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Developer Tools · head to head

Depot vs Lovable

Depot logo

Depot

Developer Tools

Cloud-based builds and CI runs 55x faster with less cost

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
Lovable logo

Lovable

Technology

Build software by prompting

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Depot developer plan minute limits may be insufficient for active development; Lovable credit-metered rather than unlimited: Free plan gets 5 build credits/day capped at 30/month, plus 20 cloud-hosting credits/month and 4 AI-feature credits/month
  • They diverge on capability: Depot covers Depot CI, Lovable covers Natural language programming.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Depot and Lovable actually diverge.

Attributes where Depot and Lovable differ
AttributeDepotLovable
PlatformsCloud, GitHub, CLIWeb
CategoryDeveloper ToolsTechnology
Founded20222023

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (Unknown), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Depot

  • Depot CI
  • Container builds
  • GitHub Actions runners
  • Distributed caching
  • Build API
  • Depot Registry
  • Cross-platform builds
  • SSH debugging

Only in Lovable

  • Natural language programming
  • Full application generation
  • Real-time development
  • AI pair programming
  • Multi-technology support
  • Automated testing
  • Deployment assistance
  • Code optimization

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Depot

  • Accelerating Docker builds for container-based developmentnot Lovable
  • Replacing GitHub Actions runners with faster infrastructurenot Lovable
  • Distributing cache across Monorepo buildsnot Lovable
  • Debugging failed CI builds interactively with SSHnot Lovable

Lovable

  • SaaS and business apps: subscription products, customer dashboards, admin panelsnot Depot
  • Consumer community and content platformsnot Depot
  • Marketplaces: booking tools and storefrontsnot Depot
  • Internal tools: workflow tools and operational dashboardsnot Depot
  • Marketing landing pages and campaign sitesnot Depot

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Depot

  • Developer plan minute limits may be insufficient for active development
  • Startup plan at $200/mo is expensive for smaller teams
  • Business plan requires custom pricing consultation
  • macOS M2 runners not available on Developer plan

Lovable

  • Credit-metered rather than unlimited: Free plan gets 5 build credits/day capped at 30/month, plus 20 cloud-hosting credits/month and 4 AI-feature credits/month
  • Credits expire: monthly plan credits expire after 2 months unused, annual-plan credits expire 1 month after the annual period ends, and all credits are non-refundable
  • Not open source; only the legacy precursor CLI gpt-engineer is open source (MIT), and that repo was archived read-only on 2026-04-22
  • Hosting is free only for smaller apps; significant traffic or size draws additional charges from the credit balance

Pricing, plan by plan

Depot

Free
  • Developer$20/month
    • 1 user
    • 500 Docker build minutes per month
    • 2,000 Depot CI minutes per month
  • Startup$200/month
    • Unlimited users
    • 5,000 Docker build minutes per month
    • 20,000 Depot CI minutes per month
  • Business$undefined/custom
    • Custom pricing
    • Unlimited users
    • Custom monthly compute

Lovable

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Lovable review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Depot if

  • You need depot ci.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Cloud, GitHub, CLI.
  • You also want container builds.
Depot review

Choose Lovable if

  • You need natural language programming.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want full application generation.
Lovable review

Questions people ask

Is Depot or Lovable better?
Neither clearly leads. Depot starts at Free and Lovable at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Depot or Lovable?
Depot starts at Free and Lovable at Free.
Does Depot or Lovable run on more platforms?
Depot runs on Cloud, GitHub, CLI. Lovable runs on Web.
Can I use Depot for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Depot best used for?
Depot is most often used for accelerating docker builds for container-based development, replacing github actions runners with faster infrastructure, distributing cache across monorepo builds, debugging failed ci builds interactively with ssh. Of those, accelerating docker builds for container-based development and replacing github actions runners with faster infrastructure are not what Lovable is typically brought in for.
What can Depot do that Lovable cannot?
Depot covers Depot CI, Container builds, GitHub Actions runners, Distributed caching. Lovable covers Natural language programming, Full application generation, Real-time development, AI pair programming.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Depot: How much faster are Depot runners compared to GitHub Actions?

Depot runners offer 30% faster CPUs and 10x faster networking than standard GitHub-hosted runners, enabling builds to complete significantly faster.

Source
Lovable: What is included in Lovable's free plan?

The free plan includes 5 build credits per day (up to 30 per month), 20 Cloud credits per month, and 4 AI feature credits for trying features in apps. All plan members can access unlimited workspace members.

Source
Depot: What is included in the Developer plan?

Developer plan ($20/month) includes 500 Docker build minutes, 2,000 Depot CI minutes, 2,000 GitHub Actions minutes, 25 GB storage, unlimited concurrency, and community support.

Source
Lovable: How do credits work in Lovable's paid plans?

Lovable uses a credit-based model where costs depend on monthly credit allocation rather than per-seat pricing. Build tasks consume variable credits ranging from 0.50 to 1.70 credits depending on complexity, or 1 credit per message in Plan Mode.

Source
Depot: Can I use Depot with my own AWS account?

Yes, Depot Managed allows deployment within customer AWS accounts. This is available to interested customers; contact sales for details.

Source
Lovable: Do credits expire in Lovable?

Yes, credit expiration depends on the plan: monthly plan credits expire 2 months after issuance, annual plan credits expire 1 month after the annual period ends, and top-up credits expire 12 months from purchase. Daily grants expire daily with no rollover.

Source
Lovable: Are there additional costs for app hosting on Lovable?

Most small and new apps run free under included grants, but larger apps with significant traffic incur charges against the credit balance.

Source
Lovable: Does Lovable offer educational discounts?

Yes, a student discount is available with a valid university email.

Source
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