Chef
Apache-2.0, forked from bolt.diy, building full-stack apps with a database, authentication, file uploads and background jobs on Convex.
Know firstEvery app it builds runs on Convex, and self-hosting uses Convex's hosted control plane.
AI app builders4 projects, checked September 17, 2026
Open-source alternatives to Bolt
The open-source alternatives to Bolt are Chef, Dyad, Onlook and Llama Coder. Chef is the closest relation: Convex forked the stable branch of Bolt's open-source version and added a generated backend, so every app comes with a database, sign-in, file uploads and background jobs. Dyad runs the prompt-to-app loop on your own machine, Onlook adds visual editing for Next.js projects, and Llama Coder builds small apps from a single prompt on an open model.
- A database and sign-in generated too
- Chef
- On your own computer, with your own keys
- Dyad
- Editing the result visually
- Onlook
4 of 4 carry an OSI licence. 4 of 4 run on your own machines. Figures read from GitHub on September 17, 2026.
Pick by need
One project per need, with the reason from its own README and the one thing to know before you choose it.
Dyad
A desktop app for Mac and Windows whose README compares it to Lovable, v0 and Bolt running locally, with no sign-up and your own API keys.
Know firstIts README does not name the models, framework or deployment targets, and there is no Linux build.
Onlook
Apache-2.0 visual-first editor for Next.js and Tailwind, with a Figma-like interface, layers, branching and checkpoints, synced to real code.
Know firstNext.js and Tailwind only for now, and running it yourself needs Bun, Docker, Supabase and OpenRouter.
Llama Coder
MIT, generating a small app from a single prompt with Llama 3.1 405B through Together AI and previewing it in a sandboxed frame.
Know firstSmall single apps with no backend or deployment, tied to Together AI for inference.
What to take away
- Chef is a fork of bolt.diy, Bolt's own open-source version, with full-stack generation added.
- bolt.diy itself is not listed here: it had no commit in the 90 days before it was checked.
- Every option here leaves the generated code in your hands.
- Bolt still wins on its in-browser runtime and one-click deployment.
The projects, side by side
The facts that decide most choices. Each project's page carries the full panel.
| Project | Best for | Openness | Licence | Runs as | Own machines | Stars |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chef | A database and sign-in generated too | OSI | Apache-2.0 | Hosted app, Run locally (pnpm, Convex) | Yes | 4,610 |
| Dyad | On your own computer, with your own keys | OSI | See LICENSE | Desktop app | Yes | 21,576 |
| Onlook | Editing the result visually | OSI | Apache-2.0 | Hosted app, Run locally (Bun, Docker, Supabase) | Yes | 26,756 |
| Llama Coder | Small apps from one prompt | OSI | MIT | Web app (Next.js) | Yes | 7,131 |
Licence and star figures read from GitHub on September 17, 2026. Stars are shown as a dated fact and were not used to rank this page.
Each project, in turn
Convex's Apache-2.0 AI app builder, a fork of bolt.diy, that builds full-stack web apps with a built-in database, authentication, file uploads, real-time interfaces and background jobs on the Convex backend.
Apache-2.0, forked from bolt.diy, building full-stack apps with a database, authentication, file uploads and background jobs on Convex.
Know firstEvery app it builds runs on Convex, and self-hosting uses Convex's hosted control plane.
- Licence
- Apache-2.0
- Runs as
- Hosted app, Run locally (pnpm, Convex)
- Platforms
- Browser, Local development on macOS and Linux
- Hosted option
- Sold by the maintainers
- Last release
- prompts-v0.0.1, Sep 11, 2025
A local, open-source AI app builder for Mac and Windows that its README compares to Lovable, v0 and Bolt running on your own machine, with your own API keys and no sign-up, under Apache-2.0 apart from a fair-source pro directory.
A desktop app for Mac and Windows whose README compares it to Lovable, v0 and Bolt running locally, with no sign-up and your own API keys.
Know firstIts README does not name the models, framework or deployment targets, and there is no Linux build.
- Licence
- See the LICENSE file
- Runs as
- Desktop app
- Platforms
- macOS, Windows
- Hosted option
- None from the maintainers
- Last release
- v1.15.0, Sep 11, 2026
An Apache-2.0 visual-first code editor for building Next.js and Tailwind sites and prototypes with AI, editing the page directly in the browser with a Figma-like interface while the code stays in sync.
Apache-2.0 visual-first editor for Next.js and Tailwind, with a Figma-like interface, layers, branching and checkpoints, synced to real code.
Know firstNext.js and Tailwind only for now, and running it yourself needs Bun, Docker, Supabase and OpenRouter.
- Licence
- Apache-2.0
- Runs as
- Hosted app, Run locally (Bun, Docker, Supabase)
- Platforms
- Browser
- Hosted option
- Sold by the maintainers
- Last release
- v0.2.32, Jul 17, 2025
An MIT open-source take on Claude Artifacts that generates small apps from one prompt with Llama 3.1 405B on Together AI and previews them in a sandboxed in-browser renderer.
MIT, generating a small app from a single prompt with Llama 3.1 405B through Together AI and previewing it in a sandboxed frame.
Know firstSmall single apps with no backend or deployment, tied to Together AI for inference.
- Licence
- MIT
- Runs as
- Web app (Next.js)
- Platforms
- Browser
- Hosted option
- None from the maintainers
- Last release
- No tagged release
How to choose
The questions that settle it, in the order they usually come up.
Do you need a backend?
Chef, which forked Bolt's open-source code and added a Convex backend.
Local or in a browser?
Dyad is local on Mac and Windows; Chef and Onlook run in a browser, hosted or self-hosted.
Which models?
Chef takes Anthropic, Google, OpenAI or xAI keys; Onlook routes through OpenRouter; Llama Coder uses Together AI.
Where Bolt is still the better choice
Bolt, in the vendor's own words, is a tool to "build and scale high-performing websites & apps using your words", by StackBlitz's own description. bolt.new. The cases below are where that still wins.
- You want to build and preview in a browser with nothing installed, and deploy from the same place.
- You want StackBlitz's in-browser runtime, which the open builders replace with containers or local processes.
- You want the vendor's newest model choices without configuring providers.
- You want support and a team plan behind the tool.
How this page was checked
Numbers from GitHub, dated
Stars, licence, last commit and last release are read from the GitHub API by a script every week and carry the date they were read. Nobody types them.
Claims from the README
What each project does is written from its own README and LICENSE, read in full on the date shown, and phrased as the project's claim. The sources are listed at the end.
What is never said
That a project is faster, better or cheaper than Bolt. A price for anyone. A user count. A roadmap. If a fact is not on this page, it was not in the source.
- OSI Open source (OSI licence)
- The code, and the weights where the project is a model, carry a licence on the OSI approved list.
- Source available Source available
- The code is public, and the licence limits what you may do with it. Read the LICENSE file before commercial use.
- Open weights Open weights
- The model weights can be downloaded and run. The training data or code is closed, or the weights carry a restriction the code does not.
Questions people ask
What is the best open-source alternative to Bolt?
Chef, which its README says is a fork of the stable branch of bolt.diy, Bolt's open-source version, with full-stack generation on Convex added. Dyad is the local desktop option, Onlook the visual editor for Next.js, and Llama Coder the small-app generator.
What happened to bolt.diy?
bolt.diy is the open-source version of Bolt, and Chef's README says Chef is a fork of its stable branch. bolt.diy itself is not listed in this directory because its repository had no commit within the 90 days before it was checked, which is the activity bar this directory applies.
Which one generates a database and sign-in?
Chef. Its README describes full-stack web apps with a built-in database, zero-configuration authentication, file uploads, real-time interfaces and background workflows, all running on Convex, the reactive database Chef is built around and which is itself open source.
Can I use my own models?
Yes. Chef takes Anthropic, Google, OpenAI or xAI keys, set in the environment or in its settings. Dyad asks you to bring your own API keys. Onlook routes models through OpenRouter. Llama Coder uses Llama 3.1 405B through Together AI.
Are they free to use?
The software is, under Apache-2.0 or MIT. Model use costs whatever your provider charges. Chef and Onlook also run hosted versions, with Chef's README mentioning a free tier; neither states prices in its README.
Sources
- bolt.new, StackBlitz's own description, read September 17, 2026
- Chef README, read September 17, 2026
- Dyad README, read September 17, 2026
- Onlook README, read September 17, 2026
- Llama Coder README, read September 17, 2026
Running one of these inside your own environment, with your own data and your own security rules, is the kind of work Reveneau does. Read how a forward deployed engagement works.