Bolt.new vs Cursor

Browser generation vs local editor. Bolt builds and runs your project in the browser, with the code living in Bolt's environment until you push it to GitHub. Cursor runs on your machine, against your local files, your git setup, and your terminal. If you want full control of the environment, Cursor gives it to you; if you want zero setup, Bolt removes it.

Whole-app scaffolding vs line-by-line assistance. Bolt's core move is turning a prompt into a complete app. Cursor does not generate a deployed app from a sentence; it accelerates the act of coding through autocomplete, multi-file edits, and an agent that works within your existing structure.

Autocomplete. Cursor has Tab completion built in, predicting your next edit as you type. Bolt has no code autocomplete at all; you interact through prompts, not by typing code with suggestions.

Deployment. Bolt includes built-in hosting plus Netlify export, so you go from prompt to live URL without leaving the tab. Cursor has no deployment features; getting code live is your job through whatever pipeline you already use.

Model access. Both are multi-model. Cursor lets you pick from Claude, GPT-4o, o1, Gemini, and its own Composer model, and supports bringing your own model. Bolt uses Claude, GPT-4o, and Gemini under the hood but does not expose custom model selection.

Pricing model. Bolt is token-based with daily limits on the free tier and Pro from $20/mo. Cursor is subscription-based, not token-metered, with a free tier and Pro at $20/mo. That difference matters: heavy generation in Bolt burns tokens, while Cursor's flat subscription suits sustained daily coding.

Bolt.new and Cursor both put AI at the centre of building software, but they sit on opposite ends of the spectrum. Bolt generates whole apps in the browser. Cursor is a code editor you install and drive yourself.

Bolt.new runs entirely in a browser tab. You describe an app in plain English, optionally drop in a screenshot or a Figma frame, and it scaffolds a working full-stack project on StackBlitz WebContainers, wires up Supabase, and gives you a live preview you can deploy in a click. There is nothing to install and no local environment to configure. It is built for indie hackers and non-technical founders who want a deployed prototype fast.

Cursor is a desktop IDE, a fork of VS Code, with AI built into every part of the editing experience. It gives you Tab autocomplete as you type, a chat panel that knows your codebase, and an Agent mode that picks files, runs terminal commands, and iterates on errors across a real project on your machine. It assumes you already write code and want the editor to carry more of the load.

The honest framing: Bolt is for getting an app to exist; Cursor is for working inside code you already have.

Bolt.new has a free tier with limited daily tokens, enough to test the platform and build a small prototype before you feel the wall. Pro starts at $20/mo and adds more tokens, with the option to buy more credits when you run out. Because Bolt is token-based, your real cost tracks how much you generate, not how many days you work.

Cursor offers a free tier with limited Agent requests and Tab completions, then Pro at $20/mo for full usage. It is not token-metered in the same way, so a developer coding all day on a flat plan has predictable costs. For sustained professional work, that predictability is a meaningful advantage.

At the same $20/mo headline price, you are buying different things. Bolt's $20 gets you more app generation and built-in hosting. Cursor's $20 gets you an AI-native editor for working in real codebases all day. The cheaper option depends entirely on whether you are generating apps or writing code.

If you are a non-technical founder who wants a deployed app fast, Bolt.new. Describe the app, watch it build, click deploy. You skip environment setup and deployment pipelines entirely.

If you are a professional developer working in an existing codebase, Cursor. It reads your project, respects your architecture, and edits across many files from inside the editor you already know.

If you want AI completing your lines as you type, Cursor. Its Tab autocomplete is a core part of the experience; Bolt has nothing equivalent.

If you want to prototype now and hand off to a developer later, start in Bolt, push to GitHub, then continue in Cursor. The two slot together cleanly across the prototype-to-production handoff.

If you need to bring your own model or switch models per task, Cursor. It supports custom models and a wider selection; Bolt keeps model choice under the hood.