The Bug That Cost €10,000
In January 2026, a logistics manager at a 50-employee SME used Lovable to create a stock management app. Goal: replace a shared Excel file, a source of errors and duplicates. In 3 days, the tool generated a web interface with a database, authentication, and reports. The prototype worked—until a poorly written SQL query deleted 3 months of historical data.
What happened:
- The tool generated a query
DELETE FROM stocks WHERE id = ?without aLIMITclause, executed in cascade across the entire table. - No automatic backup: the SME had to hire a data recovery expert (€3,000).
- Bug fix and security audit: €5,000.
- Losses due to system unavailability: €2,000.
Scenario reconstructed from 3 similar cases supported by Keerok in 2025 (logistics, retail, healthcare sectors).
Vibe Coding vs. No-Code: Where Are the Risks?
Vibe coding tools (Lovable, Bolt, Replit) promise to create business apps by simply describing what you want. But unlike no-code solutions like Make.com or Airtable, they generate raw code—and that’s where things get complicated.
| Tool | Prototyping Time | Production Cost (Including Bugs) | Main Risk | Keerok Recommendation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lovable | 2–3 days | €5,000–15,000 | LLM01 (Prompt Injection): Unsecured SQL queries (e.g., cascading deletions). | ✅ Great for prototyping ❌ Avoid in production without an audit |
| Bolt | 5–7 days | €2,000–8,000 | LLM09 (Misinformation): Erroneous code (e.g., infinite loops, incorrect user permissions). | ✅ Secure for production ❌ High cost (credits) |
| Replit | 1 day | €0–1,000 | None (isolated sandbox) | ✅ Perfect for testing ❌ Limited to 500 requests/month |
| Make.com (No-Code) | 3–5 days | €75–500 | None (no code generated) | ✅ Safe alternative for SMEs |
Sources: Keerok estimate based on 5 projects in 2025 + Stanford study 2022.
Checklist to Mitigate Risks
We’ve identified 3 best practices to use vibe coding without breaking everything:
-
Version your code from the prototype stage
- Use GitHub or GitLab even for prototypes. Example: GitHub Free (free for small projects).
- Cost: €0. Time: 5 minutes.
- Test in a sandbox before deployment
- Automate code audits
What If You Don’t Have an In-House Dev?
No panic: solutions exist to prototype safely.
-
Opt for secure no-code
- Example: Make.com (workflows testable in a sandbox before deployment).
- Cost: €75/month (vs. €5,000 to fix a production bug).
-
Learn the basics of security
- Free resource: PortSwigger Web Security Academy (10 hours of training, €0).
- Goal: Spot 80% of critical vulnerabilities (e.g., SQL injections, incorrect user permissions).
Verdict
Vibe coding is a powerful accelerator, but not a magic solution. Our recommendation for 2026:
- For fast prototyping: Use Replit (sandbox) or Lovable (but version your code).
- For critical projects: Choose Bolt (secure) or a no-code solution like Make.com.
- For SMEs without devs: Train an ops person on the OWASP Top 10 basics (10 hours of training is enough).
Admitted limitation: Vibe coding tools evolve quickly—a single update can break your app. Example: In January 2026, a Lovable update made 15% of apps generated before 2025 incompatible. Budget 20% extra time for non-regression testing.