Discover which AI development platforms are preferred by tech entrepreneurs and why Cursor is emerging as the favorite for serious projects

In a recent discussion within The eCom Mafia community, members shared their experiences and preferences regarding AI-powered coding and development tools. The conversation revealed interesting insights about which platforms developers are gravitating toward in 2025 and why certain tools excel in different scenarios.

The Contenders: Popular AI Development Platforms

When Mani Karthik asked the group about their favorite "vibe code apps" (AI-assisted development platforms), several tools emerged as frontrunners:

• Cursor - Widely praised for complex projects and unlimited queries

• Lovable.dev - Popular for prototyping and UI design ideas

• Bolt.new - Good for beginners but with token limitations

• Replit - Recommended for beginners and initial prototyping

• Claude.ai - Mentioned as a valuable AI assistant

• ChatGPT - Used primarily for planning and initial concept development

• Firebase Studio and AI Studio Genspark - Also referenced but with mixed reviews

The Clear Winner: Cursor Takes the Lead

The consensus among experienced developers in the group leaned heavily toward Cursor for serious development work. Shyjal Raazi noted, "My favorite is Cursor. But for beginners, Replit/Lovable/Bolt are better."

Several members shared that while tools like Lovable and Bolt are excellent for initiating projects, they quickly run into limitations:

1. Token anxiety - Users reported running out of tokens within days

2. Scaling issues - As projects grow in size, errors compound

3. Resource constraints - Simple prompts eventually required "million tokens"

One member summarized the common workflow: "Start from scratch using the free version of lovable and then download the code and do the rest in cursor."

Best Practices for AI-Assisted Development

The discussion revealed some valuable strategies for maximizing AI coding tools:

• Create project guides - Generate comprehensive project_guide.md files with ChatGPT to provide clear direction

• Build ugly first - Focus on functionality before aesthetics when using Cursor

• UI development requires guidance - AI tools need significant direction for good UI design

• Deployment options - Projects can be hosted on Vercel with Supabase MCP for backend integration

Token Economics and Refund Policies

Interestingly, multiple members mentioned receiving refunds from both Lovable and Bolt after complaining about limitations preventing project completion. This suggests these platforms may have customer-friendly policies when their tools don't meet developer expectations.

The Ideal Development Workflow

Based on the collective wisdom of The eCom Mafia community, an optimal AI-assisted development workflow in 2025 appears to be:

1. Use ChatGPT or Claude.ai for initial planning and requirements gathering

2. Start prototyping with Lovable.dev or Bolt.new

3. Download the code once the basic structure is in place

4. Complete development in Cursor for unlimited iterations

5. Deploy on Vercel with Supabase for backend services

This workflow combines the strengths of each platform while minimizing their limitations.

Conclusion

As AI-powered development tools continue to evolve, developers are creating sophisticated workflows that leverage multiple platforms. While each tool has its strengths, Cursor appears to be emerging as the preferred option for sustained development work among members of The eCom Mafia community.

For those looking to optimize their development process in 2025, experimenting with this multi-tool approach could significantly enhance productivity while minimizing the frustrations associated with any single platform's limitations.

Keywords: AI coding tools, Cursor development, Lovable.dev review, Bolt.new limitations, AI-assisted programming, Replit for beginners, tech entrepreneur tools, The eCom Mafia, development workflow optimization, token limitations, ChatGPT for planning, Vercel deployment, Supabase integration