AXO-VISION · DYAD

Dyad (desktop AI app builder)

Build apps from a prompt, Lovable-style, with a free desktop app, your own AI key and your code in a plain folder.

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github.com/dyad-sh/dyad

  • 21K+ GitHub stars21,631 on 2026-10-02 05:22 UTC
  • Free agent mode: 20 messages a day, even with your own keyFREE_AGENT_QUOTA_LIMIT = 20 at commit 49ec81c
  • Lovable Free: 5 credits a day, up to 30 a monthlovable.dev/pricing, 2026-10-01 23:08 UTC

Verified Oct 2, 2026

What it is

Dyad is a free desktop app for Windows and Mac that builds web apps from a prompt, "like Lovable, v0, or Bolt, but running right on your machine" (its README). By default, each app is a React + Vite project in a plain folder on your disk, and a normal Git repo. The core is open source (Apache 2.0); the Pro folder is source-available.

Setup

  1. Download Dyad for Windows or Mac from dyad.sh/download. No sign-up.

  2. On Windows, SmartScreen may warn you: click More info, then Run anyway (it's in Dyad's docs).

  3. On the home screen, click "Connect AI to build" and pick OpenRouter (it has free models) or your ChatGPT account. A Gemini key (free tier) is under Other providers. For a local model, run Ollama or LM Studio and choose it in the model picker.

  4. Type your app idea. Dyad builds a React + Vite app in ~/dyad-apps with a live preview. If Node.js is missing, Dyad installs its own for the preview (Windows and Mac); if that fails, get Node.js LTS from nodejs.org.

  5. To publish it, Sync to GitHub and deploy on Vercel.

Cheat sheet

  • Use it for prototypes and small web apps when you're tired of watching a credit meter.
  • Free plan: Agent mode caps at 20 messages a day, even with your own key. Build mode has no Dyad limit.
  • Free tiers (Gemini, OpenRouter) may train on your data. For private code, use a paid key (check its data policy) or a local model.
  • Keep it updated: v1.17.0 fixed a high-severity security bug.
  • Skip it for native mobile apps or non-JavaScript stacks: it builds JavaScript apps (React or Next.js), and hybrid mobile apps are experimental.
  • Deleting an app deletes its folder for good. It's a Git repo: push it to GitHub.

Axo's take

AXO

Haven't run it myself: this page comes from Dyad's README, docs and code. It might name your app cosmic-axolotl-zoom. I approve.

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