Lumi vs Replit
Lumi and Replit both build apps from a chat prompt and host them for you. The main differences: Lumi includes a free lumi.ing site that stays online, plus visitor analytics, SEO and social post tools; Replit’s free plan publishes one app that goes down after 30 days, but Replit runs full server code, offers several deployment types and can build iOS apps with Expo.
Replit details verified on October 31, 2026 from its official pages. Prices change often, so check the sources below.
Lumi vs Replit at a glance
| Feature | Lumi | Replit |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | 5 Chat credits and 500 Resource points per month, publish to a lumi.ing subdomain | Starter: daily Agent credits up to a monthly cap, Lite build only, 1 published app that goes down after 30 days |
| Entry paid plan | Pro $25/month (100 Chat credits per month plus 5 per day), or $240/year | Core $20/month, or $18/month billed yearly (Free Mode chat plus $20 toward more powerful models) |
| Database | Built in, no third-party account needed: collections with schemas, permissions, import and export | Built in, fully managed PostgreSQL; Pro adds database rollback up to 28 days |
| User sign-in | Built in: email and Google sign-in, user and role management | Built in: Replit Auth (users sign in with Replit accounts) or Clerk Auth with your own login methods |
| File storage | Built in file storage with usage tracking | Built in App Storage, backed by Google Cloud Storage |
| Backend functions | Built in backend functions with secrets, in-workspace testing and logs | Full server code, published as Autoscale, Reserved VM or Scheduled deployments |
| Hosting | Built in, free lumi.ing subdomain | Built in, free replit.app subdomain; costs come out of monthly credits |
| Custom domain | Pro plan | Supported, and domains can be bought inside Replit |
| Code access | Edit and export code on Pro | Download as ZIP; connect GitHub or GitLab repositories and propose changes as pull requests |
Key differences
Free publishing
Lumi’s free plan publishes to a lumi.ing subdomain. Replit’s Starter plan includes one published app that goes down after 30 days; more published apps need Core or Pro.
How usage is billed
Lumi uses Chat credits for building and Resource points for cloud features your live site uses. Replit bills Agent work by effort, and publishing, database and storage costs come out of the same monthly credits.
Runtime and deployments
Replit runs full server-side apps and lets you choose Autoscale, Static, Reserved VM or Scheduled deployments, which suits always-on services and background jobs.
Mobile apps
Replit Agent can build mobile apps with Expo and submit iOS builds to App Store Connect. Lumi builds websites and web apps only, not native mobile apps.
Choose Lumi if
- You want a free published site that stays online
- You want analytics, SEO suggestions and social content built into each project
- You want to point at elements on the page and edit them visually
Choose Replit if
- You need a native iOS app or an always-on server such as a bot or scheduled job
- You want to work with an existing GitHub or GitLab repository
- You want a lower monthly entry price
Frequently asked questions
Is Lumi a good Replit alternative?
Yes, for websites and web apps. Lumi includes a built-in database, sign-in, storage, backend functions and hosting, plus analytics and SEO tools. If you need a native mobile app or a long-running server, Replit is a better fit.
Which is cheaper, Lumi or Replit?
Replit Core is $20 per month, or $18 per month billed yearly. Lumi Pro is $25 per month, or $240 per year. On Replit, hosting and database usage also draw from your monthly credits.
Do Lumi and Replit both host my app?
Yes. Lumi publishes to a free lumi.ing subdomain. Replit publishes to a free replit.app subdomain; on the free Starter plan, that app goes down after 30 days.
Start building with Lumi