Reviewed by Nick Oakley, Head of Digital
Nicada Digital has built and looked after more than 800 websites since 2014, almost all of them on WordPress. Hosting is the part clients never see and always feel.
Vibe coding is building software by telling an AI what you want in plain English, letting it write the code, and judging the result by trying it out rather than by reading the code.
Instead of writing "a function that checks the date and adds a row to the table", you type: "When someone books a slot, add it to the calendar and email them a confirmation." The AI does the rest. If it is not right, you say what is wrong, and it tries again.
Who wrote this
We are a web agency that builds client sites with the help of AI coding tools, so we use this every week. We are also a SiteGround affiliate and earn a commission if you buy its Coderick AI tool through our links.
Where the Term Came From
The phrase was coined by Andrej Karpathy, an AI researcher who co-founded OpenAI and led AI work at Tesla. On 2 February 2025 he posted on X about "a new kind of coding" he called vibe coding, where you "fully give in to the vibes" and stop worrying about the code itself. He said it was fine for throwaway weekend projects.
The name stuck. Within months, "vibe coding" was being used for a whole category of tools. In November 2025 Collins Dictionary named it Word of the Year, defining it as using AI prompted by natural language to write computer code.
How Vibe Coding Works
- Describe it. "A page where my customers can upload a photo of their garden and get a rough quote for turfing."
- The AI builds it. It writes the code for the pages, the logic behind them and often a database.
- Try it. You click around and see what works.
- Say what is wrong. "The quote should be per square metre, and add a box for their phone number."
- Repeat until it does what you want, then publish it.
The skill moves from writing code to describing problems clearly, testing carefully, and knowing when the AI has gone in the wrong direction.
What You Can Build
Vibe coding is at its best for small, self-contained tools:
- Booking and appointment systems
- Quote and price calculators
- Client portals and members areas
- Internal tools: trackers, dashboards, checklists
- Prototypes to test an idea before paying a developer
It is weaker at large, complicated systems, anything that has to connect to lots of other software, and anything where a security mistake would be costly.
Try vibe coding free
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The Risks
Security
This is the big one. In 2025, the security firm Veracode tested code written by more than 100 AI models and found that 45% of the samples failed security tests, introducing well-known weaknesses. AI writes code that works, but "works" and "safe" are not the same.
If your app handles customer details, logins or payments, have someone who understands code look over it before it goes live.
Getting stuck
The first 80% comes quickly. The last 20% can be frustrating, as the AI fixes one thing and breaks another. Small, specific requests work much better than "make it better".
Lock-in
Some tools make it easy to take your code elsewhere; some do not. Before you build something important, check whether you can export it. Our vibe coding tools guide shows which tools let you.
Running costs
Most tools charge in credits, and a big project can use a lot of them. Look at what happens when you run out, not just the starting price. See how Lovable's credits work for an example.
Vibe Coding Tools
| Tool | Paid from | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Coderick AI | $10/mo (£8) | Small businesses: hosting, domain, email and support included |
| Lovable | $25/mo | Polished web apps, easy to hand to developers |
| Bolt.new | $25/mo | Fast prototypes |
| Replit | $20/mo | More complex apps, including mobile |
| Base44 | $16/mo yearly | Internal business tools |
| Cursor | $20/mo | Developers, in a code editor |
| Claude Code | $20/mo (Claude Pro) | Developers, in the terminal |
Prices from each company's own site, checked 1 October 2026. Full comparison: the best vibe coding tools.
Should You Vibe Code Your Business Website?
Usually not. A normal business website, with pages about your services, a contact form and a blog, is better built on WordPress or a website builder. It is easier for you to edit, easier to rank in Google, and any web designer can pick it up.
Vibe coding is better for the extra things a business needs: the quote calculator, the booking tool, the client portal. Many businesses will end up with both: a WordPress site, plus one or two small apps built with AI.
If you want the website side done properly, we build them. If you want to try the app side, start with a free trial of Coderick AI or Lovable.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is vibe coding in simple terms?
Vibe coding means building software by describing what you want to an AI in plain English, then letting the AI write the code. You judge the result by trying it, not by reading the code.
Who came up with the term vibe coding?
Andrej Karpathy, an AI researcher who co-founded OpenAI and led AI at Tesla. He used it in a post on X on 2 February 2025. Collins Dictionary made it its Word of the Year for 2025.
Is vibe coding safe?
For prototypes and personal tools, usually. For anything that handles customer data or payments, be careful. Veracode's 2025 report found that 45% of AI-generated code samples it tested failed security tests. Have someone who understands the code check anything important before it goes live.
Can I vibe code without knowing how to code?
Yes. Tools like Lovable, Bolt and SiteGround's Coderick AI are built for people who do not code. You will get further if you learn to describe problems clearly and test carefully, and some technical knowledge helps when things go wrong.
Can I vibe code a business website?
You can, but for a normal business website WordPress or a website builder is usually the better choice: easier to edit, easier to rank in Google, and easier to hand to someone else. Vibe coding shines for apps such as booking tools, calculators and client portals.
What are the best vibe coding tools?
For non-coders: Lovable, Bolt.new, Base44 and Coderick AI. For more complex apps: Replit. For developers: Cursor and Claude Code. Our guide to the best vibe coding tools compares them all.