It's 2026. Scrolling through Instagram Reels brings up clips such as "I built an app in four hours with Claude Code!" rather than the usual cat videos.

It appears that everyone from children to grandparents is now vibe coding.

Vibe coding, a term introduced by OpenAI co-founder Andrej Karpathy last year, involves using everyday language to direct AI in writing code and creating apps.

Tech executives boast about the share of company code produced by AI, with Anthropic and Google leading at 90 percent. Individuals are also building tools to manage healthcare for aging parents. AI-assisted development is a hot topic.

At Business Insider we have tested tools including Claude Code, Manus, Lovable, Base44, and Cursor. The results include personal fitness apps, newsroom helpers, and our own take on Pinterest.

My first try at vibe coding did not match expectations. Prompting AI in plain English takes practice.

If you have not tried it yet, here is a simple guide to get started.

1. What platform should I use?

The first question is where to begin. Several products provide free daily credits for experimentation.

Non-technical users who want simple tools rather than complex products should try Lovable, Base44, or Replit.

Those with more technical experience may prefer Claude Code, Emergent, or Cursor, though this guide is aimed at beginners.

All function in a similar way. I used Lovable for this guide.

One goal this year is to watch subscription spending, so I decided to build a subscription tracker, a common vibe-coding project.

Now we build.

2. How should I prompt AI on what to build?

After choosing a tool and a project, the next step is prompting. AI performs only as well as the prompt it receives.

The easiest approach is to ask another AI tool such as ChatGPT or Claude to create a detailed prompt for the app.

For this example I asked ChatGPT for a prompt to build a subscription tracker that shows spending on streaming services, news sites, music apps, and workout apps, with clear start and end dates for each.

Vibe coding requires more than casual language. Detailed prompts produce richer first drafts and help conserve free credits.

Paste the prompt into the tool, keep the setting on "build," and press enter. The process may take a few minutes.

3. How do I correct mistakes?

After the first version appears, you may like it or want changes.

I found the initial tracker plain and unappealing, with a white background and basic charts that did not encourage regular use.

I decided to adjust the design. Modifying prompts work like instructions to an intern: "Change the colors. Make it more engaging."

After refining the prompt and regenerating the site, the new version featured a dark background with bright buttons and achievement badges such as "Budget Guardian." It felt more suitable.

The finished site allows adding subscriptions, sorting them by category, selecting billing cycles, and other functions.

When satisfied, click publish and use the result.

4. How can I maximize my free credits?

Each prompt uses credits. By the end of the project only half of my five daily credits remained.

To stretch credits, switch between "plan" and "build" modes. Plan mode uses one credit per prompt and lets you outline features before making changes.

When free credits run out, wait 24 hours for renewal or upgrade. Lovable's lowest paid plan is 25 dollars per month for 100 extra credits. Similar plans on other platforms start around 20 dollars.

Another option is to improve the original prompt with new details and try it on a different platform such as Base44.

That covers the basics of vibe coding. Enjoy experimenting with the available credits.