bolt.diy vs Bolt (2026)
Head-to-head comparison for vibe coders: scores, free tiers, pricing and best-for, using the same evidence-based methodology. Rankings are never for sale.
Open-source version of Bolt that builds full-stack web apps with any LLM
Prompt, run, edit and deploy full-stack apps in the browser
Side-by-side comparison
| Criterion | bolt.diy | Bolt |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 74/100 | 80/100 |
| Free tier | Yes: the whole app is free to run locally, in Docker or as a desktop app; bring your own API key or local model | Yes: 1M tokens/mo (300K/day), hosting, Bolt branding |
| Open source | Yes | No |
| Pricing | Free and open source (MIT); you pay only your model provider, or nothing with a local model | Pro $25/mo (10M tokens, rollover); Teams $30/member/mo |
| Best for | Builders who like Bolt's prompt-run-edit flow but want to self-host it and use their own or local models | Prompting full-stack prototypes that run instantly in the browser |
| Category | AI app builders | AI app builders |
Score breakdown
| Criterion | bolt.diy | Bolt |
|---|---|---|
| Fit for the use case /25 | 18 | 22 |
| Vibe-coder friendliness /15 | 9 | 14 |
| Output quality & reliability /15 | 10 | 11 |
| Pricing & free tier /15 | 14 | 11 |
| Ecosystem & integrations /10 | 7 | 8 |
| Momentum /10 | 7 | 7 |
| Code ownership & lock-in /10 | 9 | 7 |
Based on desk research of official pricing pages and docs; see methodology.
How they differ
Same idea, different owner of the setup. Bolt (Bolt.new) is StackBlitz’s hosted builder: sign in, prompt, and it hosts the app with built-in databases. bolt.diy is the official open-source (MIT) version from StackBlitz Labs that you run yourself, locally, in Docker or as a desktop app, choosing any of 22+ model providers per prompt, including local Ollama and LM Studio.
What you pay
bolt.diy is free; you pay your model provider, or nothing with a local model. Bolt Free includes 1M tokens a month (300K a day) with hosting and Bolt branding, Pro is $25/mo for 10M tokens that roll over, and Teams is $30 per member a month.
Which to pick
Bolt if you want zero setup, hosting and databases included, and the most polished agent. bolt.diy if you want to pick your own models, keep everything on your machine, or avoid a token meter, and you’re fine deploying to Netlify, Vercel or GitHub Pages yourself.
Who wins: bolt.diy or Bolt?
By score, Bolt wins bolt.diy vs Bolt at 80/100 vs 74/100. Bolt: Generous free tokens and an instant in-browser runtime. Token burn grows with project size. bolt.diy: MIT-licensed with ~20k GitHub stars and a v1.0.1 release on Oct 12 2026, it gives Bolt's in-browser workflow with any model and no lock-in. Running it from source needs Node.js 22.12+ and pnpm (desktop builds are easier), and you manage your own model keys and hosting. Bolt is best for Prompting full-stack prototypes that run instantly in the browser. bolt.diy is best for Builders who like Bolt's prompt-run-edit flow but want to self-host it and use their own or local models.
FAQ
- Which is better, bolt.diy or Bolt?
- By our score, Bolt (80/100) ranks above bolt.diy (74/100). Bolt is best for Prompting full-stack prototypes that run instantly in the browser. The right pick still depends on your workflow; see the side-by-side table.
- What is the bolt.diy vs Bolt score?
- bolt.diy scores 74/100 and Bolt scores 80/100 on PromptToProd's evidence-based ranking. Scores are never for sale.
- Is bolt.diy free?
- Yes. It is MIT-licensed and free to run. You only pay for the AI model you connect, or nothing with a local model.
- Is bolt.diy made by the Bolt team?
- It is the official open-source version hosted under StackBlitz Labs on GitHub. It was started by Cole Medin and is now a community effort.