5 minute read

Bolt.new: Browser-Based AI Full-Stack Development

Quick Answer

Bolt.new is StackBlitz’s browser-based AI development platform that uses proprietary WebContainer technology to execute Node.js entirely within the client’s browser via WebAssembly. Unlike traditional cloud IDEs (Replit, Codespaces) that rely on server-side virtual machines, Bolt runs code locally with zero latency, enabling instant full-stack development with React, Vite, and Tailwind CSS defaults. With Project-Aware Context, self-healing terminal loops, and one-click deployment to Bolt Hosting or Netlify, Bolt has become the premier platform for “vibe coding”—rapid prototyping where developers describe high-level intent and AI handles implementation details from scaffolding to deployment.

What is Bolt.new?

Bolt.new is a “Prompt-to-Product” platform that collapses the traditional fragmented stages of setup, coding, and deployment into a singular, linear workflow. The lifecycle begins with Intent Definition (e.g., “Build a CRM dashboard with dark mode and CSV export”), proceeds through Code Generation (writing files directly to browser’s virtual file system), and concludes with Live Preview and Deployment (rendering app instantly, one-click to production URL).

The technological foundation is WebContainer—StackBlitz’s proprietary system leveraging WebAssembly to execute a full Node.js runtime locally. This includes a POSIX-compliant file system, TCP/IP networking stack, and shell command support, all confined within browser security sandbox.

Key Features

WebContainer Technology

Architecture:

  • Zero Latency: Compute occurs client-side—file operations, builds, hot-reloading happen instantly without network round-trips
  • Security Sandboxing: Code execution confined within browser sandbox; protects local machine from malicious packages
  • Cost Structure: Offloads computational load to user—StackBlitz avoids massive infrastructure overhead of cloud VMs

Browser Compatibility: Optimized for Chromium-based browsers (Chrome, Edge, Brave). Firefox/Safari have improved Wasm support but may lack specific networking APIs.

AI Reasoning Engine

Strategic Alignment with Anthropic: Bolt defaults to Claude 3.5 Sonnet and the emerging Claude 4.5 series—benchmarks indicate Claude outperforms GPT-4o in coding tasks, particularly for complex multi-step instructions and long-context coherence.

Agent Architecture:

  • v1 Agent: Discussion Mode optimized for speed/token efficiency. Reactive, fixes errors as they arise
  • Claude Agent: Premium offering with Plan Mode—recursive reasoning step where AI formulates implementation strategy before writing code, reducing hallucination loops

Model Selection Matrix:

Model Use Case Reasoning Token Cost
Haiku 4.5 Text updates, simple CSS fixes Low Low
Sonnet 4.5 Scaffolding, feature implementation High Medium
Opus 4.5 Architectural refactoring, debugging Very High High

Full-Stack Capabilities

Frontend Standard:

  • React & Vite: Enforced defaults—React for view layer, Vite for build tool, Tailwind CSS for styling
  • Component Libraries: Leverages shadcn/ui and Lucide React icons for professional, accessible components
  • Shadcn/ui: Frequent usage for modern design systems—AI installs libraries and composes high-quality components

Backend Gap:

  • JavaScript Boundary: WebContainers fundamentally Node.js runtime—cannot execute Python, PHP, Java
  • Django/Laravel: Users requesting these backends will find Bolt cannot scaffold; must adapt to Node.js or use Bolt solely for frontend
  • Universal JS Future: Forces function toward full-stack TypeScript (Next.js, Remix, SvelteKit)

Data Persistence

Bolt Database (Native):

  • Zero-configuration storage engine with built-in authentication flows
  • Default for new projects, platform lock-in strategy

Supabase Integration (External):

  • Production-grade applications requiring Row Level Security (RLS), Edge Functions
  • AI capable of configuring Supabase client, generating migration scripts

Mobile Development Strategy

React Native & Expo:

  • Scaffolds projects using Expo Router
  • Preview: Browser cannot render native views—generates QR code for Expo Go app tunnel
  • Native Gap: Cannot handle App Store compilation/submission—requires manual export with local environment setup

Deployment

Bolt Hosting (.bolt.host): One-click deployment optimized for generated tech stack Netlify: Direct integration—AI configures netlify.toml, handles deployment hooks Cloudflare Pages: Advanced users favor performance—AI writes Wrangler configuration

Open Source Fork: bolt.diy allows:

  • LLM agnosticism (connect to OpenAI, Gemini, Groq, DeepSeek, Ollama)
  • Self-hosting via Docker on Coolify/VPS
  • Complete privacy, offline-capable AI development environment

Integration Ecosystem

  • Stripe: AI automates checkout flow, webhook handlers, API key configuration
  • Authentication: Clerk/Supabase Auth—AI installs SDK, wraps app in Auth Provider, generates protected routes

Bolt.new vs Competitors

Bolt.new vs v0 (Vercel)

  • Scope: v0 = component generator (copy-paste into existing projects). Bolt = application generator (entire project structure)
  • Use Case: v0 for specific complex components. Bolt for building products from scratch

Bolt.new vs Replit

  • Technology: Replit = server-side containers (Docker/Nix) allowing Python, C++, Java. Bolt = client-side WebContainers limited to Node.js
  • Collaboration: Replit has mature multiplayer. Bolt recently introduced Teams but Replit remains standard for collaborative education

Bolt.new vs Lovable

  • No-Code Spectrum: Lovable closer to no-code, abstracting more code. Bolt = developer-grade where code is visible/central
  • Audience: Lovable for non-technical founders. Bolt for technical founders and developers

Bolt.new vs Cursor

  • Local vs Cloud: Cursor = local VS Code fork with full local codebase access. Bolt = cloud/browser inception for greenfield projects
  • Power: Cursor handles massive legacy codebases. Bolt excels at rapid prototyping from scratch

Framework Support

Frontend (Tier 1)

  • React/Next.js: Native
  • Vue/Nuxt: High
  • Svelte/SvelteKit: High
  • Angular: High
  • Emerging (Qwik, SolidJS, Astro): High via MCP integration

Backend (Tier 1 - JavaScript Only)

  • Node.js: Native
  • Express: High
  • NestJS: High
  • Fastify: High
  • Edge Runtimes (Hono, Elysia): High

Databases (Tier 1)

  • Supabase: Official integration
  • PostgreSQL: Via Supabase or Neon
  • MongoDB: Via SDK integration
  • PlanetScale: Via MySQL integration

Best For

  • Rapid prototyping and MVPs: Full-stack app generation in minutes
  • Full-stack JavaScript developers: Teams standardized on React/Node.js
  • Technical founders building products: Quickly validate ideas without hiring engineers
  • Teams prioritizing speed: Zero-config environment from idea to deployment

Avoid For

  • Python/Django/Laravel backends: WebContainers cannot execute these runtimes
  • Mobile app development: Native gap requires complex manual export process
  • Air-gapped environments: Requires internet connectivity
  • Teams requiring complex DevOps: Infrastructure complexity requires traditional IaC tools

Pricing

Tier Price Token Allowance Target
Free $0 ~1M (limited daily) Hobbyists, evaluation
Pro $20 10M Solo developers, MVP builders
Pro 50 $50 26M Heavy users, iterative refiners
Pro 100 $100 55M Agencies, power users
Pro 200 $200 120M Enterprise

Context Burn Risk: Exponential cost as project grows—simple “change button color” might cost 50,000 tokens if AI re-reads entire CSS architecture.

FAQ

Is Bolt.new better than Cursor?

Bolt excels at rapid prototyping from scratch with browser-based convenience. Cursor handles massive, legacy codebases requiring full local access. Use Bolt for greenfield projects, Cursor for production codebase maintenance.

Can Bolt.new run Python?

No. Bolt’s WebContainers are fundamentally Node.js runtime—cannot execute Python. For Python backends, consider Replit or Codespaces.

Is Bolt.new free?

Free tier available with ~1M tokens (limited daily). Pro subscription ($20+) required for serious full-time development.

What is bolt.diy?

bolt.diy is open-source fork of Bolt codebase that decouples UI from SaaS restrictions—allows LLM agnosticism, local models via Ollama, self-hosting via Docker.

Can Bolt.new deploy mobile apps?

Bolt can scaffold React Native/Expo code but cannot handle App Store compilation/submission. Requires manual export with local environment setup (Node, Watchman, CocoaPods, eas build).

Does Bolt.new support Django?

No. Bolt cannot scaffold Django backends. Must adapt to Node.js or use Bolt solely for frontend with external Django API.

Research Version: 1.x (2026) Analysis Date: January 20, 2026 Next Review: March 2026

Updated:

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