You've Been Vibe Coding the Hard Way (Do This Instead)
Simple decision tree to determine which AI vibe coding tool you should use in 2026
Iâve vibe coded dozens of apps and tried all the tools.
I have one of the top Lovable websites in the world based on the Lovable teamâs web traffic data. Iâve hit the paywalls, paid for the premium plans, and wasted hours on tools that werenât right for the job.
By the end of this, you will have a clear simple framework to choose the AI tool for your idea, so you can validate it fast and avoid frustrating dead-ends
First, Iâll share the critical mindset shift that makes vibe coding actually work. Then, Iâll map the entire tool spectrum for web apps. Last, Iâll tackle mobile apps!
Please LIKE and COMMENT on Youtube, where I will reply to you:
Purpose of Vibe Coding
The ultimate goal of vibe coding is validation, not a perfect scalable product. The goal is to get to paying customers as fast as possible to prove your idea is worth investing more time, money, energy.
Once validated, use that traction and conviction to eventually hire a full-time technical person to add new features, scale it, and maintain it.
In other words, the goal of vibe coding is to get to the point where you NEED full-time technical help, faster and cheaper.
The biggest mistake I repeatedly see vibe coders make:
Your MVP scope is way too large.
Your app should solve 1 specific pain point within the first 30 seconds of a user signing up.
Simplify, simplify, simplify.
So simple that it feels âdumbâ to you.
Vibe Coding Websites & Web Apps
Which tool you start with depends on your technical background and app complexity.
Iâve ordered the following list from non-technical to most technical, but highly recommend watching my Youtube video for more detailed explanation.
Stage 1: All-in-One Beginner Box
If youâre an absolute beginner, you have no idea what a database is, you donât want to look at code, etc. START HERE.
Tools:
Base44 for non-Wordpress sites
10web.io for Wordpress sites
Pro: Everything (DB, auth, roles) is built-in and managed. Lowest friction to get started.
Con: You hit customization and power limits very quickly.
Best for: Landing pages, simple websites (no CMS, no ecommerce, no user auth), and simple lead magnets
If you need a bit more flexibility or control, then transition to Stage 2 tools below.
Stage 2: Next Level Fullstack
Tools: Emergent, Lovable Cloud, Bolt
You can either 1) use their simple managed built-in backend or 2) connect your own Supabase database for full control.
Con: You start managing more pieces especially if you are connecting your own database.
When should you transition from Step 2 to Step 3?
If youâre running in circles with Emergent, Lovable, or BoltâŚ
If you add 1 feature and it breaks 3 other featuresâŚ
If youâre running out of credits trying to fix the same issueâŚ
If you fix one issue but then introduce 3 other issuesâŚ
Then I highly recommend transition to Stage 3, or even Stage 4 if youâre feeling frisky!
Stage 3: AI-Powered IDE
Tools: Cursor AI, Windsurf AI
You work interactively, side-by-side with AI as your coding assistant, and you should definitely review each change. Youâre in the driverâs seat, with AI as your copilot. Although this requires more of your attention and time, youâre probably at this stage because your app has grown in complexity. And itâs vitally important that you (or someone on your team) actually understands whatâs going on in your codebase!
Best for: apps growing in complexity
Once youâre comfortable reading code and you can kinda follow along with what AI is doing, I honestly recommend jumping to Stage 4 because itâs pretty similar to Stage 3, but you get WAY BETTER results and higher code quality.
Stage 4: You Need the Highest Quality Code
Tools: Claude Code, OpenAI Codex, Google Gemini 3
Best For: complex apps & apps launched with 100+ live users
Claude Code may seem scary to start with, but Iâve never met a person who switched to Claude Code (or Codex), then decided to switch back to Stage 1 or 2 tools. You can still use Stage 1/2 tools for frontend prototyping and smaller projects, but you will notice a substantial difference in code quality and debugging when you test-drive Claude Code.
To recap, if you have an idea but ZERO technical background, start at Stage 1 or 2, then work your way up to Stage 4. If your app is more complex and/or you have technical background, youâll probably want to start at Stage 3 or 4.
Vibe Coding Mobile Apps
Iâve tried a bunch of vibe coding tools for mobile apps.
Unfortunately, in December 2025, no current vibe coding tools delivers production-ready mobile app code you can ship to App Store. Because of this, my recommendation is to split the dev process into 2 distinct phases:
Phase 1: Prototype & Test with Users
Tools: Emergent, Bolt, Rork
Goal: Create, test, and validate your entire user flow and UI. Get a clickable demo and share it with users.
My personal preference is prototyping mobile apps with Emergent, which also builds fullstack web apps btw! Itâs just a really fun user experience and the prototypes look and feel awesome too.
Phase 2: Build with Claude Code
However, donât use phase 1 tools to actually build your mobile app. The generated code will have outdated libraries, broken dependencies, and will fail during the App Store build process.
Instead, start a new clean project with Claude Code. Rebuild screen-by-screen using screenshots from your Phase 1 prototype as the prompts. Literally drop 1 screenshot at a time into Claude Code and tell it to build a mobile app. Out of the box, Claude Code will generate code much higher-quality, fewer bugs, and youâll get to the App Store submission step much faster.
To recap: if youâre building mobile apps, use Phase 1 tools to fully prototype them, share them with potential users, and iteratively improve your MVP. When ready, build your actual app with Claude Code.
Next Steps
Notice that in both cases (web + mobile), you eventually want to end up using the best possible AI-assisted coding tools.
My personal preference in December 2025 is Claude Code. I pay $200/month for the Max plan and itâs worth it. I would pay MORE if it was possible to make it faster (i.e. reduce wait time).
The key is to graduate from âvibe codingâ to âAI-assisted codingâ.
And itâs perfectly NORMAL to start from scratch multiple times. This is NOT failure. As long as youâre learning how to build and gaining clarity on your product vision, your next iteration will be smarter and faster. Itâs quite normal for you to build multiple versions in Stage 1/2 tools, get super stuck, switch to Stage 3/4 tools, start again from scratch but with a more focused scope, then build it in a fraction of the time it previously took.
Your First Project:
If youâve never done anything like this, start by vibe coding a simple lead magnet. Itâs the perfect, low-risk practice project. Follow along with this tutorial step-by-step.
Remember: Your tool is a stepping stone. The sign to move up is when youâre spending more time fighting the tool than building your productâs core value.
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Excellent analysis; that mindset shift toward rapid validation is crucial, especially for fast-evolving AI projects.
Wow, so many jewels in this video Sabrina. Thank you for the knowledge you share. I appreciate you, Sabrina.
Peace and blessings,
Corona Red