--- title: "Ample vs Lovable: where to host an app when you outgrow the builder" description: "Ample and Lovable compared on hosting, stacks, databases and agent access, with sourced limits and steps to run a Lovable app on Ample." canonical_url: "https://ample.computer/compare/lovable" last_updated: "2026-10-14" author: "Ample Computer" --- # Ample vs Lovable: where to host an app when you outgrow the builder Ample and Lovable compared on hosting, stacks, databases and agent access, with sourced limits and steps to run a Lovable app on Ample. ## The short version Lovable is the better choice when you want to describe an app in plain language and let Lovable build and host it on its fixed stack. Ample is the better choice when the code is in your own repository, written in any common framework, and a coding agent should deploy it with its own database, workers and storage. ## Who this is for Lovable builds every app on one stack (TanStack Start and a Supabase-based backend) and hosts it for you. Ample hosts whatever your repository contains. Many people build the first version in Lovable and later move the code to a repository their own agent works on. ## Ample and Lovable side by side | | Ample | Lovable | |---|---|---| | 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. | Free plan with daily build credits and a small monthly Cloud grant; no code download or custom domains. | | Paid plans | Custom plans priced on volume (number of apps, limits, spending caps). No public list price; see [pricing](https://ample.computer/pricing). | Pro from $25 a month for 100 credits; one credit balance pays for building and for running the app. | | 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. | Usage limits can block building or pause Cloud features; out of credits, data features pause until someone clicks "Wake up". | | How apps run | Each app runs as a normal long-running process in its own microVM with its own kernel. | Front-end hosting with server rendering plus a built-in backend of Postgres and Deno edge functions. | | Long-running servers and workers | Yes. Web services and background workers (`--kind worker`) run as ordinary processes. | No general long-running process; background work runs as scheduled jobs. | | Languages | Node, Python, Go, Ruby, PHP, Java, .NET, Elixir, Rust and static sites, detected from the repository. | One stack: TanStack Start (React) with TypeScript edge functions. Other frameworks are not offered. | | 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. | Managed Postgres per project; no MySQL, Redis or MongoDB. | | Object storage | S3-compatible buckets, optionally published through Ample's CDN. | Cloud Storage buckets. | | 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 HTTPS. | | Regions | No region choice. | Backend region chosen once from Americas, Europe or Asia Pacific. | | 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`). | Scheduled jobs. | | 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. | MCP server and a Claude Code plugin that work through prompts to Lovable's agent; an existing repository cannot be imported. | | 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 documented agent signup. | Competitor facts come from that company's own pricing pages and documentation, checked on the date shown in the sources. Plans change; follow the source links for current numbers. ## Choose Ample when - The app has outgrown one stack and needs a Python, Ruby, PHP, Go or Node backend, a worker or a long-lived connection. - You need MySQL, Redis, MongoDB or a persistent disk. - Claude Code, Codex or Cursor works on the repository and should deploy it directly. ## Choose Lovable when - You want to build by describing the app, without touching code. - The built-in auth, realtime and storage of Lovable Cloud fit the app as is. - You want building and hosting on one bill. ## Run a Lovable app on Ample 1. **Get the code.** Connect Git sync (any plan) so Lovable pushes the project to a repository, or download the codebase on a paid plan. 2. **Decide where the backend lives.** The front end can move while the backend stays on Lovable Cloud: keep its Supabase URL and publishable key as environment variables. A full move means a Supabase project or rewriting auth, storage and edge functions for your own server. 3. **Deploy the front end.** Ample detects the build. TanStack Start apps run as a Node server; older React and Vite apps deploy as a static site. ```sh 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. ```sh ample domain add www.example.com ``` ## Frequently asked questions ### Can I host a Lovable app outside Lovable? Yes. Sync it to Git, then deploy the repository to Ample. The front end runs unchanged if you keep the Lovable Cloud backend; leaving that backend too takes more work, described in Lovable's own export guide. ### Does Ample build apps from a prompt like Lovable? No. Ample hosts code; your coding agent writes it. Paste Ample's setup snippet into Claude Code, Codex or Cursor and it deploys what it built. ### What does Ample cost for a Lovable app? The Free plan runs 2 apps at once with a managed database and no card. It stops at a hard budget instead of billing. ## Sources - [Ample pricing and plan limits](https://ample.computer/pricing) (checked 2026-10-14) - [Ample agent instructions (AGENTS.md)](https://ample.computer/AGENTS.md) (checked 2026-10-14) - [Lovable plans](https://docs.lovable.dev/introduction/subscription-plans) (checked 2026-10-14) - [Lovable project usage](https://docs.lovable.dev/features/project-usage) (checked 2026-10-14) - [Lovable usage limits and alerts](https://docs.lovable.dev/features/usage-limits-and-alerts) (checked 2026-10-14) - [Lovable Cloud](https://docs.lovable.dev/features/cloud) (checked 2026-10-14) - [Lovable scheduled jobs](https://docs.lovable.dev/features/jobs) (checked 2026-10-14) - [Lovable hosting](https://docs.lovable.dev/features/hosting) (checked 2026-10-14) - [Lovable FAQ](https://docs.lovable.dev/introduction/faq) (checked 2026-10-14) - [Lovable advanced settings (pause and export)](https://docs.lovable.dev/features/advanced-settings) (checked 2026-10-14) - [Lovable database](https://docs.lovable.dev/features/database) (checked 2026-10-14) - [Lovable storage](https://docs.lovable.dev/features/storage) (checked 2026-10-14) - [Lovable MCP server](https://docs.lovable.dev/integrations/lovable-mcp-server) (checked 2026-10-14) - [Lovable Git sync](https://docs.lovable.dev/integrations/git-sync-overview) (checked 2026-10-14) - [Lovable external deployment](https://docs.lovable.dev/tips-tricks/external-deployment-hosting) (checked 2026-10-14) ## Other comparisons - [Ample vs Replit: where should an app built with Claude Code or Cursor run?](https://ample.computer/compare/replit) - [Ample vs Netlify: which should host an app with a backend?](https://ample.computer/compare/netlify) - [Ample vs Vercel: which is better for full-stack apps built by AI agents?](https://ample.computer/compare/vercel)