Is Bolt.new Free in 2026? The Honest Answer
_Last updated: 28 May 2026 — verified against the live Bolt.new pricing page._
Short answer: Yes — Bolt.new has a free tier in 2026, but it's tightly capped. The free plan is enough to evaluate Bolt.new, not enough to run a project. Bolt.new Free gives you a daily token cap (resets every 24 hours), one project, and a bolt.new subdomain. The daily cap is small enough that a real build hits it within an hour.
If you're searching for "is Bolt.new free", you're really asking one of three things:
- Can I try it before paying? Yes — keep reading for the free-tier limits.
- Can I run a real project for free? Probably no on Bolt.new. Yes on the free alternatives below.
- Can I get Bolt.new Pro for free? Officially no — but there's a workaround for students/OSS maintainers (see end).
Bolt.new free tier — what you actually get in 2026
Bolt.new Free gives you a daily token cap (resets every 24 hours), one project, and a bolt.new subdomain. The daily cap is small enough that a real build hits it within an hour.
In practice, the free tier is a trial: you can build one small project to evaluate the tool, then either upgrade or move on. Free is not a permanent plan for any real workload.
When you hit the wall
You'll hit the free-tier wall when:
- You exceed the daily/monthly limit (most users do this on day 1 of a real build).
- You need a custom domain (free tier uses bolt.new subdomain).
- You need team collaboration.
Bolt.new Pro is $20/month for ~10x more tokens. Most users land on Pro 50 ($50/month) or Pro 100 ($100/month) once they start shipping features.
What "Bolt.new Pro for Free" really means
Searches for "Bolt.new pro for free" usually hit one of three real answers:
- Student/OSS programs — Bolt.new occasionally runs OSS-maintainer credits. Check the official site.
- Promo codes — short-lived discounts from launch partnerships. No reliable source.
- "Free trial extensions" — there is no such thing for Bolt.new's paid tiers; the daily/monthly limits are hard-coded.
If your goal is "use the tool without paying," the practical answer is switch to a tool with a permanent free tier. Custom AI Dashboard is one such tool — see the comparison below and the head-to-head Bolt.new vs Custom AI Dashboard breakdown.
3 actually-free alternatives to Bolt.new (no daily wall in 2026)
| Tool | Free tier shape | Best for | Custom domain on free? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Custom AI Dashboard | Full free tier — site builder + email + leads + SEO | Small businesses needing site + marketing | Sub-domain on free, custom on $29+ |
| Webflow free plan | 2 free sites with webflow.io domain | Designers who want visual editing | No |
| Framer free plan | Unlimited free brand sites | Motion-heavy brand sites | No |
For most people asking "is Bolt.new free", Custom AI Dashboard is the answer they were actually looking for: a permanent free tier that does what they wanted Bolt.new to do for free, plus email, ads, video, CRM and SEO baked in.
Start free on Custom AI Dashboard.
Bolt.new vs Custom AI Dashboard — when does paying for Bolt.new make sense?
- You're a developer specifically prototyping StackBlitz-preview-style full-stack flows → pay the $20 Pro tier. Bolt.new is the right tool.
- You're a non-coder building a marketing site → don't pay. Use Custom AI Dashboard's free tier.
- You're a small business needing site + marketing → don't pay Bolt.new. Pay one bill ($29-49) to Custom AI Dashboard instead of stacking Bolt.new + Mailchimp + HubSpot.
Full breakdown: Bolt.new pricing 2026 deep-dive.
FAQ
Is Bolt.new free forever?
Bolt.new's free tier is permanent but capped — you can keep using it indefinitely as long as you stay within the daily/monthly limits.
Can I get Bolt.new Pro for free?
Not officially. Discounts exist for students/OSS maintainers in some programs; there is no general free-Pro option.
What's the cheapest paid tier of Bolt.new?
Bolt.new Pro starts at $20/month. Higher tiers go to $200/month.
Is there a money-back guarantee?
Bolt.new does not advertise a money-back guarantee; cancel anytime to stop future billing.
Is the free tier enough for a real project?
No, with rare exceptions. Even small projects exceed the daily/monthly cap within ~3-5 days of active building.
What's the best free alternative to Bolt.new?
For most people: Custom AI Dashboard — permanent free tier, full site builder, plus the marketing tools you'd otherwise pay $200/mo for separately. See the head-to-head: Bolt.new vs Custom AI Dashboard.