Top 10 Vibe Coding Tools According to Indie Hackers on X in 2025

Table of Contents

• 1. Cursor AI: The Ultimate Flow-State IDE for Rapid Prototyping
• 2. Bolt.new: AI-Driven Full-Stack Builder for Lightning-Fast MVPs
• 3. v0 by Vercel: Prompt-to-React Magic for UI-First Builds
• 4. Lovable.dev: No-Fuss Web App Builder for Non-Technical Makers
• 5. Rork App: Mobile-First Vibe Coding for On-the-Go Builders
• 6. Windsurf AI: Agentic IDE for Seamless Multi-Tool Flows
• 7. Google AntiGravity: Free Agent-First IDE for Power Users
• 8. VibeCode App: Mobile Builder for Indie Mobile Hustles
• 9. Supabase: Open-Source Backend for Scalable Vibes
• 10. Replit: Collaborative Vibe Coding for Team Indies
• Wrapping Up: Choose Your Vibe and Ship in 2025

Vibe coding tools help indie hackers move from idea to working software with natural language prompts and tight feedback loops. The term, popularized by Andrej Karpathy in 2025, focuses on staying in flow while shipping quickly. This guide pulls together posts and live build threads from X to rank the tools indie hackers return to most often.

The picks below cover front-end generators, full-stack builders, and mobile-first options. Each section keeps the details simple: what the tool does well, where it struggles, and how real builders use it day to day. Use it as a shortcut to choose your next stack.

1. Cursor AI: The Ultimate Flow-State IDE for Rapid Prototyping

Cursor AI is the go-to vibe coding IDE for many indie hackers, blending smart code generation with a familiar VS Code interface. Composer mode lets you chat through refactors, debugging, and full builds without breaking focus. The pro plan is $20/month.

Indie hackers use Cursor to handle frontend, backend, and deployment in one place. A common pairing is Supabase for auth and Vercel for hosting to avoid setup friction.

Pros: Works well with leading models; BugBot handles automated reviews; keeps long sessions organized. Cons: Prompts need to be specific to avoid tech debt; beginners may need time to learn the workflow. Use Case: Building a SaaS dashboard or refactoring legacy code while targeting early revenue.

X users weigh in:

Cursor - My HQ for every app idea.
BugBot for code review before deploys.

Still dependable in 2025.

Robin Ebers on X

Something more technical, I’m going to @cursor_ai

Maddie D. Reese on X

For indie hackers, Cursor turns vague ideas into shippable code without juggling tabs.

2. Bolt.new: AI-Driven Full-Stack Builder for Lightning-Fast MVPs

Bolt.new, from the StackBlitz team, is a browser-based vibe coding platform that generates full-stack apps from prompts, handling React, Node.js, and databases out-of-the-box. At $20/month, it's popular with indie hackers who want one-click deploys to Vercel.

Its chat interface mixes real-time previews with terminal access so you can iterate without leaving the tab. Indie hackers use it for e-commerce sites, APIs, and landing pages that need quick validation.

Pros: Instant full-stack setup; collaborative editing; seamless Vercel integration. Cons: Limited to web apps (no native mobile yet); prompts can miss edge cases. Use Case: Validating an indie SaaS like a niche CRM, then launching in under an hour.

Feedback on X:

@boltdotnew for something semi-technical where I’ll likely have to use the terminal.

Maddie D. Reese on X

Bolt.new for instant interfaces... I can CODE and DEPLOY advanced marketing strategies.

The Boring Marketer on X

For indie hackers, Bolt.new makes "idea to income" a straightforward path.

3. v0 by Vercel: Prompt-to-React Magic for UI-First Builds

v0.dev, Vercel's AI UI generator, turns text prompts into production-ready React components with Shadcn and Tailwind. The free tier covers basics, and the pro plan is $20/month, making it a staple for indie hackers who want polished frontends before writing backend code.

It generates responsive designs from sketches or descriptions and exports clean code for tools like Cursor or Replit. You can move from idea to UI without opening Figma.

Pros: High-fidelity outputs; built-in accessibility checks; smooth pairing with the Vercel ecosystem. Cons: Frontend-focused, so it needs a backend partner like Supabase; outputs can feel over-styled without guardrails. Use Case: Building landing pages or dashboards for tools like a content planner.

X indie hackers highlight its speed:

@v0 turn prompts into production-ready React (Next.js) code using AI.

KRAIN AI on X

v0 helps indie hackers ship clean UIs without extra design steps.

4. Lovable.dev: No-Fuss Web App Builder for Non-Technical Makers

Lovable.dev is a prompt-based web app creator that generates full UIs and logic without showing the code. At $29/month, it's built for indie hackers shipping simple tools like event planners or directories and exporting to GitHub for tweaks.

Its strength is zero boilerplate: routing, state, and responsiveness come prebuilt. It's handy for validating ideas before monetizing.

Pros: Beginner-friendly; fast iterations; integrates with Stripe for quick MVPs. Cons: Less flexible for complex logic; web-only. Use Case: Launching a niche SaaS like a freelance matcher.

@lovable_dev for web apps because I don’t tend to build anything too technical.

Maddie D. Reese on X

Lovable keeps indie builders moving when they want quick wins.

5. Rork App: Mobile-First Vibe Coding for On-the-Go Builders

Rork turns prompts into native mobile apps (iOS/Android) in the browser, with exports to Expo or Swift. At $19/month, it appeals to indie hackers targeting app stores without local iOS setups.

You describe screens and logic, and it generates testable prototypes, which suits builders focused on quick mobile flows.

Pros: Mobile-native outputs; flow visualization; simple exports. Cons: Best for simpler apps; still has beta-stage bugs. Use Case: Building indie mobile MVPs like habit trackers.

Use Rork, let it generate the flow → refine... No need for Figma.

Alex Nguyen on X

I built my first mobile app, just by vibe coding... with Rork.

Qasim on X

Rork keeps mobile experiments light and fast.

6. Windsurf AI: Agentic IDE for Seamless Multi-Tool Flows

Windsurf blends copilots and agents for uninterrupted coding sessions. The $25/month plan supports multi-context prompts for research-heavy builds.

Indie hackers use it for integrated workflows: one prompt can trigger scraping, coding, and testing.

Pros: Agents preserve flow; Perplexity integration; handles complex chains. Cons: Overkill for simple UIs; higher compute costs. Use Case: Research tools or AI-enhanced dashboards.

@windsurf_ai is the first agentic IDE... keeps you in flow.

The Boring Marketer on X

Windsurf keeps indie hackers in the zone.

7. Google AntiGravity: Free Agent-First IDE for Power Users

Google's AntiGravity, powered by Gemini 3, is a free agentic IDE for macOS/Linux/Windows that can test and deploy apps on its own. It shines in multi-agent workflows for full prototypes.

Pros: Free; terminal interaction; autonomous testing. Cons: Tied to the Google ecosystem; early 2025 bugs. Use Case: Indie hackers prototyping AI apps like health trackers.

Antigravity can build any app... all this for free.

Paul Couvert on X

AntiGravity levels up indie AI builds.

8. VibeCode App: Mobile Builder for Indie Mobile Hustles

VibeCode App lets you build mobile apps on your phone and export to app stores. At $15/month, it's built for on-the-go indie hackers.

Pros: Phone-based; quick exports; community resources. Cons: Screen size limits complexity; iOS-focused. Use Case: Side-hustle apps like productivity timers.

VibeCode keeps mobile builds pocket-sized.

9. Supabase: Open-Source Backend for Scalable Vibes

Supabase is the Firebase alternative for auth, database, and storage. It's open-source and SQL-based. The free tier scales to a $25/month pro plan, making it a staple for indie full-stacks.

Pros: Real-time features; edge functions; easy AI integrations. Cons: Requires SQL knowledge; costs rise with heavy traffic. Use Case: Backend for indie CRMs or chat apps.

@supabase - Database + auth + storage.

Robin Ebers on X

Supabase grounds indie vibes in reliable infrastructure.

10. Replit: Collaborative Vibe Coding for Team Indies

Replit's AI-enhanced REPL builds, deploys, and collaborates in-browser. The free tier covers basics, and the $20/month pro plan suits indie hacker co-builds or live demos.

Pros: Instant sharing; AI autocompletions; multi-language. Cons: Can lag on large projects; less agent-driven than Cursor. Use Case: Collaborative indie prototypes like to-do apps.

Replit fosters indie collaboration.

Wrapping Up: Choose Your Vibe and Ship in 2025

The best vibe coding tools for indie hackers in 2025 depend on the project. Cursor suits depth, Bolt.new favors speed, and Rork covers mobile. The common advice from X: start simple, iterate in flow, and review security early.

Ready to vibe code your next idea? Explore our directory of 50+ AI vibe coding apps at vibecoding.app. Bookmark this list, pick a prompt, and build. What's your stack? Reply below!

Last updated: December 7, 2025