> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://archie.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Archie vs. Lovable: which AI app builder should you use?
> Archie vs. Lovable compared: planning, backend, environments, editing, code ownership, and pricing — and when to choose each AI app builder.
**Archie and Lovable both turn a natural-language description into a working full-stack web app. The difference is where they start.** Lovable starts from a prompt and builds through conversation. Archie starts by generating a structured plan of the whole app — modules, user types, services, and integrations — that you shape before any code is written, and then builds the frontend and backend from that plan.
Last reviewed September 2026, based on Lovable's public documentation and pricing. Competitor products change often — if something here is out of date, tell us at [support@archie.com](mailto:support@archie.com).
## At a glance
| | Archie | Lovable |
| - | - | - |
| **Starting point** | A structured [plan](/docs/features/plan/overview) of the whole app | A prompt in chat |
| **Planning** | A lasting definition of the app that every build follows | Plan mode for reviewing larger changes before they're made |
| **Screen design** | A [UI architecture](/docs/features/frontend/generating) of every screen, with a spec and access level per screen, before code | Screens generated through chat |
| **Backend** | [Archie Core](/docs/features/backend/overview): PostgreSQL or MySQL, GraphQL and REST APIs, role-based access with row-level filters | Lovable Cloud built-in backend, plus a Supabase integration |
| **Environments** | Git-like [environments](/docs/features/backend/environments/overview) with branching, schema diff, merge, and backups | Managed through Lovable Cloud |
| **Editing after build** | Chat, visual editor, draw mode, code editor | Chat, visual edits, code mode |
| **Code ownership** | Two-way GitHub sync on paid plans | Git sync with GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket |
| **Free plan** | 50 AI credits per month | 5 daily credits, up to 30 per month |
| **Entry paid plan** | Pro from \$25/month for 200 AI credits | Pro from \$25/month for 100 credits |
## How each one works
**Lovable** is a conversational builder. You describe what you want, Lovable generates a working application with frontend, backend, database, and authentication, and you keep refining it through chat. Plan mode lets you review what Lovable intends to do before a larger change. Lovable Cloud provides a built-in backend, and apps live inside shared workspaces with a pooled credit balance.
**Archie** is definition-first. Your prompt produces a [plan](/docs/features/plan/overview) with five editable sections: overview, modules, user types, system services, and integrations. You shape that plan until it matches what you mean. Then generation splits into two independent tracks: **Generate Frontend** lays out every screen in a sitemap and builds a click-through [prototype](/docs/features/frontend/prototype/overview), and **Generate Backend** builds the schema and APIs on [Archie Core](/docs/features/backend/overview). **Generate Full-Stack** turns the prototype into a deployed application. See [How Archie works](/docs/introduction/getting-started/welcome#how-archie-works).
## Key differences
### Planning: a plan mode vs. a plan of the whole app
Lovable's Plan mode is a step before a change: the agent proposes what it will do, and you approve it. It's useful, and the plan covers that one change.
Archie's plan is the definition of the entire app, and it stays with the project. Every build reads from it — the UI architecture, each screen's spec, and the backend's data model and permissions. When you want a structural change, like a new user type or module, you edit the plan and the next build follows it. See [The plan and how Archie works](/docs/faq/the-plan).
### Backend: built in either way, but a different foundation
Both tools include a backend, so you don't have to wire one up yourself. Lovable's backend is Lovable Cloud, and it also integrates with Supabase.
Archie's backend is [Archie Core](/docs/features/backend/overview): a relational database (PostgreSQL or MySQL) with a visual [data model](/docs/features/backend/data-model/overview) and [ERD](/docs/features/backend/data-model/erd), auto-generated [GraphQL](/docs/features/backend/graphql-api-explorer/overview) and [REST](/docs/features/backend/rest-api-explorer/overview) APIs with an OpenAPI spec, [role-based access](/docs/features/backend/app-services/role-based-access) with [row-level filters](/docs/features/backend/app-services/row-level-filters), [field-level encryption](/docs/features/backend/app-services/encryption/overview), [queues and an event bus](/docs/features/backend/app-services/queues-and-event-bus/overview), [scheduled tasks](/docs/features/backend/scheduled-tasks/overview), and a [SQL Playground](/docs/features/backend/data-model/sql-playground) for querying your data directly.
### Environments and change management
Archie Core gives every backend Git-like [environments](/docs/features/backend/environments/overview): branch a development or staging copy, compare schemas with [diff](/docs/features/backend/environments/diff), [merge](/docs/features/backend/environments/merge) changes forward, and restore from automatic [backups](/docs/features/backend/environments/backups) taken before every merge. Multiple environments are available on Professional and Enterprise backends. This is the workflow a team needs once real customers depend on the app.
### Editing after the build
Both tools let you keep building through chat and edit code directly. Archie adds a [visual editor](/docs/features/frontend/visual-editor) for point-and-click changes and [draw mode](/docs/features/frontend/draw-mode) for marking up the live preview, alongside [talking to Archie](/docs/features/frontend/talking-to-archie) and the [code editor](/docs/features/frontend/code-editor).
### Pricing model
Both tools use credits. Lovable Pro starts at \$25/month for 100 credits, and Business starts at \$50/month for 100 credits with SSO and governance features. Lovable's credits cover building as well as Cloud hosting and in-app AI usage. Archie Pro starts at \$25/month for 200 AI credits and includes a Starter backend; manual edits, deploying, and exporting code never use credits, and heavier tasks show their cost before they run. See [Plans and credits](/docs/introduction/getting-started/plans-and-credits).
## When to choose Lovable
* You want to iterate quickly through conversation and see changes appear as you chat.
* Your project is a landing page, a quick prototype, or an app where structure matters less than speed.
* Your team already builds on Supabase and wants to keep that stack.
## When to choose Archie
* You want the whole app defined — users, roles, modules, and data — before code is written, so the build lands close to what you mean.
* Your app has several user types with different permissions, like a marketplace, a SaaS product, or an internal tool.
* You need a relational backend with GraphQL and REST APIs, row-level permissions, and environments you can branch and merge.
* You're building software you plan to ship and maintain, not a demo.
## FAQ
### Is Archie a Lovable alternative?
Yes. Archie is an AI app builder that generates full-stack web applications from natural language, like Lovable. The main difference is that Archie generates and lets you edit a plan of the whole app before it builds, and its backend runs on a relational database with Git-like environments.
### Can I move a project from Lovable to Archie?
There's no direct import today. Most people describe the app again in Archie and let the plan capture its structure. If you're moving a production app with existing data, [Archie Labs](https://archielabs.com) offers migration services as part of Enterprise onboarding.
### Do Lovable and Archie both have a backend?
Yes. Lovable includes Lovable Cloud and integrates with Supabase. Archie includes Archie Core, with PostgreSQL or MySQL, auto-generated GraphQL and REST APIs, authentication, role-based access, and environments. See [Infrastructure and Archie Core](/docs/faq/infrastructure).
### Which is cheaper, Archie or Lovable?
Both entry Pro plans start at \$25/month. Archie Pro includes 200 AI credits and a Starter backend; Lovable Pro includes 100 credits. The real cost depends on how much AI work you do — compare [Archie's plans](/docs/introduction/getting-started/plans-and-credits) with Lovable's current pricing page.
## Related comparisons