Bolt.new

Build JavaScript and Node.js apps in the browser

by StackBlitz

Overview

Bolt is a browser-based app builder for JavaScript front ends and Node.js back ends: you describe an app and it writes the files, installs packages and runs commands in a WebContainer, which executes locally on Chromium-based browsers. What you get is not the same everywhere - in Safari the preview is served from Bolt's hosted environment and Code view is read-only, and the mobile app leaves out Code view, some project settings and version history - and AI requests go to hosted models, so browser-based development is not a promise that code stays on your device. Code can be synced with GitHub, and a project can be published on Bolt hosting or through a Netlify workflow that starts from an unpublished copy. Hosting includes a monthly allowance - 10GB and 333,333 requests on Free, 30GB and 1 million on Pro, shared across the projects in one account - and while Free pauses at the limit, Pro can pay for overage up to a configured cap.

Two ownership questions are settled in the official terms: code you create with Bolt and StackBlitz is yours for any lawful purpose including commercial use, and StackBlitz assigns its rights in AI output to you, subject to third-party rights in the underlying models or training data and to AI output possibly not being protectable by copyright. Bolt also states it currently has no public API, CLI or SDK, so there is none for a subscription to include (Bolt support and StackBlitz Terms of Service, read 12 October 2026).

Editor's take

Worth using when the job fits JavaScript and Node.js and you want to start without installing anything. Hosting carries a monthly allowance rather than being charged on top of the plan: Free pauses at its limit, and Pro can pay for overage up to a configured cap. The data policy is on a date boundary: the privacy policy updated on 14 September 2026 applies to existing accounts from 29 September 2026, model-development use of eligible new content may not begin before then, ordinary Bolt content has opt-out controls and Forge needs separate consent - and those uses do not apply at all to accounts determined to be in the EEA, UK or Switzerland. We have not verified project size limits or generation speed, so how far it scales is untested rather than settled.

Our reading of who this suits, based on the sources above. Opinion, offered to help you decide - not a lab result.

Key Features

Browser-based development for JavaScript front ends and Node.js back ends
WebContainer execution, local on Chromium-based browsers, with a live preview beside the code
GitHub integration for importing, syncing and branching
Publishing on Bolt hosting with a monthly allowance (10GB and 333,333 requests on Free, 30GB and 1M on Pro), or a Netlify workflow from an unpublished copy
Mobile projects through Expo; Python and PHP back ends are not supported
Free, Pro and Teams; Forge pricing says October18 while support says October14, so current preview entitlement is unresolved; Lite remains invitation/waitlist based

Use Cases

A prototype you can describe and run without a local setup
Small web apps published from the same tool
Projects you want to keep in your own GitHub repository
Mobile app experiments through Expo

Pros

✓No local development setup: the work happens through the browser, with the WebContainer runtime running locally on Chromium-based browsers
✓GitHub sync keeps the code in a repository you control
✓A project can publish on Bolt hosting, or move to a Netlify workflow
✓The pricing page states token allowances and hosting limits per plan

Cons

✕Browser-based is not uniform: in Safari the preview is hosted and Code view is read-only, and mobile lacks Code view, settings and version history
✕Back ends are limited to Node.js - Python and PHP are not supported
✕Hosting has a monthly allowance shared across an account's projects; Free pauses at the limit and Pro's overage is paid up to a configured cap
✕The privacy policy updated on 14 September 2026 takes effect for existing accounts on 29 September 2026, Forge needs separate consent, and those model-development uses do not apply to accounts determined to be in the EEA, UK or Switzerland, Forge Content included

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Bolt free?

Free has token allowances; the public table lists Pro $25/month and Teams $30/member/month. The pricing page says Forge is included until October18, while support describes a September14–October14 preview with a waitlisted $9/month Forge-only Lite route. These official end dates conflict; current Forge entitlement is unconfirmed and no account was tested.

Can I export the code?

Bolt integrates with GitHub for importing, syncing and branching, and merging a branch is done on GitHub; the project can also be downloaded. Code export does not carry database or hosting state with it, and only the project owner can manage the GitHub connection.

Is my code used for training?

The privacy policy updated on 14 September 2026 applies to existing accounts from 29 September 2026. Model-development and data-licence uses may not begin before that date, and they cover eligible new content - content that qualifies and was created from 14 September 2026 onward. Ordinary Bolt content has opt-out controls and Forge needs separate consent; those uses do not apply at all to accounts determined to be in the EEA, UK or Switzerland, Forge Content included, and the processing needed to run inference still happens. There is no blanket never-used statement we could verify, and it would be wrong to say training has already started - on 23 September 2026 those terms are not yet in force.

Does everything really run in the browser?

The development environment does, with the WebContainer runtime executing locally on Chromium-based browsers. What serves the preview and how much of the editor you get depend on the browser: in Safari the preview is hosted and Code view is read-only, and the mobile app omits Code view. AI requests go to hosted models, so your prompts and code are sent to a service either way.

Task guides for this product

T6 · Compare builders for GitHub sync and custom domains

Key facts and where they come from

PriceNot established: Bolt’s Pro web card lists $25 per month billed monthly and says Forge is included until October 18, while the linked Forge support page still says the preview and Pro access end October 14, 2026. The currency code, selected purchase region/account conditions and authoritative current Forge entitlement remain unestablished; the waitlisted $9 Lite option is not a verified generally available checkout offer.Source: Bolt - pricing · Bolt - Forge preview
AvailabilityNot established: Country-by-country distribution and actual reachability of the selected product and plan are not established by the registered sources. A platform list, hosting location or payment-region note does not establish access from a particular country.Source: Bolt - supported technologies
Commercial useDocumented: Read on 12 October 2026. States that all code created with Bolt and StackBlitz belongs to the user and may be used for any legal purpose including commercial purposes, without splitting free and paid tiers. The StackBlitz Terms of Service add that the assignment is subject to third-party rights in the underlying models or training data, and that AI output may not be protectable by copyright.Source: Bolt - corporate and commercial use
Training on your dataDocumented: Updated 14 September 2026, effective for existing accounts on 29 September 2026: model-development and data-licence uses may not begin before that date and cover eligible new content, with opt-out controls on ordinary content and separate consent for Forge. Accounts determined to be in the EEA, UK or Switzerland are excluded from those uses, Forge Content included, with processing necessary to run inference still taking place.Source: StackBlitz privacy policy
API billingDocumented: Read on 12 October 2026. States that Bolt currently has no public API, CLI or SDK to control it programmatically from outside the product.Source: Bolt - FAQs (public API)
Export formatsDocumented: Projects can be downloaded as ZIP from the project-title menu under Export > Download for work outside Bolt.Source: Bolt - manage your projects (download)
Usage limitsDocumented: Free hosting includes 10 GB and 333,333 requests monthly; Pro includes 30 GB and one million requests with configurable paid overages. The allowance is shared across the account’s projects, and Free sites pause at the cap.Source: Bolt - hosting plans

Official sources

The vendor pages we read for the claims on this page, what each one states, and the day we read it.

Bolt - supported technologies ↗
JavaScript front ends and Node.js back ends, with Expo for mobile; Python and PHP back ends are not supported. Safari uses hosted previews and a read-only Code view, and mobile omits Code view, some settings and version history.
Read on September 23, 2026
Bolt - pricing ↗
The Pro web card lists $25 per month billed monthly and states Forge is included until October 18. The page does not state an ISO currency or selected purchasing region. Historical registered scope read on 2026-10-15, not rechecked in full on 2026-10-15: The current public page displays Pro at $25 per month billed monthly with 10M monthly tokens; Free lists 300K daily and 1M monthly tokens. The body read does not identify an ISO billing currency, purchase market or country eligibility. These amounts do not establish a currency-qualified US$20 budget comparison or checkout result.
Read on October 15, 2026
Bolt - Forge preview ↗
The Forge support page still describes a September 14–October 14, 2026 preview and Pro access ending October 14. Lite is a $9/month waitlisted plan, with already subscribed Lite users continuing after the preview. No current universally available Lite checkout is verified. Historical registered scope read on 2026-10-15, not rechecked in full on 2026-10-15: Historical registered scope from 2026-09-23; the entire statement was not re-read on 2026-10-15: Bolt Forge previews from 14 September to 14 October 2026; the Lite tier is $9 a month, waitlisted and Forge-only, without Standard or Max usage or custom domains. Personal Pro includes Forge during the preview. Official body read on 2026-10-15, limited to this scope: The page still describes the September14–October14, 2026 preview; Lite remains a $9/month invitation-waitlist option, Forge-only, without Standard/Max or custom domains. The page says Lite subscribers can continue after the preview while Pro access was preview-scoped; no account access was tested.
Read on October 15, 2026
Bolt - hosting plans ↗
Historical registered scope from 2026-09-23; the entire statement was not re-read on 2026-10-15: Free hosting includes 10GB and 333,333 requests a month, shared across the projects in the same account; Pro includes 30GB and 1 million requests a month, and while Free is paused at the limit, Pro can pay for overage up to a configured cap. Official body read on 2026-10-15, limited to this scope: Free hosting includes 10GB and 333, 333 requests/month; Pro 30GB/one million, with configurable paid overages. Allowances are shared across an account’s projects, not guaranteed visits for this project. Free sites pause at the cap. Free hosting includes 10 GB and 333,333 requests monthly; Pro includes 30 GB and one million requests with configurable paid overages. The allowance is shared across the account’s projects, and Free sites pause at the cap.
Read on October 15, 2026
StackBlitz privacy policy ↗
Updated 14 September 2026, effective for existing accounts on 29 September 2026: model-development and data-licence uses may not begin before that date and cover eligible new content, with opt-out controls on ordinary content and separate consent for Forge. Accounts determined to be in the EEA, UK or Switzerland are excluded from those uses, Forge Content included, with processing necessary to run inference still taking place.
Read on September 23, 2026
Bolt - corporate and commercial use ↗
Read on 12 October 2026. States that all code created with Bolt and StackBlitz belongs to the user and may be used for any legal purpose including commercial purposes, without splitting free and paid tiers. The StackBlitz Terms of Service add that the assignment is subject to third-party rights in the underlying models or training data, and that AI output may not be protectable by copyright.
Read on October 12, 2026
Bolt - FAQs (public API) ↗
Read on 12 October 2026. States that Bolt currently has no public API, CLI or SDK to control it programmatically from outside the product.
Read on October 12, 2026
Bolt - manage your projects (download) ↗
Historical registered scope from 2026-10-14; the entire statement was not re-read on 2026-10-15: Read on 14 October 2026. The page states: You can download your project as a zip file to work on it outside of Bolt, using your own code editor, from the project title then Export > Download. It names no per-file output formats. Official body read on 2026-10-15, limited to this scope: Projects can be downloaded as ZIP from the project-title menu, Export > Download, for work outside Bolt. Export does not establish a configured production backend or external hosting bill. Projects can be downloaded as ZIP from the project-title menu under Export > Download for work outside Bolt.
Read on October 15, 2026

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