Zeltro › A Bolt.new alternative that runs on your own machine
Zeltro as a Bolt.new alternative
Bolt.new builds JavaScript apps in your browser with its own AI and tokens, and hosts them in Bolt Cloud. Zeltro builds on your own computer with the AI you already pay for, in PHP, Python or JavaScript. What differs, what taking a Bolt project local really involves, and why people switch.
Bolt.new, from StackBlitz, runs a whole development environment inside your browser. You describe an app, Bolt writes it, and you watch it run in a preview next to the chat. Nothing to install, and a public link at the end.
People look for an alternative when the tokens run out mid-fix, when the app needs a PHP or Python backend, when the preview and the exported code stop matching, or when they want the project on their own computer for good. This page is about those cases.
Bolt.new and Zeltro side by side#
As of September 2026:
| Bolt.new | Zeltro | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it runs | In your browser (WebContainers), hosted in Bolt Cloud | Your own computer, or servers you control |
| Whose AI builds it | Bolt's, bundled into tokens (its new Forge agent uses open-source models) | Yours: Claude Code, Codex, Antigravity, Qwen Code, Aider, OpenCode, Hermes Agent, or a local model |
| What you pay | Free with 1M tokens a month; Pro from $25/month | Free for personal use; US$99.99 once per business (lifetime). Plus your AI provider, or nothing with a local model |
| Languages | JavaScript only; "PHP or Python aren't compatible" | PHP, Python and JavaScript: Laravel, WordPress, Django, FastAPI, Next.js and 16 more |
| Backend | Bolt database by default, in Bolt Cloud | Real databases on your machine: MariaDB, Postgres, MongoDB, Redis |
| Your code | Yours; zip download or GitHub sync | Plain folders on your disk from the first command |
| Local development | Download the zip and run npm install && npm run dev; database and secrets stay behind |
Everything is local |
| Live URL | Yes, on bolt.host | No. It runs locally; hosting is up to you |
| Your content used for training | On by default from 7 Oct 2026 unless you opt out (off by default in the EU, UK and Switzerland) | Up to the AI provider you choose; your code and prompts never go to Zeltro |
Can you run a Bolt.new project on your own computer?#
Bolt's documentation answers this in one line: "You can download your project as
a zip file to work on it outside of Bolt, using your own code editor." Install
Node.js, unzip, run npm install && npm run dev, and the front end comes up.
What the docs do not cover is everything around it:
The database
New projects use a Bolt database, which lives in Bolt Cloud. To take it with you, you "claim" it into your own Supabase account, which needs a Pro or Teams plan, or export it one table at a time as CSV or JSON.
Secrets and environment variables
They are kept in Bolt's secrets panel, not in the download, so you recreate them locally.
Hosting
The bolt.host address does not move with you, and custom domains need re-pointing by hand.
The environment itself
Bolt runs your app on WebContainers in the browser, where Node versions and native modules can behave differently from your machine.
There is no desktop or local version of Bolt.new: "Bolt is a browser-based tool", and it has no public API or CLI. If you sync to GitHub, Bolt pulls changes back in every 30 seconds, so you can edit locally and keep using its AI in the browser.
What about bolt.diy? It is the open-source version of Bolt, and it can run locally with your own API keys, including local models. It is a separate project with no shared accounts, database or hosting, and development has slowed: its last release was in May 2025.
What Zeltro does differently#
Zeltro is a do-it-yourself dev platform for your own machine, not a browser tab. Describe what you want and it suggests how to build it: a ready-made app if one already does the job, or a framework and a database if it needs building from scratch. Then your AI agent builds it in a real project on your disk.
Real runtimes, not a browser sandboxPHP, Python and Node run in proper containers, so native modules and server code behave the way they will in production.
The database is localMariaDB, Postgres, MongoDB and Redis run on your computer and are shared across all your projects.
You choose the AI and who pays for itA subscription you already have, a low-cost model through OpenRouter, a local model, or a client's key for client work. There are no Zeltro tokens to run out of.
Your code stays yoursYour code, prompts and keys never go to Zeltro. No account. Free for personal use; businesses pay US$99.99 once. The command line tool is open source.
Bringing a Bolt project over#
If the project is on GitHub, clone it into Zeltro:
zeltro clone work-directly https://github.com/you/your-bolt-app
If you only have the zip, unzip it into your projects folder and run
zeltro setup <name>. The front end runs as a normal Node project. For the
database, claim it into Supabase or export its tables, then have your AI agent
load them into a database Zeltro runs for you. Step by step:
run a Bolt.new project locally.
Before you switch#
Bolt runs in a browser tab with nothing to installZeltro installs once, then gives you real servers and databases that a browser sandbox cannot. It does not host your app for you, but I will take it live if you want it handled.
You need a computer you can install software onOn a borrowed or locked-down machine, Bolt's browser tab is the only option. Everywhere else, Zeltro gives you far more room.
A small JavaScript front end may fit inside Bolt's free tokensAnything with a database, a backend or a second project outgrows that quickly, and that is where Zeltro starts paying off.
Why people switch to Zeltro#
The app and its data
They live on your own computer or your own server.
PHP or Python
You can build in PHP or Python, or anything that does not run in a browser sandbox.
The AI you already pay for
You already pay for Claude, ChatGPT or Gemini, and Zeltro uses that instead of a second AI bill.
Many projects
You run many projects and want them managed in one place.
It is free for personal use, with no account. Install it and try it on your next project.
Sources#
Checked on 28 September 2026: Bolt's pricing, FAQ, supported technologies, projects and files, Git and Supabase pages, account settings (training), and the bolt.diy repository. Plans and terms change, so check them before you commit.
Questions
Is there a Bolt.new alternative that runs locally?
Yes. Zeltro runs entirely on your own computer: the builder, your app and its databases. Bolt.new itself runs in the browser and hosts projects in Bolt Cloud. Its open-source sibling, bolt.diy, can run locally, but it is a separate and slower-moving project.
Can I use my own API key with Bolt.new?
Not on bolt.new: building always uses Bolt's tokens. Zeltro sells no AI credits: you can try it on our key for a first project, and after that it uses the agent and key you choose, including a local model.
Can Bolt.new build PHP or Python apps?
No. Bolt's documentation says it supports JavaScript-based backends only. Zeltro builds Laravel, WordPress, Django, FastAPI and Flask apps as well as JavaScript ones.
How do I run a Bolt.new project locally?
Download the zip, install Node.js, then run npm install && npm run dev. That
brings up the front end. The Bolt database, secrets and hosting stay in Bolt
Cloud, so recreate or migrate those separately.
What does Zeltro cost?
The Zeltro app is free for personal use, hobby projects and learning, with no account.
A business using it, including for paid client work, buys a
lifetime commercial license once, for US$99.99. The zeltro command line
tool is open source (MIT). Separately, you pay for your AI: a subscription you
already have, an API key billed per use, or nothing with a local model.
Try Zeltro on your own computer
Free for personal use, with no account. Build with the AI you already pay for, and keep the app, its data and its code on your own machine.
Install Zeltro Why bring your own key
Rather not set it up yourself? I’ll do it for you.
Checked 2026-09-28. Other products change often — if something here is out of date, tell us and it gets fixed.