JOYLO VS LOVABLE
Joylo or Lovable.
Which AI app builder is right for you?
Pick Lovable for side projects and weekend builds. Pick Joylo if your app has to launch, grow and earn money. Vibe coding feels like magic until it breaks. When the AI gets stuck on Free, Pro or Business, Lovable has no engineer to send. Joylo does. A Joylo engineer joins your project, backed by a written Production Guarantee. Buy the hours Joylo recommends and Joylo gets you live, paying any overrun. Conditions and exclusions apply.
THE SHORT ANSWER. FOUR DIFFERENCES THAT MATTER.
What's the difference between Joylo and Lovable?
- A real engineer steps in when the AI gets stuck.Joylo sends one of its own engineers. Through Expert Assist, a certified Joylo engineer works in your project to fix the issue, finish the feature or close a security gap. First response comes within 24 hours, and help costs $500 for 10 hours. Lovable gives you email support on paid plans, plus certified experts you hire and pay yourself.
- Joylo guarantees your launch in writing.Buy the hours Joylo recommends and Joylo guarantees your app goes live. If the estimate falls short, Joylo pays for the extra engineering itself. This is the Production Guarantee: a written commitment for an agreed scope, with conditions and exclusions. Lovable doesn't publish a launch guarantee, and it takes no responsibility for work by the experts it lists.
- Lovable rewards paying for the year.Pay yearly and Lovable gives you two months free. Pro drops from $25 to $21 a month, and Business from $50 to $42. Joylo bills monthly only, with no long-term contract.
- Lovable plugs into more of your tools.Need your app to talk to Slack, Notion or Snowflake? Lovable lists 40 or more connectors, and admins can add any other service with an API. You can even build your Lovable app from Claude, Cursor or ChatGPT. Joylo connects to nine services, including Stripe, GitHub, Figma, Gmail and Microsoft Teams.
TWO BUILDERS. TWO DIFFERENT JOBS.
What is each builder made for?
If you want an app you own, with a person to call when it breaks, Joylo is built for that. Lovable is the better fit when a team wants to build web apps together and look after them itself.
Joylo
Joylo turns a plain-English description into a working web app with sign-in, a database and payments. Any developer can pick it up and work on the project in VS Code or Cursor. If your revenue app breaks at 2am and the AI gets stuck, a Joylo engineer takes over in your repo. Buy the hours Joylo recommends for an agreed scope, and launch is guaranteed in writing. Conditions and exclusions apply.
Lovable
Lovable is made for building as a team. Every plan, even Free, lets you add as many people as you like. Each app gets a database, user login and file storage on Lovable Cloud. Going live has its limits, though. If your credits run out, your app's database, logins and AI features pause until you top up. And when the AI gets stuck on Free, Pro or Business, there's no Lovable engineer to call.
How does Joylo pricing compare to Lovable?
Similar prices to start. Different things to buy. Both have a free plan, a $25 plan and a $50 plan. Above that, they split. Lovable sells more credits, up to $4,300 a month on Business. Joylo sells engineer time: Co-Build costs $3,000 to $6,000 a month for 40 to 160 engineering hours. So it comes down to how you want to build. For a side project you're happy to prompt yourself, Lovable's credits go a long way. For an app people will pay to use, Joylo lets you put engineers on it.
What does each Joylo plan include?
Every Joylo plan includes AI credits and storage, and every paid plan adds private apps and a custom domain. Free, the Trial, Solo Builder and Starter are the plans you run yourself. On Co-Build, a named Joylo engineer builds the app for you. The table below shows each plan's limits.
| Free | Trial | Solo Builder | Starter | Co-Build 40 | Co-Build 80 | Co-Build 160 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly price | $0 | $1 first month, then $25 | $25 | $50 | $3,000 | $4,000 | $6,000 |
| AI credits | 30 first month, then 10 / month | 100 (first month) | 100 / month | 250 / month | 400 / month | 800 / month | 1,600 / month |
| Apps | 3 public | 10 private | 10 private | Unlimited private | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Storage | 1 GB | 5 GB | 5 GB | 10 GB | As Starter | As Starter | As Starter |
| Custom domains | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Team workspace | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Team members | Just you | Just you | Just you | Unlimited, no seat fee | Unlimited, no seat fee | Unlimited, no seat fee | Unlimited, no seat fee |
| Roles and basic analytics | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Engineering hours | Add-on | Add-on | Add-on | Add-on | 40 / month | 80 / month | 160 / month |
| Engineer response | 24 hours (Expert Assist) | 24 hours (Expert Assist) | 24 hours (Expert Assist) | 24 hours (Expert Assist) | 4 business hours | 4 business hours | 2 business hours |
| Production Support | Add-on | Add-on | Add-on | Add-on | Advanced included | Advanced included | Advanced included |
If you build on your own, start with Solo Builder at $25 a month. Move to Starter at $50 once other people need to work in the app with you. Co-Build is a different purchase, because a named engineer builds the app for you.
- Team members. Unlimited and free, with no per-seat charge, in a team workspace. A team workspace comes with Starter ($50 a month) and the Co-Build plans. Free, Trial and Solo Builder are single-user plans.
- Every plan includes app ownership and the AI Confidence Score. Every paid plan, from the $1 Trial up, adds export to GitHub, version control, credit top-ups, removing the Joylo badge and free standard migration.
- The Free plan has no expiry date. The $1 Trial gives you Solo Builder for your first month, then renews at $25. There is no annual billing. All plans are monthly.
- Co-Build 160 adds a dedicated developer, a part-time business analyst, executive reporting and custom integrations.
What do the engineer plans cost, and what do you get?
Joylo's engineer help starts at $500 for 10 hours. That's Expert Assist, an add-on on any plan, with a first response within 24 hours. Co-Build costs $3,000, $4,000 or $6,000 a month for 40, 80 or 160 engineering hours, and a named Joylo engineer builds the app for you. Lovable doesn't sell engineer help on Free, Pro or Business, so this table covers Joylo only.
| Expert Assist | Co-Build 40 | Co-Build 80 | Co-Build 160 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $500 for 10 architect hours | $3,000 | $4,000 | $6,000 |
| Engineering hours | Hours are bought in blocks of 10. Self-serve plans can use up to 20 hours a month | 40 / month | 80 / month | 160 / month |
| How it works | Choose "Engage an Expert" inside your project. A Joylo engineer works in your project to fix an issue, finish a feature or help you launch | A named Joylo engineer builds the app for you. You meet 30 minutes, three times a week | ||
| First response | Within 24 hours | 4 business hours | 4 business hours | 2 business hours |
| AI credits included | Your plan's credits | 400 / month | 800 / month | 1,600 / month |
| Production Support | $299 or $999 a month | Advanced included | Advanced included | Advanced included |
| Extra engineering | $500 for 10 architect hours | Fixed $500 blocks | ||
| Also included | Chat with the engineer inside the project, follow tasks on a board and see the hours logged | No extras listed | No extras listed | A dedicated developer, a part-time business analyst, executive reporting and custom integrations |
| Written guarantee | Buy the engineering hours Joylo recommends for an agreed scope, and Joylo guarantees that scope goes live. Joylo pays for any overrun. Conditions and exclusions apply | |||
Work out how many hours your app needs before you pick. Expert Assist is capped at 20 hours a month on the self-serve plans. If you need more, Co-Build gives you 40, 80 or 160 hours a month, a faster first response and three 30-minute meetings a week.
What does each Lovable plan include?
Every Lovable plan includes unlimited members, GitHub sync and hosting. Free gives you 5 credits a day. Pro is $25 and Business is $50 a month for 100 credits, and Business adds single sign-on. Enterprise is priced by volume and is the only plan with Lovable's own engineers. The table below shows each plan's limits.
| Free | Pro | Business | Enterprise | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly price | $0 | $25 | $50 | Platform fee, priced by volume |
| Yearly price | Not applicable | $250 a year ($21 a month) | $500 a year ($42 a month) | Custom |
| AI credits | 5 a day, up to 30 / month | 100+ / month, plus 5 a day | 100+ / month, plus 5 a day | Priced by volume |
| Biggest credit bundle | Not applicable | 10,000 / month for $2,250 | 10,000 / month for $4,300 | Custom |
| Users and editors | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Unused credits roll over | No | Yes | Yes | Not listed |
| Credit top-ups | No | $15 for 50 credits | $30 for 50 credits | Not listed |
| Free hosting and in-app AI credits | 20 for hosting, 4 for AI, each month | 20 for hosting, 4 for AI, each month | 20 for hosting, 4 for AI, each month | Not listed |
| File size you can attach in chat | 20 MB | 256 MB | 256 MB | 1 GB |
| Custom domains | No. 5 lovable.app addresses | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Remove the Lovable badge | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Edit and download the code | No. GitHub sync works on every plan | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Single sign-on, role-based access, design templates, priority support | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Human engineer | Not available | Not available | Not available | Lovable's own team takes on build work under an Enterprise agreement |
| Refund | Not applicable | No refund for the billing period you cancel in. Your plan runs until that period ends | ||
On Lovable, paying more buys more credits, plus team controls like single sign-on. Joylo's bigger plans add engineer hours instead. One grows the AI, the other adds people.
What do the add-ons and services cost?
Joylo's add-ons are mostly people: Expert Assist at $500 for 10 hours, free standard migration and Production Support from $299 a month. Lovable's add-ons are mostly extra credits. Below Enterprise, it doesn't sell engineer help, migration or paid support. The table below shows each one.
| Service | Joylo | Lovable |
|---|---|---|
| Expert Assist | $500 for 10 architect hours. First response within 24 hours. | Not available. Lovable lists certified experts you hire and pay yourself |
| Standard migration | Free on every paid plan, from the $1 Trial up. | Not published. Lovable can't start a project from an app you already have on GitHub |
| Complex migration | $2,000 fixed price. You buy it, our engineers do the work. No charge if it doesn't work. | Not published |
| Production Support, Essential | $299 a month. 24/7 automated monitoring, next-business-day engineer response. | Not published. Priority support comes with Business |
| Production Support, Advanced | $999 a month. Adds security patching, monthly restore tests and 4-hour engineer response. | Not published |
| Extra live apps on Production Support | $199 per app per month, beyond 3 apps. | Not applicable |
| Extra Co-Build engineering | Fixed $500 blocks. | Not published |
| Enterprise | Custom pricing. | Custom, book a demo. Directory sync, audit logs, a named customer success manager and a custom SLA |
Most of Joylo's add-ons buy an engineer's time, while Lovable's extras are more credits and Enterprise controls. If you want someone watching your app after launch, read the Production Support rows.
How do Joylo and Lovable compare at a glance?
Joylo is stronger when you need help. It has its own engineers, app store publishing and free standard migration of the app you already have on paid plans. Buy the hours it recommends and you also get a written launch guarantee. Conditions and exclusions apply. Lovable's edge is flexibility, with unlimited members on every plan, yearly billing and credits that roll over on paid plans. The 20 rows below show both sides.
| Feature | Joylo | Lovable |
|---|---|---|
| Access to a human engineer | Yes. Joylo's own engineers, from inside your project | Not on Free, Pro or Business. Email support on Pro and up, plus certified experts you hire separately |
| Written guarantee | Production Guarantee: buy the hours Joylo recommends for an agreed scope and Joylo gets it live, paying any overrun. Conditions and exclusions apply | Not published for launch. Lovable promises professional work on its own consultancy jobs, but doesn't guarantee work by the experts it lists |
| Starting price | Free at $0, or $1 for the first month on the Trial. Paid plans from $25 a month. | Free at $0, or Pro at $25 a month, billed monthly |
| Paid plans | Solo Builder $25, Starter $50, Co-Build $3,000 / $4,000 / $6,000 a month | Pro $25, Business $50 a month for 100 credits, billed monthly |
| Free plan | Yes, $0, with 30 AI credits in the first month, then 10 a month, and 3 public apps | Yes, $0, with 5 credits a day, up to 30 a month |
| Billing | Monthly, fixed price, no long-term contract, 30-day money-back on paid plans | Monthly or yearly (yearly gives 2 months free), cancel any time. No refund for the billing period you cancel in |
| How usage is charged | AI credits for building, changing and publishing. Hosting for live apps is covered by your monthly renewal. No separate hosting bill. | One credit balance pays for building, hosting and the AI in your app. Unused credits roll over on paid plans |
| Builds | Full-stack web apps; design-only screens; mobile apps built with Expo, published to the App Store and Google Play | Web apps and websites. No built-in way to publish to the App Store or Google Play |
| Built in | Sign-in, Postgres database, Stripe payments, file storage, AI key for your app | Lovable Cloud: database, user login, file storage and server functions. Stripe or Paddle payments, and AI for your app |
| Hosting and domains | No separate hosting bill. Published apps always on and a custom domain on all paid plans. Free-plan apps sleep when idle | Lovable hosting included, with backend use paid from your credits. Custom domains on Pro and up |
| Team members | Unlimited, no seat fee, on Starter and Co-Build | Unlimited members on every plan, including Free |
| Code ownership | You own the full app on every plan | Yes. Lovable's terms say you own the apps you build |
| Code export | Export to your own GitHub on every paid plan, from the $1 Trial up, with two-way sync | Two-way sync with GitHub, GitLab or Bitbucket on every plan. Download the code on paid plans |
| Tech stack | React, Node, Postgres. No proprietary runtime. | React, Tailwind and Supabase. Apps started since 13 May 2026 use TanStack Start |
| Who the engineers are | HST Solutions, Dublin, since 2007. HST is certified to ISO 27001 and ISO 22301. | Lovable's own staff, for consultancy work under an Enterprise agreement. The experts it lists are independent developers and agencies |
| Engineer price | $500 for 10 hours (Expert Assist), or 40–160 hours a month on Co-Build | Not published. Each expert sets their own price |
| Engineer response | Within 24 hours (Expert Assist); 4 or 2 business hours (Co-Build) | Not applicable. Email support replies within 24 hours, mainly on weekdays |
| Engineer hours | 9am to 5pm GMT, Monday to Friday | Email support, mainly on weekdays |
| Migration in | Free standard migration on paid plans; $2,000 fixed price for complex moves, done by our engineers | Not published. Lovable can't start a project from an app already on GitHub |
| App check | AI Confidence Score on every plan | A quick security scan every time you publish, with deeper scans on demand |
Want help when something breaks? Read the engineer lines first. If your team is large and your budget is small, look at the team members line, because that's where Lovable wins.
STUCK? BRING IN AN ENGINEER.
What happens when your app gets stuck?
An app your revenue depends on cannot run on a prompt box alone. APIs change. Payment gateways break at 2am. Every fix the AI makes can add new bugs. That is the moment most builders leave you to find a freelancer. Joylo's answer is a certified in-house engineer, inside your project within 24 hours, backed by a written Production Guarantee: buy the hours Joylo recommends for an agreed scope, and Joylo takes responsibility for getting it live. If the estimate runs over, Joylo pays the difference. Conditions and exclusions apply. To start, choose "Engage an Expert" inside your project.
- Launch is guaranteed, in writing.Buy the engineering hours Joylo recommends for an agreed scope, and Joylo guarantees that scope goes live. Joylo pays for any overrun. Conditions and exclusions apply.
- Who they are.Joylo's engineers are its own in-house team, not freelancers. Joylo's engineers come from a team that builds software for regulated businesses, such as fund groups, banks and insurers.
- You stay in control.Engineers see your code only after you approve access. Nothing merges without your approval. Chat with the engineer inside the project, follow tasks on a board and see the hours logged.
- What it costs.$500 for 10 architect hours. Hours are bought in blocks of 10. Self-serve plans can use up to 20 hours a month.
- Rather not build it yourself?A named Joylo engineer builds the app for you: 40, 80 or 160 hours a month. You meet 30 minutes, three times a week.
CODE YOU OWN. TAKE IT ANYWHERE.
Who owns the code you build?
On Joylo, you own your app and can export the code to your own GitHub on every paid plan, from the $1 Trial up. Lovable's terms say you own your apps too, and its GitHub sync works both ways on every plan.
Joylo
- Ownership. You own the full application on every plan. No lock-in.
- The code. React front end, Node API and a Postgres database. No proprietary runtime or client SDK. Any developer can pick it up.
- Hosting. It runs on AWS, Azure, GCP or your own servers.
- Export. On paid plans, from the $1 Trial up, push the project to a new or existing GitHub repository, private or public. After export, changes sync both ways, with help resolving conflicts.
- Moving in. Import from Lovable, Replit, Bolt or your own GitHub repository. Standard migration is free on paid plans. Complex migration: $2,000 fixed price. You buy it, our engineers do the work. No charge if it doesn't work.
Lovable
- Ownership. Lovable's terms say you own the apps, websites and projects you build.
- The code. React and Tailwind, with your data kept in Supabase. On paid plans, you can edit the files in your browser.
- Hosting. Lovable hosts it for you, and says you can move your code and data and host it yourself at any time.
- Export. Changes sync both ways with GitHub, GitLab or Bitbucket on every plan. Paid plans can also download the whole project as a ZIP file.
- Moving in. Lovable can't open an app you already have on GitHub, so its sync starts from a Lovable project.
How do Joylo and Lovable compare feature by feature?
Day to day, the two builders overlap a lot. You chat to build on either one, with an optional plan first. Every app can have a database, sign-in, payments and a live web address, and your code syncs with GitHub in both directions. Joylo brings its own engineers and publishes phone apps to the App Store and Google Play. Buy the hours it recommends for an agreed scope, and its Production Guarantee means Joylo gets that work live and pays any overrun. Conditions and exclusions apply. Lovable adds yearly billing, design systems and a longer list of connectors, 40 or more. The table sorts every feature by task.
| Feature | What Joylo does | Lovable |
|---|---|---|
| Build with AI | ||
| Describe it in plain English | Type or speak what you want. You can attach images or files as a reference. | Yes, by chat or dictation. Attach images, PDFs, Office files or audio |
| Plan first, or build straight away | In Plan mode Joylo shows its plan and waits for your approval. In Build mode it goes ahead. | Yes, Plan mode writes a plan you approve, and Chat mode talks it through without changing code |
| Three kinds of project | App: a full working web app. Design: screens only, which can be turned into an app later. Mobile: a phone app. | Web apps and websites, from a new product to an internal tool |
| Choice of AI model | Pick which AI model does the work. | No. Lovable picks the model that builds. You can choose AI models for features inside your app |
| Power mode | The AI reviews its own code, runs visual tests and fixes what it finds. | Lovable can test your app in a real browser, clicking buttons and filling in forms to check its work |
| Built-in backend | ||
| Database | Each app gets its own Postgres database, set up automatically. | Lovable Cloud gives each app a Postgres database, set up automatically. Its use comes out of your credits |
| Sign-in | Joylo Sign-in adds Google and GitHub login to your app without you setting up a login provider. | Email, phone, Google, Apple, Microsoft and SAML sign-in for your app's users |
| Payments | Connect your own Stripe account to a project. Joylo then builds the payment flows. | Built-in Stripe or Paddle payments on paid plans. Shopify for online stores |
| Storage | Space for your apps' files: 1 GB on Free, 5 GB on Trial and Solo Builder, 10 GB on Starter. | File storage in Lovable Cloud, up to 2 GB a file by default. Its use comes out of your credits |
| AI inside your app | A Universal AI Key lets the apps you build call AI models without your own AI provider account. | Lovable's built-in AI adds AI features with no API keys. 4 free AI credits a month, then your credits |
| Your own keys | Add your own API keys and settings to a project. | Yes, Secrets. Lovable spots keys pasted into chat and moves them there |
| Preview and mobile | ||
| Live preview | See the app running in your browser as it is built. | Yes |
| Mobile app preview | Mobile projects are built with Expo. Scan a QR code with the Expo Go app to open the app on your phone. | Not applicable. Lovable builds web apps, which open in a phone's browser |
| Publish to the App Store or Google Play | Mobile apps are published to the App Store and Google Play through Expo. | Not built in. Lovable suggests making your web app installable from a phone's browser, or wrapping it yourself outside Lovable to submit to the stores |
| Sleep when idle | While you are building, an unused preview goes to sleep. Published apps on paid plans stay on. Free-plan apps sleep when idle. | Published apps are never taken down for being idle. The backend pauses if your credits run out |
| Editing | ||
| Change it by chat | Ask for changes in plain English, one message at a time. | Yes, Build mode |
| Visual editor | Click an element in the preview and edit it in a side panel. | Yes, on every plan. 100 text edits are free, topping up every 24 hours, and other visual changes use credits |
| Code editor and terminal | Browse and edit the files, and use a terminal, in the browser. | A code editor in the browser on paid plans, and your own edits don't use credits. A terminal is not published |
| Use your own editor | Connect VS Code or Cursor to the project over SSH. | Yes, through GitHub, GitLab or Bitbucket sync |
| Figma import | Paste a Figma link, or use the Joylo plugin, and Joylo builds from the design. | Yes, drop a .fig file into the chat, or connect Figma through the desktop app |
| App check (AI Confidence Score) | Scores the app out of 100 across security, reliability, integrations, scalability and code quality, and lists what to review. | A quick security scan every time you publish, with deeper scans on demand |
| SEO and AI search check | Reviews your pages for search and AI-search issues, then fixes them with AI. | Yes, on-demand audits for search and AI-search readiness |
| Publish and hosting | ||
| Publish to a live web address | Publish in a few clicks to a Joylo web address. | Yes, free on a lovable.app address on every plan |
| Custom domain | On paid plans, point your own domain at a published app. You buy the domain from a registrar. | Pro and up. Buy one through Lovable or connect your own |
| Hosting included | Hosting is included in your plan, not a separate bill. Publishing uses credits upfront, from about 58 credits, and your monthly renewal covers hosting for apps already live. Published apps on paid plans are always on. | Included. A live site doesn't use credits by itself, but its backend and AI use do |
| Live apps stay live | Hosting for a live app is covered by your monthly renewal. If you run out of credits mid-month, new builds pause until your reset or an optional top-up, but live apps keep running. | If you run out of credits, the site stays up, but its database, logins and AI features pause until you add more |
| Remove the Joylo badge | Hide the Joylo badge on your app, on paid plans. | Remove the Lovable badge on Pro and up |
| Team workspace | ||
| Team workspace | A shared space for projects, members, billing and credits. Starter and Co-Build | Every plan has a workspace with unlimited members. The pricing page lists "Team workspace" under Business |
| Unlimited members, no seat fee | Invite people by email. There is no member limit and no per-seat charge. Starter and Co-Build | Yes, on every plan, including Free |
| Roles | Owner, Admin, Editor or Viewer for each member. Starter and Co-Build | Owner, Admin, Editor and Viewer on Pro and up. Role-based access on Business |
| Require two-step login | The workspace owner can require two-factor authentication for every member. Starter and Co-Build | Enterprise workspaces can require it |
| Share a project | Share a link to a project or its preview. | Yes, invite people or share a preview link. On Business, preview links can have a password and an end date |
| Code ownership and export | ||
| You own the app | You own the full application on every plan. | Yes. Lovable's terms say you own the apps you build |
| Standard stack | React front end, Node API and a Postgres database. No proprietary runtime or client SDK. | React, Tailwind and Supabase. Apps started since 13 May 2026 use TanStack Start |
| Export to GitHub | On paid plans, push the project to a new or existing GitHub repository, private or public. | Yes, GitHub, GitLab or Bitbucket on every plan. ZIP download on paid plans |
| Two-way GitHub sync | After export, changes sync both ways, with help resolving conflicts. | Yes, on every plan |
| Bring an app from elsewhere | Import from Lovable, Replit, Bolt or your own GitHub repository. Standard migration is free on paid plans. | Not published. Lovable can't import an app you already have on GitHub |
| Integrations (connectors) | ||
| Connectors | Stripe (payments), Joylo Sign-in (login), Universal AI Key (AI in your app), GitHub, Figma, Gmail, Outlook, Microsoft Teams, email by SMTP. | Stripe, Slack, Notion, Linear, BigQuery and more, plus any REST API and your own MCP servers |
| Human engineers | ||
| Expert Assist | Choose "Engage an Expert" inside your project. A Joylo engineer works in your project to fix an issue, finish a feature or help you launch. Add-on on any plan | Not available. Lovable lists certified experts and agencies you hire and pay yourself |
| Fixed price | $500 for 10 architect hours. Hours are bought in blocks of 10. Self-serve plans can use up to 20 hours a month. | Not published. Each expert sets their own price |
| Response time and hours | First response within 24 hours. Engineers work 9am to 5pm GMT, Monday to Friday. | Email support on Pro and up, within 24 hours and mainly on weekdays. An AI answers first, and a person on request |
| Work you can see | Chat with the engineer inside the project, follow tasks on a board and see the hours logged. | Not applicable |
| Approval before access | Engineers see your code only after you approve access. Nothing merges without your approval. Published policy | Not applicable |
| Co-Build | A named Joylo engineer builds the app for you: 40, 80 or 160 hours a month. You meet 30 minutes, three times a week. | Lovable's own team takes on build work under an Enterprise agreement. No published price |
| Production Support | 24/7 automated monitoring, with engineers acting during business hours. $299 or $999 a month. Add-on | Not published. Priority support on Business, dedicated support on Enterprise |
| Production Guarantee | Buy the engineering hours Joylo recommends for an agreed scope, and Joylo guarantees that scope goes live. Joylo pays for any overrun. Conditions and exclusions apply. Written terms | Not published |
| Billing and credits | ||
| Fixed monthly price | Each plan has a fixed monthly price. Billing is monthly only. No long-term contract. | Monthly or yearly, and yearly gives 2 months free. The price rises with the credits you choose |
| AI credits | Credits pay for building, changing and publishing. The monthly allowance resets each month. Unused monthly credits do not roll over. | One credit balance for building, hosting and AI. Unused credits roll over, and last 2 months on monthly billing |
| Top-ups | Buy more credits at any time on a paid plan. | $15 for 50 credits on Pro, $30 on Business. Top-ups last 12 months |
| Free plan and Trial | Free plan at $0, with 30 AI credits in the first month and 10 a month after that. Or the Trial: $1 for the first month with 100 credits, then it renews as Solo Builder at $25 a month. | No priced trial. The Free plan costs nothing and gives 5 credits a day, up to 30 a month |
| Promo codes | Enter a promo code at checkout. | Students and teachers get 50% off Pro for up to 12 months |
| Money-back guarantee | Paid plans include a 30-day money-back guarantee. | No. Lovable doesn't refund the billing period you cancel in |
| Security | ||
| Two-factor login | Add an authenticator app to your Joylo account. | Add two-step login to your Lovable account on any plan |
| Sign in with Google, GitHub or Microsoft | Use an existing account to log in to Joylo. | Email, Google, GitHub, Apple or single sign-on. SSO on Business and up |
| Role-based access | Roles control what each team member can do. Starter and Co-Build | Role-based access on Business and up |
| GDPR | GDPR-ready. A data processing agreement is available on request. EU-only hosting is available on request. | GDPR support and a data processing agreement. Data hosted in the EU, US or Asia Pacific |
| Certifications | GDPR-ready. Engineering by HST Solutions, which holds ISO 27001 and ISO 22301. | SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001 and AIUC-1 (Lovable's stated claim) |
| What Lovable offers that Joylo doesn't | ||
| Build from your own design system | Not published | Yes, on paid plans. Every screen uses your own fonts and buttons |
| Connect your own AI agent (MCP) | Not published | Yes, Lovable's MCP server works with Claude, Cursor and ChatGPT |
| Audit logs | Not published | Enterprise |
| AI training opt-out | Not published | Opt out on Free and Pro. Business and Enterprise are left out of training by default |
| Annual billing | All plans are monthly | Yes, and it gives 2 months free |
Where Lovable comes out ahead is free-plan members, yearly billing, its design systems and the security certificates big companies ask for. Joylo wins on the human engineer rows and the mobile app stores. You're choosing between room for your whole team and an engineer you can reach when your app breaks.
Which one is
right for you?
Lovable suits a side project you're happy to fix yourself. If your app has to go live and stay supported, choose Joylo. Both will get you to a working demo. After that, Lovable offers email support on paid plans and a list of experts to hire. Joylo sends its own engineers, and if you buy the hours it recommends, it guarantees in writing that your app goes live. Conditions and exclusions apply.
Joylo
Choose Joylo if
- Your revenue will depend on this app. APIs change and payment gateways break. When the prompt box starts adding bugs instead of fixing them, a certified Joylo engineer steps into your repo within 24 hours. No freelancer marketplace, no agency quote.
- You want someone accountable for launch, in writing. Buy the hours Joylo recommends for an agreed scope and Joylo guarantees that scope goes live. If the estimate runs over, Joylo pays the difference. Conditions and exclusions apply.
- You are a non-technical founder who wants a real app with logins, data and payments, not a prototype.
- You are stuck on another builder and want the app moved across and finished.
- You would rather not build it yourself and want a named engineer doing the work (Co-Build).
Not the best fit for
- Round-the-clock human support. Engineers work UK business hours. Out of hours there is automated monitoring only, unless you agree an Enterprise arrangement.
- Long-term hobby use. Paid plans start at $25 a month.
- A team on the $25 plan. Team workspaces start at Starter, $50 a month.
- Annual billing. All plans are monthly.
- Building mainly by drag and drop. Joylo is chat-first. The visual editor is for small changes.
Start with the page written for you:First-time foundersFixing a half-finished appSmall teams
Lovable
Lovable is right for you if:
- Your whole team needs to be in it on a free or $25 plan. Every Lovable plan, even Free, lets you add as many people as you like. On Joylo, team workspaces start at Starter, $50 a month.
- Your security team asks for certificates. Lovable holds SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001, and on Business your data stays out of AI training by default.
- Every screen has to match your brand. On paid plans, Lovable builds from your design system, so new pages use the fonts and buttons you already have.
Lovable is not for you if:
- You want an engineer to step in when your app gets stuck. Lovable offers email support on paid plans and a list of experts you hire yourself. Its own team only takes on build work under an Enterprise agreement.
- You want your app in the App Store or Google Play. Lovable builds web apps, so reaching the stores means wrapping the app yourself, outside Lovable.
- You need your live app to keep working if your credits run out. On Lovable, the site stays up, but its database, logins and AI features pause until you add more.
Each builder suits a different job. Pick the one whose list sounds most like you.
Fair questions.
Straight answers.
The practical details before you choose.
How much does Lovable cost?
$25 a month for Pro or $50 for Business, billed monthly, each with 100 credits a month. Pay yearly and they drop to $21 and $42 a month. If you need more credits, bigger bundles cost up to $4,300 a month for 10,000 credits on Business, billed monthly. Free has 5 daily credits, capped at 30 a month, and Enterprise pricing is set by volume. Joylo's Solo Builder is $25 and Starter $50 a month, billed monthly only.
Can Lovable replace a technical cofounder?
In Lovable's words, yes. It calls itself your AI cofounder and development team, and says your idea doesn't need a technical cofounder. You build by chatting, and each app gets a database, logins and file storage, set up for you. Below Enterprise, Lovable's own team doesn't work on your app, so when the AI gets stuck, you fix it or hire an expert. On Joylo, one of its own engineers can join your project.
Who should use Lovable?
Teams building web apps together, and anyone trying out a side project. Lovable pitches Pro at fast-moving teams building together in real time, Business at growing departments and Enterprise at large companies. From Pro up, you can set a monthly credit limit for each member. If your app has to earn money, Joylo fits better, because you can bring in an engineer when the AI gets stuck.
Can Lovable build from my own design system?
Yes, on every paid plan. You set up your fonts, buttons and styles once in a design system project, and Lovable reuses them in every project you connect. When you release an update, connected projects get a prompt to take it. Lovable also flags work that strays from your design system. Joylo doesn't publish anything like this. Its nearest feature is Figma import, which builds your app from a design you already have.
Can I get a Lovable engineer to fix my app?
Only on Enterprise, where Lovable's own team takes on build work under an Enterprise agreement, with no published price. On Pro and Business, support starts with an AI reply, and a person steps in when you ask. Lovable also lists certified experts you hire and pay yourself. On Joylo, choose "Engage an Expert" and a certified, in-house engineer works in your project. Help comes in blocks of 10 hours at $500, with a first response within 24 hours.
Does Joylo take responsibility for getting my app live?
Yes, for the scope Joylo has assessed, once you buy the recommended hours. Joylo then takes charge of getting that work live, and puts it in writing as its Production Guarantee. If the work takes longer than Joylo estimated, Joylo pays the extra engineering cost itself. Conditions and exclusions apply. If you hire one of the experts Lovable lists, Lovable isn't responsible for their work.
Can Joylo pick up my half-built Lovable app?
Yes. Joylo imports apps straight from Lovable, or from your own GitHub if you've synced the code there. There's a free standard migration for Lovable apps on every paid Joylo plan, from the $1 Trial up. We review the project first and tell you what's involved. If the move is complex, it costs a fixed $2,000 instead, with no charge if it doesn't work. Once it's across, a Joylo engineer can help you finish it.
Is my Lovable app mine to keep?
It is. Under Lovable's terms, the apps, websites and projects you build belong to you. Lovable says you're never locked in, so you can take your code and data and host them elsewhere at any time. Every plan syncs the code with GitHub, GitLab or Bitbucket, and paid plans add a ZIP download. Joylo gives you the same ownership on every plan, and once you export the code to your own GitHub, changes flow both ways.
Start building.
With a guarantee it goes live.
Describe your app and see what you can build. Guarantee conditions and exclusions apply.
Prices in USD, excluding VAT. Engineers work 9am to 5pm GMT, Monday to Friday. Prices can change, so check each pricing page before you buy.