AI app builders7 projects, checked October 19, 2026

Open-source alternatives to Lovable

The open-source alternatives to Lovable are Dyad, Onlook, Chef and Llama Coder. Dyad runs the whole prompt-to-app loop on your own Mac or Windows machine with your own API keys and no sign-up. Onlook adds visual editing on the live page for Next.js and Tailwind projects. Chef, forked from Bolt's open code, generates a database, sign-in and background jobs along with the interface. Llama Coder builds small single-prompt apps on an open model. A builder switches to own the code and pay the model provider directly.

On your own computer, with your own keys
Dyad
Editing the result visually
Onlook
A database and sign-in generated too
Chef

7 of 7 carry an OSI licence. 7 of 7 run on your own machines. Figures read from GitHub on October 26, 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.

On your own computer, with your own keys

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.

OSI22,071 stars

Editing the result visually

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.

OSI27,005 stars

A database and sign-in generated too

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.

OSI4,598 stars

Small apps from one prompt

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.

OSI7,141 stars

What to take away

  • Dyad's own README compares it to Lovable, v0 and Bolt, running on your machine.
  • Only Chef generates a backend, and only on Convex.
  • The software is free under Apache-2.0 or MIT; you pay the model provider directly.
  • Lovable still wins on hosting, deployment and governance as one product.

The projects, side by side

The facts that decide most choices. Each project's page carries the full panel.

ProjectBest forOpennessLicenceRuns asOwn machinesStars
DyadOn your own computer, with your own keysOSISee LICENSEDesktop appYes22,071
OnlookEditing the result visuallyOSIApache-2.0Hosted app, Run locally (Bun, Docker, Supabase)Yes27,005
ChefA database and sign-in generated tooOSIApache-2.0Hosted app, Run locally (pnpm, Convex)Yes4,598
Llama CoderSmall apps from one promptOSIMITWeb app (Next.js)Yes7,141
OpsiforceOSIAGPL-3.0Kubernetes cluster, local minikube for developmentYes38
Open Vibe CodingOSIMITBrowser app, Tauri 2 desktop or mobile buildYes11
CreableOSIMITNext.js appYes10

Licence and star figures read from GitHub on October 26, 2026. Stars are shown as a dated fact and were not used to rank this page.

Each project, in turn

Dyad

OSIOn your own computer, with your own keys

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
v1.21.0, Oct 26, 2026

Onlook

OSIEditing the result visually

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

Chef

OSIA database and sign-in generated too

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

Llama Coder

OSISmall apps from one prompt

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

An AGPL-3.0, self-hosted web platform that builds and runs AI-generated apps inside your own Kubernetes cluster, with per-project pods, persistent workspaces, HTTPS routes and multiple environments.

Licence
AGPL-3.0
Runs as
Kubernetes cluster, local minikube for development
Platforms
macOS, Linux (Ubuntu documented); production needs Kubernetes
Hosted option
None from the maintainers
Last release
0.3.1, Oct 26, 2026

An MIT browser-based AI coding workspace with an editable chat agent, a Sandpack live preview, runtime diagnostics the agent reads to repair itself, and a Tauri option to package the project for desktop or mobile.

Licence
MIT
Runs as
Browser app, Tauri 2 desktop or mobile build
Platforms
Node.js 20 or newer, pnpm, Tauri (macOS, Windows, Linux, mobile)
Hosted option
Sold by the maintainers
Last release
No tagged release

An MIT Lovable-style AI app builder from Totalum: the chat, workspace, code editor and publish flow are MIT code, with the coding agent, sandboxes, databases, hosting and domains supplied by the Totalum API behind one key.

Licence
MIT
Runs as
Next.js app
Platforms
Node.js 20 or newer, Docker, Vercel, Railway, Render, Fly.io
Hosted option
Sold by the maintainers
Last release
No tagged release

How to choose

The questions that settle it, in the order they usually come up.

  1. Do you want it on your own machine?

    Dyad is a desktop app with your own keys. Onlook and Chef can be self-hosted or used hosted. Llama Coder runs locally with a Together AI key.

  2. Do you need a backend generated?

    Chef generates a database, sign-in, file uploads and background jobs. The others generate front-end code.

  3. Do you want to edit visually?

    Onlook edits the live page with a Figma-like interface while keeping the code in sync.

Where Lovable is still the better choice

Lovable, in the vendor's own words, is "a full-stack AI development platform for building, iterating on, and deploying web applications using natural language, with real code, security, and enterprise governance", by its own description on its documentation site. lovable.dev. The cases below are where that still wins.

  • You want hosting, a database, sign-in and deployment handled as one product, with nothing to run.
  • You want a team workspace with governance and support, which none of the open options describes.
  • You want the newest models tuned for app generation without choosing or paying for them separately.
  • You want the fastest path from idea to a live URL, with no local setup at all.

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 Lovable. 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 Lovable?

Dyad, whose README makes the comparison itself: an app builder like Lovable, v0 and Bolt, running on your machine with your own keys. Onlook if you want to edit the result visually, Chef if you need a backend generated too, Llama Coder for small apps on an open model.

Can I run an AI app builder on my own computer?

Yes. Dyad is a desktop app for Mac and Windows with no sign-up, using your own API keys. Llama Coder is a Next.js app you run locally with a Together AI key. Onlook and Chef can be self-hosted, though both also offer hosted versions.

Which one generates a backend as well as a front end?

Chef, from Convex. Its README says it builds full-stack web apps with a built-in database, zero-configuration authentication, file uploads, real-time interfaces and background workflows. The trade is that those apps run on Convex.

Do these keep my code?

Yes. Each generates code you hold: Onlook works on any Next.js and Tailwind project and shows the exact line behind any element, Chef writes a project on a public template, and Dyad runs locally so the files never leave your machine.

Are they free?

The software is free under each licence. You pay whichever model provider you bring a key for. Dyad's pro directory is under a licence that forbids competing commercial use until it converts to Apache-2.0 two years after each release; the rest are Apache-2.0 or MIT.

Sources

  1. Lovable documentation, the vendor's own description, read September 17, 2026
  2. Dyad README and licences, read September 17, 2026
  3. Onlook README, read September 17, 2026
  4. Chef README, read September 17, 2026
  5. Llama Coder README, read September 17, 2026

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