Lovable says you own what you create, and it documents how to move it. That puts it ahead of many builders. But a Lovable app is more than the code in its repository: the database, uploaded files, functions, sign-in and AI calls all move separately, and the switch to a new host has timing traps of its own.
This guide covers what Lovable's export gives you, what needs separate work, the three things that trip up a move, and a step-by-step checklist.
What Lovable lets you export
There are two routes for the code. Git sync is on every Lovable plan, and a one-time ZIP download is on paid plans. Neither includes your database records or uploaded files, so those are separate jobs.
A complete export usually gives you:
- Your source code, through Git sync or the ZIP download
- Your database schema, from the project's migration files
- Your database records, through an export file you request
- Your users' passwords, because the password hashes are part of that export
What needs separate work
- Stored files. Uploads have to be downloaded and uploaded again to matching storage buckets at the destination.
- Edge and server functions, along with the secrets and scheduled jobs they rely on.
- Sign-in providers and OAuth redirect URLs, which need setting up again for the new address.
- Connectors and AI features. If your app uses Lovable's AI gateway, those calls keep running through Lovable until you replace them with your own AI provider account.
Three things that trip up a Lovable move
1. The backend destination is limited
Lovable's supported destinations are managed or self-hosted Supabase. It doesn't support moving to plain PostgreSQL, and other backends need changes to your app's integration code. That narrows which hosts make sense, so decide on the backend before you choose anything else.
2. Newer apps need a server host
Apps created from May 13, 2026 use TanStack Start, which runs server code. Older Lovable apps are React and Vite projects that build to static files. The two need different kinds of hosting, so check which one you have before you sign up anywhere.
3. The cutover has timing traps
Database exports can be requested about once every 24 hours, and anything written after the export isn't in it. Scheduled jobs can run twice if both the old and new backends are live at the same time. A clean switch needs a planned pause in writes, a final export and restore, and scheduled jobs turned off on one side.
When the export is restored into a compatible Supabase project, Lovable says users can keep their passwords. Everyone will still need to sign in again, because active sessions don't carry over, so tell your users before you switch.
A step-by-step Lovable exit checklist
- Get the code into your own repository. Connect Git sync, or download the ZIP on a paid plan.
- Check which kind of app you have. A TanStack Start app needs a host that runs server code; an older React and Vite app can be served as static files.
- Take inventory. List every function, scheduled job, connector, secret, sign-in provider and AI call the app relies on.
- Set up the new Supabase project. Managed or self-hosted, in an account your business owns.
- Move schema, records and files. Apply the migration files, restore a requested export and copy each storage bucket.
- Deploy functions and secrets. Add your own keys, including an AI provider account if you used Lovable's AI gateway.
- Test on a separate deployment. Point a second copy of the app at the new backend and check sign-in, reads and writes, uploads, functions and scheduled jobs.
- Cut over in a planned window. Pause writes, run the final export and restore, move your domain and update OAuth redirect URLs.
Once you take on the backend, Lovable points out that availability, backups, security and monitoring become your responsibility. If you'd rather hand the move over, every Lovable web app is a flat $199 with AppExit, code and database included, whatever its size. The Lovable migration guide shows how we run each step.
Frequently asked
If Lovable documents the move, do I need help?
You may not. If you're comfortable with database restores, deploying functions and running a cutover, Lovable's own guide is a good place to start.
Will my users have to reset their passwords?
Not if the export is restored into a compatible Supabase project, because the password hashes are included. They will have to sign in again, and sign-in providers need setting up again at the destination.
What happens to my app's AI features?
Calls through Lovable's AI gateway need your own account with an AI provider after the move, and those usage costs are then billed to you directly.
Is my Lovable database secure?
That depends on your Supabase access rules. Before and after any move, check them with our guide to Supabase Row Level Security for AI-built apps.
Sources
Vendor documentation checked November 2026. Plans and export paths can change. AppExit is not affiliated with Lovable.