Bolt Limitations: What It Can't Do
Bolt.new is full-stack ai app builder that generates frontend, backend, and database from prompts. While it excels at quick full-stack prototypes, simple apps with database needs, it has significant limitations for large applications, team projects, production deployments. The main issues are: token costs explode quickly, context degradation at scale, deployment nightmares.
Key Takeaway: Bolt gets you about 70% of the way to a working app. The last 30% typically requires professional development to achieve production quality.
Main Limitations of Bolt
Token Costs Explode Quickly
Users report spending $1,000+ on tokens for single projects. Authentication bugs alone can consume 3-8 million tokens as the AI repeatedly fails to fix them.
Context Degradation at Scale
Projects with 15-20+ components experience severe context loss. The AI forgets patterns, creates duplicates, and loses consistency as projects grow.
Deployment Nightmares
Blank screens, missing files, and partial deployments plague larger projects. One-click deployment works for simple apps but fails for anything complex.
Supabase Auth Disasters
Authentication with Supabase is notoriously problematic. Users report spending millions of tokens and days trying to get basic auth working.
No Local Development
Bolt is cloud-only with no option to run projects locally. This makes debugging, testing, and professional development workflows impossible.
Project Size Limits
Large projects exceed Bolt's context window, triggering 'Project size exceeded' errors. Paid plans help but don't eliminate the fundamental limitation.
When Bolt Works Well
Bolt is best for: Quick full-stack prototypes, simple apps with database needs
- Full-stack generation
- Database schema creation
- API endpoint generation
- One-click Netlify deployment
When to Avoid Bolt
Bolt is NOT suitable for: Large applications, team projects, production deployments
- Token costs spiraling
- Auth not working with Supabase
- Blank screen after deployment
- Project too large for context
- Losing work after errors
Taking Your Bolt Project to Production
Export code, refactor for modularity, implement proper auth, add error handling, set up CI/CD pipeline
Need help taking your Bolt project to production?
We specialize in taking AI-built prototypes and turning them into production-ready applications. Our team has rescued dozens of Bolt projects.
Learn About Our Prototype-to-Production Service →Frequently Asked Questions
Why did I spend so many tokens on Bolt?
Bolt charges tokens for every interaction, including failed attempts. Error loops multiply costs exponentially—a simple auth bug that takes 3 attempts can consume 3-5 million tokens.
Why does my Bolt app show a blank screen?
Blank screens typically indicate deployment failures, missing environment variables, or broken API connections. Bolt's deployment works for simple apps but often fails with complex routing or authentication.
Is Bolt better than Lovable?
They serve different needs. Bolt generates full-stack apps with backends; Lovable focuses on frontend. Both have similar limitations for production use—neither produces truly production-ready code.
Can I take my Bolt project to production?
Not directly. Bolt projects need significant refactoring for production: proper error handling, security hardening, performance optimization, and architectural improvements. Budget $5,000-20,000 for professional finishing.
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