Bolt.new Review: Almost There, But Not Quite Ready
I recently took bolt.new for a test drive, and I wanted to share my experience. For those unfamiliar, bolt.new is an app development platform that promises to streamline the app creation process. Essentially ask it to build you an app and watch it happen. Here's what I found.
The Good
The initial experience was genuinely exciting. The platform shows real promise with:
Excellent UI/UX: The interface is well-designed with chat on the left and output on the right - a layout that just makes sense
Quick Setup: Adding Supabase and Supabase auth was surprisingly smooth
Intuitive Interface: The platform made it easy to envision building multiple apps quickly
The Pain Points
However, there were some significant issues that ultimately led me to step away:
Deployment Limitations
The deployment workflow was the main dealbreaker:
Limited to Netlify deployment (no Vercel option)
Clunky deployment process
Each deployment created a new app instance rather than updating an existing project
Couldn't target specific projects for deployment on Netlify
The Deal Breaker
These deployment issues were significant enough to make me:
Swear off JavaScript frameworks (again)
Cancel my subscriptions
Looking Forward
Despite the current limitations, bolt.new shows promise. The core ideas are solid, and the UI implementation is excellent. I'll be keeping an eye on their progress - if they can solve the deployment workflow issues, it could become a compelling platform for rapid app development.
Verdict
Current Status: Wait and see
Potential: High
Main Needs: Improved deployment workflow and more deployment options
Did I Miss Something? If I'm wrong about any of these points or missed some key features, please let me know! I'd love to get this working properly, and there's always a chance I missed some crucial settings or documentation. If you know how to solve any of the deployment issues I encountered, I'm all ears. Drop me a line and help me correct this review.
I'm excited to see how bolt.new evolves. With some refinements to the deployment process and perhaps more platform options, it could become a go-to tool for rapid application development.