Are Lovable / Bolt good enough for real apps or just prototypes?

It depends from the scope of the project, but up to me a lot of things can be build using AI. Although I was skeptic until recently.

Here is my shameless plug: I have build and launched Expensinator - https://www.indiehackers.com/product/expensinator which started as a Lovable app and them moved to Code Copilot. 99% of the whole code of the project, including the website is done by the AI. It was just an attempt to see how far it can go without actual coding. It has not very complex functionality, but it's perfect for my needs.

The code of Lovable and other tools is yours, as you can have it synced in your github account, various api implementations are also possible, but it really depends how good you explain to the AI and if any major problem occurs can you handle it yourself.

It's is always nailed down to how far you can go and how complex it could be. I remember 25 years ago there was a drag-and-drop tool to build websites, and visually the websites were stunning (for that era of web) but underneath the code was just a mess, tables,   absolute positioning all over the place, so if you can't handle the code yourself, don't expect AI would understand you, after all it's a tool, not a human.

You’ve nailed the core tradeoff. Platforms like Lovable and Bolt are fantastic for rapid prototyping, hackathons, and validating an idea quickly. They shine when speed matters more than flexibility, and when you just want something working in hours instead of weeks.

But once you need a production-ready app with:

full control of your backend,

the ability to integrate with custom APIs or third-party systems,

ownership of your codebase to avoid vendor lock-in,

and infrastructure that can scale reliably—

those no-code/AI builders start showing their limits. They optimize for simplicity and onboarding, not long-term extensibility.

That’s why many devs eventually migrate to frameworks or platforms that generate real, portable codebases (like Solid, or even hand-rolled React/Node/Next.js stacks). You get the best of both worlds: a jumpstart from AI-assisted generation, but with the freedom to customize, extend, and deploy anywhere you want.

So the answer is: Lovable and Bolt are great for prototypes and proofs-of-concept, but if your goal is a real app that will grow, evolve, and scale—owning your code and infra is the safer, more sustainable route.

That’s a really good breakdown. We see a similar challenge in LegalTech: many “all-in-one” IP tools look great for a demo, but once you try to run a real trademark or patent portfolio through them, the lack of flexibility and vendor lock-in becomes painful fast.

Even if you are able to generate something close to a version of your application beyond just the MVP, Vibe coding tools are still prone to creating security issues in your app. If nothing else, this is probably a good reason to invest in engineering help at some point

I've tried Replit for my SaaS and it simply isn't reliable enough. I actually ended up incurring some extra Twilio bills due to a bug in the code (we send texts for RSVPs) so I've stopped using it.

These vibe coding apps are very good for MVP and that's it. If you want a serious production apps, then these tools can't help. You cannot add your own customizations and regenerate the code. But you can get very good ideas from these tools

They're good for getting working prototypes that help you test out ideas. And to get a good starting for more "real" developments". But that's about it.

Lovable Bolt works well for rapid prototyping and even small-scale real apps, but for long-term scalability and complex projects, considering a more robust framework may ensure stability, flexibility, and better performance as your app grows.

Absolutely feel related to this, I also tested with V0, Stitch beside Bolt and Lovable. They are cool for prototyping, turning quick idea into some design.

Recently I tried to get more inspiration of prompt on 21stdev, also get excited of the community from there. You can give it a try (on the perspectives of getting inspired). The backend and technical ownership itself cannot changed

You could build a whole working at. Being able to have massive users... maybe not.

Totally agree on the vendor lock-in problem! I've seen clients get stuck when they outgrow these platforms and need custom features or integrations.
The "own your code" approach makes so much sense for anything beyond prototypes.
Quick questions about Solid: How's the learning curve compared to these AI builders? And do you find clients understand the trade-offs between speed vs. flexibility when choosing tools.

Congratulations on the launch!!