Lovable vs OpenCodeUpdated 2026-03-16

SUMMARY

Lovable (Platform) uses markdown configuration while OpenCode (CLI) uses markdown. They differ on 4 of 11 compared features. Both tools provide AI-assisted development but take different approaches to project configuration.

FEATURE COMPARISON

FeatureLovableOpenCode
Config formatmarkdownmarkdown
Hierarchy support
Global config
Project config
Subdirectory scoping
File inclusion / imports
Ignore file
IDE integrationPlatformCLI
Schema / structureFree-form (Markdown)Free-form (Markdown)
Git committed
EncodingUTF-8UTF-8

FILE MAPPING

PurposeLovableOpenCode
Project instructionsAGENTS.mdAGENTS.md

SIDE-BY-SIDE CODE SAMPLES

Lovable
AGENTS.md
markdown
# Project Instructions

## Stack
- React 19 with TypeScript
- Supabase for backend (auth, database, storage)
- TailwindCSS v4 + shadcn/ui components
- Vite for building

## Architecture
- Feature-based folder structure
- Each feature owns its components, hooks, and types
- Shared components in src/components/ui/
- All API calls go through src/lib/supabase.ts

## Conventions
- Use shadcn/ui components before creating custom ones
- Mobile-first responsive design
- Use Supabase RLS policies for authorization
- Prefer server-side filtering over client-side

## Brand
- Primary color: #6366F1 (indigo)
- Font: Inter for body, Cal Sans for headings
- Rounded corners (radius-lg) on all cards

OpenCode
AGENTS.md
markdown
# Project Instructions

## Overview
This is a TypeScript monorepo using pnpm workspaces.

## Code Style
- Use strict TypeScript with no implicit any
- Prefer functional components with hooks
- All exports should be named (no default exports)

## Architecture
- /packages/core — shared business logic
- /packages/ui — React component library
- /apps/web — Next.js frontend

## Build & Test
Run tests with: pnpm test
Build all packages: pnpm build
All PRs must have >80% coverage on changed files.

## Conventions
- Use conventional commits (feat:, fix:, chore:)
- Prefer composition over inheritance
- See @docs/api-guidelines.md for API design patterns

KEY DIFFERENCES

1. Hierarchy support

Lovable: Not supported. OpenCode: Supported.

2. Global config

Lovable: Not supported. OpenCode: Supported.

3. Subdirectory scoping

Lovable: Not supported. OpenCode: Supported.

4. IDE integration

Lovable: Platform. OpenCode: CLI.

WHICH SHOULD I USE?

Recommendation

Choose based on your IDE/CLI preference. If you use Lovable, configure AGENTS.md. If you use OpenCode, configure AGENTS.md. Many projects include config files for multiple tools so each team member can use their preferred editor.

PORTABILITY TIP

sync-instructions.sh
bash
# Maintain a single source of truth:
cp AI-INSTRUCTIONS.md CLAUDE.md
cp AI-INSTRUCTIONS.md .cursorrules
cp AI-INSTRUCTIONS.md AGENTS.md

SEE ALSO

agentconfig.ing2026-03-16COMPARE(1)