New to building? Start here
Most projects are made from the same few building blocks. Learn them first, then pick what you're making to see which ones you need.
Underlined words link to the plain-English glossary.
The building blocks
1 Build a first version
Like a first sketch of a house you can actually walk through: a working version of your idea that you can click around in. If you don't code, start with a prompt-to-app builder. If you do, an AI code editor writes code with you.
Our pick Lovable (Prompt-to-app builders) · Cursor (AI code editors)
Tips
Do I need this yet? Always. This is the app itself.
2 Add AI features (if your app “thinks”)
A model API is like hiring a fast writing assistant by the minute: your app sends it text and gets an answer back. For AI that works through several steps on its own, an agent framework organizes those steps.
Our pick OpenRouter (Model APIs & routers) · Vercel AI SDK (Agent frameworks)
Tips
Do I need this yet? Only if your app has to understand or write text, answer questions or make decisions. A booking form doesn't; a chatbot does.
- Never put your AI API key in the web page or phone app itself: keys in code that runs on people's devices can be pulled out. Google: Using Gemini API keys
- Set a spending limit with your AI provider; it can stop API traffic when spending hits the limit you choose. OpenAI: Production best practices
3 Save data
A database is your app's filing cabinet: it remembers things after the page closes. The backend is the behind-the-counter part that looks after it.
Our pick Supabase (Backend & database)
Tips
Do I need this yet? As soon as the app has to remember anything between visits, like bookings, prices or messages.
- Know how your data is backed up. On Supabase, for example, automatic daily backups come with the paid plans (Pro and up), so check what your plan includes. Supabase docs: Database Backups
4 Let people sign in
Sign-in is the front-door lock and name badge: it checks who someone is and keeps their stuff private.
Our pick Clerk (Auth)
Tips
Do I need this yet? Skip it until people need their own accounts or private data.
- Use a ready-made, well-trusted sign-in system instead of building your own login. OWASP Top 10: Authentication Failures
- Offer two-step sign-in (a code as well as a password) where you can. OWASP Top 10: Authentication Failures
5 Charge money
Like the card reader at a shop counter. Some services act as a merchant of record and handle sales tax for you.
Our pick Stripe (Payments)
Tips
Do I need this yet? Skip it until you actually charge for something.
- Take card payments through an established provider's hosted form (like Stripe Checkout) so card details never touch your own servers. Stripe: Guide to PCI compliance
6 Put it online
Hosting is renting a shop space on the internet; to deploy is moving your app in so anyone with the link can visit.
Our pick Vercel (Deploy & hosting)
Tips
Do I need this yet? When you want someone other than you to use it. Many prompt-to-app builders publish for you.
- Make sure your site loads over HTTPS (the padlock in the address bar). It protects your site and your visitors' information. web.dev: Why HTTPS matters
7 Know when it breaks
Monitoring is a smoke alarm for your app: it tells you about errors before your users do. For AI apps, observability tools also show what each AI call cost.
Our pick Sentry (Monitoring & LLM observability)
Tips
Do I need this yet? Once real people use it.
- Set up error monitoring so you can catch problems before they hit your customers. Sentry docs: Product overview
Optional extras
- Make it look good: Ready-made screens and components, or turning a design into code. Pick: v0
- Check the work: Tests and AI reviews that catch mistakes the AI made before your users find them. Pick: CodeRabbit
- Write docs: Help pages for your users, and up-to-date docs for your AI coding tools. Pick: Mintlify
- Give your AI coding tool new abilities: MCP servers and agent skills plug extra tools into your coding agent. Pick: Smithery
- Send emails: Automatic emails such as sign-up confirmations, password resets and receipts. Not covered yet Suggest a tool
- Know who visits: Analytics counts visits and shows which pages people use. Turn it on when you launch, not on test versions, so testing doesn't skew the numbers. Not covered yet Suggest a tool
Some builders do several blocks for you
Many prompt-to-app builders already include some of building blocks 3–7, so you may not need separate tools at first. What their own sites say, checked Oct 19, 2026:
- Lovable hosts your app and includes a built-in backend with a database, sign-in and file storage. Lovable docs
- Replit lists built-in sign-in, database, hosting and monitoring. replit.com
- Base44 says apps come with backend, sign-in, payments and hosting built in. base44.com
Built-in pieces are the fastest start. Separate tools give you more control later; switching can take work, so it's worth deciding early.
- A website163email
- A web app people log into1346257email
- An AI chatbot or assistant12637email
- An AI agent or automation12637email
- A mobile app234emailnot covered yet
- An online store15emailnot covered yet
Most real projects combine two or three cards. A booking site for a small business, for example, is a website plus an automation that sends reminders.
A website (Landing page, portfolio, blog)
Pages people read: who you are, what you offer, how to reach you. A simple website usually needs only two blocks.
- 1. Build a first version: describe the site and get a first version Our pick: Lovable (Prompt-to-app builders)
- 6. Put it online: so anyone with the link can visit Our pick: Vercel (Deploy & hosting)
- Make it look good: for a more polished look Our pick: v0 (Design-to-code & UI)
- 3. Save data: only if a form has to keep messages or sign-ups Our pick: Supabase (Backend & database)
- Send emails: for example, a form that emails you when someone writes in Not covered yet Suggest a tool
- Know who visits: turn it on when you launch, not on test versions Not covered yet Suggest a tool
- Check it on a phone, not just a laptop. Good sites adapt to different screen sizes. web.dev: Learn Responsive Design
- Make sure your site loads over HTTPS (the padlock in the address bar). It protects your site and your visitors' information. web.dev: Why HTTPS matters
- Give every image a short text description (alt text) so people using screen readers know what it shows. MDN: HTML, a good basis for accessibility
A web app people log into (SaaS, booking, dashboards)
An app where each person has an account and their own data. This is the fullest path; you can add blocks one at a time.
- 1. Build a first version: or an AI code editor if you code Our pick: Lovable (Prompt-to-app builders)
- 3. Save data: to remember each person's things Our pick: Supabase (Backend & database)
- 4. Let people sign in: so people get their own accounts Our pick: Clerk (Auth)
- 6. Put it online Our pick: Vercel (Deploy & hosting)
- Send emails: sign-up confirmations and password resets Not covered yet Suggest a tool
- 5. Charge money: once you charge Our pick: Stripe (Payments)
- 2. Add AI features: if the app has to understand or write text Our pick: OpenRouter (Model APIs & routers)
- 7. Know when it breaks: once real people use it Our pick: Sentry (Monitoring & LLM observability)
- Know who visits: turn it on when you launch, not on test versions Not covered yet Suggest a tool
- Use a ready-made, well-trusted sign-in system instead of building your own login. OWASP Top 10: Authentication Failures
- Keep API keys out of your code and out of public code folders; store them as environment variables or in a secrets manager. OpenAI: Production best practices
- Know how your data is backed up. On Supabase, for example, automatic daily backups come with the paid plans (Pro and up), so check what your plan includes. Supabase docs: Database Backups
- Set up error monitoring so you can catch problems before they hit your customers. Sentry docs: Product overview
An AI chatbot or assistant (Answers questions in a chat window)
A chat window that answers people's questions using an AI model.
- 1. Build a first version: the chat page itself Our pick: Lovable (Prompt-to-app builders)
- 2. Add AI features: the AI that writes the answers Our pick: OpenRouter (Model APIs & routers)
- 6. Put it online Our pick: Vercel (Deploy & hosting)
- 2. Add AI features: if it has to look things up or take several steps Our pick: Vercel AI SDK (Agent frameworks)
- 3. Save data: to keep chat history or your own information Our pick: Supabase (Backend & database)
- 7. Know when it breaks: to catch errors and see what each AI call costs Our pick: Sentry (Monitoring & LLM observability)
- Send emails: for follow-ups or alerts Not covered yet Suggest a tool
- Know who visits: turn it on when you launch, not on test versions Not covered yet Suggest a tool
- Start with the simplest version that works, and add complexity only when it clearly helps. Anthropic: Building effective agents
- Never put your AI API key in the web page or phone app itself: keys in code that runs on people's devices can be pulled out. Google: Using Gemini API keys
- Tell the AI it's allowed to say “I don't know”. It cuts down on made-up answers. Anthropic docs: Reduce hallucinations
- Set a spending limit with your AI provider; it can stop API traffic when spending hits the limit you choose. OpenAI: Production best practices
An AI agent or automation (Does tasks for you, step by step)
An AI that works through a task on its own, like sorting emails or checking prices, using tools you give it. This usually takes some coding, with an AI coding tool helping.
- 1. Build a first version: or a terminal coding agent to write the code with you Our pick: Cursor (AI code editors)
- 2. Add AI features: the AI that decides each step Our pick: OpenRouter (Model APIs & routers)
- 2. Add AI features: organizes the steps, memory and tools Our pick: Vercel AI SDK (Agent frameworks)
- 6. Put it online: so it can keep running without your computer Our pick: Vercel (Deploy & hosting)
- Give your AI tool new abilities: add-ons that give AI tools new abilities Our pick: Smithery (MCP servers & agent skills)
- 3. Save data: to remember results between runs Our pick: Supabase (Backend & database)
- 7. Know when it breaks: to see each step and what it cost Our pick: Sentry (Monitoring & LLM observability)
- Send emails: to send you alerts or results Not covered yet Suggest a tool
- Know who visits: turn it on when you launch, not on test versions Not covered yet Suggest a tool
- Not covered yet: no-code automation tools. Tools that connect your apps and run tasks without code aren't on ToolVerdict yet. Suggest a tool
- Not covered yet: web scraping. Collecting information from other websites isn't covered yet. Check each site's terms first. Suggest a tool
- You may not need an agent at all: a single, well-written AI request often does the job and costs less. Anthropic: Building effective agents
- Test it in a safe, sandboxed setup with guardrails before letting it touch real accounts. Anthropic: Building effective agents
- Give it only the access it needs, read-only where possible. OWASP: LLM Prompt Injection Prevention Cheat Sheet
- Make it ask you before doing anything consequential, like sending, paying or deleting. OWASP: LLM Prompt Injection Prevention Cheat Sheet
A mobile app (For the App Store or Google Play)
An app people download to their phone.
- 3. Save data: the behind-the-scenes data, if your app needs it; check each tool's docs for mobile support Our pick: Supabase (Backend & database)
- 4. Let people sign in: if people need accounts; check mobile support in the docs Our pick: Clerk (Auth)
- 2. Add AI features: if the app has to understand or write text Our pick: OpenRouter (Model APIs & routers)
- Send emails: phone notifications often matter more Not covered yet Suggest a tool
- Know who visits: turn it on when you launch, not on test versions Not covered yet Suggest a tool
- Not covered yet: building and publishing mobile apps. ToolVerdict doesn't cover tools for making phone apps or getting them into the App Store or Google Play yet. Suggest a tool
- You'll need a privacy policy: Apple requires a link to one in the App Store listing and inside the app. Apple App Review Guidelines, 5.1.1
- Google Play also requires a valid privacy policy, and a way for people to delete their account and its data. Google Play Console Help: User Data
- New personal Google Play developer accounts must run a closed test with real testers before publishing. Google Play Console Help: App testing requirements
- Never put your AI API key in the web page or phone app itself: keys in code that runs on people's devices can be pulled out. Google: Using Gemini API keys
An online store (Sell products online)
A shop where people browse products and buy them.
- Send emails: order receipts Not covered yet Suggest a tool
- 5. Charge money: if you build your own shop and only need to take payments Our pick: Stripe (Payments)
- 1. Build a first version: for a simple shop page Our pick: Lovable (Prompt-to-app builders)
- Know who visits: turn it on when you launch, not on test versions Not covered yet Suggest a tool
- Not covered yet: online store platforms. Shopify-style store builders aren't on ToolVerdict yet. Suggest a tool
- Take card payments through an established provider's hosted form (like Stripe Checkout) so card details never touch your own servers. Stripe: Guide to PCI compliance
How will it make money?
Common ways, in plain words:
- Subscriptions: people pay every month or year. Uses 5. Charge money (our pick: Stripe).
- One-time sales: people pay once for a product or download. Also uses 5. Charge money.
- Affiliate links: you earn a commission when someone buys through your link.
- Sponsors or ads: companies pay to be shown to your visitors.
- Client or service fees: you build or run something for a client and bill them.
- For subscriptions, let your payment provider's events (sent by webhook) switch people's access on and off as payments go through or fail. Stripe docs: How subscriptions work
- If you earn commissions from links, say so clearly and close to the link. The words “affiliate link” alone may not be understood. FTC: Endorsement Guides, What People Are Asking
Example recipes
A price-comparison app
Shows the same product's price across several stores and points to the cheapest.
- 1. Build a first version
- 2. Add AI features (optional): to match the same product across stores or sum up the deals
- 3. Save data: the products and prices you've collected
- 6. Put it online
- 4. Let people sign in: until people want saved lists or price alerts
- 5. Charge money: until you charge
- 7. Know when it breaks: until real people use it
Not covered yet: collecting prices from other websites (scraping). ToolVerdict doesn't have a category for this yet. Check each store's terms of use before collecting its prices.
A booking or landing site for a small business
A page about the business with a form to request or book a time.
- 1. Build a first version
- 3. Save data: to keep the bookings
- 6. Put it online
- 2. Add AI features: a booking form doesn't need AI
- 4. Let people sign in: customers can book without an account
- 5. Charge money: unless you take deposits
- 7. Know when it breaks: add it once bookings matter
Picks update when our category pages do. New words? See the glossary. Missing a tool or project type? Suggest a tool · How we rank