Vibe coding is useful for exploration and prototyping, but does not replace professional development. While it can accelerate certain initial phases, the majority of projects started with vibe coding end up requiring a complete rewrite to become viable production applications.
Best approach: Use vibe coding for throwaway prototypes, then hire real developers to build the final application.
Real speed: Initial prototypes are fast (hours/days), but complete rewrite needed for production. Time "saved" is often lost (and multiplied) during the rebuild phase.
Who should use it: Throwaway prototypes to validate concepts, personal learning projects, mockups for investors (provided you accept throwing away the code afterward).
Do NOT use for: Production applications (any category), anything involving real users, sensitive data, or actual business needs. In these cases, hire a professional team from the start.
In recent months, we've been receiving many questions about vibe coding: can you really build a mobile app with this approach?
The answer: yes, but with realistic expectations. Vibe coding is a powerful tool for certain phases of development, particularly for prototyping and learning.
Important: Before diving in, read our article The Vibe Coding Illusion to understand the limitations of this approach and avoid common pitfalls. This technical article will then show you how to use it effectively.
In this practical guide, you'll discover:
Vibe coding uses natural language prompts to generate code with AI assistance. Instead of writing each line manually, developers describe features in plain language, and AI tools create the implementation.
The process:
➤ AI generates the components, state management, and data storage logic. You review the code, make adjustments, and test the result.
Key difference from traditional coding:
Traditional development requires manually writing each function, component, and integration. Vibe coding accelerates this process by automatically generating base code and common structures, allowing developers to focus on customization and specific business logic.
This approach can accelerate the creation of basic components like lists, simple navigation, and certain standard API calls.
Important: Critical features always require professional development: authentication, payments, security, application architecture, complex state management, performance optimization, testing, and long-term maintainability.
Beginners and rapid prototyping
➤ Perfect for non-technical entrepreneurs testing their ideas. Describe your concept and instantly get your project structure.
Experienced developers
➤ Assists experienced developers in real-time. Auxiliary tool that accelerates professional development, but doesn't replace human expertise.
AI-assisted development
➤ Next-generation IDE with integrated AI. Chat with your code and generate complex multi-file features.
| Tool | Monthly Cost | Ideal For | Learning Curve | Mobile Support |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Replit Agent | $0-$20 | Beginners | Low | React Native |
| GitHub Copilot | $10 | Experienced Developers | Medium | All Frameworks |
| Cursor | $0-$20 | AI-Focused Coding | Medium | All Frameworks |
➤ Choose Replit for rapid prototypes, Copilot to assist professional development, or Cursor for maximum AI assistance.
Step 1: Choose a Simple Project
Start with basic applications to learn the workflow (learning projects only):
Avoid complex features at first. Focus on understanding how AI generates code and where manual intervention is helpful.
Step 2: Set Up Your Development Environment
Choose one of these three platforms:
Each tool offers a different approach to vibe coding. Choose the one that matches your experience level.
Step 3: Write Effective Prompts
Step 4: Review and Test Generated Code
Always examine the code produced by AI:
Security:
Performance:
Error Handling:
➤ Test on real devices, not just simulators. iOS and Android have specific behaviors that emulators don't always reproduce.
Context-Free Code: AI tools don't understand all your business logic. Always adapt the generated code to your specific needs.
Inconsistent Styles: Each prompt can produce a different code style. Define your conventions from the start and maintain them.
Forgotten Edge Cases: AI generates code that works under ideal conditions. Add error handling, empty data cases, and unexpected behaviors yourself.
Outdated Libraries: AI training data isn't always up to date. Verify that suggested packages are recent and maintained.
➤ Start simple, test regularly, and gradually increase complexity while observing how your tool responds to prompts.
Cross-platform frameworks work well with vibe coding tools. React Native and Flutter let you build for iOS and Android from a single codebase, and AI models have extensive training on these technologies.
JavaScript's popularity means AI tools excel at React Native generation. Use prompts like:
✓ React Native works well for business apps, social features, and content-driven applications.
Flutter offers better performance and beautiful default components. AI tools handle Flutter well but may need more specific prompts:
✓ Flutter excels for apps needing smooth animations, custom UI, and near-native performance.
➤ Choose based on your background: JavaScript developers find React Native easier. Those wanting better performance prefer Flutter.
Vibe coding and professional development are not equivalent alternatives: they serve different purposes.
Use vibe coding to rapidly prototype and validate your concept (a few days).
Test your prototype with users. Adjust your vision. Throw away the code.
Hire a professional team to build the real application with solid architecture.
Myth of the 70/30 "Hybrid" Approach
Contrary to what some claim, you cannot build 70% of an application with vibe coding and 30% with professional code. A production application requires coherent architecture from the start. Vibe coding is for exploring, not building.
Vibe coding is an approach that uses natural language prompts and AI tools to generate code quickly. It's particularly useful for prototyping, learning, and exploring concepts. However, the generated code generally requires a complete rewrite by professional developers to create viable production applications.
A basic understanding obviously helps. You should know:
Beginners can create simple prototypes with tools like Replit, but understanding the generated code is essential for debugging and adjustments. Vibe coding is an excellent learning tool, but doesn't replace learning programming fundamentals.
No, not with vibe coding alone. While you can create functional prototypes quickly, production applications require:
The recommended approach:
Lack of architecture: Generated code lacks scalable structure and overall project vision.
Variable code quality: Requires thorough review for security, performance, and best practices.
No contextual memory: AI forgets previous decisions and can create inconsistencies between components.
Technical debt: Code accumulates quickly without clear structure, making maintenance impossible.
False speed: What seems fast at first becomes slow when everything needs to be rewritten for production.
Tool costs: $0 to $20/month (Replit, Copilot, Cursor)
But the real cost includes:
Compare with professional development from the start:
Conclusion: Vibe coding generally costs more and takes longer than professional development from the start.
React Native is easiest for vibe coding:
Flutter offers better performance:
Choose React Native for quick prototypes if you know JavaScript. Choose Flutter if you prefer Dart or need better performance in your prototypes.
Vibe coding allows you to explore ideas in a few hours or days, which facilitates concept validation before investing in professional development.
However, this guide has shown that vibe coding does not replace professional development for creating production applications. Commercial applications require solid architecture, robust security, and long-term maintainability that only an experienced team can provide.
The recommended approach: Create a quick prototype with vibe coding to validate your concept, then hire a professional team to develop the final application. This approach is more cost-effective than attempting a hybrid construction that will inevitably require a complete rewrite.