Onlook

Onlook is a next-generation visual code editor that bridges design and development by letting users work directly with code – no expert coding required. It combines a visual interface with AI-powered design assistance, enabling designers and product managers to create, iterate, and refine web experiences while staying inside a real React, Next.js, or Tailwind codebase. The tool is open-source and community-driven, promoting transparency and collaboration.

• Visual Code Editing: Manipulate code through a visual canvas – resize, reposition, and style elements without writing raw CSS, making design iteration faster and more intuitive.
• AI-Powered Design Assistance: Built-in AI chat provides real-time design feedback, answers styling questions, and suggests improvements, streamlining the creative workflow.
• React/Next.js/Tailwind Integration: Import existing projects instantly; Onlook understands the component structure and lets you switch seamlessly between visual editing and the actual code.
• Open-Source: The full codebase is publicly available, encouraging community contributions, customization, and self-hosted setups.
• Real-Time Design Feedback: As you edit, AI-driven insights help catch layout issues, accessibility problems, and design inconsistencies on the fly.
• User-Friendly for Non-Coders: Designers can produce production-ready code without deep programming knowledge, reducing the back-and-forth with developers.
• Team Collaboration (Pro): Share projects with team members, work simultaneously, and maintain a single source of truth for design and code.

1. Sign Up: Visit onlook.com and create a free account using email or GitHub.
2. Import Your Codebase: Connect a React, Next.js, or Tailwind project via GitHub, or start from a template. Onlook will read the component tree and styling.
3. Enter the Visual Editor: Open any page or component in the canvas. Click elements to select them, use the property panel to change size, color, typography, and layout – every change updates the underlying code in real time.
4. Use AI Assistance: Open the AI chat panel, describe a design goal (e.g., “make this section a two-column grid with a gradient background”), and apply the suggested code. You can also ask for feedback on the current design.
5. Inspect and Edit Code: Switch to the code view at any time. The code is standard React/Tailwind, so you can manually adjust it or copy-paste snippets.
6. Deploy (Pro): When ready, connect a custom domain and deploy directly from Onlook, or export the updated codebase to your own hosting pipeline.

Onlook offers a freemium model with three tiers to suit different needs. The free plan gives individuals a hands-on taste of visual code editing, while the Pro tier unlocks advanced collaboration and deployment features. For large teams requiring enterprise-grade support, custom pricing is available.

• Free: $0/month. Includes visual code editor access, 5 projects, 5 AI chat messages per day, unlimited styling and code editing, and 1 screenshot per chat.
• Pro: $25/month. Includes everything in Free, plus unlimited projects, 100 AI messages per month, custom domain deployment, team collaboration, and project templates.
• Enterprise: Custom pricing. Adds custom integrations, on-premise deployment options, usage analytics, branching, 24/7 premium support, and a custom SLA.

Disclaimer: Pricing details may change; always check the official Onlook website for the most up-to-date information.

• Web application: Access Onlook via any modern desktop browser at onlook.com.
• Browser-based editor: No installation required; the visual editor runs fully in the browser.
• Open-source repository: The codebase is available on GitHub for self-hosting, contributions, or integrating into custom workflows.
• Not yet mobile-optimized: The editor is designed for desktop/laptop screens; there is no dedicated mobile app currently.

• Start with templates: Use provided project templates to skip setup and immediately experiment with visual editing before importing your own codebase.
• Leverage AI for rapid iterations: Describe broad design changes in natural language rather than manually tweaking dozens of properties; refine the AI’s output afterward.
• Keep an eye on message limits: On the free plan, AI chat messages are capped per day – batch your feedback requests and refine designs in bulk to maximize value.
• Use version control alongside Onlook: Commit your code changes frequently (projects are real repositories) so you can roll back if an AI-suggested change goes sideways.
• Explore community extensions: Thanks to the open-source nature, the community shares themes, components, and plugins – check the GitHub discussions for add-ons.
• Involve developers early: Even though Onlook is designer-friendly, a quick review of generated code by a front-end dev can catch edge cases and performance issues.

• Web designers who want to produce interactive, code-backed prototypes without waiting on engineering.
• Product managers seeking to visualize feature ideas directly on the production codebase to align stakeholders.
• Front-end developers looking for a visual boost to style React and Tailwind UIs faster while retaining full code ownership.
• Freelancers and agencies aiming to speed up the design-to-code pipeline and deliver clickable, polished deliverables.
• Design-savvy entrepreneurs who need to create or iterate on their startup’s marketing site or app without hiring a developer.
• Educators and students exploring modern web design and component-based development in a visual-first environment.