Guide
Free, open-source vibe coding tools
Vibe coding means describing what you want in plain words and letting an AI write and run the code, accepting its changes without reading every line.
The paid tools (Lovable, Bolt.new) bill by credits or tokens. The open-source ones below are free software; what you pay for, if anything, is the AI model behind them. Each row shows whether that can be a free local model.
Quick answer
Facts checked 21 Oct 2026We track 13 open-source vibe coding tools, each checked for licence, commercial use, hardware, paid services and setup. OpenCode, OpenDesign, OpenUI and Screenshot to Code (and 2 more) run on your own machine, allow commercial use and need no paid service (you still choose a model: a paid API key or a free local one). Easiest to set up: OpenCode, OpenDesign and Dyad.
Copied. Paste it into Claude Code, Codex, Grok or any coding agent:
Your agent reads the whole guide, with every build, link and sourced fact, at /guides/free-vibe-coding-tools.md.
Step-by-step builds
Each build names the repos, shows how they connect and walks through the steps. Every one has its own "Give this to your agent" prompt.
Compared
Best ranked first (stars, recent activity and how many facts we could source). Unknown means we found no source, never a yes.
| Project | Runs locally | Commercial use | Paid services | Setup | Stars |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenCodeOpen-source AI coding agent for the terminal, with a desktop app and IDE extension, that works with any model provider or a local model. | Confirmed: Yes | Confirmed: Yes · MIT | Partial: Optional only | Confirmed: Easy | ★ 219k |
| OpenDesignLocal-first desktop workspace where a coding agent or your own model key turns a brief into web prototypes, slides, images and motion graphics. | Confirmed: Yes | Confirmed: Yes · Apache-2.0 | Partial: Optional only | Confirmed: Easy | ★ 103k |
| DyadFree desktop AI app builder that writes and runs JavaScript web apps on your computer, using your own model keys or local models. | Confirmed: Yes | Partial: Conditions · Apache-2.0 | Partial: Optional only | Confirmed: Easy | ★ 22k |
| OpenUIDescribe a UI in words and see it rendered live as HTML, then convert it to React, Svelte or Web Components. UI only, no backend. | Confirmed: Yes | Confirmed: Yes · Apache-2.0 | Partial: Optional only | Confirmed: Medium | ★ 23k |
| Screenshot to CodeTurns screenshots, mockups, Figma designs or screen recordings into front-end code (HTML/Tailwind, React, Vue and more) using cloud AI models. | Confirmed: Yes | Confirmed: Yes · MIT | Partial: Optional only | Confirmed: Medium | ★ 81k |
| bolt.diySelf-hosted, open-source version of Bolt.new that builds and runs full-stack web apps in the browser with 22+ model providers, including Ollama. | Confirmed: Yes | Partial: Conditions · MIT | Partial: Optional only | Confirmed: Medium | ★ 20k |
| Open LovableFirecrawl's example app for chatting with AI to build React apps, mainly by cloning an existing website. Needs Firecrawl and a cloud sandbox. | Partial: Partly | Confirmed: Yes · MIT | No: Required | Confirmed: Medium | ★ 29k |
| OnlookBrowser-based visual editor for Next.js + Tailwind apps. Create from a prompt or image, then edit by clicking and dragging with AI help. | Partial: Partly | Confirmed: Yes · Apache-2.0 | No: Required | Confirmed: Hard | ★ 27k |
| ChefConvex's AI app builder, built from bolt.diy, that generates full-stack web apps with a Convex database, auth, file uploads and realtime UI. | Partial: Partly | Confirmed: Yes · Apache-2.0 | No: Required | Confirmed: Hard | ★ 4.6k |
| sandboxdSelf-hosted engine and web console where a coding agent builds apps from a prompt in isolated Docker sandboxes on your own server, each with a preview URL. | Confirmed: Yes | Confirmed: Yes · MIT | Confirmed: None required | Confirmed: Medium | ★ 970 |
| FragmentsNext.js template from E2B that generates small Next.js, Vue, Streamlit, Gradio or Python apps from a prompt and runs them in E2B cloud sandboxes. | Partial: Partly | Confirmed: Yes · Apache-2.0 | No: Required | Confirmed: Medium | ★ 6.4k |
| Llama CoderOpen-source take on Claude Artifacts that generates small React apps from one prompt or a screenshot, using open models hosted on Together AI. | Confirmed: Yes | Confirmed: Yes · MIT | No: Required | Confirmed: Medium | ★ 7.1k |
| ClaudableLocal Next.js app builder that drives a coding-agent CLI you already use (Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, Qwen Code) to build web apps with a live preview. | Confirmed: Yes | Confirmed: Yes · MIT | Partial: Optional only | Confirmed: Medium | ★ 4.1k |
Common questions
What is vibe coding?
A way of building software by prompting an AI and accepting the code it writes, without reviewing it line by line. The term was coined by Andrej Karpathy in February 2025. Source: x.com · 1886192184808149383
Can you vibe code for free?
Yes. sandboxd needs no paid service at all. OpenCode, OpenDesign, Dyad, OpenUI, Screenshot to Code and bolt.diy (and 1 more) are free to run, with paid services (usually a hosted model API) optional. The software is free; the AI model is the usual cost. A local model through Ollama or LM Studio costs nothing per request but needs a capable computer.
Which vibe coding tools work with local models like Ollama?
OpenCode, OpenDesign, Dyad, OpenUI, Screenshot to Code and bolt.diy document support for a local model (for example Ollama or LM Studio), so you can work without a paid API key. Small local models make more mistakes than the best hosted ones, so expect to check their work more often.
Which open-source vibe coding tools can I use commercially?
Confirmed: OpenCode (MIT), OpenDesign (Apache-2.0), OpenUI (Apache-2.0), Screenshot to Code (MIT), Open Lovable (MIT), Onlook (Apache-2.0), Chef (Apache-2.0), sandboxd (MIT), Fragments (Apache-2.0), Llama Coder (MIT) and Claudable (MIT). With conditions: Dyad and bolt.diy. This is not legal advice; read each licence.
Which is easiest to set up?
Rated easy from their install docs: OpenCode, OpenDesign and Dyad. Each page links the exact install step we checked.
Which run on Windows?
OpenCode, OpenDesign, Dyad, Screenshot to Code, bolt.diy and Claudable are documented to run on Windows. The others are web apps, servers or unconfirmed; check each page.
By paid product
This page answers
- free vibe coding tools
- open source vibe coding tools
- vibe coding tools like lovable
- open source lovable alternative
- bolt new alternative open source
- build a website with ai for free
More guides
Know a project we're missing? Suggest it.