Bolt.new alternatives: 8 open-source picks
Bolt.new costs $25/mo — $300 a year. These 8 alternatives replace it for $0, led by open-lovable, Onlook and Dyad. All 8 are open source. License, stars and last commit checked by hand on 2026-08-29. No trials, no crippled tiers.
Same prompt-to-app loop in a cloud sandbox, powered by your own model keys.
licenseMIT
runsyour machine or their cloud
installClone the repo, install with pnpm, add service keys to .env and run the Next.js development server
enginesGemini, Anthropic, OpenAI or Groq; Firecrawl for extraction; Vercel or E2B sandboxes; optional Morph
dataGenerated React source lives in the selected cloud sandbox; local configuration is in .env, and prompts or site content go to the selected services
the catch vs Bolt.newIt is a developer-run example requiring several service keys, without Bolt's managed account, persistent workspace and integrated deploy experience.
setupSeveral model, extraction and sandbox service keys are needed before the complete workflow works
facts verified 2026-08-10
Open source visual builder on a real React codebase; the grown-up sibling of the browser sandbox.
licenseApache-2.0
runsyour machine or their cloud
installHosted signup, or self-host with Bun or Docker plus Supabase configuration
enginesOpenRouter plus configurable code-edit services such as Morph or Relace
dataProject code lives in the workspace or sandbox; application metadata and assets use the configured Supabase instance
the catch vs Bolt.newIt is narrower and more design-first, with less mature prompt-to-full-stack generation and deployment than Bolt's browser workspace.
setupHosted access may be gated; self-hosting needs Bun or Docker, Supabase and several environment variables
facts verified 2026-08-10
Bolt on your laptop, minus the hosting fairy.
licenseApache-2.0
runson your machine
installDesktop installer
enginesOpenAI, Anthropic, Google Gemini, OpenRouter-compatible providers and local Ollama
dataGenerated project source and app metadata stay on the computer; prompts and selected context go to the chosen provider unless a local model is used
the catch vs Bolt.newIt has no managed browser sandbox, instant public hosting or one-click deployment comparable to Bolt, so you own the local environment and deployment.
setupA model-provider API key or a separately installed and configured local Ollama model
facts verified 2026-08-10
Official open-source Bolt: prompt, run, edit, and deploy full-stack web apps with any LLM
licenseMIT
runsyour server
setupnot verified by us yet — check the repo README
facts verified 2026-08-29
Terminal-native open-source coding agent with a polished TUI and 75+ model providers
licenseMIT
runsyour server
setupnot verified by us yet — check the repo README
facts verified 2026-08-29
Autonomous AI software engineer that writes code, runs commands, and browses the web in a sandbox
licenseMIT
runsyour server
setupnot verified by us yet — check the repo README
facts verified 2026-08-29
Autonomous coding agent in VS Code that plans, edits files, and runs terminal commands with your own API keys
licenseApache-2.0
runsyour server
setupnot verified by us yet — check the repo README
facts verified 2026-08-29
Terminal pair-programmer that edits your git repo with auto-commits using GPT, Claude, or local LLMs
licenseApache-2.0
runsyour server
setupnot verified by us yet — check the repo README
facts verified 2026-08-29
What each one is, in full: open-lovable · Onlook · Dyad · bolt.diy · OpenCode · OpenHands
last updated 2026-08-29 · no votes, no pay-to-list · just what's real
the usual suspects · recommended everywhere, rejected here
bolt.diyMIT source, but its WebContainers runtime needs a commercial licence for production business use.
ContinueAcquired and read-only, and an editor agent was never a local prompt-to-app sandbox.
how to choose a Bolt.new alternative
Easiest to get running
Dyad — a one-click install, no server to maintain.
Most proven
OpenCode, with 192,000 GitHub stars — the largest community of the 8, which usually means more answers when something breaks.
Runs on your own machine, no server
Dyad — nothing to host, your data stays on your disk.
Needs real ops to self-host
open-lovable is capable but expects someone to run a server, updates and backups. Budget for that before choosing it.
what you give up by leaving Bolt.new
- browser sandbox, model orchestration, package execution, deployment, and hosted compute
- frontier proprietary model
- large-scale code retrieval
- cloud sandbox fleet
- enterprise policy and support
None of the picks above covers all of it. The full verdict says which gaps matter.
Bolt.new alternatives at a glance
| tool | license | running it | platforms | stars | active |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| open-lovable | MIT | self-host, real ops | web, self-hosted | 28,217 | 2025-11 |
| Onlook | Apache-2.0 | docker to self-host | web, self-hosted | 26,433 | 2026-07 |
| Dyad | Apache-2.0 | one-click install | macos, windows | 21,100 | 2026-08 |
| bolt.diy | MIT | docker to self-host | self-hosted, web | 20,000 | 2026-08 |
| OpenCode | MIT | one-click install | self-hosted, web | 192,000 | 2026-08 |
| OpenHands | MIT | docker to self-host | self-hosted, web | 83,000 | 2026-08 |
| Cline | Apache-2.0 | one-click install | self-hosted, web | 65,000 | 2026-08 |
| Aider | Apache-2.0 | one-click install | self-hosted, web | 48,000 | 2026-08 |
why people still pay for Bolt.new
People still pay for Bolt.new because the UI can be copied, but high-quality code models, context ranking, safe execution, and constant evaluation are the product. The recurring cost buys model changes, indexing, prompt injection, tool permissions, sandboxing, evaluation, telemetry choices, and IDE compatibility, not just the visible interface. If none of that applies to you, any pick above saves $300 a year.
questions about switching from Bolt.new
Is there an open-source alternative to Bolt.new?
Yes: open-lovable, Onlook, Dyad and 5 more. Every tool on this page is open source: no trials, no crippled tiers.
Can open source really replace Bolt.new?
Our verdict is YES. OpenCode (192k stars), OpenHands (83k stars), Cline (65k stars) are mature open-source replacements for Bolt.new — self-host in one command and stop paying $25/mo. The full verdict, and what you give up by switching, is at caniopensourceit.online/bolt-new.
What is the easiest open-source Bolt.new alternative to set up?
Dyad — a one-click install, no server to maintain.
What is the most popular open-source Bolt.new alternative?
By GitHub stars, OpenCode (192,000). OpenHands is next with 83,000.
