Building software

Prototype a working app from an idea

Go from description to a deployed app with a database and sign-in.

Saves weeks of build timeBeginnerBest pick: Lovable

Best tools for this task

Every pick scored out of 10 on how accurate its output is, how fast it gets you a usable result, and how cheap it is to run. Reorder the list by whichever matters most.

Most accurate

Lovable 9.0

Fastest to a result

Lovable 9.5

Cheapest to run

Bolt 6.2

LV

1. Lovable

Best pick
Free · Pro $25/mo · Business $50/mo

Full-stack app with database and auth from a plain description.

Accuracy
9.0/10
Speed
9.5/10
Cost
5.6/10
BT

2. Bolt

Free tokens · Pro $20/mo

Fast in-browser builds when you want to iterate on structure.

Accuracy
8.4/10
Speed
8.8/10
Cost
6.2/10
V0

3. v0

Free · Premium $20/mo · Team $30/user/mo

Best for polished UI screens you drop into an existing React app.

Accuracy
8.6/10
Speed
8.2/10
Cost
6.2/10

How to do it, step by step

  1. 1

    Describe one user and one job the app must finish end to end.

  2. 2

    Get that path working before adding a second feature.

  3. 3

    Add real data early — demo data hides most design problems.

What usually goes wrong

A prototype with real user data needs real access rules before you share the link.