Exotool vs Bolt
Bolt.new builds websites and apps from a chat: you describe what you want, a language model writes the code in a browser workspace, and the result is hosted for you. Exotool also builds from a description, through Claude, but the model edits a diagram and Exotool's patented engine generates the app from it, the same way every time. The diagram, not the code, is what you read to see what was built.
Side by side
| Bolt.new | Exotool | |
|---|---|---|
| What describes the app | The generated code and your chat history. | One diagram: the screens, how they connect, and the activities behind them. |
| Who writes the code | A language model, metered in tokens; the output varies from run to run. | A patented engine, from the diagram; the same diagram gives the same app. |
| What you review | The generated files, or the running app. | The diagram. Claude's change is a change to the diagram, shown in the editor. |
| Where it runs | Hosting included with the plan; a choice of database provider on Pro. | In Exotool's sandbox while you build; then on any web-capable hosting platform you choose. |
| The source code | Yours: the project can be downloaded. | Yours. Exotool gives you the generated code; deploy it where you want. |
| Leaving | You keep the code; the hosting and database set-up are Bolt's. | Take the code and the database with you. No lock-in. |
| AI | The model is the builder, paid in tokens. | Claude builds through the Exotool connector; no tokens, no metering. |
| Phones and tablets | Web apps. | A progressive web app that runs on iOS and Android alike, installed from the browser; no app-store build. Native iOS apps: in beta. |
| The database | Through the chosen provider's client SDK (Supabase and the like), with the client key and per-row policies as the guard. | Reached only from the server side the engine generated; the browser is never given a database key. |
| Pricing (published October 2026) | Free (300K tokens a day, 1M a month, Bolt branding on sites); Pro $25 a month from 10M tokens; Teams $30 per member a month; Enterprise custom. | Free (one app); Basic $19 a month (three apps); Pro $49 a month (unlimited). Per builder, nothing metered. |
Bolt.new's facts and prices are as published on its own site on October 17, 2026, and may have changed since; check there before deciding. Bolt is a trademark of its owner. Exotool is not affiliated with it.
Where Bolt is the better choice
- You want a developer's workspace in the browser, with the model free to write any code at all.
- You are building a website or a prototype fast and will refine it yourself in the code.
- You want hosting and a database set up for you without thinking about it.
Where Exotool is the better choice
- You want a predictable build from a design you can read, and the same design to give the same app.
- You want to use Claude without a token meter, and to see what it changed at a glance.
- You want to run the finished app on your own host, with your own database.
Try it
Exotool is free to start: one app, the editor, the preview, and the Claude connector. Sign up on the pricing section of the home page, or read how to build an app with Claude: connect Exotool, describe the app you have in mind, and Claude builds a first version you can open on your phone within minutes.
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