A founder recently asked us to "fix" an app built entirely with Bolt. The AI had generated a working prototype in hours. The problem: when they needed to add payment processing, the codebase was so tangled that rebuilding from scratch would be faster than untangling it.
AI coding tools are genuinely useful. They're also genuinely limited. The difference between a successful MVP and an expensive rewrite often comes down to knowing which tool to use for which job.
The AI Coding Tool Landscape
Three categories have emerged: Full application generators (Lovable, Bolt, v0) that create complete applications from descriptions. AI coding assistants (Cursor, GitHub Copilot) that help developers write code faster. Prompt-to-UI tools (v0, Galileo AI) that generate interface components.
Lovable: The No-Code AI Builder
Good for rapid prototyping, visual applications, and non-technical exploration. Struggles with custom business logic, integrations, maintainability, and scale. Use for investor demos and validating UI concepts. Avoid for production applications.
Bolt: AI-Powered Full-Stack Generation
Fast generation, works for simple full-stack apps. Struggles with code organization, error handling, authentication/security, and database complexity. Use for quick prototypes and learning. Avoid for production or anything with security requirements.
Cursor: AI-Assisted Development
Excellent for code completion, understanding codebases, refactoring, and bug fixing. Struggles with architectural decisions and novel problems. Use with professional development teams who can evaluate suggestions. Not a replacement for development expertise.
v0: UI Component Generation
Great for component generation with good design quality. Struggles with complex interactions, backend integration, and consistency across components. Useful as a starting point that developers refine.
The Real Risk
The danger isn't that AI tools generate bad code. The danger is building on a foundation that can't support growth. A prototype built with Bolt might demo beautifully, but when you need to add features, fix bugs, or scale, you discover the code resists modification.
Key Takeaways
- Lovable and Bolt work for throwaway prototypes and demos. Don't build production software on their output.
- Cursor accelerates professional developers. Use it within a proper development workflow.
- v0 generates UI components that developers can refine. Useful as a starting point.
- Production applications with real users require professional development. AI tools accelerate but can't replace it.
- The biggest risk is building on foundations that can't support growth. Cheap prototypes often become expensive rewrites.
