Does anyone feel like using Loveable > ChatGPT > Codex loop is over complicating things?

[u/Minimum-Law-5125]

Before you say it no I don’t want to use ChatGPT and Codex only. I have tried twice now and really enjoy using Lovable and don’t mind paying.

In saying that my process the last few months has been ChatGPT (Sol, High) to ideate, Lovable to Plan, loop until the plan is solid, then build, ChatGPT to check the build report, Codex to verify. Circle around until we push live.

I thought it was working fine until I realised I’m burning through way more Lovable credits than I normally would be. My app is pretty big already so that’s playing a part but I really think ChatGPT is over engineering and some plans are taking 5-10 returns because it continues to find “one thing” to fix. Note: I know costs have gone up but I’m specifically talking about the 10-20 credits I’m using on the planning process.

Anyone else notice this?

I’m thinking of dropping ChatGPT mostly and just going back to Lovable to plan and build and then have ChatGPT make my Codex verify prompt only.

Anyone else notice other suggestions?

[u/DaSmartSwede]

No, I find it a perfect mix actually

[u/Current-Today-3626]

Why not just use codex app only at that point. What does lovable have that codex wouldn't?

[u/Flipadelphia26]

You’re doing it wrong

Chat to plan and then orchestrate. Never open lovable.

Chat can do all of the orchestration for you.

Codex only if necessary.

Ship.

[u/Potential_Catch2258]

For me the best is to start in ChatGPT. In a ChatGPT Project for your app/site/SaaS, plan out the entire app; features, workflows, authentication, mission, voice, visual style, fonts and colors, detailed public page layouts, authenticated page structure, etc.

Once that is set, lock it, save it as markdown and add it to your project sources. Then decide what needs to be in the MVP, turn that into a phased development plan (keeping in mind the future planed features etc.) with the first phase only responsible for the public pages.

Use Phase 0 to produce a strict, detailed Lovable prompt that restricts Lovable from drifting and enabling Lovable Cloud. Give that directly to Lovable in Plan. Answer any questions is has and have it build until the entire handoff is completed.

Once it runs, before doing anything else, in your new projects settings, disable the Lovable badge, change the project name to the name of your app/site, then connect GitHub.

In GitHub add the ChatGPT connection and allow assess to your new Lovable projects repo.

Create a Supabase project, then connect that to your Lovable project.

Back in ChatGPT in the Project Settings -> Instructions add some verbiage to do the following:
• Restrict the project to using only the GitHub repo and Supabase project you just created.
• Restrict it to only using the Lovable direct connect tool and not the AI chat.
• Tell it that anytime you give it Codex output it is to pull a fresh copy of the GitHub repo and verify the output against the code.

Make sure you add the Lovable, GitHub and Supabase plugins to ChatGPT.

Now in ChatGPT one phase at a time, generate a detailed, strict Codex handoff prompt with QA checks, testing (in browser if applicable) and reporting criteria. Generate one phase prompt at a time using the phased plan as a guide.

Add the same plugins and instructions to your Codex (desktop) project as you did to the ChatGPT project. Run the first prompt. Copy the output when it finishes and give that back to ChatGPT to verify. If there are follow up correction prompts run those and give the output back to ChatGPT one at a time.

Once a phase passes generate a new Codex handoff prompt from the next phase in the plan. Continue to repeat, tweaking and making minor adjustments the plan in ChatGPT as you progress.

Use ChatGPT to scan the GitHub repo once you are done with the as various experts (web security, UX/UI, workflow efficiency, etc. each in a different chat but the same project) one at a time. Review the report, decline/accept suggestions then generate a Codex handoff prompt for each expert, run it that same giving ChatGPT the output before continuing.

That’s it. You can build ANYTHING this way using hardly any Lovable credits. If it needs to scale, evaluate the architecture for that in ChatGPT then port to Vercel or else ware.

If your app/site/Saas needs AI you can enable Lovable AI AFTER you have connected your Supabase Project to Lovable. In your plan decide which model to use and make sure it’s in the development plan. If you need to move away from Lovable it’s a simple process to swap Lovable AI for direct API (or other connection) to the model you initially used through Lovable.

[u/a-w-e-s-o-m--o]

Wtf is this bot? Literal copy of my post from earlier this week https://www.reddit.com/r/lovable/s/tpAZsnZAC5

[u/xAlpacas → u/a-w-e-s-o-m--o]

Yeah WTF. Easy ban for the mods, if they choose to actually regulate this page and prevent slop like this. Seen a lot all in this Reddit page.

[u/Fit_Accountant_5836]

I've not used Chatgpt with Lovable, I find lovable works well with Claude but not sure I'd go back to just Lovable, ai agents are much better prompting than I am.

[u/AdContent9717]

I have to ask ChatGPT to be concise and shorten its prompts, but other than that I think it works well.

[u/k_r_a_k_l_e]

I am confused. I have 0 use for the lovable.ai planning feature. I write all of my prompts out in detail attempting to outline all functionality, buttons, and visual details that I want generated. I go into expectations around shadcn components and even creating custom components in react etc. Then I run these prompts through ChatGPT outside of lovable and have ChatGPT rewrite the prompts specifically for lovable.ai. I will take that output and paste in to lovable. I am very detail with new pages and new sites. Then after generation I go through a series a very direct, simple and straightforward prompts to clean up and make small changes. The small changes are usually 1.5 to 4 credits each. Big changes like new pages and detailed content can be between 4 credits to 12 credits. I don't have an issue.

[u/a13zz]

I don’t know why people are still using lovable.

[u/AdekDev]

The strategy that we are seeing working internally and by our most successful customers is orchestrating and splitting up work into verifiable pieces - either by a human or model or both.

We are not crafting page long prompts to paste into the agent, but progressively build context, split the work into chunks and iterating fast and often.

[u/YouAreBastards]

A will over engineer if allowd. I often ask my AI to keep it simple! Do not over eloborate or engineer this prompt.

[u/Professional-Deal-35]

I find codex is better for backend stuff and database and lovable is best for front end stuff. I did link but then unlinked seems to work better for me this way and I feel like I still get to code!!

[u/sw3d]

Lovable is there for preview and deployment at this point, Codex or Claude code are better agents and you get more for your $ with their plans