Lovable vs Subframe (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 2.2.
Checked Oct 5, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Lovable grades higher on ease of use and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan and features.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Lovable
Chat-based AI builder for full-stack web apps and websites
Subframe
Design canvas, coding agent and browser in one desktop app
Which one is for you
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
Pick Subframe if
- Fits if you already pay for Claude Code or Codex and work in React
- Works for designers and developers sharing one canvas
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you stay free: one project only
- Watch out: more than one project needs Pro at $20 per editor
- Watch out: AI credits apply only in the web version or in place of your own Claude or Codex plan
- Not for you if you want a tier above Pro: none is listed
How we grade them
| 2.8GPALovableGood | 2.2GPASubframeFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | 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. | C$20 per editor a month, the category's middle price. The page doesn't say if that is monthly or yearly. |
| Free plan and trial | 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. | CFree: one project, unlimited viewers and editors, limited AI credits, or your own Claude or Codex plan. One project is a firm cap. |
| Features | 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. | CCanvas with components and tokens, a built-in browser, an agent and comments. The vendor says it is aimed at React. |
| Ease of use | 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. | CNo store rating on record. It is a desktop app that needs a running dev server and a Claude or Codex subscription. |
| Platforms and integrations | 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. | BMac, Windows and web, with Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, Gemini, GitHub and Mobbin connections. |
| Best for | building a web app in chat, alone or as a team | a design canvas wired to your coding agent |
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: Lovable and Subframe. How we grade
Price against what you get
Lovable starts at $21 a month and scores 3.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Subframe starts at $20 a month for each person and scores 2.3.
Lovable scores higher, and starts $1 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other AI app builders on the chart, 1 scores higher than Lovable for less, and 12 score higher than Subframe 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
- Lovable also covers no-code.
- Subframe also covers AI agents.
At a glance
| Lovable | Subframe | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $21 per month, billed annually ($250 a year); $25 billed monthly | $20 per editor / month |
| Free plan | 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. | One project, unlimited viewers and editors, limited AI credits, and use of your own Claude or Codex subscription. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Lovable Labs Incorporated | Subframe |
| Price read from | docs.lovable.dev | subframe.com |
| Checked | Oct 5, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
Subframe
- The Free plan allows one project; unlimited projects need Pro at $20 per editor / month.
- The vendor says it works best with React, though the browser and canvas work with anything that renders on the web.
- AI credits are used only in the web version or when you use them instead of your own Claude or Codex subscription.
- The pricing section does not say whether $20 is billed monthly or annually, and lists no plan above Pro.
Key features
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.
Subframe
- Design canvas
- Components with props, slots and variants, plus themes and design tokens across light and dark modes, synced with the design system in your codebase.
- Built-in browser
- Preview and edit your running app inside Subframe, with detected local dev servers listed in the browser panel.
- Coding agent
- Uses an existing Claude Code or Codex subscription as the internal agent. Other agents such as Cursor or Gemini connect through MCP.
- Prompting on the canvas
- Ask for designs or repetitive changes without leaving the canvas, then hand the result to the agent to implement in code.
- Multiplayer and comments
- Share a canvas link and comment in threads with teammates or the agent, then turn feedback into changes.
Plans
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.
Subframe
Free$0
One project, unlimited viewers and editors, limited AI credits, and use of your own Claude or Codex subscription.
Pro$20
per editor / month
Unlimited projects, 6x the AI credits of Free, and multiple themes per project. Billing basis (monthly or annual) is not stated.
Ways to pay less
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.
Subframe
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Lovable or Subframe?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Lovable starts at $21 per month, billed annually ($250 a year); $25 billed monthly, and Subframe starts at $20 per editor / month. One is priced for each person and the other is not, so which costs less depends on how many of you use it.
Which has a free plan, Lovable or Subframe?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Lovable and Subframe have a free plan.
Which platforms do Lovable and Subframe run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Lovable lists iOS and Android apps. Both list a web app and macOS and Windows apps. 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.