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AI · May 29, 2025

Onlook – Open-source, visual-first Cursor for designers

Hey HN, I’m Kiet – one half of the two-person team building Onlook (https://beta.onlook.com/), an open-source [https://github.com/onlook-dev/onlook/] visual editor that lets you edit and create React apps live on an infinite canvas. We launched Onlook [1][2] as a local-first Electron app almost a year ago. Since then, “prompt-to-build” tools have blown up, but none let you design and iterate visually. We fixed that by taking a visual-first, AI-powered approach where you can prompt, style, and directly manipulate elements in your app like in a design…

Onlook – Open-source, visual-first Cursor for designers launched on May 29, 2025 with 408 votes, #50 of 7,905 launches that month and more than 99% of that year's launches. The site was still online in September 2026, 1 year on.

Visit github.com ↗Alternativestop 1% of May 2025

In plain words

Onlook is an open-source visual editor for building and editing React applications on an infinite canvas. Designed for designers and developers, it offers AI-powered features that let users prompt, style, and directly manipulate UI elements visually without leaving the editor. The browser-based tool combines visual-first design iteration with code generation, allowing real-time editing and creation of React apps in a design-tool-like interface.

written from the facts on this page · September 2026

From the sources

The Cursor for Designers • An Open-Source AI-First Design tool • Visually build, style, and edit your React App with AI - onlook-dev/onlook

In the maker’s words, at launch

Hey HN, I’m Kiet – one half of the two-person team building Onlook (https://beta.onlook.com/), an open-source [https://github.com/onlook-dev/onlook/] visual editor that lets you edit and create React apps live on an infinite canvas. We launched Onlook [1][2] as a local-first…

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