## The short version

Bolt is the better choice when you want to build a JavaScript web app by chatting and publish it in one place. Ample is the better choice when the app needs a real server: a Python, Ruby, PHP or Node backend, a worker, or MySQL, Redis or MongoDB, deployed by Claude Code, Codex or Cursor from your own repository.

## Before you choose

Bolt builds and hosts apps in the browser; its backend code runs as small server functions. Ample hosts whatever your repository contains. Many people prototype in Bolt, then export the code for their own agent to extend.

## Ample and Bolt side by side

|  | Ample | Bolt |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Free plan | $0 with no card. 2 apps running at once, 2 vCPU, 2 GB memory, 3 GB volumes, 1 GB bucket storage, 2 buckets. | $0 with a daily token allowance; hosting up to 10 GB bandwidth and 333,333 requests a month. |
| Paid plans | Custom plans priced on volume (number of apps, limits, spending caps). No public list price; see [pricing](/content/pricing/index.html). | Pro $25 a month; Teams $30 per member a month. |
| Spending limit | Free has a hard budget ($5 a month, $2 a day). At the cap, apps stop serving until the account is back under budget; nothing is deleted and nothing is billed. | Free sites stop at their allowance; on Pro the site pauses at a spending cap you set. |
| How apps run | Each app runs as a normal long-running process in its own microVM with its own kernel. | Front ends on Bolt Cloud with backend code as server functions. |
| Long-running servers and workers | Yes. Web services and background workers (`--kind worker`) run as ordinary processes. | No long-running servers, workers or cron documented. |
| Languages | Node, Python, Go, Ruby, PHP, Java, .NET, Elixir, Rust and static sites, detected from the repository. | JavaScript only; Bolt says PHP and Python backends are not compatible. |
| Docker images | No. Ample builds from source; Dockerfile build steps are not run. | No. |
| Databases | Managed Postgres, MySQL, Redis and MongoDB, each in its own microVM, created automatically when the code needs one. | Bolt Database (Postgres-based, with auth, storage and functions), or Supabase on paid plans. |
| Object storage | S3-compatible buckets, optionally published through Ample's CDN. | File storage buckets inside Bolt Database. |
| Persistent disk | Persistent volumes attached to the app. | None. |
| Custom domains and TLS | Custom domains with automatic TLS. | Custom domains on paid plans, with automatic SSL. |
| Regions | No region choice. | Not documented. |
| Scheduled jobs | Scheduled jobs: a command or HTTP request on a cron schedule (any time zone) or interval, with retries and run history (`ample job create`). | Not documented. |
| Agent access | CLI, remote MCP server (OAuth), A2A endpoint and agent skills. Deploys are synchronous and return JSON with an exit code: 0 live, 1 failed, 2 needs input. | No public API, CLI or SDK; Bolt connects to other MCP servers but does not offer one. |
| Agent signup without a person | Yes. `ample auth signup` creates an account with no browser, card or CAPTCHA; a person claims it by email within 48 hours. | No. |

## Which one fits

### Choose Ample when

- The backend is Python, Ruby, PHP, Go, Java or a Node server.
- The app needs a worker, a long-lived connection or a persistent disk.
- Your coding agent works on the repository and should deploy it.

### Choose Bolt when

- You want to build and publish by chatting, without a repository.
- The app is a JavaScript front end with light server functions.

## Run a Bolt app on Ample

1. **Export the code**  
   Use Export > Download or GitHub sync. The project runs locally with `npm install && npm run dev`.

2. **Turn server functions into routes**  
   Rewrite Bolt server functions as routes in a small Node server, or keep them on Supabase if the project used Supabase.

3. **Plan and deploy**  
   Ample detects the build and serves a static front end or runs the Node server.
   
   ```
   ample plan --write && ample up
   ```

4. **Point your domain**  
   Add the domain to the app, update DNS to the target Ample prints, and keep the old app running until the new one answers on the domain.
   
   ```
   ample domain add <app-name> www.example.com
   ```

## Frequently asked questions

### Can I host a Bolt app outside Bolt?

Yes. Export it, then deploy the repository to Ample. A project that chose Supabase keeps its Supabase backend; set its URL and key as environment variables.

### Does Bolt have an API for agents?

Bolt says it does not currently have a public API, CLI or SDK. Ample has a CLI, a REST API and an MCP server.

## Where these facts come from

- [Ample pricing and plan limits](/content/pricing/index.html)(checked October 14, 2026)
- [Ample agent instructions (AGENTS.md)](/content/AGENTS.md)(checked October 14, 2026)
- [Bolt pricing](https://bolt.new/pricing)(checked October 14, 2026)
- [Bolt hosting plans](https://support.bolt.new/bolt-cloud/hosting/plans.md)(checked October 14, 2026)
- [Bolt glossary](https://support.bolt.new/reference/glossary)(checked October 14, 2026)
- [Bolt server functions](https://support.bolt.new/bolt-cloud/database/server-functions.md)(checked October 14, 2026)
- [Bolt supported technologies](https://support.bolt.new/reference/supported-technologies.md)(checked October 14, 2026)
- [Bolt Database](https://support.bolt.new/bolt-cloud/database)(checked October 14, 2026)
- [Bolt Cloud](https://support.bolt.new/bolt-cloud)(checked October 14, 2026)
- [Bolt FAQ](https://support.bolt.new/reference/faq)(checked October 14, 2026)
- [Bolt project files and export](https://support.bolt.new/managing-projects/projects-files.md)(checked October 14, 2026)