Build · Beginner · An afternoon
Build your own AI app builder and code reviewer with open-source software
Build apps from a prompt on your own machine, with an AI reviewer checking every change.
Instead of paying for Lovable, Bolt.new or CodeRabbit.
What you'll build
Your own version of Lovable or Bolt: describe an app and watch it get built and run on your machine, then have an AI reviewer read each change before it ships. Dashboards, internal tools, prototypes, portfolio extras and quick "does this idea work" sandboxes all start here. You choose the model, including free local ones, so you aren't rationed by a monthly credit allowance, and your code stays in your own Git repository.
Blueprint
Dyad or bolt.diy builds the app from a prompt; the review bots check each change before it ships.
- You A description of the app Dyad
- Dyad Code changes before you commit Open Code Review
- Dyad A pull request on GitHub PR-Agent
- PR-Agent Review comments and suggested fixes You
The repos
- 01 · Build from a prompt Dyad
Free desktop AI app builder that writes and runs JavaScript web apps on your computer, using your own model keys or local models.
- Setup
- Easy; download the installer, install Node.js, then add an API key or a local model source
- Hardware
- Any machine that can run Node.js; local models need much more, and the docs suggest cloud models on weaker machines source
- Paid extras
- Not required with local models (Ollama, LM Studio) or free API tiers; cloud model APIs and Dyad Pro are optional
- 02 · Build in the browser bolt.diy
Self-hosted, open-source version of Bolt.new that builds and runs full-stack web apps in the browser with 22+ model providers, including Ollama.
- Setup
- Medium; clone and run with Node.js 22.12+ and pnpm, or Docker Compose source
- Hardware
- Not documented beyond Node.js 22.12+ and pnpm
- Paid extras
- Not required with local models (Ollama, LM Studio); cloud model APIs and hosting accounts are optional
- 03 · Review the code Open Code Review
Alibaba's AI code review CLI that combines deterministic pipelines with an LLM agent for line-level review comments, locally or in CI.
- Setup
- Easy, npm install -g @alibaba-group/open-code-review (needs Git 2.41+) source
- Hardware
- Not documented; depends on the model (local models need tool-calling support)
- Paid extras
- An LLM is required, but a local Ollama model works; paid APIs optional
- 04 · Review pull requests PR-Agent
Community-owned open-source PR reviewer with /review, /describe, /improve and /ask commands for GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, Azure DevOps and Gitea.
- Setup
- Easy, a GitHub Action workflow file or pip install "pr-agent[github]" source
- Hardware
- Not documented
- Paid extras
- An LLM is required; paid APIs are the documented default, Ollama possible via LiteLLM
Step by step
Install commands change, so each step links to the repo's own docs for the exact commands.
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Connect a model
Add an API key for a cloud model, or point the builder at a local model in Ollama. Local is free but slower and weaker on big apps; a cloud model is better for first builds.
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Build something small first
Ask for one screen that does one thing, run it, then add features one prompt at a time. Commit to Git after every working step so you can undo.
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Review before you commit
Run Open Code Review on your changes to catch bugs and risky code the builder introduced.
Uses Open Code Review · its docs
Watch out
You bring your own model key or local model. Neither builder includes auth or a database.
Take it further
- A metrics dashboard for your business, wired to a spreadsheet or database.
- A "PLS FIX" loop that sends error logs back to the builder to propose a fix.
- A starter template with sign-in and a database you reuse for every new idea.
Questions
Do I need to know how to code?
Not to start. It helps to learn enough to read errors and use Git, so you can recover when the AI goes wrong.
Is it really free?
The tools are. Models are free if you run them locally; cloud models charge by usage with your own key.
Where do apps get hosted?
Anywhere that runs a web app. The builders can export or push to GitHub; you choose the host.
Every repo here is open source, still maintained and checked against its own documentation. How we check →