AI app builders promise to turn your ideas into functioning applications with just a few prompts. But can they really deliver? We decided to put this claim to the test by attempting to rebuild our automation search engine—a web app that originally took our engineers hundreds of hours to create—using only AI prompts through Lovable.dev.
The original XRay.Tools app
Our original app, XRay.Tools, is an automation search engine where users can search for tools they're currently using (like Slack or Zoom) and discover all the automation capabilities available across multiple platforms.
After you assemble your toolbelt with a few quick searches, you can click "View Automation abilities" and see all the triggers, actions, and searches available for your apps on every automation provider.
This tool helps our users quickly determine where they should build their automations. It provides comprehensive information and direct links to each automation provider's documentation.
The Lovable.dev challenge
Lovable.dev claims to be your "superhuman full stack engineer" that can take you from "idea to app in seconds." Naturally, we were skeptical, but decided to give it a shot.
Surprisingly, in just a few hours, we were able to prototype a functional automation search engine that pulled data from a Supabase database.
And we accomplished this without writing a single line of code—all interaction was through chat-based prompts with the AI.
What we were able to build
The prototype we created allows users to:
• Search for the tools they want to automate (e.g., Slack and Zoom)
• See which automation providers support their software
• View a list of available triggers, actions, and searches for their tools
• Click through to view integration details
We even attempted to expand beyond our original app by including 13 different automation providers, adding newer platforms like Pipedream, Tray, Unito, Parabola, Bardeen, Relay, and Flowwise alongside established ones like Zapier and Make.
The AI was also able to add fun visual touches, like a bursting confetti animation that triggers whenever a user clicks on the logo at the top of the page. You’ll also notice in the GIF below that the logo gradually changes color between different purple gradients.
The final result is a visually appealing web app with basic (but limited) functionality.
The limitations
While impressive, the prototype wasn't perfect:
• The data quality issues became apparent, with some nonsensical automation "abilities" showing up (like "notifying new Twitter followers" listed as a Slack capability)
• Technical complexity was a challenge for the AI
• The final result was more of a 60-70% solution rather than production-ready code
Where AI app builders excel
Our testing revealed that Lovable.dev particularly shines when it comes to rapidly creating visual interfaces.
The AI excels at implementing aesthetic elements like animations, borders, and layout arrangements, and can quickly turn text descriptions into functional prototypes with remarkable accuracy.
For developers, the generated code provides a solid starting point that's often much easier to work with than manually translating a Figma design from scratch. This visual strength makes it an excellent tool for early-stage ideation and demonstration.
Where human developers still win
Despite the impressive aesthetic results, AI app builders like Lovable or Bolt.new aren't yet ready to replace human developers.
They still struggle with technical complexity, and the critical journey from 70% to 100% completion is precisely where these tools fall short.
Without coding knowledge to modify the AI-generated output, users will quickly hit limitations that prevent creating truly production-ready applications. The final polish, security considerations, edge case handling, and performance optimization still firmly require human expertise.
As powerful as these AI tools are becoming, the finish line remains elusive without skilled developers to bridge the gap.
No-code tools: the best way to go to market fast
If you’re looking to build a product but don’t have an engineering team, we’d recommend using no-code tools to launch your app instead.
With tools like Softr, you can create fully functional web apps with simple visual interfaces. You might not be able to get the same visual flair that you could obtain from a few prompts with Lovable, but you’ll have precise control over your app’s functionality – and you won’t need to write any code to do it.
You can explore XRay’s case studies to see some examples of the successful no-code and low-code products we’ve built with our clients.
When you’re ready to start building, check out the tutorials on our blog or reach out to XRay for a free 15-minute consultation.
The verdict: great for prototyping, not for production
AI app builders like Lovable.dev represent an exciting step forward in rapid prototyping. They can take you from concept to working demo faster than any previous method. However, for now, they're best used as prototyping tools rather than complete development solutions.
If you don't know how to code or modify code, you're better off sticking with traditional no-code builders despite their limitations. The key advantage is that with those tools, you'll actually reach a point where you can click "publish" on something usable.
Will this change in the future? Almost certainly. The pace of improvement in AI development tools is remarkable, and we'll be checking back in six months to see how far they've come.
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