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Dyad vs Lovable

Two fact sheets from our own research, side by side — pricing, platforms, API access and status re-checked by us rather than quoted from the vendors.

The short answer

Cheaper paid plan
Dyad — $20/mo vs $25/mo for Lovable
Free plan
Both have one
Best fit
Dyad: Hobbyists and students who want a free app builder with their own API keys · Lovable: Founders and designers shipping a working prototype without a developer
Platforms
Dyad: macOS, Windows · Lovable: Web
Trust score
About even — Dyad 81, Lovable 81

From our own records as of each tool's last check. Anything we have not confirmed is left out rather than guessed. How we verify

DyadFree open-source desktop app that builds web apps from prompts on your machine using your own AI keys or local models.LovableDescribe an app and get a deployed full-stack project

Side by side

FactDyadLovable
CategoryVibe Coding & App GeneratorsVibe Coding & App Generators
Pricing modelFreemiumFreemium
Starts at$20/mo$25/mo
Trust score81 / 10081 / 100
PlatformsmacOS, WindowsWeb
CompanyDyadLovable
Launched20252023
Last verifiedOct 2, 2026Sep 6, 2026

What our research says

Dyad

Dyad is the choice for people who like the prompt-to-app workflow of hosted builders but want the code on their own disk and the freedom to bring any model. The free tier is real, though the stronger agent features and bundled model access sit behind the $20 Pro plan.

Pros

  • Free and open source, with projects stored locally
  • Works with many model providers, including offline local models
  • Output is a standard Next.js project with no platform lock-in
  • One-click Supabase or Neon, GitHub and Vercel connections

Cons

  • Desktop-only, with downloads for macOS and Windows
  • Free basic agent is limited to 20 messages a day
  • You manage and pay for your own model API keys unless you buy Pro credits

Lovable

The cleanest prompt-to-app experience for someone who cannot write React, and GitHub sync means you are not locked in — but 100 credits a month is less runway than it sounds once the app gets real.

Pros

  • Live preview after each change keeps iteration legible to non-developers
  • GitHub sync and Supabase mean the output is real, portable code
  • The free tier is enough to find out whether the idea works
  • Per-action credit costs are published, so estimating is possible

Cons

  • Free tier caps at 30 credits a month regardless of the daily grant
  • Debugging a bad generation can cost more credits than the original build
  • Opinionated stack — React front end, Supabase back end, little room to differ
  • No API for driving builds programmatically

Which one fits

Choose Dyad if you need

  • Hobbyists and students who want a free app builder with their own API keys
  • Developers who want generated code in a normal repo they can keep editing
  • Privacy-minded users who want to run local models through Ollama or LM Studio

Choose Lovable if you need

  • Founders and designers shipping a working prototype without a developer
  • Anyone who wants generated code exported to GitHub rather than held hostage
  • Small internal tools needing authentication and a database on day one

Dyad vs Lovable: the questions people ask

Is Dyad cheaper than Lovable?

On published entry prices, Dyad starts lower — $20/mo against $25/mo for Lovable. Entry price is the lowest paid plan as we last verified it; what each plan includes differs.

Does Dyad or Lovable have a free tier?

Both: Dyad has a free tier, and Lovable has a free tier.

More comparisons

All Dyad alternatives →All Lovable alternatives →Browse all Vibe Coding & App Generators →