Vibe Coding: A Guide for Nonprofits
Author: Andrew Collins;
Reading Time: 4 minutes
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Vibe coding tools enable you to build applications, websites, and digital tools using plain English, without needing any coding experience.
What is vibe coding?
‘Vibe coding’ is the practice of creating digital software simply by describing what you want in plain English, letting an AI handle all the technical work. Instead of writing code, you have a conversation. The AI develops a solution, you provide feedback, and it iterates and improves.
For third sector organisations, this is genuinely beneficial. Staff with no coding or technical background can now create simple internal tools, forms, dashboards, and prototypes that would otherwise require a developer or an expensive subscription.
Many tools facilitate this process, each tailored to different types of users.
Claude, Gemini, and ChatGPT: The best starting point
Claude, Gemini, and ChatGPT are general AI assistants rather than specialised app builders, but they all handle vibe coding well for simpler tasks. You describe what you need, the AI writes the code, and you can refine from there. These are excellent initial options if you want to experiment with vibe coding without adopting new platforms.
Cost: They all offer a free plan. Paid plans start at around £15 per month.
Best for: Organisations new to AI that wish to explore vibe coding alongside tasks like writing, summarising, and research. Not suitable if you need to deploy an app to the web.
Lovable: Great for building and publishing apps
Lovable is a dedicated vibe coding platform. You describe what you want, it constructs a functioning web application, and you can publish it live directly from the site. It’s designed for non-technical users, making it user-friendly and easy to learn.
It operates on a credit system where each AI prompt costs one credit from your monthly allowance. This system helps make costs predictable, although heavy usage on larger projects can deplete credits faster than expected.
Cost: Free plan with five daily credits. Paid plans start at around £19 per month.
Best for: Organisations aiming to build and launch a real web tool without a developer. The free plan is a good starting point, but monitor your credit usage as projects expand.
Copilot: Worth trying if you already use Microsoft 365
Microsoft Copilot is worth mentioning because many third sector organisations in Wales may already have access. A free version is available to anyone with a Microsoft account, and organisations using Microsoft 365 might find Copilot already integrated into their daily tools.
As a vibe coding tool, it is more limited than others on this list. It can generate and explain simple code if prompted, but it isn’t designed for building and deploying applications. Its strengths lie in productivity tasks within Microsoft 365: drafting emails, summarising documents, generating meeting notes, and working with data in Excel.
Cost: Free for anyone with a Microsoft account. Deeper integration with Microsoft 365 applications requires a Copilot licence as an add-on to your existing subscription. Check with your IT support to see what your organisation already has access to.
Best for: Organisations already using Microsoft 365 who want to explore AI without adopting a new tool. Not ideal specifically for vibe coding, but a practical starting point for AI-assisted productivity overall.
Cursor: Ideal for technically skilled staff with some coding experience
Cursor is an AI code editor rather than a chat-based tool. It’s designed for users who already know how to write code and want AI assistance during their workflow. It can create and modify code from plain English prompts, but familiarity with coding is necessary to get the most out of it.
Cost: Free plan with limited usage. Paid plans start at around £15 per month.
Best for: Organisations with a developer or technically confident staff member seeking to work more efficiently. Not suitable for beginners.
Where to start
If your organisation already uses Microsoft 365, Copilot is the obvious first step, as it may already be available to you. For general vibe coding exploration, Claude, Gemini, or ChatGPT are also excellent starting points. If you intend to build and deploy something real, Lovable is worth trying on the free plan first, and Cursor is best when technical confidence is already established.
If you need help getting started with Vibe Coding, or want to discover more about AI for your organisation, get in touch with our team to learn how we can support you.
Commissioned by Catalyst
