Pick Lovable
Pick Lovable if you're prototyping a frontend idea fast — a landing page, a UI mockup, an app concept. Visual chat-to-React is best-in-class.
← All comparisons
Theo vs Lovable — real backends vs generated previews
Lovable generates React previews from a prompt. Theo ships real backends — Postgres, workers, your domain, your code.
Lovable is in Theo's DNA — the prompt-to-product flow inspired our HERO.
TL;DR
Pick Theo
Pick Theo if you need a real backend — Postgres in production, background workers, integrations with ERP/banking/email.
You can use both: prototype the frontend in Lovable, then own the backend with Theo.
Comparison matrix
| Capability | Theo | Lovable |
|---|---|---|
| Visual prompt-to-React preview loop | — | yes (best-in-class) |
| Time to first visible UI from prompt | Partial (deploys a backend service) | yes (seconds) |
| Frontend prototyping ergonomics | Partial | yes (chat-shaped) |
| Production backend (Postgres, workers, queues) | yes (native) | Partial (backend added recently) |
| Polyglot backend (Go, Python, Rust, …) | yes (7 langs) | no (JS-focused) |
| Long-running / scheduled agent jobs | yes | no |
| Code ownership in your repo (Apache-2.0 stack) | yes (Apache-2.0 funnel) | Partial (export available) |
| Self-host commercial | yes (Enterprise) | no (hosted-only) |
When to pick Lovable
You're prototyping a frontend concept fast
Lovable's preview loop is unmatched.
You don't need backend complexity
Marketing page, portfolio, simple form-to-email.
You want the visual chat-to-React feedback loop
Best-in-class UX for ideation.
When to pick Theo
Your idea needs a real backend
Actual server-side state, durable workers, scheduled jobs, integration with production systems.
You need your code in your repo
Apache-2.0 means everything Theo generates is yours.
You're polyglot
Go + Python + Node + Next.js in one monorepo.
You'll hand the project to a real dev team
Theo's output is production code — readable, tested.
FAQ
Can I use Lovable and Theo together?
Yes — common pattern is prototype the frontend in Lovable, get stakeholder buy-in, then rebuild the backend with Theo.
Isn't "real backends, not generated previews" attacking Lovable?
It's positioning, not attack. Lovable wins on prompt-to-preview ergonomics. Theo's wedge is what happens after the preview.
What does Lovable do better?
Visual prototyping loop. The chat → React preview flow is the smoothest in the market.