Onlook

Use it when

You need designers and engineers iterating on the same React/Next.js+Tailwind product UI—visual edits, AI chat, and layers that stay tied to real code rather than handoff mockups.

What it does well

• Visual drag-and-drop and layer editing mapped 1:1 to React code on an infinite canvas
• AI chat beside design and code for layout fixes, variants, and iteration in-context
• Import an existing Next.js + Tailwind codebase or start fresh inside the editor
• Team-oriented hosted features such as project templates, branching/version history, and shared theming/brand tokens
• Apache open-source core you can self-host; code stays yours via local export or GitHub

Skip it when

• You need a public self-serve plan with fixed monthly credit tiers—hosted Onlook is closed beta with Teams custom pricing
• Your stack is not React / Next.js + Tailwind-oriented DOM UI
• You only want Figma design-file delivery or a prompt-to-full-SaaS builder like Softgen/Lovable
• You cannot self-host and are not ready to book a demo for the managed cloud workflow
• You need guaranteed enterprise SLAs without talking to the Onlook team

Fits your workflow

Import or create a Next.js + Tailwind project → design and iterate on the Onlook canvas with AI → keep changes in real code → continue in Cursor/VS Code or GitHub → publish with a custom domain when ready. Use self-host for free evaluation; book a demo for Teams (templates, branching, shared brand). Finish production logic and infra in your own repo and cloud.