By 2026, low-code development tools will account for 75% of new application development, up from 40% in 2021, according to Gartner's forecast. Meanwhile, 84% of enterprises have already adopted low-code or no-code tools to reduce IT backlogs. For founders, product builders, and technical professionals, this means more options than ever for turning ideas into working software. The question isn't whether to use AI-powered development tools anymore. It's which one fits your situation.
This guide covers eight platforms across three categories: full-stack AI builders that generate complete applications from conversation, AI-enhanced no-code platforms that add intelligence to visual development, and AI code assistants for technical builders who want speed without giving up control.
This approach to building—sometimes called vibe coding—is reshaping how applications get built. We'll break down what each platform does well, who it's actually built for, and how to choose between them based on your background and goals.
Full-Stack AI Platforms for App Development
These platforms generate complete, deployable applications from natural language descriptions. You describe what you want, the AI writes the code.
1. Lovable
Lovable generates production-ready TypeScript and React applications from plain English prompts. Describe your app, and the platform produces everything: frontend UI, backend databases, authentication, and deployment infrastructure. No templates, no drag-and-drop compromises—you get real code you can own, extend, and deploy.
Best For: Founders building MVPs without developer hires, product teams creating rapid prototypes, and technical builders who want clean code without the boilerplate.
Working Modes
The platform offers three ways to build:
- Agent Mode: Handles autonomous development—explores codebases, debugs proactively, searches the web for solutions, and solves problems independently
- Chat Mode: Interactive interface for planning, debugging, and iterative development with multi-step reasoning
- Visual Edits: Click directly on interface elements to modify them without writing prompts, reducing UI iteration cycles by 40%
Integrations
Native connections to the tools you already use:
Traction
Mindaugas built Backchannel with Lovable—going from idea to paying customers without writing code. In December 2025, Lovable closed a $330M Series B at a $6.6B valuation, reaching $200M ARR. Enterprise customers include Klarna, Uber, and Zendesk. The Lovable showcase features applications across industries.
Pricing
- Free: 5 daily credits
- Pro: $25/month with 100 monthly credits, private projects, custom domains
- Business: $50/month with SSO and team features for up to 20 users
- Enterprise: Custom pricing
- Students: Up to 50% off Pro plan
2. Bolt.new
Bolt.new by StackBlitz runs full-stack development entirely in your browser through WebContainer technology. No installations, no local environment—open a tab and start building. This matters when you need to go from idea to shareable prototype without fighting your development setup.
Best For: Teams that need shareable prototypes fast. If you're preparing for an investor demo or want to test a concept without any setup friction, Bolt removes every barrier between idea and clickable prototype.
Key Features
- WebContainers run Node.js directly in your browser tab—no backend servers required
- Describe your application in plain English, AI generates the complete structure with real-time visual feedback
- Projects become shareable via simple links with no deployment steps
- Supports React, Next.js, Astro, and Svelte
Pricing
- Starter: $20/month with token-based usage
- Includes public and private projects with removable branding
- Heavy usage during complex builds can burn through tokens quickly
3. V0 by Vercel
V0 has evolved from a component generator into a full-stack application builder. Vercel positions it as an AI builder with agentic capabilities that can research, reason, debug, and plan. The output is production-grade Next.js—code that professional developers recognize and respect.
Best For: Product teams building operational tools who want production-ready Next.js code they can hand off to developers and extend. Strong choice when you need something that looks polished for stakeholders but remains fully extensible.
Key Features
- Generates Next.js applications with TypeScript and Tailwind CSS—frameworks any developer can maintain
- Handles planning automatically, translating requirements into implementation
- Ships directly on Vercel's infrastructure with built-in hosting and security
- Uses shadcn/ui components for consistent, maintainable code
Pricing
- Free: Limited generations
- Pro: $20/month with increased limits
- Pricing has changed recently—verify at the official site
AI-Enhanced No-Code Platforms
These platforms combine visual development with AI assistance. You get more control over logic and customization than pure AI generators, with AI helping at key steps.
4. Bubble
Bubble is a visual development platform with AI capabilities for generating application starting points from natural language. The platform goes deep on customization through its visual programming interface—you can build genuinely complex logic without writing code, which matters for applications that need custom workflows.
Best For: Solopreneurs and small business owners building complex web applications with custom logic—subscription platforms, multi-sided marketplaces, and apps requiring user authentication and payment processing. If your app needs more than a standard template but you can't hire a development team, Bubble bridges that gap.
Key Features
- AI interprets plain English descriptions, builds functional interfaces, suggests database structures
- Visual editor supports full-stack capabilities: database management, authentication, workflows
- Integrates with Stripe and GitHub
- Seagate reportedly shipped enterprise portals 5× faster using Bubble compared to traditional development
Pricing
- Free: Learning plan with Bubble branding
- Starter: $32/month
- Growth: $134/month
- Team: $349/month
- Production apps also require Workload Units, priced separately
5. Glide
Glide transforms spreadsheet data into mobile and web applications. The familiar interface builds on existing Google Sheets or Excel knowledge while adding AI-powered features.
Best For: Service professionals who need client management systems, retail businesses requiring inventory tracking, and field teams needing mobile access to business data. If your workflow lives in spreadsheets, Glide turns that data into an app without starting from scratch.
Key Features
- AI generates app structure from your spreadsheet and adds AI functions to deployed apps
- End users can interact with AI agents that draft emails, extract data, and automate tasks
- Supports Google Sheets, Excel, Airtable, and native Glide Tables with real-time sync
- Manfield Paris reportedly achieved 750% productivity improvement with their inventory management app
Pricing
- Free: Learning plan
- Maker: $60/month ($49 annually) with AI features and custom domains
- Team: $99/month with 20 users and API access
- Business: $249/month with advanced integrations
6. Softr
Softr builds client portals, CRMs, and internal tools from connected data sources like Airtable, Google Sheets, and native Softr Databases. The platform specializes in role-based access control.
Best For: Agencies managing multiple client portals, small businesses creating custom CRMs, and teams needing internal tools with granular permissions. If you're managing different access levels for different users, Softr handles that complexity well.
Key Features
- Real-time, two-way synchronization—changes flow automatically between data source and deployed app
- Role-based access controls manage what different users can view or edit
- Workflows for automation, Ask AI for querying live app data
- Database AI Agents for data enrichment
Pricing
- Basic: $49/month
- Professional: $139/month
- Business: $269/month with SSO and up to 2,500 users
- Enterprise: Custom pricing
AI Code Assistants
These tools accelerate development for people who already write code. They suggest completions, handle boilerplate, and help you move faster without replacing your judgment.
7. GitHub Copilot
GitHub Copilot provides AI-assisted code suggestions integrated into VS Code, JetBrains, Neovim, and Visual Studio. It's an acceleration tool for developers who already know what they're building.
Best For: Technical builders and development teams who want AI assistance while keeping their existing IDE and workflow preferences. The goal is speed, not replacement.
Key Features
- Works as an extension across multiple IDEs, preserving your existing tools
- @workspace and #codebase commands provide project-wide context
- Native GitHub integration connects with pull requests and repository management
- Agent Mode automates multi-step coding tasks with awareness of your full project
In GitHub's research, developers using Copilot completed a standardized task 55% faster than those without it. 73% reported staying in flow more easily.
Pricing
- Free: 2,000 completions and 50 chat requests monthly
- Pro: $10/month with unlimited completions
- Pro+: $39/month with 1,500 premium requests
- Business: $19/user/month
- Enterprise: $39/user/month with compliance features
8. Cursor
Cursor is an AI-native code editor built as a VS Code fork with AI capabilities at the architectural level. The platform uses a proprietary codebase embedding model for deep repository awareness. Because it started as an editor rather than adding AI to an existing one, the integration runs deeper.
Best For: Technical builders working with large codebases who want an editor that understands project structure, dependencies, and context across files. Particularly useful for multi-file refactoring and teams working on complex systems where context matters.
Key Features
- Deep codebase indexing provides repository-wide awareness
- Composer enables multi-file edits with extended context windows
- Agent Mode supports up to 8 parallel AI agents working on codebases simultaneously
- Fork architecture means AI capabilities run deeper than add-on tools
Pricing
- Free: Limited usage
- Pro: $20/month
- Business: $40/user/month with organization-wide controls
How to Choose the Right Platform
Your choice depends on technical background, project scope, and where you want to end up. Here's how to think through it.
By Technical Background
If you're a founder without coding experience, start with Lovable or Glide—they're designed for people who think in terms of outcomes rather than implementation details. Product teams with some technical familiarity can use any full-stack builder for rapid prototyping. Technical builders should compare Cursor and GitHub Copilot based on IDE preferences and how much they want AI integrated into their existing workflow.
By Project Scope
Simple internal tools: Softr or Glide. Complex web applications with custom logic: Bubble or Lovable. Rapid MVP validation: Lovable, Bolt.new, or V0. Spreadsheet-driven operations: Glide. The key is matching platform depth to project complexity—you don't need Bubble's power for a simple client portal, and Glide won't handle a complex marketplace.
By Exit Strategy
Platforms generating standard code (Lovable, V0, Bolt.new, Cursor) produce TypeScript and React that any developer can maintain. This can reduce due diligence friction compared to platform-dependent applications if you're building toward acquisition. Investors and acquirers often prefer codebases they can audit and modify.
By Timeline
Need a working prototype in days? Lovable and Bolt.new deliver fastest through natural language generation. Projects requiring weeks with custom business logic benefit from Bubble's visual programming depth. Glide works best when you already have structured data in spreadsheets you want to mobilize. For ongoing technical development with AI acceleration, Cursor and GitHub Copilot integrate into existing workflows without requiring you to change how you work.
Start Building This Week
A year ago, building a custom application meant hiring developers or settling for templates. Now you can describe what you want and watch it come together in real time.
The platforms in this guide serve different needs. If you're a founder with an idea but no technical background, Lovable or Glide will get you from concept to working product fastest. If you're a product manager tired of waiting for engineering bandwidth, these tools let you build the prototype yourself and prove the concept before it hits the backlog. If you're a developer who wants AI to handle the boring parts while you focus on what makes your product different, Cursor or GitHub Copilot integrate directly into how you already work.
Start with free tiers—every platform on this list offers one. Test two or three before committing. The right tool is the one that matches how you think, not the one with the most features.
For founders ready to turn an idea into a working application this week, start building with Lovable and see how far a conversation can take your next project.
