Cursor vs Bolt.new: which should you use?
Cursor costs $20/mo and Bolt.new $25/mo. Cursor builds native mobile apps; Bolt.new does too. Cursor is best for developers. Not an app builder.. Bolt.new is best for semi-technical builders wanting web and mobile from one tool.
The deciding difference
Cursor requires you to write code; Bolt.new needs only some, and only in places. They are not really competing for the same person. Cursor is enormously effective if you can already read and write code, and no substitute for being able to if you cannot.
Side by side
Verified 2026-08-14. Generated from our open dataset — the same figures, machine-readable.
| Criterion | Cursor | Bolt.new |
|---|---|---|
| Entry paid price | $20/mo | $25/mo |
| Free tier | Limited requests | 1M tokens/month |
| Metered on | requests | tokens |
| Unused rolls over | No | No |
| Builds native mobile | Yes | Yes |
| Output | whatever you write | React / React Native |
| iOS + Android + web | Yes | Yes |
| How you drive it | AI inside a code editor | chat |
| Code export | It is your repository | Yes |
| App Store path | manual | manual (EAS CLI) |
| Survives cancellation | Yes | Partial |
| Needs coding | Yes | Some |
| Learning curve | you must already code | minutes, plus terminal setup |
| Higher tiers | $60 Pro+ · $200 Ultra | $30/member Teams · Enterprise |
| Review sentiment | Widely praised among developers | ~95,000 member Discord |
Which to pick
Choose Cursor
- You want to keep your project if you stop paying
- $20/mo suits your budget better
Choose Bolt.new
- Semi-technical builders wanting web and mobile from one tool
Where each one falls down
- Cursor: Useless if you cannot read code
- Bolt.new: Publishing requires command-line steps
We earn nothing from either of these tools. Cursor · Bolt.new
Still not sure?
This page compares two tools. If neither is obviously right, the problem is usually the shortlist rather than the choice.
Free, no email. It routes to seven outcomes and four of them recommend something we earn nothing from. Or see all eight tools side by side, or what your app would cost built each way.
Other head-to-heads
Bolt.new vs Lovable · Bolt.new vs FlutterFlow · Bolt.new vs Replit · Lovable vs Replit · FlutterFlow vs Hand-coded Expo · Rork vs Lovable · Rork vs Bolt.new · Rork vs FlutterFlow · Rork alternatives