Lumi vs Bolt.new
Lumi and Bolt.new both turn chat prompts into web apps with a built-in backend and hosting. The main differences: Lumi bills by Chat credits and Bolt by tokens; Lumi bundles visitor analytics, SEO and social post tools in each project; Bolt runs a full development environment in the browser and can build native mobile apps with Expo.
Bolt.new details verified on October 31, 2026 from its official pages. Prices change often, so check the sources below.
Lumi vs Bolt.new at a glance
| Feature | Lumi | Bolt.new |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | 5 Chat credits and 500 Resource points per month, publish to a lumi.ing subdomain | 1M tokens per month, up to 300K per day |
| Entry paid plan | Pro $25/month (100 Chat credits per month plus 5 per day), or $264/year | Pro $25/month (10M tokens per month) |
| Database | Built in, no third-party account needed: collections with schemas, permissions, import and export | Built in through Bolt Cloud; Pro and Teams can choose Supabase for new projects |
| User sign-in | Built in: email and Google sign-in, user and role management | Built in: email and Google sign-in, email confirmation and password reset |
| File storage | Built in file storage with usage tracking | Built in public and private storage through Bolt Cloud |
| Backend functions | Built in backend functions with secrets, in-workspace testing and logs | Server and edge functions through Bolt Cloud |
| Hosting | Built in, free lumi.ing subdomain | Built in, free bolt.host address |
| Custom domain | Pro plan | Paid plans |
| Code access | Edit and export code on Pro | Edit files in Code View, download a ZIP and sync with GitHub |
Key differences
How usage is billed
Lumi uses Chat credits for building and Resource points for cloud features your live site uses. Bolt bills by AI tokens, with 10M tokens per month on Pro.
Growth tools after launch
Lumi includes visitor analytics, AI SEO suggestions and AI social post generation in every project, so you can keep improving a site after it goes live.
Development environment
Bolt runs a full JavaScript development environment in the browser with WebContainers, which suits developers who want to work like they would locally.
Mobile apps
Bolt can build iOS and Android apps with Expo and help you submit them to the app stores. Lumi.new builds websites and web apps only, not native mobile apps.
Choose Lumi if
- You prefer simple credit-based pricing over token counting
- 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 Bolt.new if
- You need a native iOS or Android app
- You want a full in-browser development environment and GitHub sync
- You want to choose Supabase as your project database
Frequently asked questions
Is Lumi a good Bolt.new 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, Bolt’s Expo support is a better fit.
Which is cheaper, Lumi or Bolt.new?
Both Pro plans start at $25 per month. Lumi gives 100 Chat credits per month and Bolt gives 10M tokens per month, so the better value depends on how you build.
Do Lumi and Bolt.new both host my app?
Yes. Lumi publishes to a free lumi.ing subdomain and Bolt to a free bolt.host address. Both require a paid plan for a custom domain.
Start building with Lumi