Onlook

What does Onlook do?

Onlook is "an open-source, visual-first code editor" and "an open-source alternative to Bolt.new, Lovable, V0, Replit Agent, Figma Make, Webflow, etc.", by its README. You "craft websites, prototypes, and designs with AI in Next.js + TailwindCSS" and "make edits directly in the browser DOM with a visual editor." Its finished features include creating a Next.js app from text, an image or a template, a Figma-like interface, real-time preview, brand assets and tokens, layers, branching, a real-time code editor, checkpoints and running commands.

Right-click any element to jump to its exact location in the code. Apps load into a web container, powered by CodeSandbox's SDK, and can be shared by link or put on a custom domain. The stack is Supabase for auth, database and storage, Drizzle, tRPC, Bun and Docker, with models through the AI SDK and OpenRouter. It works on any Next.js and Tailwind project, and the README says its design could in principle extend to other frameworks.

Key facts

• Licence: Apache-2.0, with no added conditions.
• Builds Next.js and Tailwind CSS apps, from text, an image or a template.
• Visual editing directly in the browser DOM with a Figma-like interface, layers, branching and checkpoints, synced with a real-time code editor.
• Models through the AI SDK and OpenRouter; fast-apply models from Morph and Relace. Local models are not stated.
• Runs apps in a CodeSandbox-powered web container; shareable links and custom domains.
• Stack: Supabase, Drizzle ORM, tRPC, Bun and Docker.
• Unfinished per the README: a drag-and-drop components panel, comments, images as references, MCP in projects, and non-Next.js or non-Tailwind projects.
• Latest tagged release when read: v0.2.32 on 2025-07-17, with pushes through 2026-08-24; 26,756 stars on 2026-09-17.

What does it replace, and where does it fall short?

Onlook replaces Lovable, v0 and Bolt for someone who wants to shape the result visually, clicking and dragging on the real page, rather than only prompting, with the Next.js code always open beside it. It is the pick for visual editing on the open-source alternatives to v0 page.

Where it falls short: it works with Next.js and Tailwind only for now, by the README. Running it yourself means Bun, Docker, Supabase, an OpenRouter key and CodeSandbox. Several features are still unchecked on its list, and its last tagged release was July 2025. The README also says the team's next hosted product is a separate early-access offering. For a desktop builder with fewer moving parts, Dyad.

How does Onlook run?

Use the hosted app at onlook.com, or run it locally by following the developer guide, which needs Bun, Docker and Supabase, with OpenRouter for models and CodeSandbox for the preview container. The README states no prices for the hosted app.

Who is Onlook for?

A designer or developer building Next.js and Tailwind sites who wants to edit the page visually with AI and keep the code in view. Someone on another framework should wait for the README's unchecked items or pick a different entry.

What limits does the README state?

From the README: "We are focused on making it work well with Next.js and TailwindCSS for now"; a components panel, comments, image references, MCP in projects and non-Next.js or non-Tailwind support are not done; and "This is the open-source visual editor that started Onlook."

Questions people ask

Is Onlook open source?

Yes. Onlook is Apache-2.0 with no added conditions. Its makers also run a hosted app at onlook.com, and the README says their next hosted product for designers is a separate early-access offering.

Which frameworks does Onlook support?

Next.js with Tailwind CSS. The README says the team is focused on making that work well for now, lists non-Next.js and non-Tailwind support as unfinished, and says the design could in principle extend to other declarative frameworks later.

Can I run Onlook without the hosted app?

Yes, by following its guide for running locally. That needs Bun, Docker and Supabase, with OpenRouter for the AI models and CodeSandbox's SDK for the preview container, so it is several services rather than one install.

How does Onlook compare with v0 and Lovable?

Onlook adds visual editing on the live page, a Figma-like interface with layers and branching, while keeping the Next.js code in sync, under Apache-2.0. v0 and Lovable are hosted prompt-to-app platforms. The open-source alternatives to v0 page compares it with Dyad, Chef and Llama Coder.

Does Onlook use local AI models?

Its README lists the AI SDK as the model client and OpenRouter as the provider, plus Morph and Relace for applying edits quickly. It does not mention Ollama or local models.

Sources

• Onlook README and Apache-2.0 LICENSE: github.com/onlook-dev/onlook, read 2026-09-17.