Hercules vs Lovable (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, we pick Lovable: it is second in our ranking of AI app builders, and it grades higher too, 2.8 against 1.8.
Checked Oct 5, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Lovable grades higher on value for money, ease of use and platforms. They get the same grade on the free plan and features.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Hercules
AI builder for business apps, websites and prototypes
Lovable
Chat-based AI builder for full-stack web apps and websites
Which one is for you
Pick Hercules if
- Fits if you want a quick internal tool without setting up hosting
- Works for a solo builder testing an app idea
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you stay free: 15 credits a month and a hercules.app address
- Pricey if you add a teammate, because Business is $199 a month
- Watch out: custom domains and removing the Hercules badge start at $25 Pro
- Watch out: a yearly option saves 15%, but its prices were not read
Pick Lovable if
- Fits if you're a founder turning an idea into a working web app
- Works for teams building internal tools from one shared pool of credits
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want an iPhone or Android app in the stores, as Lovable publishes to a web URL only
- Tight if you're staying free, at 5 build credits a day and 30 a month, with no custom domain, no code editing and the badge on
- Pricey if you need SSO or role-based access, since Business costs twice as much as Pro for the same credits
- Watch out: a Build mode message costs a variable amount, so you can't tell in advance how far 100 credits go
How we grade them
| 1.8GPAHerculesWeak | 2.8GPALovableGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | D$25 a month for 50 AI credits is at the dear end of the category, and teammates and access controls jump to $199 on Business. | CPro starts at $25 a month, or $250 for the year, which comes to about $21. That's mid-table for builders here, where the middle is $19. You get 100 credits a month, shared by unlimited members with no per-seat charge. A Build mode message costs a varying amount. |
| Free plan and trial | CFree: 15 AI credits a month, unlimited apps, a hercules.app address and community support. 15 credits go fast. | CFree for good, but the meter is mean: 5 build credits a day and no more than 30 a month, when one Build message can cost several. You do get unlimited members, 5 lovable.app addresses and GitHub sync. No custom domains, no code editing, and the Lovable badge stays put. |
| Features | CHosting, database, auth, AI and email included, and credits are metered separately as Hercules Cloud usage. No integrations are listed. | CDescribe the app and it writes the front end, back end, database and sign-in as real code, with Lovable Cloud running the deployed version, Git sync on every plan, connectors and MCP servers. But the listing names the boundary: it builds web apps, and publishing goes to a web URL, never the app stores. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. You describe the app in chat, but the work is building and checking it. | A4.8 from about 2,200 App Store ratings, the highest in this category. You build by chatting, and Plan mode lets you talk an idea through at 1 credit a message before anything gets built. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWeb only, and no integrations or API are listed. | AWeb, Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android. It connects to GitHub, Supabase, Stripe, Slack, Notion, HubSpot, Figma and Airtable, you can add your own MCP servers, and there's a Lovable API on Business plans. |
| Best for | chat-built business apps and sites | building a web app in chat, alone or as a team |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Hercules and Lovable. How we grade
Price against what you get
Hercules starts at $25 a month and scores 2.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Lovable starts at $21 a month and scores 3.3.
Lovable scores higher and starts $4 a month lower. Of the other AI app builders on the chart, 30 score higher than Hercules for less, and 1 scores higher than Lovable for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Hercules also covers AI agents.
- Lovable also covers no-code.
At a glance
| Hercules | Lovable | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $25 per month, billed monthly | $21 per month, billed annually ($250 a year); $25 billed monthly |
| Free plan | 15 AI credits a month, unlimited apps, and publishing on a hercules.app subdomain with community support. | 5 build credits a day, capped at 30 a month, plus monthly grants of 20 Cloud credits and 4 AI credits. Unlimited members and 5 lovable.app domains; no custom domains or code editing. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Zeus AI Labs, Inc. | Lovable Labs Incorporated |
| Price read from | hercules.app | docs.lovable.dev |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Oct 5, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Hercules
- The Free plan has 15 AI credits a month and a hercules.app address.
- Custom domains and removing the Hercules badge start on Pro at $25 a month.
- Teammates, role-based access control and daily backups need Business at $199 a month.
- A yearly option saves 15%, but its prices could not be read, so the prices above are monthly-billed ones.
Lovable
- Usage is metered in credits, and a Build mode message costs a variable amount depending on the task.
- Free workspaces get 30 build credits a month at most and cannot use custom domains, edit code or remove the Lovable badge.
- SSO, role-based access and internal publishing start on Business, which costs twice as much as Pro for the same credits.
- Lovable builds web apps: publishing deploys to a web URL, not to the App Store or Google Play.
Key features
Hercules
- Build by chatting
- Describe the app, such as a CRM for a sales team, and Hercules builds it while you watch.
- Hosting and backend included
- Apps get hosting, a database, backend, authentication, AI and email; usage is metered as Hercules Cloud credits.
- Apps, sites and mobile
- The homepage lists internal software, customer software, marketing and SEO sites, and mobile apps as use cases.
- Team controls
- The Business plan adds teammates, role-based access control, custom login rules and daily data backups.
Lovable
- Prompt-to-app building
- Describe an app in chat and Lovable generates working code. Plan mode costs 1 credit per message, while Build mode charges by the complexity of the task.
- Lovable Cloud backend
- A built-in backend covers database, storage, compute and realtime usage for deployed apps, paid from the same credits. Every plan includes a monthly grant of 20 Cloud credits.
- Git sync and code ownership
- Each project is a codebase that can sync with GitHub, GitLab or Bitbucket on every plan. Editing and downloading code inside Lovable starts on Pro.
- Publishing and custom domains
- Apps publish to a lovable.app address: 5 domains on Free, unlimited from Pro. Custom domains and removing the Lovable badge need a paid plan.
- Connectors and MCP servers
- A connector catalog links apps and chats to services such as Slack, HubSpot and Notion, and custom MCP servers can be added for extra context while building.
- Shared workspaces
- Unlimited members build from one shared credit pool on every plan. Owners can set per-member monthly credit limits on paid plans.
Plans
Hercules
Free$0
15 AI credits a month, unlimited apps, hercules.app subdomain and community support.
Pro$25
per month, billed monthly
50 AI credits a month, custom domains, no Hercules badge, credit top-ups, 20x Hercules Cloud usage and email support.
Business$199
per month, billed monthly
Shown with 50 AI credits a month. Adds teammates, custom login rules, role-based access control, daily data backups and advanced privacy controls.
EnterpriseCustom
Adds SSO and SAML, SCIM, audit logs, a volume-based credit discount, dedicated support, onboarding and a data processing agreement.
Lovable
Free$0
5 daily build credits (30 a month at most), 20 Cloud credits a month, workspace-private projects, unlimited collaborators and 5 lovable.app domains.
ProFrom $25
per month, billed monthly; $250 billed annually
100 credits a month at the entry tier, with tiers up to 10,000. Adds credit rollovers, top-ups, custom domains, code editing and badge removal.
BusinessFrom $50
per month, billed monthly; $500 billed annually
100 credits a month at the entry tier. Adds SSO, role-based access, internal publish, personal projects, a security center and the Lovable API.
EnterpriseCustom
A platform fee plus volume-based credit pricing, with SCIM, audit logs, publishing controls, scheduled security scans and a named CSM.
Ways to pay less
Hercules
- Annual discount
15% off with yearly billing
The pricing page offers a Yearly option labelled Save 15% against monthly billing.
Lovable
- Annual discount
Two months free with yearly billing
The pricing page's Yearly toggle is labeled 2 months free. Pro with 100 credits is $250 a year instead of $25 a month, and Business is $500 instead of $50 a month.
- Education
50% off Pro for students and teachers
Verified students and teachers pay $12.50 a month for the Pro plan with 100 credits, billed monthly, for up to 12 months. Each person can use the discount once.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Hercules or Lovable?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Lovable is cheaper to start with: $21 a month, against $25 a month for Hercules. Hercules starts at $25 per month, billed monthly, and Lovable starts at $21 per month, billed annually ($250 a year); $25 billed monthly.
Which has a free plan, Hercules or Lovable?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Hercules and Lovable have a free plan.
Which platforms do Hercules and Lovable run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Lovable lists macOS, Windows, iOS and Android apps. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.