A few months ago, an ugly truth about Lovable opens up the “vibe coding” world. A security gap in Lovable’s default setup left 170 apps (out of 1,645 scanned) completely exposed , names, emails, financial data, and even secret API keys were all vulnerable. The severity?
For me, this was personal. I’d been building apps for my SaaS clients using Lovable. Now everything felt like a ticking time bomb. So I researched alternatives , and what I found changed everything.
The Vibe Coding PROMISE VS REALITY
First, let me break down what “vibe coding” actually means.
Imagine you want to build an app. You sit down with your developer friend and start explaining your idea. They immediately hit you with questions: “What database are you using? Which APIs? What about the frontend framework?”
If you’re not tech-savvy, you’re stuck. You have no answers.
But here’s where vibe coding changes the game. You just describe what you want in plain English and in minutes, you’ve got a working application with high standards .
Lovable pitched itself as the gold standard. They promised built-in security checks, automatic scanning, and rock-solid defaults. No coding knowledge required. Sounds perfect, right?
Here’s the problem: It wasn’t always true.
Because non-technical people were building apps without understanding what’s happening under the hood, security became a blind spot. Recent incidents revealed that Lovable’s projects ; many connected to Supabase and other databases , were created without proper security policies. Translation? Unauthenticated users could access data they absolutely shouldn’t see. Full rows from private tables, just sitting there exposed.
The promise was security by default. The reality? A dangerous gap
What Is EMERGENT AI? (The Security-First Alternative)
So after digging through alternatives, I found Emergent AI—and it felt like the answer I’d been searching for.
Emergent is a vibe coding platform just like Lovable. You describe your app in plain English, and it builds it for you , zero coding required. But here’s the difference:
Emergent wasn’t built for speed demos. It was built for real production apps that actual customers use.
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This is a backed startup, and their entire focus is reliability, security, and real hosting that won’t fall apart under pressure.
Here’s what makes Emergent different:
Instead of one AI doing everything (and potentially screwing up), Emergent runs multiple specialized AI “agents.” One handles the front end. Another tackles the backend. One focuses on testing. Another manages deployment.
It’s like having a full dev team where everyone has a clear role , not one overworked person managing everything. This reduces mistakes because each agent is trained and checked for its specific job.
But the biggest security advantage? Dedicated virtual machines.
Instead of cramming hundreds of apps into the same shared environment (where one leak can expose everything), Emergent gives each project its own isolated cloud computer. Think of it like this: Lovable is a crowded apartment building where one broken lock affects everyone. Emergent gives each app its own locked house.
That isolation is the core reason Emergent is the security-first alternative to Lovable.
What Is LOVABLE? (The Speed-First Platform)
Now let’s talk about Lovable , the platform I was using before the security wake-up call.
Lovable is a no-code AI application builder, and honestly, it’s fast. Like, ridiculously fast.
If you want to prototype a sleek UI or love hands-on design tweaks, Lovable is built for that.
It generates full-stack apps , frontend, backend, database layers and deploys them while still being beginner-friendly. It even syncs with GitHub so you can edit everything after it’s generated.
If you think Emergent’s results are impressive, wait till you see how I built a $20,000 website in just 43 minutes using Lovable Dev 2.0.
One of its coolest features? Agent mode. It acts like a collaborative co-founder. You tell it your goals, and it architects a plan, builds intelligently, and keeps context throughout the process. It’s smooth. It’s intuitive. And for quick UI prototypes, it’s honestly impressive.
Lovable also lets you drag-and-drop modifications, which makes it super accessible for non-techies. The UI previews are slick, and you can see changes instantly.
But here’s where it falls apart:
Lovable prioritizes speed above everything else. And while they claim to be working on security, they’ve admitted it’s “not yet where we want it to be.” For simple projects or internal tools, that might be fine. But for anything handling user data? That’s a gamble.
The other issue? It gets messy with complex prompts, and costs can spiral over time. But the biggest red flag for me and why I switched was the security gap. Non-technical users (like me at the time) were building apps without realizing they were leaving doors wide open.
Speed means nothing if your app gets compromised.
The 3 Security Promises LOVABLE Made (AND Broke)
So let’s break down the three big promises Lovable made—and how they fell short.
For quick prototypes? Sure, it worked. But for production apps that real customers depend on? Not even close.
Here’s the bottom line: Lovable promised security, safety, and production-ready apps. What they delivered was speed—at the cost of everything else.
And that’s exactly why I started looking for something better.
How EMERGENT’S Architecture Prevents These Failures
So how does Emergent avoid these same security nightmares?
It all comes down to architecture , the foundation of how the platform is built.
Remember how I mentioned Emergent gives each project its own isolated cloud computer? That’s not just a cool feature. It’s a massive security difference.
Here’s why it matters:
Lovable uses a shared infrastructure. Most projects are hooked up to Supabase (a popular backend service), and many apps end up sharing the same database environment. It’s efficient, sure , but it’s also risky. One misconfigured app can expose data from others. One vulnerability can spread like wildfire.
If you’re curious about how Emergent truly performs, check out my detailed review — “Emergent AI Review: Is ‘Vibe Coding’ the Future or Just Hype?”
Emergent takes the opposite approach: dedicated virtual machines (VMs) for every project.
Think of it like this: Lovable is a shared apartment building. If someone leaves the front door unlocked, everyone’s at risk. Emergent gives each app its own house with its own locks, its own walls, and its own security system. Even if one app gets compromised, the damage stays contained. Hackers can’t jump from one project to another because they’re completely isolated.
This makes a huge difference when it comes to:
- Data leaks: Your app’s database isn’t sitting next to someone else’s vulnerable one.
- Attack surface: Hackers have to break into your specific VM, not a shared system.
- Misconfigurations: If you mess up a setting, it only affects your app—not hundreds of others.
Bottom line? Emergent’s dedicated VM setup is built to safeguard against hackers in a way shared infrastructure platforms like Lovable simply can’t match.
Platform Decision Matrix: Which Should You Choose?
Alright, let’s cut through the noise. Here’s exactly how to decide which platform is right for you.
The trade-off? Emergent is prompt-based, so quick visual tweaks feel less flexible. It’s generative and interpretive , it tends to “reimagine” rather than “adjust.” If you want pixel-perfect design control, you’ll need patience.
But here’s the thing: token-based pricing makes Emergent way more cost-effective for bigger, long-term projects compared to Lovable’s pricey subscription model.
The bottom line:
Both platforms turn ideas into apps with zero coding required. But Lovable is built for speed and design. Emergent is built for security and production.
Ask yourself: Are you building a prototype or a real business?
If it’s the latter, you already know the answer.
Conclusion: Speed Means Nothing If Your A Gets Compromised
Remember those 170 exposed apps from the beginning? That’s what happens when speed beats security.
Here’s the truth: Lovable is built for prototypes. Emergent is built for production.
Emergent delivers on the promise Lovable couldn’t keep , by putting security first. If you’re building anything that handles user data, payments, or real customer information, the choice is clear.
In vibe coding, infrastructure is everything. Don’t let a shiny interface blind you to what’s underneath.
Choose the platform that won’t become your biggest regret.