Most "free AI app builder" lists are actually free-trial lists. You get 7 days, a thin credit pool, or a feature-gated tier that forces you to upgrade before you can ship anything real. This roundup is different — we ranked tools by what you can actually do on the free plan, without a credit card.
What we mean by "free"
For this list, a tool qualifies as free if all of the following are true:
- You can sign up without entering a credit card.
- The free tier doesn't expire after 7 or 14 days.
- You can build and export at least one working app without paying.
- Core features (not just "view-only" modes) work on the free tier.
The ranking
1. GenVibe — best free tier for mobile and full apps
GenVibe gives every new account 20 free credits, once: they don't refill. The core tools all work on the free tier: text-to-app, Figma import, screenshot-to-code, React Native (Expo) mobile apps and publishing to a free genvibe.app address. No credit card. You preview mobile apps on your phone with Expo Go, and Android builds run free on your own Expo account; Google Play publishing, a custom domain and zip download need a paid plan. A Supabase database and auth connect in one click. Paid plans start at $9 for the first month, then $12/mo, and one-time credit packs start at $5.
What you can ship for free: A few small web or mobile apps, or one larger app with a few rounds of changes, within the 20 credits.
Where it's weaker: Default web component styling is less polished than Lovable. There are no team seats — it is built for solo builders and freelancers.
2. Bolt.new — simplest free experience for web prototypes
Bolt.new's free tier gives you 1M tokens per month with WebContainer previews and one-click deploys. It builds web apps and can scaffold React Native/Expo mobile projects (with an Expo Go preview; store builds run off-platform). Pro is $25/mo.
What you can ship for free: A handful of small web apps per month.
Where it's weaker: The token allowance is tight for serious work, and Pro jumps to $25/mo.
3. v0.dev — best free tier for individual components
v0's free plan allows 7 messages a day, and new users get $5 of credits once. Since its January 2026 relaunch as v0.app it builds full web apps, not just components, but 7 messages a day suits quick shadcn/ui pieces best. Web only.
What you can ship for free: Lots of polished individual React components, mostly for Next.js projects.
Where it's weaker: No built-in logins or database (you connect services yourself), and no mobile (web only). The old $20 Premium plan is closed to new users; paid plans now start at Plus, $30 per user a month. Read our v0 alternatives guide for more.
4. Lovable — limited free tier, polished output
Lovable's free plan gives 5 credits a day, up to 30 a month, and they renew every month. Polished output and best-in-class Supabase integration, but the daily limit makes meaningful iteration painful.
What you can ship for free: A small SaaS prototype, slowly.
Where it's weaker: Web/PWA only — no native mobile output. Pro plans start at $25/mo.
5. Windsurf — most generous free IDE-style AI
Windsurf (formerly Codeium) gives the most generous free tier of any AI-augmented IDE. The Cascade agent can handle multi-file edits and codebase-wide refactors. Best for developers who write code and want an AI sidekick.
What you can ship for free: Anything you can build in a code editor — Windsurf is your AI pair, not a generator.
Where it's weaker: Assumes you can read and write code. Not a chat-to-app tool.
6. Cursor — free tier exists, mostly drives paid conversions
Cursor's free tier gives 2,000 completions and 50 slow Premium requests per month. Enough to evaluate the IDE, not enough for daily use. Most serious users upgrade to the $20/mo Pro plan.
7. Builder.io Visual Copilot — free Figma plugin tier
Builder.io's free tier supports Figma-to-code with daily limits. Best for designers who want to convert a few frames per day without paying. Output quality is solid for landing pages.
8. Replit Agent — free for small projects
Replit's AI agent works on the free Starter account (no credit card) but with capped agent usage. It builds web and mobile apps (Expo, including EAS), with a built-in database and auth. Good for learning; the paid Core plan ($20/mo, or $18 billed yearly) is better for full production apps.
Free tier comparison at a glance
| Tool | Free usage | Credit card needed | Full apps | Mobile | Figma free |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GenVibe | 20 credits once (no refill) | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Bolt.new | 1M tokens/mo | No | Yes | Yes | N/A |
| v0.dev | 7 msgs/day + $5 once | No | Yes (web) | No | No |
| Lovable | 5 credits/day (up to 30/mo) | No | Yes | No | No |
| Windsurf | Generous | No | N/A (IDE) | Build it | No |
| Cursor | 50 Premium req | No | N/A (IDE) | Build it | No |
| Builder.io | Daily limit | No | Partial | Partial | Yes |
| Replit Agent | Capped | No | Yes | Yes | No |
How to actually pick
You're a student or hobbyist
GenVibe's 20 free credits (once, no card) are enough to ship a small real project, mobile included. Windsurf if you're already coding.
You want a quick web prototype this weekend
Bolt.new or GenVibe — both will get you from idea to deployed prototype in an evening, free.
You need a mobile app for free
GenVibe builds React Native (Expo) apps on the free tier, and its Android builds run free on your own Expo account; uploading to Google Play needs a paid plan. Bolt.new, Replit Agent, and Emergent also build Expo mobile projects. See the React Native tutorial.
You have a Figma design to convert, for free
GenVibe (free tier supports Figma) or Builder.io Visual Copilot. See the Figma to code guide.
You want polished SaaS UI for free
Lovable's free tier ships the prettiest output, but the daily message limit is tight.
FAQ
Are these tools really free, or just free trials?
Every tool on this list has a free tier with no time limit and no credit card. They differ in how much you get and whether it renews: GenVibe's 20 credits are a one-time start that covers full apps, mobile and Figma import, while Bolt.new (1M tokens a month), Lovable (5 credits a day, up to 30 a month) and v0 (7 messages a day) renew theirs.
Will free tiers stay free?
No guarantee — companies tighten free tiers as they raise. GenVibe is committed to keeping a free tier large enough to ship real projects, because that's how most of our users start.
Can I combine multiple free tiers?
Yes. A common workflow: use v0.dev for polished individual components, paste them into a GenVibe project, ship the full app. All on free tiers.
What's the catch with the GenVibe free tier?
The biggest one: the 20 free credits are a one-time start and don't refill, so after them you buy a credit pack (from $5, no subscription) or a plan (from $12/month). They are also metered by usage, so a bigger build costs more. A custom domain, zip download and Google Play publishing need a paid plan, there are no team collaboration features yet, and the default component styling is less polished than Lovable's.
Start free
Try GenVibe free — no credit card, free to start, mobile + Figma included. For the deeper feature comparison, see Lovable vs Bolt.new vs GenVibe.