Squarespace Forma vs Lovable (2026): Two Ways to Build Apps From a Prompt

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Lovable and Squarespace Forma both turn written prompts into working websites and apps. Lovable is available now, writes real code you can export, and bills by credits for both building and running your app. Forma is Squarespace's answer, in early alpha with waitlist access only, and its pitch is that Squarespace looks after hosting, domains and payments so you are not left running infrastructure. If you need to ship an app this month, Lovable is the option. If what puts you off vibe coding is everything that comes after launch, Forma is the one to watch.

I run Altitude, a Squarespace Platinum Partner agency with more than 400 client builds, and I have early access to Forma through an invitation from Squarespace's CEO. Forma is an alpha, so this comparison sticks to what Squarespace has made public and what Lovable publishes about its plans and credits. I will add hands-on findings as Forma opens up.

Forma vs Lovable at a glance

	Squarespace Forma	Lovable
What it is	Prompt-based AI builder for websites and apps	Prompt-based AI app builder (vibe coding)
Status	Early alpha, waitlist only	Generally available
Pricing	Not announced	Free; Pro from $25 and Business from $50 a month (100 credits each), scaling by credit tier
How usage is billed	Not announced	Credits for building, plus hosting and in-app AI from the same balance
Hosting	Squarespace says it will provide domains, payments and core services	Lovable Cloud, billed in credits with no published rate card
Code ownership	Not documented	Git sync on all plans; code download on paid plans
Custom domain	Expected through Squarespace (unconfirmed)	Paid plans
Login	tryforma.com with a Squarespace account	lovable.dev account

Lovable figures are from Lovable's pricing page and documentation as of autumn 2026.

The same idea, a different promise

On the surface these two are the closest comparison in this series. Both start from a plain-language description and produce a working site or app. The difference is what each one leaves you holding afterwards.

Lovable generates real application code and runs it for you on Lovable Cloud, with a database, user accounts and AI features available inside the app. You can sync the code to GitHub and take it elsewhere. That flexibility is a big reason it grew so fast, with widely reported figures of $100 million in annual recurring revenue within eight months of launch.

Forma is Squarespace's response to that shift. Squarespace describes it as a builder that turns prompts into custom websites and apps without code. At Circle Day it showed a stock tracker with low-inventory alerts, a cycling club site with a timetable and a portal for sharing study notes, which are exactly the kinds of small tools people build in Lovable today.

What happens after launch

This is the real dividing line. At Circle Day, The Creatives, a New Zealand Squarespace agency, made the point that sites built with standalone vibe coding tools look finished on day one but show their problems around month three, when hosting, maintenance and security questions arrive. Squarespace's own blog makes a similar point: vibe-coded sites give you flexibility, but you also take on hosting, debugging, security and updates.

Lovable has made a lot of progress here. Lovable Cloud handles hosting and the backend for you. But since June 2026, building and running your app draw from one credit balance. Lovable does not publish a rate card for hosting usage, and if the balance runs out, AI features in your app stop and apps that depend on the built-in backend can pause until you top up. A logged-in product can go offline because of a billing issue.

Squarespace's bet is the opposite. In the Circle Day keynote it said customers should not have to build email systems, domains or payment rails, because those carry security, compliance and risk, and that Squarespace will provide them. Forma signs you in with your Squarespace account, which points to it running on the same infrastructure as Squarespace sites. If that holds, it is the strongest reason a small business might choose Forma over Lovable.

Pricing and credits

Lovable's Free plan gives 5 build credits a day, capped at 30 a month, with a Lovable badge on your app. Pro starts at $25 a month and Business at $50, each with 100 credits, and both scale through credit tiers up to 10,000 credits a month. You are charged for the work each message does, including fixes that do not work, so debugging loops are the fastest way to spend credits. A full-time solo builder can easily need the $100 tier rather than $25.

Forma pricing has not been announced, including whether AI usage will be metered and whether it sits inside existing Squarespace plans. If Squarespace offers predictable pricing for building and hosting, that alone would set it apart. I will update this section the day it is published.

Code ownership and lock-in

Lovable lets you sync to GitHub, GitLab or Bitbucket on every plan, and download your code on paid plans. If you outgrow it, you can host the app yourself.

Squarespace has historically not offered code export, and nothing has been said about export for Forma. If owning your code matters to you, that is a point in Lovable's favour until Squarespace says otherwise.

Which should you choose?

Choose Lovable if

• You need to build and launch an app now.
• You want to own and export the code.
• You are comfortable keeping an eye on credits for both building and hosting.

Watch Forma if

• The thought of maintaining hosting, security and billing for an app puts you off.
• You want your app alongside your Squarespace site, domain and payments under one account.
• You build tools for clients and need something they can rely on long after handover.

Choose Squarespace 7.1 if

• What you need is a business website rather than an app. 7.1 is still being developed, and the plugin directory adds most features people reach for vibe coding to build, from filters to booking tools.

Our verdict so far

Lovable is the proven way to build an app from a prompt today, and its code export is a genuine advantage. Its weak spot is life after launch: usage-based hosting with no published rates and a single credit balance. Forma is aiming squarely at that weak spot, promising Squarespace-grade infrastructure underneath prompt-built apps. Until we know how Forma is priced and how its apps are edited and hosted, Lovable is the one you can actually use. Join the Forma waitlist if the managed approach appeals, and check back here as we test it.

More on Forma

• What Is Squarespace Forma? Everything We Know So Far
• Squarespace Forma vs Framer
• Squarespace Forma vs Webflow
• Squarespace Forma vs Blueprint AI
• How to Join the Squarespace Forma Waitlist

Frequently asked questions

Is Squarespace Forma a Lovable alternative?

Yes, that is the clearest way to see it. Both build websites and apps from written prompts. Forma's difference is that Squarespace says it will provide the domains, payments and core services underneath, while Lovable runs apps on its own credit-billed cloud.

How much does Lovable cost?

Lovable has a free plan with 5 build credits a day, capped at 30 a month. Pro starts at $25 a month and Business at $50, each with 100 credits, scaling by credit tier. Hosting and in-app AI draw from the same credit balance.

How much does Squarespace Forma cost?

Squarespace has not announced Forma pricing, including whether AI use will be metered or whether Forma will be part of existing Squarespace plans.

Can I export my code from Forma like I can from Lovable?

Unknown. Lovable supports Git sync on every plan and code download on paid plans. Squarespace has not said whether Forma will allow code export.

Which is better for a small business app?

Lovable, if you need it now and can manage credits and hosting. Forma may suit small businesses better once it launches, if Squarespace delivers managed hosting and payments as promised, but it is still an alpha.

Is Forma vibe coding?

In the broad sense, yes: you describe what you want and AI builds it. Squarespace's framing is different, though, because it aims to keep the hosting, security and payments side managed for you rather than handing over a codebase to look after.

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