting their importance for real-world use.
• 😀 In terms of overall design, both tools performed well, but **Bolt** may have a slight edge with its advanced hover effects and cleaner UI enhancements, while **Lovable** had a user-friendly experience with automatic mock data.

Q & A

What is the main purpose of the comparison between Bolt and Lovable in this video?

The purpose of the comparison is to evaluate how two AI coding tools, Bolt and Lovable, perform in building a task app similar to Trello. The video aims to test their capabilities, including speed, functionality, and design features based on similar prompts.

How do Bolt and Lovable approach the process of generating the task app?

Bolt first installs dependencies and generates the app's features. It uses the 'diffs' feature preview to make updates, which saves tokens. Lovable, on the other hand, starts by writing a plan with design inspiration, features, and elements before generating the app. Both tools then proceed to generate the app based on the initial prompt.

What was the initial task given to both Bolt and Lovable?

The initial task was to build a task app similar to Trello with a drag-and-drop interface. Both tools were asked to generate this app using the same prompt to compare how they handled the request.

Which tool had a faster initial generation process, Bolt or Lovable?

Bolt generated the initial app faster than Lovable. However, the difference in time wasn't considered significant by the presenter, especially since both tools completed the task in a reasonable amount of time.

What is the 'diffs' feature in Bolt, and how does it impact the tool's performance?

The 'diffs' feature in Bolt is a beta tool that updates only the parts of the code that need modification, rather than rewriting the entire codebase. This helps reduce the usage of tokens and makes the process faster and more efficient, especially when making incremental changes to the app.

How did Bolt and Lovable handle the ability to add and edit tasks in the app?

In both tools, users were initially unable to edit tasks directly, but the ability to add tasks was functional. After a prompt was given to both tools to enable task editing, Bolt implemented the feature quickly, while Lovable had some errors initially but fixed them after a brief attempt.

What design updates were requested for the task app, and how did each tool handle it?

The presenter requested an update to the task app's style, asking for a design similar to the Spotify app, including dark mode and green accent colors. Both tools successfully made these design changes. Bolt's design was slightly preferred by the presenter for its hover effects and the use of a green accent, though Lovable's design was also considered good.

How did Bolt and Lovable handle adding the ability to have multiple boards in the app?

Bolt quickly implemented the ability to create and switch between multiple boards, adding functionality for new boards and tasks within those boards. Lovable also added multiple boards but had a different approach, displaying boards in a dropdown list. Both tools showed similar functionality but with slight design and user experience differences.

Were both tools able to add due dates to tasks as requested?

Yes, both Bolt and Lovable successfully added the ability to assign due dates to tasks. Bolt's implementation showed the due date in an accent color, and Lovable had a minor issue initially but fixed it. Both tools handled the feature effectively.

How did Bolt and Lovable implement the commenting feature for tasks?

In Bolt, the commenting feature was implemented well, allowing users to add comments to tasks, with options to view and manage comments. Lovable, after a brief delay, implemented a similar commenting feature. Both tools supported adding and viewing multiple comments, though Bolt's implementation was slightly faster.

What limitations were noted in both Bolt and Lovable during the testing?

Both tools had limitations, such as the inability to edit the names of newly created columns and boards, although this could be easily added. Additionally, neither tool was connected to a database during testing, meaning data would not persist upon refresh. The presenter also noted that authentication features like sign-ins were not implemented.