From: gregisenberg
Bolt, a recently launched AI tool, is gaining attention as a potential replacement for Cursor AI, with claims it’s easier to use, allowing non-technical individuals to create prototypes in 20 minutes or less [00:00:02]. It’s even been referred to as a “Cursor killer” and a “V0 zero killer” [00:00:46].
Ross Mike Mickey Michael describes Bolt as a culmination of various tools integrated into one platform [00:01:14]. Despite being newly launched and having some initial bugs, it shows significant potential [00:01:28]. The core purpose of tools like Bolt is to encourage users to continuously experiment and learn, ensuring they build foundational knowledge for when these technologies mature [00:01:55].
Key Features and Workflow
Using Bolt for web app development allows users to define the project’s framework, such as Next.js, and then interact with the AI to build components [00:05:00]. Unlike some tools that only provide code for a single file, Bolt builds out the entire project structure, including layouts and landing pages, and automatically installs necessary packages [00:05:19].
Building a Text-to-Image Application
A demonstration using Fowl.AI (an aggregator of AI image models) highlighted Bolt’s capabilities in building a text-to-image application [00:03:51].
The process involved:
- Initial Prompt: Requesting a simple SaaS project landing page using Next.js 14 best practices [00:04:19].
- API Integration: Prompting Bolt to build a text-to-image application using Fowl.AI [00:06:24]. Bolt provided instructions on setting up the Fowl.AI client, creating forms, and handling image generation [00:11:24].
- API Key Configuration: Users manually input their API key into the
.env.localfile as directed by Bolt [00:11:53].
Handling Errors
When encountering errors, the workflow suggested is to copy the error message from the terminal and paste it into Bolt, asking it to fix the problem [00:09:58]. This approach generally allowed the AI to resolve issues, although it sometimes required multiple attempts [00:10:09]. For complex issues, providing examples from external documentation (like Fowl.AI’s docs) can further assist the AI [00:15:08].
Deployment with Bolt
Bolt offers one-click deployment through its partnership with Netlify, a reliable platform for production applications [00:17:05]. After clicking deploy, Bolt attempts to build the application, checking for errors before providing a shareable URL [00:17:15].
Deployment Challenges
During the demonstration, deployment proved to be challenging due to bugs related to external packages and file dependencies [00:24:06]. The AI struggled to resolve these build failures automatically, often requiring manual intervention by the user, such as installing missing modules or removing unused files [00:24:42]. Despite these issues, the speaker expressed confidence that these bugs would be addressed quickly by the Bolt team [00:24:16].
Comparison to Other Tools
- Cursor AI: People are saying Bolt is replacing Cursor AI, claiming it’s easier [00:00:02]. Ross Mike, however, still prefers Cursor for personal programming, as it allows him to code while having an “AI junior engineer” assisting him [00:19:17]. Cursor keeps the user “in charge” [00:19:57]. Cursor also faced initial slowness before receiving significant funding [00:10:15].
- V0: Bolt is also called a “V0 zero killer” [00:00:50]. V0, owned by Vercel, defaults to Next.js, while Bolt requires explicit specification of Next.js [00:04:45]. V0 was initially “pretty bad” when it launched but improved significantly within a few months [00:08:00].
- Replit: Bolt and Replit are seen as tools that “take the wheel,” handling more of the development process for the user [00:19:53]. Both are considered great for instant prototyping and building simple Proof of Concepts (POCs) [00:21:00]. For non-technical individuals, Bolt and Replit are clear winners because they handle the end-to-end process, including deployment, which can be a significant hurdle with other tools like Cursor [00:21:40].
Target Audience
The tool is particularly well-suited for:
- Non-technical people: Individuals who want to build a prototype quickly without deep coding knowledge [00:00:08].
- Founders/Business People: Those looking to instantly prototype and visualize ideas or build simple Proof of Concepts (POCs) [00:20:37].
- Quick Prototyping: Ideal for quickly building an app or visualizing how things would work [00:19:26].
However, for building a full-fledged application for users, a deeper understanding of development processes is still crucial [00:21:08].
Limitations and Future Outlook
Bolt can be a bit slower because everything operates online, requiring more patience from users [00:08:44]. The deployment part is noted as “a little finicky” when dealing with external packages [00:25:53]. It currently lacks the ability for users to download their codebase to work on it externally with other tools like Cursor [00:25:09].
Despite these current bugs and slowness, the general sentiment is that Bolt has immense potential and is expected to improve rapidly, similar to how V0 evolved [00:08:14]. The expectation is that with potential funding, server scaling will resolve performance issues [00:09:36].
Users are encouraged to keep experimenting with Bolt and other AI tools to develop a strong workflow and build foundational knowledge [00:31:30].