To make an app with AI, use an AI app builder (not just a chatbot), plan the app on one page first, write a detailed first prompt that names the users, the data and the main flow, then improve it with small, specific prompts: one change at a time, checking the result after each. Add sign-in and permissions, test every flow as each type of user, and deploy. An AI app builder such as Greta.sh generates the frontend, backend, database and sign-in from your description and deploys it, so you can go from idea to a working app without writing code. The free plan gives you 5 credits a day to try it.
This walkthrough builds one small app from start to finish, showing the exact prompts and what to check after each. The same pattern works for most apps.
AI app builder, coding assistant or chatbot?
Three kinds of AI tools can help you make an app, and they do different jobs:
| Tool type | What it does | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|
| AI app builder | Generates a full app (screens, logic, database, sign-in) from a description, and hosts it | Founders and teams who want a working app without managing code |
| AI coding assistant | Helps write and edit code inside a developer's own project | Developers |
| General chatbot | Writes code snippets you then have to assemble, run and host yourself | Learning, or small pieces of an existing project |
If you don't write code, an AI app builder is the one that gets you to a live app. Our comparison of AI coding assistants vs AI app builders goes deeper.
Before you prompt: plan on one page
Ten minutes of planning saves hours of re-prompting. Write down:
- The job: one sentence on what the app does and for whom.
- The users: each type of user and what they need to do.
- The data: the things the app stores and what each one holds.
- The main flow: the steps a user takes to get the job done.
Our pre-build checklist has a fuller version.
For this walkthrough, the plan is:
- Job: a freelance designer collects client feedback on design drafts in one place instead of across email threads.
- Users: the designer (admin) and clients.
- Data: Projects (name, client), Drafts (project, image, version number), Comments (draft, author, text, status: open or resolved).
- Main flow: the designer uploads a draft; the client signs in, sees their project's drafts and leaves comments; the designer marks comments resolved.
Prompt 1: describe the whole app
The first prompt sets the structure, so put everything from the plan into it:
Build a client feedback app for a freelance designer. Two roles: designer (admin) and client. The designer creates projects and assigns each to a client, then uploads design drafts (image plus version number) to a project. Clients sign in and see only their own projects and drafts. On each draft, clients can leave comments. The designer sees all comments and can mark each one open or resolved. Clean, minimal design that works on phones.
What to check after it runs: sign in as each role. Can a client see only their own projects? Do comments save and show who wrote them? Does uploading a draft work? Write down what's wrong before you prompt again.
Got an idea? Build it now!
Just start with a simple prompt. No coding required: Greta.sh turns your idea into a working app in minutes.
Prompt 2: fix one thing at a time
Small, specific prompts work better than long lists of changes, because you can see exactly what each one did:
When a client opens a draft, show the comments in a panel next to the image, newest first, with the author's name and the date.
Then the next:
Add a filter on the designer's dashboard to show only drafts with open comments.
What to check: that each change did only what you asked. If something else broke, say so directly in the next prompt: "The upload button stopped working after the last change. Fix it without changing the comments panel."
Prompt 3: tighten permissions
Permissions are where AI-built apps most need a second look. Ask for the rules explicitly, then test them:
Make sure clients can only read and comment on drafts in their own projects, including if they change the URL. Only the designer can upload drafts, create projects or change a comment's status.
What to check: sign in as a client and try to open another client's project by editing the address in the browser. You should be blocked. Role-based access in AI-built apps covers the patterns to test.
Prompt 4: polish and handle the edge cases
Show a friendly empty state when a project has no drafts yet. Stop a client submitting an empty comment. Show the draft's version number on its card.
What to check: the unhappy paths. An empty form, a very long comment, a slow connection, a phone screen. Our QA checklist for AI-built apps lists what else to try.
Got an idea? Build it now!
Just start with a simple prompt. No coding required: Greta.sh turns your idea into a working app in minutes.
Deploy and share
When the app works for both roles, deploy it, connect your own domain and invite one real client to try it. Real use finds problems that testing doesn't. After launch, add an error tracker so you hear about bugs before your users report them.
How to write prompts that work
- Name the users and what each can do. "Clients see only their own projects" is a rule the AI can build; "make it secure" isn't.
- Describe the data. List the things the app stores and their fields.
- One change per prompt once the first version exists.
- Say what's wrong, not just what you want. "The save button does nothing on mobile" gives the AI something to fix.
- Say what not to touch when the app is working well in other places.
How to write better prompts for AI app builders has more examples, and when a fix keeps failing, a structured bug report an AI coding agent can act on usually gets it unstuck.
What AI does well, and where you still need judgment
AI app builders are good at the parts of an app that follow known patterns: screens, forms, lists, sign-in, standard database tables and the code that connects them. You still decide what the app should do, check that the rules match your business, and test it like a user. For anything handling payments, sensitive personal data or high traffic, have someone experienced review it before you rely on it.
Got an idea? Build it now!
Just start with a simple prompt. No coding required: Greta.sh turns your idea into a working app in minutes.
Which AI app builder should you use?
Several AI app builders have free plans to try this walkthrough on. From each vendor's pricing page on October 25, 2026:
| Builder | Free plan | Cheapest paid plan |
|---|---|---|
| Greta.sh | 5 credits a day, code viewer (no deployment) | Starter: $5/month welcome offer (normally $20/month), with deployment and custom domain setup |
| Lovable | 5 build credits a day (up to 30 a month) | Pro: $25/month, 100 credits |
| Bolt | 1M tokens a month (300K a day) | Pro: $18/month billed annually |
| Base44 | 25 message credits a month, up to 5 apps | Starter: $16/month billed annually ($20 monthly) |
Greta.sh generates the frontend, backend, database and sign-in from your description and deploys it from the Starter plan (a $5/month welcome offer, normally $20/month). Pro, a $20/month welcome offer (normally $50/month), adds the Database, Flows, version control with GitHub and team management. Greta.sh builds its own database for each app rather than sitting on top of an existing production database. For a solo-founder view of the same tools, see the best AI app builders for solo founders.
FAQ
Can AI make an app for me?
Yes. An AI app builder can generate a working app (screens, logic, database and sign-in) from a plain-English description. You still decide what it should do, check the result and test it before real users rely on it.
Can I make an app with AI for free?
You can build and test one for free on the free plans of most AI app builders. Publishing on your own domain usually needs a paid plan. On Greta.sh, the free plan gives you 5 credits a day to build; deployment starts on Starter at $5/month as a welcome offer (normally $20/month).
Do I need to know how to code to make an app with AI?
No. With an AI app builder you describe the app and request changes in plain English. Knowing the basics of how apps store data and handle sign-in helps you write better prompts and spot problems; our guide to backends, databases and auth for non-coders covers them.
Can ChatGPT make an app?
A general chatbot can write code, but you then have to put the pieces together, run them and host the app yourself. An AI app builder does that assembly, hosting and deployment for you, which is why it is the faster route for non-developers.
How long does it take to make an app with AI?
A small app like the one in this walkthrough can be working in a session or two of prompting and testing. Larger apps with many user types, payments or integrations take longer, mostly in testing and refining rather than generating.
Can I make a mobile app with AI?
AI app builders that generate web apps produce apps that work in a phone's browser, which covers most business and productivity uses. If you need an app in the App Store or Google Play, check that the builder you choose lists native mobile builds.
Try the walkthrough
Copy Prompt 1, change it to your own idea, and make your app with Greta.sh. The free plan gives you 5 credits a day.
