As investor scrutiny intensifies and funding windows narrow, getting a clickable MVP into stakeholders’ hands fast is becoming essential in FinTech product development. AI-powered low-code platforms claim to slash development time from weeks to mere hours, offering a competitive edge for teams under pressure. To put these claims to the test, custom software development company Symfa examined four leading contenders: Marblism, Vercel’s v0, Bolt.new, and Glide.
To evaluate their real-world performance, the team set out to build a functional prototype of a debt-financing app, Modelist, using each platform.
This FinTech-style application featured borrower and investor portals, payment flows, document handling, dashboards, two-factor authentication, and a mobile-first UI. The development process was designed to reflect authentic early-stage project demands, with build prompts sourced from real client conversations, transcribed via Whisper, summarised using GPT-4o, and then applied consistently across all tools.
How Symfa tested
A consistent testing pipeline was followed to ensure fairness. Client conversations were transcribed and summarised to produce prompts that reflected typical FinTech MVP requirements.
Each platform was tested using the same prompts and evaluated based on four criteria: build time, manual intervention, UI quality, and overall feature coverage. The platforms’ suitability for developers and non-technical users, as well as code portability, were also taken into account.
Platforms at a glance
Each platform brought something unique to the challenge:
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Marblism delivered fast, full-stack apps but sometimes at the cost of unnecessarily complex code.
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v0 by Vercel offered a seamless Figma-to-code experience but required backend support.
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Bolt.new gave developers full control, backend logic, and flexibility, albeit with a steeper learning curve.
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Glide was extremely user-friendly but lacked the depth required for real FinTech applications.
Tool-by-tool insights
Marblism stood out for its rapid MVP scaffolding, though it lacks robust default security. It’s ideal for startups needing to showcase working demos quickly.
v0 (Vercel) provided high-quality front-end interfaces, excelling when starting from Figma designs, but needed pairing with services like Supabase for a full-stack experience.
Bolt.new was best for developers, offering backend integration and live AI edits. However, it demands technical knowledge.
Glide made it easy for business users to prototype, but was too limited for anything beyond internal tools.
How to choose the right tool for the job
Each platform is best suited for a particular use case. If you’re racing against time, Marblism offers end-to-end speed, while v0 delivers front-end finesse. Bolt.new is ideal when backend flexibility matters, assuming you have developer support. Glide, on the other hand, is only suitable for low-risk, internal-use applications.
For production-level FinTech platforms, compliance and maintainability are key. Marblism and Bolt.new can scale with developer oversight, while v0 needs a backend pairing. Glide, however, falls short for anything involving regulation or security.
Read the full blog from Symfa here.
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