1FounderToolvs Bolt.new
Token-metered building in the browser, or one payment and your own AI plan on your desk.
Short answer
Choose Bolt.new to prototype instantly in a browser with hosting and databases included. Choose 1FounderTool to build on your own machine with the AI plan you already pay for, and ship to your own server.
- Bolt.new: browser-based, Pro $25/month starting at 10M tokens, hosting and databases included
- 1FounderTool: free desktop app, no tokens to buy
- Bolt.new downloads your project as a .zip; 1FounderTool exports any accepted build
- 1FounderTool asks questions and shows you a plan before building; Bolt.new starts from your prompt
1FounderTool
1FounderTool is a desktop software factory for founders. One sentence, a few questions, an approved plan — then a coding agent from your own subscription builds a Next.js + Postgres app on your machine, and you review it before it ships to your own server. Free to download and use.
Bolt.new
Bolt.new is a browser-based AI app builder. You prompt, it writes and runs the app in the browser, with website hosting and databases on its own infrastructure. Free tier with a daily token limit; Pro $25/month starting at 10M tokens; Teams $30 per member.
bolt.newSide by side
| Feature | 1FounderTool | Bolt.new |
|---|---|---|
| At a glance | ||
| Price | Free | Free tier; Pro $25/month (from 10M tokens) |
| Where it builds | On your own computer | In the browser, on Bolt's cloud |
| AI model | Your own AI plan or API key | Bolt's models, paid in tokens |
| Source code you keep | Export any accepted build | Download as a .zip |
| Database | Postgres, local while you build | Bolt databases (hosted) |
| Publish to | Your own server (SSH) or Railway | Bolt hosting; custom domain on Pro |
| How it works | ||
| You review a build before it ships | Click through it, then accept or send back | Live preview in the browser |
| Ready-made app features | Sign-in, email, file storage, Stripe payments, scheduled jobs, feature flags, i18n, SEO | Built by prompting |
| Cost and control | ||
| What you pay as you build | Nothing extra — your own AI plan | Tokens; unused Pro tokens roll over |
| Coding agents | Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, Grok, Devin, OpenCode, Antigravity | Bolt's own agent |
| Working with others | Invite one helper to review and answer | Teams $30 per member/month |
| Runs on | Desktop app: Apple silicon Mac, Windows, Linux | Any web browser |
| Maturity | Public beta, first released October 2026 | Established product |
Choose 1FounderTool if
- You don't want a token meter running while the agent works
- You want your app, database and history on your own machine
- You want to approve a plan and click through the result before it ships
- You want to publish to a server you control
Choose Bolt.new if
- You want to try an idea in a browser tab in the next five minutes
- You want hosting and a database without setting up a server
- You are on a team and want per-member seats
- You're on Windows and need to build today
Questions
Is 1FounderTool cheaper than Bolt.new?
The app is free, against Bolt.new's $25 a month for Pro. But 1FounderTool uses your own AI subscription or API key, so add whatever you already pay for that, plus your own server.
Does 1FounderTool run in the browser like Bolt.new?
No. It's a desktop app for Mac, Windows and Linux, and your app is built and previewed on your computer. On Windows it sets up and plans with you, but building runs on Mac and Linux for now.
Bolt.new’s column comes from its own site on 12 October 2026; plans change. If something here is out of date, tell us and we’ll fix it.
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