Bolt.new vs Budibase: comparing prompt-based and low-code app building

Bolt.new and Budibase start from different places. Bolt.new turns a prompt into a previewed, hosted web app or site right in your browser. Budibase is a low-code platform built around a data model, either its own or one you connect, for assembling business applications and automations. Both let you ship working software without writing everything by hand, but they solve different problems.

Here’s what each tool actually is, how their pricing and data models differ, and where Sticklight, the vibe-coding platform built by the Elementor team, fits in as a third option for professional creators.

• Bolt.new is a browser-based AI tool that generates, previews, and hosts websites and apps from prompts, metered by a token-based usage system.
• Budibase is a low-code platform for business web applications and automations, built on its own data model (Budibase DB) or connected external data sources.
• Bolt.new’s free plan is $0 per month with 300K tokens per day and 1M tokens per month; its Pro plan is $25 per month starting at 10M tokens.
• Budibase offers a free, self-hosted open-source edition (1 workspace) and a Pro cloud plan at $19 per month with 5,000 to 10,000 actions included.
• Budibase already supports building AI agents with configurable instructions and tools; Sticklight’s agent capabilities are coming soon, not yet shipped.
• Sticklight is additive to your existing WordPress and Elementor stack rather than a replacement for either.

What Bolt.new is

Bolt.new is a browser-based AI tool that generates, previews, and hosts websites and applications straight from a prompt. Usage is metered on a token-based model with daily and monthly limits that scale by plan. The free tier gives you 300K tokens per day and 1M tokens per month, carries Bolt branding, and caps file uploads at 10MB. Paid tiers drop the branding, raise the upload limit to 100MB on Pro, and add custom domain support. Teams adds team-level access management, centralized billing, and a private NPM registry, while Enterprise adds SSO and audit logs. Bolt.new doesn’t specify its backend or data model on its pricing page.

What Budibase is

Budibase is a low-code platform for building business web applications and automations. It ships with a built-in data source called Budibase DB and also supports external data sources such as SQL databases and REST APIs. Plans scale by row-limit caps and included “actions,” from tens of thousands on lower tiers up to 500,000 on higher cloud tiers, with unlimited rows on the enterprise and self-hosted open-source editions. Paid tiers include AI credit allotments (2,000 to 50,000 depending on plan) and support for building AI agents with configurable instructions and tools. Budibase also offers a self-hosted open-source edition separate from its cloud plans, and SSO becomes available starting on the Premium plan.

Bolt.new vs Budibase at a glance

Where Sticklight fits in

Bolt.new and Budibase both let you build working software without hand-coding everything, but they start from different places, one from a prompt inside a browser sandbox, the other from a structured data model inside a low-code builder. Sticklight, built by the Elementor team and powered by Claude, is a third option worth considering alongside them if you’re a professional web creator.

Sticklight follows a Prompt, Build, Publish flow: a prompt turns into a production-ready website, app, dashboard, CMS, or internal tool, with publishing included in that flow rather than a separate step. It’s additive to WordPress and Elementor, meaning it works alongside your existing WordPress or Elementor setup rather than replacing it, which matters if you already have that ecosystem in place. Worth noting plainly: Budibase already ships support for building AI agents with configurable instructions and tools today, while Sticklight’s agent capabilities are coming soon rather than a current, shipped feature.

If you’re weighing Bolt.new vs Budibase for a specific project, the practical question is whether you need quick prompt-to-app generation (closer to Bolt.new) or a structured internal business app on a defined data model (closer to Budibase). Sticklight becomes relevant when you want production-ready, full-stack output delivered from a single prompt on top of a WordPress or Elementor foundation you’re already using.

Frequently asked questions

What’s the main difference between Bolt.new and Budibase?

Bolt.new generates, previews, and hosts web apps and sites from prompts using a token-metered usage model. Budibase is a low-code platform for building business applications and automations around a defined data model, either its built-in Budibase DB or connected external sources.

Do Bolt.new or Budibase offer a free plan?

Yes, both do. Bolt.new’s free plan is $0 per month with 300K tokens per day and 1M tokens per month, Bolt branding, and a 10MB file upload limit. Budibase offers a free, self-hosted open-source edition limited to 1 workspace.

Which tool supports AI agents today?

Budibase does. It currently supports building AI agents with configurable instructions and tools on its paid tiers. Sticklight’s agent capabilities are on its roadmap and described as coming soon, not a shipped feature at this time.

Is Sticklight a replacement for Bolt.new or Budibase?

Not necessarily. Sticklight is additive to your existing WordPress and Elementor stack, generating production-ready sites, apps, dashboards, CMS, and internal tools from a prompt with publishing included, which makes it a distinct option rather than a direct substitute for either tool.

What does Budibase cost beyond the free tier?

Budibase’s Pro cloud plan is $19 per month with 5,000 to 10,000 included actions, Premium is $49 per month with 20,000 to 50,000 actions, and Business is $299 per month with 250,000 actions. Enterprise pricing, cloud or self-hosted, is quote-based.

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