Frequently Asked Questions

How it works

What is Völundr and how does it work?

Völundr is an AI-powered application builder that takes a text description of a software idea and delivers a fully deployed Docker application with a live URL. The platform runs a sequential pipeline of four AI agents: the Analyst conducts a discovery conversation to produce a requirements document, the Architect designs the technical structure, the Developer writes the full-stack code, and the Tester validates the output before deployment. In supervised mode, you review and approve each stage. In autonomous mode, the pipeline runs end-to-end without interruption.

How long does it take to build an app?

A typical project takes 10–30 minutes from the end of the intake conversation to the first staging deployment. Simple single-service applications (landing pages, CRUD tools, single-role apps) complete in the lower range. Standard-tier projects with authentication, a database, and a basic dashboard typically take 15–25 minutes. Complex multi-service applications with a docker-compose architecture take up to 30 minutes. These times cover the full pipeline run — requirements, architecture, code, testing, and deployment.

What kinds of applications can Völundr build?

Völundr builds full-stack web applications running on Node.js or Python backends with PostgreSQL databases. It is well-suited for SaaS micro-tools, internal business tools, admin dashboards, REST APIs, subscription apps, waitlist systems, invoice generators, link shorteners, feedback widgets, and similar standard software patterns. It supports multi-container architectures via docker-compose for apps that require multiple services (API server, database, background workers, Redis). Applications requiring deeply custom algorithms, hardware integration, or highly specialised domain logic are better suited to a developer — Völundr is a production-quality starting point, not a replacement for a technical co-founder on a complex product.

What is the difference between supervised mode and autonomous mode?

In supervised mode, you review and approve the output of each pipeline stage before the next begins. You confirm the requirements document before architecture starts, approve the architecture before coding begins, and review the test results before deployment. This gives you maximum control over what is built. In autonomous mode, all four agents run end-to-end without any approval gates — you receive a notification when staging is ready. Both modes produce the same quality output; the choice is about how much involvement you want during the build.

Comparison & differentiation

How is Völundr different from Bolt.new or Lovable.dev?

Bolt.new and Lovable.dev produce output that runs on their own platform infrastructure — Bolt uses StackBlitz WebContainers and Lovable uses Lovable's hosted servers. Neither gives you a portable deployment artifact. Völundr outputs a real Docker container that runs on standard Docker infrastructure anywhere in the world. Additionally, Völundr runs a multi-agent pipeline with a requirements review stage before code is written, which produces more complete and better-structured applications than a single-prompt approach. The tradeoff is that Bolt and Lovable produce first results faster (under five minutes) and offer meaningful free tiers, while Völundr requires a paid quote acceptance before any build starts and takes 10–30 minutes.

How is Völundr different from hiring a freelancer?

Hiring a freelancer to build a SaaS MVP typically costs €2,000–€8,000 and takes 4–12 weeks. Völundr builds a working, staged, deployed application for €49–€149 in under 30 minutes. The key limitations of Völundr compared to a freelancer are that the pipeline works best for standard SaaS patterns — complex custom logic, legacy system integrations, and deeply specialised domain requirements are better handled by an experienced developer. Völundr and a freelancer are not mutually exclusive: Völundr delivers a production-quality Docker starting point that any developer can extend.

What is the Docker ownership advantage?

Völundr is the only AI application builder that delivers a portable Docker container as its output. In hosted mode, your app runs on Järnhaus infrastructure behind a TLS-secured subdomain URL. In export mode, you download a ZIP of the complete Docker code and self-host it on any server, cloud provider, or on-premise environment that supports Docker. There is no dependency on Järnhaus infrastructure to run the downloaded artifact. The exit door is always open and always free — you own the output completely.

Pricing & trust

What does Völundr cost?

There are three cost components. The build fee is a one-time payment at quote acceptance: Simple projects (single-service, basic CRUD) cost €49, Standard projects (multi-feature apps with auth and a database) cost €99, and Complex projects (multi-container docker-compose architectures) cost €149. The hosting subscription is €15 per month — it is optional and required only when you want to promote a project to production so the live URL stays active. Change request packs are one-time add-ons: Starter €25 for 10 CRs, Standard €35 for 15 CRs, Pro €55 for 20 CRs. Every paid build includes 5 free change request credits.

What happens if the build fails?

If the pipeline fails at any stage — Analyst, Architect, Developer, or Tester — the build fee is automatically refunded in full. You do not need to request a refund. The platform detects the failure and initiates the Stripe refund immediately. Refunds typically appear in your account within 5–10 business days depending on your payment provider. This is the Völundr guarantee: you pay for working software, not for compute time.

What happens when I cancel hosting?

When you cancel your hosting subscription, a 14-day grace period begins. During the grace period, all your production applications remain live and accessible at their existing URLs. After 14 days, production containers are shut down and projects enter a hosting-expired state. Your staging environments remain accessible and all project data is preserved. You can re-subscribe at any time to bring production containers back online, or download the Docker ZIP and self-host the application before the grace period ends.

Technical

What technology stack does Völundr generate?

Völundr generates full-stack applications in Node.js (Express or Next.js) or Python (FastAPI or Flask) with PostgreSQL as the database. Frontend interfaces use React with Tailwind CSS. Applications requiring background job processing use Redis and BullMQ. Multi-container architectures are defined in docker-compose.yml. All generated code uses Docker for containerisation and is designed to run on any Docker-compatible host. The Analyst agent selects the most appropriate stack based on your requirements description.

Can I customise the generated code after delivery?

Yes. The generated code is standard, non-proprietary technology — Node.js, Python, React, PostgreSQL. You can download the Docker ZIP and modify any file using any editor or IDE. If you make changes locally, you can redeploy by rebuilding the Docker image. Alternatively, submit a change request through the Völundr platform and the mini-pipeline (Developer + Tester + Deploy) will implement and re-deploy your requested change, preserving the live URL.

How does encrypted credential injection work?

When the Developer agent generates code that requires external API keys — such as a payment processor, email provider, or third-party service — it declares those environment variable names in the project. After staging deployment, you fill in the actual credentials in the Völundr credentials panel. The platform encrypts each credential with AES-256-GCM using a random IV per write and stores only the encrypted value. At deploy time, credentials are decrypted in memory and injected into the container as environment variables. The plaintext value is never stored in the database and is never visible to Järnhaus after encryption.