# 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.

> We 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. Facts checked 2026-10-21.

Give this to your agent: "Help me with this: "Free, open-source vibe coding tools", using the RepoQuarry guide at https://repoquarry.dev/guides/free-vibe-coding-tools.md. Read the whole guide first, including its builds and links. Recommend the option that fits what I am building and why, check each project's official docs (linked there) before installing anything, ask me before spending money or using my accounts, and tell me what you set up when you finish."

## Step-by-step builds
Each build lists the repos, how they connect and the steps, with a prompt for your coding agent.
- [Build your own AI app builder and code reviewer with open-source software](https://repoquarry.dev/builds/vibe-workshop.md): Build apps from a prompt on your own machine, with an AI reviewer checking every change.

## Compared
| Project | Runs locally | Commercial use | Paid services | Setup |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| [OpenCode](https://repoquarry.dev/projects/opencode.md) | Yes | Yes · MIT | Optional only | Easy |
| [OpenDesign](https://repoquarry.dev/projects/open-design.md) | Yes | Yes · Apache-2.0 | Optional only | Easy |
| [Dyad](https://repoquarry.dev/projects/dyad.md) | Yes | Conditions · Apache-2.0 | Optional only | Easy |
| [OpenUI](https://repoquarry.dev/projects/openui.md) | Yes | Yes · Apache-2.0 | Optional only | Medium |
| [Screenshot to Code](https://repoquarry.dev/projects/screenshot-to-code.md) | Yes | Yes · MIT | Optional only | Medium |
| [bolt.diy](https://repoquarry.dev/projects/bolt-diy.md) | Yes | Conditions · MIT | Optional only | Medium |
| [Open Lovable](https://repoquarry.dev/projects/open-lovable.md) | Partly | Yes · MIT | Required | Medium |
| [Onlook](https://repoquarry.dev/projects/onlook.md) | Partly | Yes · Apache-2.0 | Required | Hard |
| [Chef](https://repoquarry.dev/projects/chef.md) | Partly | Yes · Apache-2.0 | Required | Hard |
| [sandboxd](https://repoquarry.dev/projects/sandboxd.md) | Yes | Yes · MIT | None required | Medium |
| [Fragments](https://repoquarry.dev/projects/fragments.md) | Partly | Yes · Apache-2.0 | Required | Medium |
| [Llama Coder](https://repoquarry.dev/projects/llamacoder.md) | Yes | Yes · MIT | Required | Medium |
| [Claudable](https://repoquarry.dev/projects/claudable.md) | Yes | Yes · MIT | Optional only | Medium |

## 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: https://x.com/karpathy/status/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
- [Open-source alternatives to Lovable](https://repoquarry.dev/alternatives/lovable.md)
- [Open-source alternatives to Bolt.new](https://repoquarry.dev/alternatives/bolt-new.md)
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Source: RepoQuarry (https://repoquarry.dev/guides/free-vibe-coding-tools). Data licence: CC BY 4.0. Quotes are from project documentation and belong to their authors.