fix guide
Replit vs Lovable: plans, undo and what breaks on publish
Harjot · · updated
Replit and Lovable both turn a prompt into a web app. Both can leave you with an app that works in the editor and breaks live. This page covers what a diagnosis service can speak to: plan prices, undoing a bad change, and what breaks on publish. If you are also comparing Bolt, Lovable and Replit, the Bolt side is in /guides/lovable-vs-bolt.
Short answer: I can't tell you which one builds the better app. I don't build with either. Test both on a small version of your idea, and pick on price and on how you like to work.
1. What the plans cost (checked 21 Oct 2026)
Replit, from replit.com/pricing: Core is $20 a month, or $18 a month billed annually. Pro is $100 a month, or $90 billed annually. Enterprise is custom priced.
That page doesn't list a free plan, so this guide doesn't state one. Check what your account gets before you build.
Lovable, from lovable.dev/pricing: the free plan gives a daily grant of 5 build credits, capped at 30 a month. The paid plans are Pro and Business. Read their current prices on that page, since they change.
Lovable counts build credits and Replit lists its own plan allowances, so the numbers don't compare one to one. Build the same small test on each and see how much you use.
2. Undoing a bad change
Replit's Agent makes checkpoints at key milestones as it builds. Open History in the Agent panel and click Rollback here on the checkpoint you want. Replit shows what will be restored before it applies the rollback.
A rollback leaves your development database alone unless you select Database under Additional rollback options. Replit's docs say that is the default.
Replit's data recovery page says restoring the database doesn't restore your code, and rolling back the app doesn't restore the database. To get both back, restore the database, then roll back to the matching checkpoint and publish again.
Production databases use point-in-time restore instead. Replit's pricing page lists database rollback of up to 28 days on Pro (checked 22 Oct 2026).
In Lovable, open History, pick the version that worked and click Revert. Reverting restores your code, not your database data.
signs A fix attempt broke something that worked, and you can't tell what changed.
3. Publishing
Start with Preview. Replit's troubleshooting page says that if Preview doesn't run your app, publishing won't fix it.
Preview runs at a replit.dev address. The published app has its own public URL. Test that URL too, since the page says the public URL can behave differently from Preview.
If publishing fails, open the Logs tab in the Publishing pane. Look for stack traces, missing packages and missing environment variables.
Lovable publishes a snapshot, and changes aren't pushed to your live app on their own. You choose Publish, then Publish changes.
signs The preview works and the live link is blank, older, or missing data.
4. Secrets and environment variables
Production secrets are listed in the Publishing pane. Open Publishing, select Adjust settings, and find Production app secrets.
Replit's pages disagree on whether secrets carry over. The troubleshooting page says secrets set in the Project Editor don't carry over to the published app. The publishing overview says they sync when you publish. After each publish, open the Production app secrets list and check the names are there.
Missing secrets can cause errors about undefined values, failed API calls, database connection failures and login errors, according to the same troubleshooting page.
signs The live app says a value is undefined, or only the published URL fails when it calls an outside service.
5. The checks that repeat
Replit's troubleshooting list also covers login callback and redirect URLs, payment webhooks, and API allowlists or CORS settings. Check each one against the live address, not the preview address.
If login works in the preview and fails live, read Supabase login works locally but fails in production.
The Lovable causes are in Lovable app not working: find the cause, then fix it.
6. When either one breaks
FixedLaunch diagnoses apps built with Lovable, Replit, Bolt and the other builders listed on the home page. The price is the same: $149.
I don't push you toward one builder. A diagnosis looks at the broken app, whichever tool made it.
To see what a diagnosis looks at, read the checks page.
Common questions
Does a Replit rollback restore my database?
Not by default. A checkpoint rollback leaves your development database alone unless you select Database under Additional rollback options. Restoring the database doesn't restore your code either. To get both back, restore the database, roll back to the matching checkpoint, then publish again.
Why does my Replit app work in Preview but fail when published?
The published app runs at its own public URL with its own production secrets. Open the Logs tab in the Publishing pane for errors, then check the Production app secrets list has every name your app uses. Also check login redirect URLs use the live address.
Is Replit or Lovable cheaper?
They count usage differently, so the numbers don't compare one to one. Replit's pricing page lists Core and Pro as its paid plans. Lovable has a free daily grant of build credits and paid Pro and Business plans. Build the same small test on each and compare.
Still stuck?
Not sure this is the cause? Paste your app's link into the free scan. It lists what a visitor's browser can see, like leaked keys and exposed files, worst first. The score is free; every fix as a prompt for your builder is $9, one-time.
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