Articles

Guides for shipping AI-built apps.

Step-by-step how-tos, honest comparisons, and concept explainers. Start here.

Comparisons

Hatchable vs Lovable: which is the right free AI app builder?

Lovable ships the prettiest first-draft UI in the category. Hatchable wins when you need to build and rebuild forever. Neither is universally better — here's the honest breakdown of who should pick which.

Updated April 17, 2026 · 9 min read
Comparisons

Hatchable vs Replit: different tools for different builders

Replit shines if you want everything — editor, AI, and host — in one tab. Hatchable shines if you already have an AI and just need somewhere for it to deploy. An honest comparison.

Updated April 17, 2026 · 9 min read
Comparisons

Hatchable vs Bolt.new: prototyping speed vs permanence

Bolt.new gets you from prompt to running app in 90 seconds. Hatchable keeps that app alive for years without paying. They solve different problems — here's when each wins.

Updated April 17, 2026 · 8 min read
Comparisons

Hatchable vs v0: full-stack apps vs polished UI components

v0 is the best in the category at generating gorgeous React components tied to Vercel's stack. Hatchable is the better pick when you want full-stack apps built by any AI tool. The honest tradeoffs.

Updated April 17, 2026 · 8 min read
Concepts

What is MCP (Model Context Protocol)?

Model Context Protocol lets an AI assistant call external tools — deploy an app, query a database, hit an API — through a single open standard. The clearest primer on what it is, why it exists, and what you can do with it.

Updated April 17, 2026 · 9 min read
Concepts

What is vibe coding?

Vibe coding means writing software by describing what you want and letting the AI write the code — without reading or reviewing most of what it produces. What it is, where the term came from, and when it actually works.

Updated April 17, 2026 · 7 min read
Concepts

What is an AI app builder?

An AI app builder generates real working apps from plain-English descriptions. The definitional piece: what they are, how they work under the hood, how they differ from no-code and from writing code, and the main categories in 2026.

Updated April 17, 2026 · 8 min read
Concepts

What is bring-your-own-AI (BYO-AI) hosting?

BYO-AI platforms unbundle "AI" from "hosting" — you bring Claude, Cursor, or ChatGPT, and the platform hosts what it builds. Why this model emerged, how it compares to bundled-AI tools, and who it's right for.

Updated April 17, 2026 · 7 min read
Concepts

App vs website: which kind of AI builder do you need?

A website shows information. An app does things with user data. The tool you need depends on which side of that line you're on. How to figure out which kind of AI builder fits your project.

Updated April 17, 2026 · 7 min read
Pricing

The four kinds of "free" in app hosting

Free trials, monthly credits, freemium, free forever — the word "free" on a pricing page hides four different models. A clear framework for telling them apart and spotting the ones that'll start charging you later.

Updated April 17, 2026 · 9 min read
Pricing

A map of free web hosting today

Free web hosting has never been more real — or more fragmented. A practical map of what's free today, what each option is good at, the traps to watch for, and how to pick based on what you're building.

Updated April 17, 2026 · 13 min read
Pricing

The pragmatic guide to building apps on zero budget

The landscape of building apps for free has splintered into four categories with different tradeoffs. A practical map of which path fits which project — including the side-project-specific concerns — and where the real costs show up.

Updated April 17, 2026 · 11 min read
Pricing

Is Hatchable really a free AI app builder?

A direct answer to the question people actually ask when they land on Hatchable: yes, it's free. Here's exactly what that covers, what it doesn't, and why the business model works.

Updated April 17, 2026 · 6 min read
Guides

How to vibe code a live app for free

Vibe coding plus free hosting equals going from "I have an idea" to "here's the URL" in under 30 minutes. The full step-by-step with a concrete example app, using AI tools whose free tiers are enough.

Updated April 17, 2026 · 9 min read
Guides

How to add an MCP server to Claude Code

Everything Claude Code needs to connect to an MCP server: the exact command, where the config lives, and how to tell if it's working.

Updated April 16, 2026 · 4 min read
Guides

How to add an MCP server to Cursor

Cursor uses a JSON config file for MCP servers. Here's exactly what to put in it, where it lives on each OS, and how to verify it's working.

Updated April 16, 2026 · 5 min read
Guides

How to add an MCP server to Codex

OpenAI Codex reads MCP servers from a TOML file under ~/.codex and authenticates via env var. Here's the exact setup, end to end.

Updated April 16, 2026 · 5 min read
Guides

How to deploy an app with Claude Code

Describe an app in Claude Code, let it build and deploy, share the live URL. Here's the full path from first prompt to shipped.

Updated April 16, 2026 · 7 min read