TL;DR: While v0, Bolt, and Bubble all offer AI-powered app generation, Bubble stands out as the only platform that combines AI speed with visual editing, allowing users to seamlessly switch between AI chat and direct editing. v0 and Bolt generate prototypes quickly but leave non-developers trapped in "prompt loops" when AI can't deliver.

Choosing the right AI app builder depends on one critical factor: what happens after the AI generates your app. We tested three popular platforms — v0, Bolt, and Bubble — to see which lets you move seamlessly from AI generation to production-ready applications. Here's what we discovered about code-first versus visual approaches, and which gives you the control needed to actually launch.

Vercel’s v0 is built for developers and focuses on AI-assisted frontend development. It works best for experienced developers who know code and want a workflow assistant, not a replacement. The main goal of v0 is to integrate AI seamlessly into existing tools and platforms (for example, Vercel, GitHub) and provide a clean coding environment with AI to speed things up, rather than providing an “all-in-one” platform. It provides stronger security and collaboration features compared to Bolt, further reinforcing its status for enterprise development teams.

Bolt, a product of StackBlitz, offers a combination of AI-generated code alongside traditional coding. By running a full development environment in the browser using WebContainers, it pairs an AI assistant with a traditional coding interface. It’s not geared toward beginners, but you can get started quickly if you’re willing to learn as you go. It’s designed to help people build full apps, faster — and it offers more support (for example, more framework flexibility, mobile app development, and stronger resources) compared to v0.

Bubble is the only fully visual AI app builder that lets you vibe code without the code — chat with AI when you want speed, edit directly when you want control — to launch real apps, not prototypes. Bubble's visual editor shows you exactly how your app works, in visual workflows instead of thousands of lines of code, so developers and non-developers alike can understand, debug, and scale confidently.

Plus, Bubble gives you an “all-in-one” place to build, launch, and scale a business — not just an app — with strong security, collaboration features, and built-in databases, hosting, integrations, and design tools.

For a deep dive into these platforms one-on-one, check out our other comparisons:

• Bubble vs. v0
• Bubble vs. Bolt

v0 vs. Bolt vs. Bubble: Key factors

For builders who don't know how to code, visual development platforms like Bubble outperform code-first platforms like v0 and Bolt for production applications. While all three provide AI-powered app generation, the critical difference lies in what happens when you need to make changes — code-first tools leave you stuck with code you can't read, while Bubble lets you switch seamlessly between AI chat and visual editing.

There are two fundamentally different approaches to maintaining control while building:

• A code-first approach, taken by platforms like v0 and Bolt. Their AI agents focus primarily on generating code, which you can then edit and iterate on either manually or via the AI chat.
• A visual approach, taken by Bubble, which lets you chat with AI when you want speed and edit directly in the visual editor when you want precision — switching seamlessly between both at any moment.

Developers can jump in and edit code manually when stuck, but non-developers often get trapped in prompt loops — endlessly rephrasing requests without getting the results they need. You may also end up with buggy or bloated code, errors that you can’t find and the AI won't fix, and other common LLM limitations.

In our comparison, we considered how each platform supports builders throughout the entire development process — from initial generation to precise customization — and whether you get stuck with code or can maintain visual control. Here’s a quick breakdown of how the platforms stack up:

App output quality

In most cases, the goal of using AI to spin up v1 of your app is to get you as close to the finish line—at least 80% of the way there—as quickly as possible. So our first point of comparison is: how well do each of these platforms do at getting you there?

Backend limitations mean code-first tools generate incomplete prototypes — Bubble generates complete, working apps with UI, database, workflows, and privacy rules all functional from the start. v0 does not have a built-in backend and requires external databases like Supabase or Firebase. Bolt now offers built-in databases through Bolt Cloud.

Vercel’s v0 generated the least impressive AI-powered output. It required multiple attempts to generate error-free code that would load in the visual preview — something Bubble achieved consistently on the first try.

The UI we eventually got was just OK. Even after several rounds of prompting, it seemed to struggle to understand our prompts, and many features and pages were still missing (for example, the restaurant cards wouldn’t open to show details, there weren’t profile pages or list pages, etc.).

Bolt's output was much stronger, generating great UI and good functionality initially. Unfortunately, Bolt had two major downsides: inconsistent output quality and token limits.

At its best, Bolt generated some of the strongest initial outputs we saw: solid UI, working features, and complete functionality. The AI interpreted our prompts well and made changes without excessive back-and-forth.

However, Bolt's inconsistency showed in other tests: limited functionality, failed visual previews, and inability to fix obvious code errors. In one test, we hit the daily token limit before Bolt finished generating the initial app output.

Bolt's Free plan includes roughly 1 million tokens per month with a daily cap of 300,000 tokens. While this sounds like a lot, complex prompts and iterative changes consume tokens quickly, and it's unclear how many tokens each specific prompt uses. This is a common frustration mentioned in Bolt forums.

Bubble generates production-ready apps from the first output, with design, data, workflows, and privacy rules all functional immediately.

Because Bubble has a built-in backend, its AI generated frontend UI and UX plus backend databases with placeholder data and functional workflows that connected everything. Our app worked from the first preview.

Required technical expertise

Consider how much technical expertise a platform requires to take your app all the way to launch and beyond. Most AI app builders make it super easy to get started — but what about that final 20%?

Vercel's v0 is designed for developers — it's not designed as a fully-fledged "app builder" for beginners as much as it aims to serve as an AI assistant or pair programmer for experienced developers.

While a non-coder could probably get started with v0 about as easily as you can with Bolt, v0 has a steeper learning curve that shows up faster, and provides less support to navigate it. Also, since it's primarily designed for frontend development, you'll need to bring the expertise to build out your backend and functionality on your own. You can use v0's AI to help, but it still requires process knowledge and troubleshooting expertise.

Bolt also targets developers, and the Bolt team recommends that builders learn the basics of coding first to get the most out of Bolt. It runs a Node-like environment directly in the browser (via WebContainers), which is powerful for developers but can be overwhelming for beginners. However, we found Bolt's interface and AI to be slightly easier to use for non-coders, and Bolt provides more documentation and support for non-developers as well. With that said, you still need some technical expertise for building anything beyond the basics.

Bubble offers true visual development with workflows in natural language instead of code, making it accessible for both non-developers and developers to understand, debug, and scale confidently.

Bubble's visual programming language and editor still take some time to learn upfront, but then you get full control and customizability — making the platform more approachable and easy to learn in the long run.

App development workflow

From the initial prompt to iterating and editing your app, the app development workflow can vary a lot from platform to platform. Bolt and v0 both take a similar approach to app development — integrating AI with a traditional coding environment — while Bubble works with visual programming.

On Bolt and v0, the editors look similar. After prompting the AI, you're taken to the editor — a split-screen view with the AI chat on the left-hand side, and on the right-hand side, a traditional coding environment and a visual preview.

v0 spent less time generating the first iteration compared to Bolt, but its output was also less complete. With both Bolt and v0, the visual preview sometimes got stuck and wouldn’t update.

After generation, you can prompt the AI repeatedly or manually edit code—limiting options for non-coders.

Keep in mind that both Bolt and v0 have rate limits for their AI: On Bolt, you're limited to 300k tokens per day (it’s not clear how many tokens each prompt will use). v0 doesn’t specify how many messages are available per day on the free tier (online sources suggested 100 was the limit).

Bubble takes a fundamentally different approach. First, prompt Bubble AI and review an app blueprint with suggested features — giving you control before generation even begins.

Once approved, Bubble AI generates your app in the visual editor. Then you can chat with the AI Agent to add features and iterate, or edit directly in the visual editor. Switch between AI and visual editing seamlessly at any moment.

For example, if you want to change what a button does in Bolt or v0, you're stuck prompting the AI or editing code manually. On Bubble, you can ask the AI Agent to build or modify the workflow, or click the button and build the workflow yourself in the property editor.

As a result, Bubble’s development process is much easier for non-coders, as it doesn’t require you to understand, write, or interpret code to have full control. It’s much easier to iterate on specific features and their underlying workflows. And, because the database and logic is also edited visually, you can build a fully-functional app without having to code — compared to Bolt and v0, which both require you to manually set up and then integrate an external database.

If you are comfortable with code, building on Bubble makes you way faster and makes the long-term management of your app way easier. You don’t have to worry about managing servers, balancing loads, or all of other technical details that can slow down iteration. Build, ship, and grow with a drag-and-drop editor that gives you all the power of code, without the tedious work of writing every element line-by-line. Plus, you always have the option of adding custom code if and when you want to for the best of both worlds.

Customizability

With initial generation covered, it's time to consider the many factors that impact what comes next — things like customization. How much customization is available within a given platform and how easy that customization is are two major considerations.

Bolt, v0, and Bubble all offer high levels of customization, but through different methods. There are three main ways you can customize your app: through traditional coding, AI iteration, or visual editing.

Bolt and v0 offer customization through manual coding or AI prompts, requiring code knowledge when AI falls short. In theory, this should give you full customization capabilities, but in practice, you don’t really have full control. You’re always limited to the AI’s interpretation of the prompt and you can’t fully control the output you get back.

One benefit v0 adds is that you can select specific elements to customize or change. This way, you can concentrate the AI’s output on a specific area and reduce the likelihood that the AI will break something else in the process (a common LLM problem right now).

Bolt generally did well at interpreting our prompts, but a major downside is their limited daily token rates. We hit rate limits fairly quickly, which means you’ll either need to default to traditional code or be willing to upgrade to more expensive plans.

Bubble gives you complete customization through visual editing — so you see exactly how your app works. You get limitless customizability with the flexibility to work at the level of your current technical knowledge. If you want to add custom code, you can. Or, you can use the drag-and-drop editor to create a pixel-perfect app visually, too.

Bubble doesn’t require coding to debug your app, either. Bubble’s issue checker automatically finds potential errors in your app, such as missing data or incomplete actions, and tells you exactly what they are, so you can fix them through the drag-and-drop editor. This is much easier compared to using traditional code or going back-and-forth with AI prompting, as you’d have to do on Bolt and v0.

Design functionality

Considering the design-specific tools each platform provides gives you an idea of how easily you’ll be able to build a beautiful, aesthetic app.

Bolt takes a code-first approach to design, meaning that most design changes have to be made manually via traditional coding or attempted via AI prompts. It does offer a direct Figma integration as well, which can really speed up the design process. As far as AI changes go, we found Bolt’s AI pretty good at integrating design-focused changes — one of our testers found that one or two prompts was generally enough to change the entire look and feel of the app. Of course, we reached AI rate limits on Bolt quickly, so that’s something to consider when thinking about design as well.

v0 takes a similar approach. As with Bolt, all design and UI changes need to be made via AI chat or directly in the code. They have pretty standard design features, including responsive design and integrations with Figma. Our testers had mixed reviews of their Figma integration, though, saying, “v0 didn’t do a great job following my prompts. I gave it an image to use as guidance for the style and it sort of did it, but also used the image itself as the background.”

Bubble takes a more design-focused approach, with a visual editor that gives you more flexibility and control over every pixel without having to code. Just drag and drop to add or edit UI elements, set manual breakpoints and layouts, develop responsive designs, and make customizations exactly how you want them.

Even better: Bubble gives you the ability to create a complete design system with reusable UI components and styles that can be applied to multiple elements, pages, or across your whole app. Design once and apply those design choices across your entire app, rather than having to code each element from scratch. And of course, you can import Figma wireframes or other design tool mockups into Bubble and Bubble will convert them seamlessly into a functional app.

Which AI builder is right for you?

We may be Bubble, but based on our testing, Bubble is still the clear choice for launching real apps to real users, while v0 and Bolt are better suited for generating prototypes — which you'll then need to rebuild or hand off to developers.

Bolt and v0 both provide AI-powered code generation alongside code-based editors and visual previews for real-time iteration. They connect seamlessly with development tools like GitHub and Supabase. Both focus on frontend development and require technical expertise for fully functional apps.

However, Bolt provides a stronger AI-generated output and mobile app development, offering a more comprehensive code-based tool with solid AI support. It works well for experienced developers looking for a familiar, code-first development environment supported by AI, and who want to seamlessly integrate AI with existing projects and workflows for speed and scalability. In addition, Bolt’s limited Free plan makes it better suited to established teams who have a budget for higher-tier plans to support regular usage.

v0 is best for experienced developers who are looking for an AI “co-pilot” to help speed up workflows and develop frontend code without interrupting their current processes. It offers a familiar coding environment, GitHub and backend integrations, and strong collaboration tools, but it would be challenging for a non-developer to build a fully functional app on v0.

Bubble is the only platform that lets you vibe code without the code  While Bolt and v0 are fast to start, Bubble combines AI speed with visual editing so you're never stuck. Understanding what you build means you can fix problems yourself, make precise changes, and scale confidently.

This allows anyone to create production-grade apps and full-stack enterprise software to launch and grow with speed, scalability, and full control. And you never have to code or leverage a technical background.

Plus, Bubble’s platform gives you the strongest “out-of-the-box” experience for launching apps that can grow your business, with built-in databases, security, mobile app development, integrations, deployment and hosting, and more. Bubble helps you create an app you understand, all in one place, and gives you the tools and platform you need to build a business you can scale.

How to choose the right AI app builder

With so many AI app builders available, making the right choice comes down to understanding your specific situation. Here's a framework to help you decide:

Consider your technical background. If you're comfortable reading and writing code, platforms like v0 and Bolt can accelerate your existing workflow. If you'd rather focus on what your app does instead of how it's coded, Bubble's visual approach lets you see exactly how your app works without deciphering syntax.

Consider what happens when you need to make changes the AI can't handle:

• Code-first platforms: Prompt repeatedly (and hope for the best) or dive into code yourself
• Visual platforms like Bubble: Switch between chatting with AI and editing directly based on what the moment requires

Evaluate the full stack. If you're building a real app for real users, you'll need more than just a frontend. Consider whether you want to manage separate services for your database, hosting, and authentication, or whether you'd prefer everything in one place.

Factor in your timeline and budget. Code-first platforms require separate services for hosting and databases, while visual platforms like Bubble include everything in one place.

Getting started with AI app building

Ready to test out an AI app builder? Here's how to get started with each platform:

Getting started with v0: Sign up for a free account at v0.dev, then describe your app idea in the prompt field. v0 will generate React/Next.js code that you can preview and iterate on. Keep in mind you'll need to set up your own backend and hosting separately.

Getting started with Bolt: Create an account at bolt.new and enter your app description. Bolt will generate code across multiple frameworks. Be aware of the daily token limits on the free plan—you may hit them before finishing your first app.

Getting started with Bubble: Head to bubble.io and describe what you want to build. Bubble's AI will create a project plan for you to review before generating your app. Once generated, you'll land directly in the visual editor where you can see exactly how everything works — your database, your workflows, your design — and make changes by clicking and dragging rather than coding.

The fastest way to understand the difference between these approaches is to try them yourself. Build the same simple app on each platform and notice where you feel in control versus where you feel stuck.

Collaboration

If you're looking to launch and scale an app for your business, collaboration tools within your platform are a must. After all, it's pretty hard to move quickly and scale if you're the only person who can work on your app.

Thankfully, all three of these platforms offer good collaboration features. Some key differences:

Cost. All of these platforms require you to be on a Team or Enterprise plan to access all of the collaborative features.

• v0 team plans start at $30 per user per month.
• Bolt Pro plans for individuals range from $25 to $50 per month based on token needs (10M to 26M tokens), while Team and Enterprise plans offer custom billing.
• Bubble team plans start at a flat rate of $119 per month, with no additional costs for AI use, hosting, or a built-in database.

Access and features. v0 offers role-based access permissions (Builder, Creator, or Viewer roles) on Enterprise plans. On Team plans, you can connect your code directly to a Git repository for seamless collaboration and forking via GitHub. Bolt offers team collaboration with role-based permissions (view, edit, or manage roles) and real-time editing capabilities on Team plans, along with integration via GitHub and StackBlitz.

Bubble allows real-time collaboration directly within the Bubble editor. It also offers the most customizable access permissions, allowing you to control edit access for different spaces (like UI vs. databases).

Commenting. v0 allows sharing preview deployments where team members can add comments through Vercel's deployment protection features.

Security

If you're looking to build and launch an app for end-users or enterprise use, security is a key factor to consider. It's difficult to build a secure app on a platform without security.

The main factors here to consider are:

• How much platform-level security is offered (the security of the platform you're building on)
• How much app-level security is offered (the security of the app you're building for your data and end-user data).
• How much security is "built-in" vs. what you'll be expected to implement yourself.

Bolt offers built-in security features including automatic security audits that flag potential issues (like missing password checks or unprotected routes) and database security settings. It also works with external platforms that offer strong security. Since hosting and databases are now managed through Bolt Cloud, your platform-level security is handled by Bolt's infrastructure, which utilizes enterprise-grade providers like Netlify and Supabase under the hood.

v0 offers strong security features from its parent company, Vercel. Vercel's platform-level security includes:

• SOC 2 Type II compliance and GDPR compliance
• Built-in DDoS mitigation for all apps
• SSO available for Enterprise users and 2FA available for all users
• Encrypted storage on Vercel's cloud servers

These platform-level standards mean your code and account is managed securely and encrypted on Vercel.

However, app-level security is still mostly up to the builder. v0 can't guarantee that code generated will be secure by default, and v0 doesn't offer any guides or tutorials to walk you through the process of building a secure app. As such, you'll need to understand how to set up user authentication, database security, and other privacy rules that will keep your end-user data safe.

Bubble offers the strongest security features of the three, at both the platform- and app-level. You get enterprise-grade security features like:

• SOC 2 Type II compliance
• GDPR compliance
• Enterprise-grade infrastructure and encryption
• DDoS protection
• Built-in user authentication

Basically, everything you need to be confident building and scaling an app for end-users.

Bubble also provides the most guidance and support for building security for your app itself, guiding you through creating custom privacy rules and restrictions specific to your app and data types through the visual editor. As always, you don't have to code.

Plus, you can get additional security features and automated vulnerability testing through the security dashboard, making it easier to keep your users' data secure even if you're not an expert.

Native mobile app creation

Even if you're not looking to create a mobile app right away, being able to easily generate mobile code and convert your web app into a mobile app without essentially "starting from scratch" is a major benefit worth considering.

Bolt and Bubble both support native mobile app development, while v0 doesn't currently.

v0 doesn't support React Native frameworks, which means you won't be able to create mobile features or functionality directly through v0. However, you can generate React or Next.js code, which can then be converted to mobile app frameworks if you have the technical expertise to do so.

Bolt supports mobile app development via the Expo framework. Add it as a template to your Bolt editor, then use the AI chat as usual to prompt for functionality and design. The AI will automatically create mobile functionality and features. Of course, if you get stuck with AI prompting, you can iterate with traditional coding as well.

Bubble offers native mobile app functionality (beta). As with web app development, Bubble offers a visual approach—one of the only true visual builders for mobile apps. You can use the visual editor to build, iterate on, and launch a React Native mobile app, which has a much lower learning curve, especially if you've already built a web app on Bubble. Plus, your mobile app can share a database with your Bubble web app—eliminating the need for duplicative work.

Integrations

Plugins and integrations connect a platform—and the app you're building—with other technology and tools to create a fully-functional app that integrates with your entire tech stack seamlessly. It's worth considering:

• How robust a platform's integration library is
• How easy the integrations are to use
• Who manages maintenance and updates for integrations

Bolt offers a library of pre-built integrations including Expo (for mobile apps), Figma (for design), GitHub (for version control), Google SSO (for authentication), Netlify (for hosting), Stripe (for payments), Supabase (for databases), and the ability to import from Lovable. Through its Pica integration, Bolt also allows natural language connections to over 170 SaaS tools. If you want integrations beyond this, you'll have to code your own—and you'll be on the hook for maintaining it as well.

v0 has a number of native integrations too, including OpenAI, Perplexity, Contentful, Shopify, Supabase, and a few others.

Bubble offers the largest integration library by far, with thousands of pre-built and expertly-maintained integrations available to use. Bubble's most popular integrations include:

• OpenAI and Chat-GPT 4
• Anthropic Claude AI
• DALL-E
• Github
• Figma
• Stripe
• Paypal
• Google Suite products
• and thousands more

If by chance you want to connect your app to something Bubble doesn't already have a plugin for, you can use our API connector to easily build your own integrations without coding, or code your own manually.

Deployment and hosting

The last step before your app goes live is deployment and hosting. A simple process here makes it easier to get your app live for end-users, and makes future updates and iterations simple, too.

All three of these builders offer fairly straightforward deployment and hosting. Here are the basics of how they stack up:

Bolt offers built-in hosting with a free .bolt.host domain. Alternatively, you can connect a Netlify account and deploy to Netlify hosting instead. The process should be easy enough for non-developers to manage.

v0 offers built-in hosting through Vercel (its parent company's platform) with one-click deployment. v0 now supports full-stack development including backend logic through Next.js App Router conventions and can connect to databases like Supabase, Neon, and Upstash, though it doesn't have its own built-in database.

Bubble offers the most streamlined process, with built-in hosting and deployment on Bubble servers. Deployment and hosting is truly "one-click" and you get to keep everything in one place. Even better: only one platform and account to juggle and pay for!

The bottom line: Speed vs. control in AI app building

The promise of AI app builders is compelling — describe what you want, and watch it appear. But the reality is more nuanced. Every platform can get you started quickly — the real question is what happens next.

Code-first platforms like v0 and Bolt give you AI-generated code that you can then modify. The challenge? When the AI can't deliver what you need, you're either stuck in prompt loops hoping for better results, or you need to dive into code you may not fully understand. The problem with vibe coding isn't the vibe — it's the code.

Bubble takes a fundamentally different approach. You get the same AI-powered speed to generate your first version, but then you can see exactly how your app works through visual workflows, databases, and design tools. Chat with AI when you want speed, edit directly when you want precision. You're never stuck hoping the AI understands what you mean — you can just click on any element and change it yourself.

The choice depends on your working style. Developers comfortable with code may prefer v0 or Bolt's AI-accelerated workflows. Those who want visual control without coding constraints will find Bubble more suitable.

The best way to know for sure? Try Bubble's AI app generator for free and see how fast you can go from idea to functional app—and how it feels to actually understand what you've built.

Frequently asked questions about AI app builders

What happens when AI can't build exactly what I want?

This is where the difference between platforms becomes most apparent. On code-first platforms like v0 and Bolt, you have two options: keep prompting and hope the AI eventually understands, or edit the generated code manually. If you're not comfortable with code, you can get stuck in what we call "prompt purgatory"—endlessly rephrasing your request without getting the results you need.

On Bubble, you can switch to visual editing and adjust elements directly when AI doesn't deliver what you need.

Can I export my app to use with other development tools?

v0 and Bolt generate standard code (React, Next.js, etc.) that you can export and use in other development environments. This gives you flexibility but also means you're responsible for hosting, maintaining, and updating that code elsewhere.

Bubble takes a different approach — your app lives on Bubble's platform, which includes hosting, databases, and infrastructure. While you can't export Bubble apps as traditional code, you can connect to any external service via APIs, and your data is always yours to export. The tradeoff is that you get a complete, managed platform rather than code files you need to deploy and maintain yourself.

Which AI app builder is best for complete beginners?

Bubble is the most accessible for people without technical backgrounds, allowing continued customization through visual editing rather than code. The visual editor shows you exactly how your app works — your data structure, your workflows, your design — in a way that makes sense without programming knowledge.

v0 and Bolt assume you'll eventually need to read or write code, which creates a steeper learning curve for non-developers.

Do these AI app builders work for mobile apps?

Bolt supports mobile app development through the Expo framework, allowing you to build React Native apps with AI assistance. v0 focuses on web frontends and doesn't directly support mobile development, though you could potentially convert the generated code.

Bubble offers native mobile app development (currently in beta) through its visual editor. You can build React Native mobile apps using the same drag-and-drop approach as web apps, and your mobile app can share a database with your web app — so you're not building everything twice.

How much do AI app builders typically cost?

Pricing varies significantly across platforms:

v0: Free tier available with limited AI messages. Team plans start at $30 per user per month. You'll also need to pay separately for hosting (through Vercel) and any backend services.

Bolt: Free tier includes ~1 million tokens per month (capped at 300,000 per day). Pro plans for individuals range from $25 to $50 per month based on token needs (10M to 26M tokens). Bolt now includes built-in hosting and databases through Bolt Cloud.

Bubble: Free tier available for learning and prototyping. Paid plans start at $32/month and include hosting, database, and AI features — no separate services to pay for. Team plans start at $119/month flat rate regardless of team size.

The total cost of ownership often favors all-in-one platforms like Bubble, since you're not juggling multiple subscriptions for hosting, databases, and AI features.