The Bolt $5k Design Challenge winners

Every now and then, the internet gets it right. Last week, we asked the world a simple question:

What can you build—start to finish—using nothing but Bolt?

The challenge:

Design a stunning site using Bolt’s shiny new hosting and domain features in 4 days or less. 

The reward:

$1k per victor, plus eternal bragging rights. 

We received hundreds of entries. And on Friday’s livestream, we crowned the five winners. Each one used Bolt to create something equal parts delightful and unexpected.

Here’s the rundown on the top entries we saw. 

1. Web Radio

• Creator: @jmnoel95

• Live Site: bolt-radio-m3lw.bolt.host

  
  

This retro radio station for the web is functional art you can actually listen to. It’s playful, nostalgic, and a reminder that the web can still surprise us. Works just like the one you remember, if you think back. 

2. T-Shirt Customization Studio

• Creator: @SuvoIknow

• Live Site: suvo-store-f9na.bolt.host

  
  

From zero to a mini SaaS in literally four days’ time: a live T-shirt customization tool where users can ideate, tweak, and preview their new favorite design. It’s a simple, useful site anyone can understand at a glance. 

3. Honey Apiary Website

• Creator: @wowserio

• Live Site: rumunkiapiary.bio

  
  

This is one of those times when the screenshot doesn’t really do it justice. Click the link to see this beautifully executed small business site for yourself: it features a moving portrait (pun intended) of the lush landscape where this apiary’s bees do their best work. 

4. Control Room

• Creator: @thecorgod1234

• Live Site: control-room-website-08d0.bolt.host

  
  

Up for an eerie adventure? This entry is an interactive game where those too curious for their own good can attempt to hack into the mainframe. This experiment in design also includes a vivid soundscape featuring the hypnotic hums and tones of heavy-duty hardware. 

5. Fintech Bank Template 

• Creator: @clarklab

• Live Site: paystack.cards

  
  

This slick banking site nails the visual language of finance: clean, modern, and trustworthy. It makes personal finance feel fun while maintaining the bold look of a billion-dollar enterprise that can keep your money and data safe. 

Honorable mentions

We got tons of amazing submissions, so of course we can’t stop at just five standouts. 

A few others we loved:

• 3D Skeleton Model by @alfariesh — interactive, spooky-cool WebGL.

• WebGL Effect Landing Page by @vibingape — visual candy.

• Architecture Firm Template by @jmnoel95 — clean, professional design.

• Soundboard by @goandbuild — because who doesn’t love a button that goes boop?

• AI Agency Template by @Bilalsells — a sharp take on modern landing pages.

  
  

The Bolt Design Challenge wasn’t just about $5k in prizes. It was about proving that when you lower the barrier to building, creativity spikes through the roof.

From art projects to real-world business sites, the winners showed just how wide the spectrum of “what’s possible” really is. And they did it all in less than a week. 

Ready to spin up your own unique designs? Start building with Bolt.