Free alternative to Bolt.new

Home › Guides · Last checked 2026-10-27 · Facts verified from each project's docs unless marked tested

The closest free alternative to Bolt.new is bolt.diy, an open-source (MIT) AI developer workspace from StackBlitz Labs. You prompt it in a chat, it writes a full-stack web app and runs it in your browser with a code editor, terminal and live preview, then deploys to Netlify, Vercel or GitHub Pages. You pick the model for every prompt from 22+ providers, including free local models through Ollama or LM Studio, so there's no monthly token allowance. The catch: its README says no new features are planned (bug and reliability fixes only), you run it yourself and results depend on the model you connect.

	Bolt.new	bolt.diy
Cost	Free; Pro $25/mo billed monthly (Bolt pricing page)	Free (MIT); you pay only for any cloud model you use
Usage limits	Free: 1M tokens/mo, 300K a day; Pro: 10M tokens/mo	None set by the app; local model speed or your API bill is the limit
Models	Bolt's choice; newest models on paid plans	You pick per prompt: 22+ providers, including Ollama and LM Studio
Hosting	Built-in hosting; custom domain on Pro	Deploy to Netlify, Vercel or GitHub Pages
Where it runs	Bolt's cloud	Your computer (browser app via Node.js or Docker)
Development	Active commercial product	Maintenance only; no new features planned
License	Commercial service	MIT

Get it running in 5 steps

Install Node.js 22.12.0+ and pnpm (npm install -g pnpm), or use Docker.
Clone and install: git clone https://github.com/stackblitz-labs/bolt.diy.git, then cd bolt.diy and pnpm install.
Start it with pnpm run dev and open http://localhost:5173.
Click the Settings gear ▸ Providers. Paste an API key, or point it at a local endpoint such as Ollama at http://127.0.0.1:11434.
Describe the app you want in the chat. Review the code in the workbench, check the live preview, then deploy or export a ZIP.

The catches

Maintenance mode: the README says no new features are planned, so don't expect it to keep pace with Bolt.new.
Model quality: app-building takes long, code-heavy prompts; small local models often stumble, and strong cloud models cost money per use.
Setup: it needs Node.js and pnpm or Docker, and the latest release had no ready-made installer when we checked.
Keys in the browser: keys entered in the UI are stored in browser cookies, per the README, so use it on a machine you trust.

When Bolt.new is still worth paying for

If you want to type a prompt in a browser tab and get a hosted site with no setup, newest models and a custom domain, Bolt.new's Pro plan does that. bolt.diy wins when you want to choose your own model, run on your own machine or keep building without a monthly token cap.

Sources: bolt.diy README and GitHub license (MIT), bolt.diy releases (v1.0.1, October 12, 2026), Bolt pricing page, Bolt Help Center: tokens (all checked 2026-10-27). We have no affiliate link with either. See all free coding assistants or read Aider vs Cline.

FAQ

How much does Bolt.new cost?

Bolt's pricing page (checked 2026-10-27) lists Free at $0 with 1M tokens a month and a 300K daily token limit, Bolt branding on websites and website hosting. Pro is $25 a month billed monthly with 10M tokens a month, rollover and your own domain. Teams is $30 per member a month, Enterprise is custom, and yearly billing saves up to 28%. Bolt's Help Center says free tokens reset on the 1st of each month and don't roll over.

Is bolt.diy really free?

The software is. The README says bolt.diy is open source under the MIT License. Your cost is the model: a local model through Ollama or LM Studio is free to run, while cloud keys such as Anthropic, OpenAI or Gemini are billed by that provider. The README also notes it uses the WebContainers API, which has its own commercial licensing terms for enterprise deployment.

Which models can it use?

The README lists 22+ providers, including OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, Groq, xAI, DeepSeek and Mistral in the cloud and Ollama and LM Studio locally, plus any provider supported by the Vercel AI SDK. OpenRouter, Anthropic, OpenAI and Google are on by default; you enable others in Settings. Its prompt library includes a prompt tuned for smaller models.

Is bolt.diy still being developed?

It's maintained but not growing. The README says ongoing work is bug fixes, dependency updates and reliability fixes, and no new features are planned. The latest GitHub release when we checked was v1.0.1, published October 12, 2026.

What do I need to run it?

Node.js 22.12.0 or newer and pnpm 9.15.9 or newer, or Docker. The README also describes an Electron desktop app for Windows, macOS and Linux and points to the releases page for installers, but the v1.0.1 release listed no download files when we checked, so plan on building from source.

Can I deploy what it builds?

Yes. The README lists one-click deployment to Netlify, Vercel and GitHub Pages, Git clone and push, ZIP export and Supabase integration. Bolt.new, by contrast, hosts your site for you, and Pro adds a custom domain.