AI in Product: Exploring AI Prototyping Tools
AI prototyping tools like Lovable, Bolt.new, Replit, and V0 are changing the game for Product Managers—enabling fully functional prototypes without writing code or using engineering time. That means faster, more frequent customer discovery. I recently tested all four by building the same simple app on each. Here's a quick write-up of what I learned and how they compare.
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Scott Williamson
5/12/20252 min read
AI in Product: Exploring AI Prototyping Tools
AI is transforming nearly every function in tech, and product management is no exception. One part of the product process that is both critical and frequently skipped is customer validation. Thanks to a new wave of AI prototyping tools, Product Managers and Designers—especially those without coding skills—can now quickly create functional applications that users can interact with, enabling faster and more frequent feedback loops than ever before.
To better understand this space, I ran a small experiment using four leading AI prototyping platforms: Lovable, Bolt.new, Replit, and V0 (by Vercel). I attempted to build the same simple home maintenance task tracker app on each one. While I have a solid grasp of technical concepts, I’m not a developer and don’t write code. I was able to get a working prototype on all four platforms—and was blown away by how intuitive and powerful these tools are.
All four offer free tiers, making it easy to experiment without committing to a subscription. In terms of usability for a non-developer, I got the furthest with Lovable and Bolt.new, followed by Replit and V0. Here’s a quick breakdown of my experience with each tool:
Lovable
Lovable is clearly designed for non-technical users. The UI is clean, intuitive, and made smart design decisions automatically. It integrates with Supabase for backend functionality and allows you to upload Figma designs to jumpstart the UI. A standout feature is its built-in user testing tools, which make it easy to gather structured user feedback directly within the app
Bolt.new
Originally created as a browser-based runtime, Bolt is exceptionally fast and responsive. It, too, integrates with Supabase, and supports imports from Figma and GitHub. Like Lovable, it made elegant design choices without much input. Bolt also emphasizes support for mobile app prototyping, which could be a bonus depending on your use case.
Replit
Replit is more geared toward technical users. It excels when you want to go beyond prototyping and actually deploy your app. It includes built-in support for hosting backend services and offers a collaborative coding environment. However, some basic coding knowledge is helpful to navigate its full capabilities.
V0 (by Vercel)
V0 was initially built to help backend developers generate frontend components using AI. It feels more technical than Lovable or Bolt and may be a good choice for those already in the Vercel ecosystem or planning to use Vercel for production hosting. V0 also supports Figma imports. However, I encountered the most bugs and UI errors with this tool and wasn’t able to resolve them without technical help.
Conclusion
These tools are game-changers for non-technical product teams. Each has its strengths, and I encourage you to try them out to see what fits your skills and workflow best. Used well, they can dramatically accelerate customer validation—enabling you to test and refine ideas before committing engineering resources. LFG!