Compare
Orbit vs Bolt
Both build a full-stack app from a prompt. Bolt writes the code and runs it in your browser; on Orbit you compose parts that already run on a server. What that changes is what a second message costs.
Free on both. The difference shows up on the second message.
At a glance
Where Orbit and Bolt diverge
Both can take an app far. Here is where each one is stronger, from first demo to moving away. Sources are listed below.
Even
The demo
Both turn a prompt into a working app, fast.
Orbit
When it gets it wrong
Bolt writes code, so a wrong answer is code to fix. On Orbit you arrange parts that already run, so a wrong answer is a thing to move.
Even
Data and auth
Both ship a backend (Orbit Postgres; Bolt built-in or Supabase).
Even
Your domain
Both launch on a custom domain with HTTPS.
Orbit
What a message costs later
Bolt's pricing page: the larger the project, the more tokens a message uses. Orbit: $1 a credit, unchanged by the size of the app.
Bolt
Take the code
Bolt: GitHub sync, never locked in. Orbit: API access, no source download yet.
Side by side
The four differences, in detail
Checked against Bolt's own docs on 24 July 2026. Every Bolt claim links its source.
What a message costs as the app grows
Orbit
Nothing is generated, so nothing is synced to a model to make a change. A credit is a dollar in month six as much as on day one, credits never expire, and your own Claude or ChatGPT key costs nothing at all.
Bolt
Bolt's pricing page says most token usage comes from syncing the project file system to the AI, so the larger the project, the more tokens each message uses.
Bolt pricingHow pricing works
Orbit
1 credit = 1 dollar, the same rate for everyone, credits never expire, and you can bring your own provider account.
Bolt
Priced by the AI tokens each prompt uses. The free plan caps at 1 million tokens a month; paid plans start at $25. Unused paid tokens roll over for one month, then expire.
Bolt pricingThe backend
Orbit
A native Postgres database, created with the app, plus built-in sign-in.
Bolt
A database with built-in auth on every new project, or connect Supabase for Postgres.
Bolt database docsYour code, and leaving
Orbit
Your app runs on Orbit. You build and operate it on the platform and reach it through the REST API. There is no source-code download in the product.
Bolt
Two-way GitHub sync keeps the code in a repo you own, and Bolt says you are never locked in. Deploy on Bolt Cloud or Netlify.
Bolt GitHub sync docsFair is fair
When Bolt is the better pick
Bolt runs your app in the browser, so the first version appears fast, and it gives you a database out of the box. You can sync the code to GitHub and host it anywhere. Choose Bolt if that speed and owning the code matter most.
The short answer
Pick Bolt
if you want standard code in your own GitHub repo, or instant full-stack prototyping in the browser.
Pick Orbit
if your priority is building from anywhere and credits that hold their value and never expire.
Try both
the first build is free on each, and the second message is where they part.
Questions, answered
Does Bolt have a backend?
Yes. Bolt sets up a database with built-in auth on every project, and you can connect Supabase for Postgres. Both tools give you a backend, so the comparison is about everything around it.
Which one is cheaper?
It depends on use, and they price differently. Orbit is a flat dollar per credit that never expires. Bolt prices by AI tokens, and unused paid tokens roll over for a month, then expire.
Can I move my app off Orbit?
You reach your app and its data through the REST API, and there is no source-code download in the product. If you need the code or a repository for a client, ask and we set it up by hand. If exporting standard code on your own is a hard requirement, Bolt is built for that with GitHub sync.
Can I just try both?
Yes, and it is the best way to decide. Build the same idea in both, then ask each one for a change and watch what it does with the request.
Ask both for a second change
The first build looks much the same on any tool. Build the same small thing in Bolt and in Orbit, change it twice, and the difference stops being abstract.
Free to build. Your first live app is free on your own domain.
Créé avec Orbit