
Dyad
Free, open-source desktop AI app builder that runs locally with the AI model of your choice.
- Verified facts
- 4 of 4
- Alternatives ranked
- 5
- Approved reviews
- 0
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About Dyad
Dyad is a desktop app for building web apps with AI, offered as a local, open-source alternative to hosted builders like Lovable, Bolt and v0. Projects live on your own machine as normal code, so there is no lock-in: you can open them in any editor, put them in Git and deploy wherever you like. You bring your own model, whether a cloud API key from OpenAI, Anthropic or Google or a local model through Ollama or LM Studio, which can make it much cheaper and keeps data private. It also connects to Supabase for a backend. Dyad itself is free forever; an optional Pro subscription adds a stronger agent, bundled AI credits and extra features. It suits developers and technical makers who like the prompt-to-app workflow but want control. It runs on macOS, Windows and Linux.
Best for: Technical makers who want a local, prompt-to-app tool with their own AI keys and no lock-in.
Pros and cons
What works
- Free and open source, with code stored locally
- Works with cloud APIs or local models
- No platform lock-in on hosting
Why people leave
- You manage API keys, costs and deployment yourself
- Desktop install rather than a shared web workspace
- Less hand-holding than hosted builders
Top Dyad alternatives
See all 5- 1
bolt.diy66.5Another open-source builder you run yourself, in the browser rather than as a desktop app.
- 2
Cline62.8Open-source coding agent inside VS Code, using your own model keys.
- 3
Cursor55.7AI code editor for when you want to work directly in the code.
- 4
Lovable55.6Hosted and more polished, if you'd rather not manage keys and deployment.
- 5
Bolt.new54.8Hosted version of the Bolt workflow with deployment handled for you.
Why people left Dyad
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Reviews
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Dyad: common questions
Is Dyad free?
Yes. Dyad is free, open-source software.
Is Dyad open source?
Yes. The source code is on GitHub at dyad-sh/dyad.
What platforms does Dyad run on?
Dyad is available for macOS, Windows and Linux.
What are the best alternatives to Dyad?
The highest-ranked Dyad alternatives right now are bolt.diy, Cline and Cursor. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.