# Freebuff: Full site content > Code, build and deploy apps, and chat with AI for free. Work in your browser, desktop or terminal with Freebuff. ## Product overview Freebuff lets you code, build and deploy apps, and chat with AI for free: - **Freebuff Web** (https://freebuff.com/): Code, build and deploy apps, and chat with AI in your browser. - **Freebuff Desktop** (https://freebuff.com/desktop): A coding workspace for macOS, Windows and Linux. - **Freebuff CLI** (https://freebuff.com/cli): A coding agent for your terminal. Install with `npm install -g freebuff`, then run `freebuff` in your project. - **Freebuff Chat** (https://freebuff.com/chat): Ask questions, write and explore ideas with free AI chat. Free access is supported by ads. Paid plans (https://freebuff.com/plans) provide more time with AI models. Freebuff is built by the Codebuff team (https://codebuff.com) on the same agent framework. Advertisers (https://freebuff.com/advertisers) can reach developers with ads on desktop, web and the terminal, then track clicks and conversions in the ads console. ## FAQ ### How can it be free? Freebuff is supported by text ads. ### What models do you use? Freebuff offers a curated choice of leading models. In full mode, the regular picker includes: - MiMo v2.6 Flash Fast: Balanced. - GLM 5.3 Flash: Deep reasoning. - DeepSeek V4.1 Flash: Smart & Fast. May use data for AI training. - DeepSeek V4.1 Flash Fast: Parallel agents. May use data for AI training. - GPT-6 Luna: Strong all-around. - MiMo 2.6 Pro: Strong reasoning. - Solar Mini 4: Fast and light. May use data for AI training. - Solar Pro 4: Upstage flagship. May use data for AI training. - Gemini 3.8 Flash: 1M context. - Muse Spark 1.3: Falls back when busy. May use data for AI training. - Gemini 4 Argon: Google flagship. - GPT-6.1 Sol: OpenAI flagship · 1 session a day. MiMo v2.6 Flash Fast is the default on CLI, Desktop, Web, and Cloud. Available models depend on your app and access level; check your model picker for the current selection. Referrals earn rewards. Where your app shows hours, eligible rewards can be converted into wallet hours; session-based apps show earned sessions. Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite handles specialist tasks such as file finding and research. ### Which countries is Freebuff available in? All countries. Freebuff runs in "full" or "limited" mode, and your free daily hours depend on where you are. Full access covers US, CA, GB, AU, NZ, IE, NO, SE, DK, FI, NL, AT, LU, IS, DE, CH, FR, ES, IT, PT, BE, LI, MT and KR. Anywhere else, or over a VPN, Freebuff still works in limited mode. Your account settings show your own daily allowance. ### What is limited mode? Limited mode lets you use Freebuff outside the full-access countries, or while using a VPN. Where your app shows hours, the free limited-access allowance is 5 hours a day, or 4 hours on a VPN or proxy, because we lose money on every VPN user. Limited-access subscriptions include 21 hours a day on Starter, 40 hours on Plus, or 70 hours on Pro, plus a monthly bonus. Check your picker for available models and prices. Where your app shows session allowances instead, limited mode includes MiMo v2.6 Flash Fast and GLM 5.3 Flash and DeepSeek V4.1 Flash and Solar Mini 4 and Solar Pro 4, with 6 one-hour sessions per day. ### How do hours work? Your balance is measured in hours. An hour on MiMo v2.6 Flash Slow uses one hour; other models show a multiplier, so an hour-long session on a 3x model uses three. Each session lasts an hour, with unlimited messages. What a free account receives each day depends on where you are. Your account settings show your own daily allowance. Older app versions show the same balance as Freebucks, five to an hour. Daily hours refill at midnight in your local timezone and unused daily hours do not carry over. A subscription replaces that daily allowance with the plan's daily total and adds monthly bonus hours to your wallet. Your wallet covers the part of a session today's allowance cannot cover. Any unused monthly bonus is replaced when the next month’s bonus is credited, so it does not add up across months. An upgrade keeps your current bonus and adds the new plan’s. Ending your subscription does not expire an existing bonus. Model prices and usage limits still apply. Check the plans page for the allowances available to your account. ### Does Freebuff collect my data? Freebuff collects prompts, messages, code, files, repository data, and agent traces when you use features that need them. Depending on the model or feature, AI model providers may also process that data. See the Privacy Policy for the uses and limits that apply. ### What else is cool in Freebuff? Freebuff comes with 9 specialized subagents: - file-picker finds relevant files across your codebase - code-reviewer gives critical feedback on your changes - browser-use lets the AI control a real browser to test your app - thinker does deep reasoning - and more. After every response, it generates 3 clickable follow-up suggestions so you always know what to do next. For big tasks, try the commands /interview → /plan → (implement) → /review to go from idea to polished code. --- # Articles Source: https://freebuff.com/blog/free-command-code-cli-coding-agent-alternative-freebuff # Command Code alternative: a free terminal coding agent Command Code starts at $1 a month and learns your coding style. Freebuff CLI starts at $0. Published: 2026-10-08 TL;DR: - Command Code (commandcode.ai) is a terminal coding agent whose pitch is that it learns your coding "taste" from what you accept, reject and edit. - Its pricing page lists no free plan and no free trial. The cheapest plan is Go at $1 a month; Pro is $20, Max is $100 or $200. - Command Code does list some models as free "while capacity lasts", so the cost of trying it is low but not zero. - Freebuff CLI is free and ad-supported, with no card required: `npm install -g freebuff`. - Choose Command Code if learned style matters more to you than price. Choose Freebuff if you want a capable terminal agent at $0. Most terminal coding agents compete on models and price. Command Code competes on memory: it tries to learn how you write code and apply that on the next task. Here is how that compares with a free agent, checked against Command Code’s pricing page on 2026-10-08. ## What Command Code is Command Code is a coding agent that runs in your terminal. Its distinguishing feature is **taste-1**, which learns and applies your coding taste. Its pricing page says taste is stored locally. It also says it does not train on your code. It is credit-based. Each plan comes with a credit allowance and a rough request count, and open-source models are available on every plan. Plans also carry a processing fee on top of the listed monthly price. ## What Command Code costs | Feature | Freebuff | Command Code | | --- | --- | --- | | Entry price | $0, no card required | Go: $1/month plus a processing fee | | Free plan or trial | Yes: free tier, ad-supported | No free plan or trial listed | | Mid tiers | Starter $8, Plus $25, Pro $60 per month | GOAT $10, Pro $20 per month | | Top tiers | Pro is the top plan at $60 per month | Max 10x $100, Max 20x $200 per month | | How usage is metered | Hours: one-hour model sessions, unlimited messages per session | Credits per plan, roughly 9K to 437K requests | | Learns your coding style | No equivalent of taste-1 | Yes, taste-1 (stored locally) | | Install | `npm install -g freebuff` | npm install; account required | **Prices change**: The Command Code figures above come from commandcode.ai/pricing on 2026-10-08, and Freebuff’s from [our plans page](/plans) the same day. Check both before you buy. ## What Freebuff CLI gives you instead - **A free tier.** Free access is funded by text ads. Your daily allowance refills at midnight and does not roll over; the amount depends on your country. - **Nine specialized subagents** including a file picker, a code reviewer, a browser-use agent and a deep-thinking agent. - **Planning commands.** `/interview`, then `/plan`, then implement, then `/review` takes a vague idea to reviewed code. - **A model picker.** The regular picker includes MiMo 2.6 Flash (the default), GLM 5.3 Flash, DeepSeek V4.1 Flash, GPT-6 Luna and others; what you see depends on your app and access level. - **The same agent on desktop.** [Freebuff Desktop](/desktop) uses it with tabs and git worktrees. ## When Command Code is the better pick - **You want an agent that adapts to your style** and are willing to pay for it. - **You need an API.** Command Code lists API access on every plan except Go. - **You want premium Claude models** on a plan. Freebuff’s picker does not offer Claude. ## When Freebuff is the better pick - **You want to start at $0**, with no card and no credit meter to watch. - **You code in the terminal and want subagents and planning commands** without wiring anything up. - **You will accept text ads** in exchange for the free tier. If ads are a dealbreaker, a paid plan on either tool is the answer. Try the free terminal agent — Install Freebuff CLI with one command. No card required. (Install Freebuff CLI: /cli) **Q: Is Command Code free?** A: Its pricing page lists no free plan and no free trial. The cheapest plan is Go at $1 a month plus a processing fee. Some models are marked free while capacity lasts. **Q: What is taste-1?** A: taste-1 is Command Code’s system for learning and applying your coding taste. It builds on what you accept, reject and edit. The pricing page says taste storage is local. **Q: What is a free alternative to Command Code?** A: Freebuff CLI is a free terminal coding agent funded by text ads. It has no learned-style feature, but it includes nine subagents, planning commands and a model picker at $0. **Q: Does Freebuff learn my coding style?** A: Not as a dedicated feature. Project instructions in your repo steer the agent; Command Code’s learned taste is the main thing Freebuff does not match. **Q: Does Freebuff use Claude models?** A: Not in the free picker. Its models include MiMo 2.6 Flash, GLM 5.3 Flash, DeepSeek V4.1 Flash and GPT-6 Luna. Desktop can additionally run Claude Code locally on your own Anthropic subscription. --- Source: https://freebuff.com/blog/free-conductor-parallel-coding-agents-alternative-freebuff # Conductor alternatives: run parallel coding agents for free Conductor is a Mac app for supervising several agents at once. Freebuff Desktop does the same on Mac, Windows and Linux. Published: 2026-10-08 TL;DR: - Conductor (conductor.build) is a Mac app that runs several Claude Code, Codex and Cursor agents side by side, each in its own workspace, and helps you review and merge their changes. - Conductor does not include model access. You bring the Claude, Codex or Cursor subscription or API key the agents run on. - Freebuff Desktop covers the same job on macOS, Windows and Linux: one agent per tab, each in an isolated git worktree when the folder is a git root. - Desktop runs its own free, ad-supported Freebuff agent, and can also run local Claude Code or Codex using your own subscription. - Pick Conductor if you are on a Mac and already pay for Claude Code or Codex. Pick Freebuff Desktop if you want a free agent in the same layout, or you are not on a Mac. Running one coding agent is easy. Running five at once on the same repo, without them overwriting each other, is the part that needs tooling. Conductor and Freebuff Desktop both solve it with the same idea: give each agent its own git worktree and put the conversations in one window. ## What Conductor is Conductor describes itself as a way to "run a team of coding agents on your Mac". You start parallel Claude Code and Codex agents in isolated workspaces, see at a glance what each is working on, then review and merge their changes. Its site also lists Cursor as a supported agent. It is an orchestration layer, not a model provider. Conductor drives agents you already have, so the model bill is whatever your Claude Code, Codex or Cursor plan costs. Its site is Mac-only and does not publish prices on the home page, so check [conductor.build](https://www.conductor.build) for current plans. ## What Freebuff Desktop is [Freebuff Desktop](/desktop) is a coding workspace for macOS, Windows and Linux with browser-style tabs. Each tab is one coding-agent conversation bound to a project folder. When that folder is a git root, the thread can run in an isolated worktree, so parallel threads do not trample each other. Threads survive a restart. Each thread runs on one of three harnesses: Freebuff (hosted, free, funded by text ads), Claude Code (local, using your Anthropic subscription), or Codex (local, using your ChatGPT subscription). That makes Desktop both a free agent and a Conductor-style front end for the paid agents you may already use. ## Conductor vs Freebuff Desktop | Feature | Freebuff | Conductor | | --- | --- | --- | | Platforms | macOS, Windows, Linux | macOS (Mac only per its site) | | Parallel agents in one window | Yes, one per tab | Yes, one per workspace | | Isolation between agents | Git worktree when the folder is a git root | Isolated workspace per agent | | Agents you can run | Freebuff, Claude Code, Codex | Claude Code, Codex, Cursor | | Includes a model you can use for free | Yes: the Freebuff agent, funded by text ads | No: bring your own agent subscription | | Cost to start | $0, no card required | Your Claude Code, Codex or Cursor plan; check conductor.build for Conductor itself | | Terminal agent too | Yes: `npm install -g freebuff` | No: desktop app | ## When Conductor is the better pick - **You are on a Mac and already pay for Claude Code or Codex.** Conductor adds the parallel workflow on top of a subscription you have. - **You use Cursor as one of your agents.** Conductor lists it as supported; Desktop’s harnesses are Freebuff, Claude Code and Codex. - **You want a focused review-and-merge surface** for several agents’ diffs and nothing else. ## When Freebuff Desktop is the better pick - **You are on Windows or Linux.** Conductor is Mac-only. - **You do not want a model subscription at all.** The Freebuff agent is free, so parallel threads cost nothing extra. Your daily allowance still applies: free accounts get a daily allowance of hours that refills at midnight and does not roll over, and it depends on your country. - **You want one app for both free and paid agents.** Open one tab on Freebuff and another on Claude Code, same window. - **You also work in the terminal.** The [Freebuff CLI](/cli) uses the same agent. ## How to run agents in parallel without conflicts 1. Give each agent its own branch and worktree. Two agents editing one working tree will overwrite each other. 2. Keep tasks independent: one agent per bug, feature or refactor, not two agents on one file. 3. Review each diff on its own before merging, and merge the smallest change first. 4. Run the test suite per worktree, not once at the end. **You do not have to choose**: Conductor and Freebuff Desktop are both ways to supervise agents. If you like Conductor on your Mac, you can still use the [Freebuff CLI](/cli) as one of the agents you run, or use Desktop on your Windows or Linux machine. Try parallel agents for free — Download Freebuff Desktop for macOS, Windows or Linux. No card required. (Download Freebuff Desktop: /desktop) **Q: What is Conductor?** A: Conductor (conductor.build) is a Mac app for running several coding agents at once, each in an isolated workspace. You review what each is doing and merge the changes. Its site lists Claude Code, Codex and Cursor as supported agents. **Q: Is there a Conductor alternative for Windows or Linux?** A: Yes. Freebuff Desktop runs parallel agent threads on macOS, Windows and Linux. Each thread is a tab bound to a project folder, and a git-root folder can run in an isolated worktree. **Q: Is Conductor free?** A: Conductor does not include model access, so you still pay for the agents it runs, such as a Claude Code or Codex subscription. Its own pricing is not listed on its home page; check conductor.build. **Q: Does Freebuff Desktop need a Claude or ChatGPT subscription?** A: No. The Freebuff agent is free and funded by text ads. A Claude Code or Codex subscription is only needed if you choose those harnesses for a thread. **Q: Can I run several Freebuff agents at once?** A: Yes, in separate tabs. Each tab is its own conversation bound to a project folder. Usage comes out of your daily allowance of hours. --- Source: https://freebuff.com/blog/claude-code-bill-too-high-cut-ai-coding-costs # Claude Code bill climbing? Six ways to cut your AI coding costs What Claude Code costs, why bills creep up, and how to trial a free agent before you renew. Published: 2026-10-08 TL;DR: - Claude Code is included in Claude Pro ($20 a month, or $17 a month billed annually) and in Claude Max (from $100 a month), per Anthropic’s pricing page on 2026-10-08. - Bills climb when heavier use pushes you from Pro to Max, not because the price of a plan changed. - The cheapest saving is to stop spending your best model on routine edits. Keep Claude Code for the hard tasks and send the rest to a free agent. - Freebuff is a free, ad-supported agent you can trial in about 30 minutes. It does not offer Claude models, and free usage is capped per day. - Do not cancel on a hunch. Run three of your real tasks on the free agent first, then decide. If your Claude Code bill keeps going up, the cause is usually your own usage, not the sticker price. Here is what the plans cost, where the money goes, and how to cut the bill without losing the tool when you need it. ## What Claude Code costs Anthropic’s pricing page lists Claude Code as included in two subscription families. **Claude Pro** is $20 a month billed monthly, or $17 a month on an annual plan ($200 up front). **Claude Max** starts at $100 a month. Prices change, so confirm on [claude.com/pricing](https://claude.com/pricing) before you decide anything. ## Why the bill keeps climbing - **You outgrew Pro.** Long agentic sessions, large refactors and several sessions a day run into plan limits. The fix Anthropic offers is a bigger plan, which is the jump from $20 to $100 or more. - **Everything runs on the best model.** Renaming a variable and redesigning a module both burn the same allowance. - **Parallel sessions multiply usage.** Several agents working at once draw down your allowance faster than one. - **Nobody re-checks the plan.** A plan upgraded for one crunch month tends to stay. ## Six ways to cut the bill 1. **Look at what you actually used.** Check how often you hit limits. If it is rare, you may not need the higher tier. 2. **Route routine work to a cheaper agent.** Tests, small fixes, boilerplate and documentation rarely need your strongest model. 3. **Keep the expensive agent for the hard problems.** Architecture changes, tricky debugging and unfamiliar codebases are where it earns its price. 4. **Trim the context you send.** Point the agent at the files that matter instead of the whole repository. 5. **Try a free agent.** Freebuff is free and funded by text ads. [Install the CLI](/cli) or use [Desktop](/desktop). 6. **Downgrade on a calendar, not on impulse.** Set a reminder before renewal and decide with a week of data. ## A 30-minute test before you renew 1. Pick three real tasks from your backlog: one small, one medium, one hard. 2. Run each on Freebuff and note whether the result was usable, needed edits, or failed. 3. Count how many of your recent Claude Code sessions looked like the small and medium tasks. 4. If most of your usage is small and medium work, a free agent plus a lower Claude tier may cover you. If most is hard work, keep the plan. **What the free option does not do**: Freebuff does not include Claude models in its picker. Free access is ad-supported and capped by a daily allowance that refills at midnight, does not roll over, and depends on your country. Check [the plans page](/plans) for what your account gets. ## Use both in one app [Freebuff Desktop](/desktop) runs threads on three harnesses: Freebuff (free), Claude Code (local, on your Anthropic subscription) and Codex (local, on your ChatGPT subscription). You can keep a Claude Code tab for hard problems and a Freebuff tab for routine work in the same window, without giving up the subscription you already have. Trial a free agent before you renew — Install Freebuff CLI in one command. No card required. (Install Freebuff CLI: /cli) **Q: How much does Claude Code cost?** A: Claude Code is included in Claude Pro, at $20 a month billed monthly or $17 a month on an annual plan, and in Claude Max, from $100 a month, according to Anthropic’s pricing page on 2026-10-08. **Q: Why is my Claude Code bill going up?** A: Usually because heavier use pushes you onto a higher plan, or because every task runs on the strongest model. Parallel sessions also use your allowance faster. **Q: What free tools can I use instead of Claude Code?** A: Freebuff is a free, ad-supported coding agent for the terminal and desktop. Other open-source agents are free to install but need your own model API key. See the comparison of [free CLI coding agents](/blog/best-free-cli-coding-agents-2026). **Q: Can I use Freebuff and Claude Code together?** A: Yes. Freebuff Desktop can run a Freebuff thread and a local Claude Code thread side by side, the latter using your own Anthropic subscription. **Q: Should I cancel Claude Code and switch to a free agent?** A: Test first. Run three real tasks on the free agent. If most of your work is routine, you may be able to drop to a cheaper Claude tier. If most of it is hard problems, keep the plan. --- Source: https://freebuff.com/blog/free-pi-coding-agent-cli-alternative-freebuff # The free alternative to Pi Coding Agent Same CLI agent loop — without the ~$20/mo in API tokens (BYOK) bill. Published: 2026-06-24 (updated 2026-10-08) TL;DR: - Freebuff is a free alternative to Pi Coding Agent — same terminal agent loop. - Pi Coding Agent typical cost: ~$20/mo in API tokens (BYOK). Freebuff CLI is $0. - 9 subagents, slash commands, and frontier models included — no API key required to start. - Runs in any editor terminal: VS Code, JetBrains, Vim, Cursor, or bare shell. Pi is a minimal, hackable terminal coding agent by Mario Zechner — four core tools (Read, Write, Edit, Bash), 15+ model providers, and a tree-structured session you can branch and rewind. Freebuff does the same job with models and subagents bundled in — no subscription or per-token meter on day one. ## What Pi Coding Agent costs in 2026 Pi itself is free and open-source (pi-mono / pi-coding-agent on npm). You pay your model provider per token — many developers report **$10–$30/mo** in API costs for daily use, or use `/login` with an existing Claude Pro, ChatGPT Plus, or GitHub Copilot subscription. ## Feature-by-feature: Freebuff CLI vs Pi Coding Agent | Feature | Freebuff | Pi Coding Agent | | --- | --- | --- | | Price | Free (models included) | Free agent; ~$20/mo API typical | | Model bundle | MiMo 2.6 Flash (default), GLM 5.3 Flash, DeepSeek V4.1 Flash, GPT-6 Luna, and more included | BYOK or /login subscriptions | | Subagents | 9 specialized, shipped | Via extensions only | | Browser-use | Built-in subagent | Via extension | | Slash commands | /plan, /review, /pr, /deploy, more | Minimal defaults | ## When Pi Coding Agent is still the better pick Pi wins if you want a tiny transparent agent loop you extend yourself with TypeScript skills — and you are happy bringing your own keys or subscriptions. ## How to switch from Pi Coding Agent to Freebuff 1. Pi works on any repo. `cd` into your project and run `freebuff` in the same terminal — no export step. 2. Run `npm i -g freebuff` (or use the install script from freebuff.com/cli). 3. In your repo: `freebuff` — same terminal workflow, $0/month. 4. Optional: switch models in the picker for the hardest turns. Try the free alternative to Pi Coding Agent — Install Freebuff CLI and ship from your terminal for $0. (Install Freebuff CLI: /cli) **Q: Is Freebuff CLI really free?** A: Yes. No per-token meter for normal use. Models are included; availability depends on your app and access level. **Q: Can I use Freebuff inside Cursor or VS Code?** A: Yes — open the integrated terminal and run freebuff. No editor switch required. **Q: How much does Pi Coding Agent cost per year?** A: At ~$20/mo in API tokens (BYOK), expect roughly $240/year before overages. Freebuff is $0. --- Source: https://freebuff.com/blog/free-github-copilot-cli-coding-agent-alternative-freebuff # The free alternative to GitHub Copilot CLI Same CLI agent loop — without the $39/mo (Copilot Pro+) bill. Published: 2026-06-24 (updated 2026-10-08) TL;DR: - Freebuff is a free alternative to GitHub Copilot CLI — same terminal agent loop. - GitHub Copilot CLI typical cost: $39/mo (Copilot Pro+). Freebuff CLI is $0. - 9 subagents, slash commands, and frontier models included — no API key required to start. - Runs in any editor terminal: VS Code, JetBrains, Vim, Cursor, or bare shell. GitHub Copilot CLI is GitHub's terminal agent: plan, edit, run shell commands, and open PRs — tied to your GitHub account and Copilot subscription. Freebuff does the same job with models and subagents bundled in — no subscription or per-token meter on day one. ## What GitHub Copilot CLI costs in 2026 GitHub Copilot CLI is included on all Copilot plans. **Copilot Pro is $10/mo**; **Copilot Pro+ is $39/mo** with a larger AI Credits pool. As of June 2026, usage is metered in GitHub AI Credits (1 credit = $0.01) per token — heavy agent sessions can burn through included credits fast (per [GitHub Copilot billing docs](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/reference/copilot-billing/models-and-pricing)). ## Feature-by-feature: Freebuff CLI vs GitHub Copilot CLI | Feature | Freebuff | GitHub Copilot CLI | | --- | --- | --- | | Price | Free | $10–$39/mo + credit overages | | Credit meter | None | Yes — AI Credits per token | | Model choice | Multiple included (MiMo 2.6 Flash default) | Copilot model menu | | Subagents | 9 specialized | Single agent | | Editor lock-in | None — any terminal | None — CLI | | GitHub integration | Via `gh` CLI / /pr | Native GitHub | ## When GitHub Copilot CLI is still the better pick Copilot CLI wins if your team already pays for Copilot Enterprise, needs GitHub-native PR flows, and wants usage pooled at the org level. ## How to switch from GitHub Copilot CLI to Freebuff 1. Clone your repo locally (if not already), install Freebuff with `npm i -g freebuff`, run `freebuff` in the project root. 2. Run `npm i -g freebuff` (or use the install script from freebuff.com/cli). 3. In your repo: `freebuff` — same terminal workflow, $0/month. 4. Optional: switch models in the picker for the hardest turns. Try the free alternative to GitHub Copilot CLI — Install Freebuff CLI and ship from your terminal for $0. (Install Freebuff CLI: /cli) **Q: Is Freebuff CLI really free?** A: Yes. No per-token meter for normal use. Models are included; availability depends on your app and access level. **Q: Can I use Freebuff inside Cursor or VS Code?** A: Yes — open the integrated terminal and run freebuff. No editor switch required. **Q: How much does GitHub Copilot CLI cost per year?** A: At $39/mo (Copilot Pro+), expect roughly $468/year before overages. Freebuff is $0. --- Source: https://freebuff.com/blog/free-anything-com-ai-app-builder-alternative-freebuff # The free alternative to Anything Same prompt-to-deployed-app loop — without the $24/mo (Pro, monthly billing) bill. Published: 2026-06-24 TL;DR: - Freebuff App Builder is a free alternative to Anything — build apps with AI, with sign-in, databases, and publishing built in. - Anything typical paid tier: $24/mo (Pro, monthly billing). Freebuff App Builder is free to start. - Sign-in, databases, and publishing are built in. - Connect GitHub to keep your code in a repo you control. Anything (createanything.com) builds web and mobile apps from prompts, with Stripe/RevenueCat payments, custom domains, and App Store publishing on paid tiers. Freebuff App Builder does the same job and is free to start. ## What Anything costs in 2026 Anything Pro is $19/mo billed annually or $24/mo billed monthly for 20,000 monthly credits. The Max tier jumps to $199–$239/mo for parallel agents and higher credit pools (per [anything.com pricing docs](https://www.anything.com/docs/account/subscriptions)). Most builders who iterate daily land on a paid tier quickly once the free allowance runs out. ## Feature-by-feature: Freebuff App Builder vs Anything | Feature | Freebuff | Anything | | --- | --- | --- | | Price | Free | $24/mo Pro ($199/mo Max) | | Usage limits | Daily hours allowance; paid plans add more | Yes — monthly credits | | Auth + database | Wired in | Wired in | | Deployed URL | Yes, free | Yes (paid for private) | | Custom domain | Yes | Pro plan and above | | GitHub | Connect a repo | Yes | | Terminal agent | Yes (Freebuff CLI) | No | | Mobile app publishing | Web-first (PWA) | App Store on Pro+ | ## When Anything is still the better pick Anything is strong if you need native mobile + web from one project, or you are migrating from Mocha with their one-click import. ## How to move from Anything to Freebuff 1. Export to GitHub from Anything, or start fresh in Freebuff App Builder with the same prompt. 2. In Freebuff App Builder, connect GitHub and open the repo (or start a fresh project with the same prompt). 3. Sign-in, databases, and publishing are built in, so you can ask for them in your prompt. 4. Keep iterating in the browser, or run `freebuff` in your terminal for heavy refactors. **No lock-in**: Connect GitHub to keep your code in a repository you control. Try the free alternative to Anything — Build an app with sign-in, databases, and publishing built in — free to start. (Open Freebuff App Builder: /app-builder) **Q: Is Freebuff App Builder free?** A: It is free to start. Free accounts get a daily allowance of hours that refills at midnight and does not roll over, and paid plans add more (see [plans](/plans)). Sign-in, databases, and publishing are built in. **Q: Can Freebuff do everything Anything does?** A: For the core loop — prompt, iterate, deploy a real app with auth and database — yes. Niche integrations may differ; you can always import code and extend in the Freebuff CLI. **Q: How much does Anything cost per year on a typical paid plan?** A: At $24/mo (Pro, monthly billing), expect roughly $288/year before overages. Freebuff is $0. **Q: Can I import my existing Anything project?** A: You can bring code over through GitHub: export it from Anything where supported, connect the repo, and keep building. Support depends on your stack. --- Source: https://freebuff.com/blog/free-aura-build-ai-website-builder-alternative-freebuff # The free alternative to Aura Same prompt-to-deployed-app loop — without the $50/mo (Max) bill. Published: 2026-06-24 TL;DR: - Freebuff App Builder is a free alternative to Aura — build apps with AI, with sign-in, databases, and publishing built in. - Aura typical paid tier: $50/mo (Max). Freebuff App Builder is free to start. - Sign-in, databases, and publishing are built in. - Connect GitHub to keep your code in a repo you control. Aura (aura.build) is a design-first AI website builder with premium templates, Figma export, and CMS features. Freebuff App Builder does the same job and is free to start. ## What Aura costs in 2026 Aura Pro is $25/mo (120 prompts/mo). Max is $50/mo (240 prompts/mo). Ultra is $100/mo (560 prompts/mo) per [aura.build/pricing](https://www.aura.build/pricing). Annual plans are 50% off while subscribed. Most builders who iterate daily land on a paid tier quickly once the free allowance runs out. ## Feature-by-feature: Freebuff App Builder vs Aura | Feature | Freebuff | Aura | | --- | --- | --- | | Price | Free | $50/mo (Max) | | Prompt/message limits | None | 240/mo on Max | | Full-stack backend | Wired in | CMS-focused | | Figma export | Via import | Native on paid | | Custom domain | Yes | Paid plans | | Terminal agent | Yes (Freebuff CLI) | No | ## When Aura is still the better pick Aura wins for visually polished marketing sites where design templates and Figma handoff matter more than backend depth. ## How to move from Aura to Freebuff 1. Export HTML or push code to GitHub, then connect it in Freebuff App Builder for backend features. 2. In Freebuff App Builder, connect GitHub and open the repo (or start a fresh project with the same prompt). 3. Sign-in, databases, and publishing are built in, so you can ask for them in your prompt. 4. Keep iterating in the browser, or run `freebuff` in your terminal for heavy refactors. **No lock-in**: Connect GitHub to keep your code in a repository you control. Try the free alternative to Aura — Build an app with sign-in, databases, and publishing built in — free to start. (Open Freebuff App Builder: /app-builder) **Q: Is Freebuff App Builder free?** A: It is free to start. Free accounts get a daily allowance of hours that refills at midnight and does not roll over, and paid plans add more (see [plans](/plans)). Sign-in, databases, and publishing are built in. **Q: Can Freebuff do everything Aura does?** A: For the core loop — prompt, iterate, deploy a real app with auth and database — yes. Niche integrations may differ; you can always import code and extend in the Freebuff CLI. **Q: How much does Aura cost per year on a typical paid plan?** A: At $50/mo (Max), expect roughly $600/year before overages. Freebuff is $0. **Q: Can I import my existing Aura project?** A: You can bring code over through GitHub: export it from Aura where supported, connect the repo, and keep building. Support depends on your stack. --- Source: https://freebuff.com/blog/free-canva-code-ai-app-builder-alternative-freebuff # The free alternative to Canva Code Same prompt-to-deployed-app loop — without the $21/mo (Business, annual) bill. Published: 2026-06-24 TL;DR: - Freebuff App Builder is a free alternative to Canva Code — build apps with AI, with sign-in, databases, and publishing built in. - Canva Code typical paid tier: $21/mo (Business, annual). Freebuff App Builder is free to start. - Sign-in, databases, and publishing are built in. - Connect GitHub to keep your code in a repo you control. Canva Code generates interactive HTML/CSS/JS widgets and mini-apps inside the Canva design platform. Freebuff App Builder does the same job and is free to start. ## What Canva Code costs in 2026 Canva Code is a Premium AI tool inside Canva — not sold separately. Canva Pro is ~$12/mo ($144/yr) with up to 200 Premium AI uses/mo. Business is $250/person/yr (~$21/mo) with up to 400 Premium AI uses/mo (per [canva.com/help/ai-access](https://www.canva.com/help/ai-access)). Most builders who iterate daily land on a paid tier quickly once the free allowance runs out. ## Feature-by-feature: Freebuff App Builder vs Canva Code | Feature | Freebuff | Canva | | --- | --- | --- | | Price | Free | ~$21/mo (Business) for AI allowance | | Standalone full-stack app | Yes | Widgets inside Canva | | Auth + database | Wired in | Not included | | AI usage limits | None | 200–400 Premium AI uses/mo | | Custom domain hosting | Yes | Canva Sites ecosystem | | Terminal agent | Yes (Freebuff CLI) | No | ## When Canva Code is still the better pick Canva Code wins for marketers embedding calculators and widgets inside Canva presentations and sites. ## How to move from Canva Code to Freebuff 1. Export widget code from Canva Code and rebuild as a full app in Freebuff App Builder if you need auth, database, or standalone hosting. 2. In Freebuff App Builder, connect GitHub and open the repo (or start a fresh project with the same prompt). 3. Sign-in, databases, and publishing are built in, so you can ask for them in your prompt. 4. Keep iterating in the browser, or run `freebuff` in your terminal for heavy refactors. **No lock-in**: Connect GitHub to keep your code in a repository you control. Try the free alternative to Canva Code — Build an app with sign-in, databases, and publishing built in — free to start. (Open Freebuff App Builder: /app-builder) **Q: Is Freebuff App Builder free?** A: It is free to start. Free accounts get a daily allowance of hours that refills at midnight and does not roll over, and paid plans add more (see [plans](/plans)). Sign-in, databases, and publishing are built in. **Q: Can Freebuff do everything Canva Code does?** A: For the core loop — prompt, iterate, deploy a real app with auth and database — yes. Niche integrations may differ; you can always import code and extend in the Freebuff CLI. **Q: How much does Canva Code cost per year on a typical paid plan?** A: At $21/mo (Business, annual), expect roughly $252/year before overages. Freebuff is $0. **Q: Can I import my existing Canva Code project?** A: You can bring code over through GitHub: export it from Canva Code where supported, connect the repo, and keep building. Support depends on your stack. --- Source: https://freebuff.com/blog/free-cosmic-new-ai-app-builder-alternative-freebuff # The free alternative to Cosmic.new Same prompt-to-deployed-app loop — without the $18/mo (Pro) bill. Published: 2026-06-24 (updated 2026-10-09) TL;DR: - Freebuff App Builder is a free alternative to Cosmic.new — build apps with AI, with sign-in, databases, and publishing built in. - Cosmic.new typical paid tier: $18/mo (Pro). Freebuff App Builder is free to start. - Sign-in, databases, and publishing are built in. - Connect GitHub to keep your code in a repo you control. Cosmic.new is an all-in-one AI platform for websites, shops, and SaaS — with built-in auth, database, payments, and one-click deploy. Freebuff App Builder does the same job and is free to start. ## What Cosmic.new costs in 2026 Cosmic.new Pro is $18/mo (100 monthly credits). Ultra is $50/mo (300 monthly credits). The Free plan gives 5 daily credits, up to 10 a month (per [cosmic.new/pricing](https://www.cosmic.new/pricing)). Most builders who iterate daily land on a paid tier quickly once the free allowance runs out. ## Feature-by-feature: Freebuff App Builder vs Cosmic.new | Feature | Freebuff | Cosmic | | --- | --- | --- | | Price | Free | $18/mo Pro ($50/mo Ultra) | | Ultra tier | N/A — free | $50/mo | | Built-in payments | Via integrations | Cosmic Payments native | | Auth + database | Wired in | Cosmic Auth + DB | | Deploy | Publishing built in | Yes (Pro+) | | Terminal agent | Yes (Freebuff CLI) | No | ## When Cosmic.new is still the better pick Cosmic.new is compelling if you want integrated payments and storefront tooling in one branded platform. ## How to move from Cosmic.new to Freebuff 1. Export your project code and connect it in Freebuff App Builder via GitHub. 2. In Freebuff App Builder, connect GitHub and open the repo (or start a fresh project with the same prompt). 3. Sign-in, databases, and publishing are built in, so you can ask for them in your prompt. 4. Keep iterating in the browser, or run `freebuff` in your terminal for heavy refactors. **No lock-in**: Connect GitHub to keep your code in a repository you control. Try the free alternative to Cosmic.new — Build an app with sign-in, databases, and publishing built in — free to start. (Open Freebuff App Builder: /app-builder) **Q: Is Freebuff App Builder free?** A: It is free to start. Free accounts get a daily allowance of hours that refills at midnight and does not roll over, and paid plans add more (see [plans](/plans)). Sign-in, databases, and publishing are built in. **Q: Can Freebuff do everything Cosmic.new does?** A: For the core loop — prompt, iterate, deploy a real app with auth and database — yes. Niche integrations may differ; you can always import code and extend in the Freebuff CLI. **Q: How much does Cosmic.new cost per year on a typical paid plan?** A: At $18/mo (Pro), expect roughly $216/year before overages. Freebuff is $0. **Q: Can I import my existing Cosmic.new project?** A: You can bring code over through GitHub: export it from Cosmic.new where supported, connect the repo, and keep building. Support depends on your stack. --- Source: https://freebuff.com/blog/free-figma-make-ai-app-builder-alternative-freebuff # The free alternative to Figma Make Same prompt-to-deployed-app loop — without the $20/mo (Professional Full seat) bill. Published: 2026-06-24 TL;DR: - Freebuff App Builder is a free alternative to Figma Make — build apps with AI, with sign-in, databases, and publishing built in. - Figma Make typical paid tier: $20/mo (Professional Full seat). Freebuff App Builder is free to start. - Sign-in, databases, and publishing are built in. - Connect GitHub to keep your code in a repo you control. Figma Make turns designs and prompts into functional web apps inside Figma, with code export and beta publishing. Freebuff App Builder does the same job and is free to start. ## What Figma Make costs in 2026 Figma Make is bundled into Figma seat pricing — not sold separately. A Professional Full seat is ~$16–20/mo (annual vs monthly) with 3,000 AI credits/mo shared across Figma AI tools. Organization Full is $55/seat/mo (per [figma.com/pricing](https://www.figma.com/pricing)). Most builders who iterate daily land on a paid tier quickly once the free allowance runs out. ## Feature-by-feature: Freebuff App Builder vs Figma Make | Feature | Freebuff | Figma Make | | --- | --- | --- | | Price | Free | $20/mo+ (Figma Full seat) | | Requires Figma subscription | No | Yes for production use | | AI credit pool | None — no meter | 3,000 credits/mo (Pro Full) | | Auth + database | Wired in | Add backend manually | | Standalone deployed URL | Yes, free | Beta publishing in Figma | | Terminal agent | Yes (Freebuff CLI) | No | ## When Figma Make is still the better pick Figma Make wins when your team already pays for Figma Full seats and wants app experiments adjacent to design files. ## How to move from Figma Make to Freebuff 1. Export code from Figma Make, push to GitHub, and connect it in Freebuff App Builder for auth, database, and hosting. 2. In Freebuff App Builder, connect GitHub and open the repo (or start a fresh project with the same prompt). 3. Sign-in, databases, and publishing are built in, so you can ask for them in your prompt. 4. Keep iterating in the browser, or run `freebuff` in your terminal for heavy refactors. **No lock-in**: Connect GitHub to keep your code in a repository you control. Try the free alternative to Figma Make — Build an app with sign-in, databases, and publishing built in — free to start. (Open Freebuff App Builder: /app-builder) **Q: Is Freebuff App Builder free?** A: It is free to start. Free accounts get a daily allowance of hours that refills at midnight and does not roll over, and paid plans add more (see [plans](/plans)). Sign-in, databases, and publishing are built in. **Q: Can Freebuff do everything Figma Make does?** A: For the core loop — prompt, iterate, deploy a real app with auth and database — yes. Niche integrations may differ; you can always import code and extend in the Freebuff CLI. **Q: How much does Figma Make cost per year on a typical paid plan?** A: At $20/mo (Professional Full seat), expect roughly $240/year before overages. Freebuff is $0. **Q: Can I import my existing Figma Make project?** A: You can bring code over through GitHub: export it from Figma Make where supported, connect the repo, and keep building. Support depends on your stack. --- Source: https://freebuff.com/blog/free-getmocha-mocha-ai-app-builder-alternative-freebuff # The free alternative to Mocha Same prompt-to-deployed-app loop — without the ~$50/mo (Silver, third-party reports) bill. Published: 2026-06-24 TL;DR: - Freebuff App Builder is a free alternative to Mocha — build apps with AI, with sign-in, databases, and publishing built in. - Mocha typical paid tier: ~$50/mo (Silver, third-party reports). Freebuff App Builder is free to start. - Sign-in, databases, and publishing are built in. - Connect GitHub to keep your code in a repo you control. Mocha built full-stack web apps from prompts with custom domains and credit-based plans. Freebuff App Builder does the same job and is free to start. ## What Mocha costs in 2026 Mocha is shutting down August 1, 2026. Official docs list Bronze/Silver/Gold tiers by credits but not public dollar amounts; third-party pricing guides commonly cite ~$20/mo Bronze, ~$50/mo Silver, ~$200/mo Gold. Verify in-app before subscribing. Most builders who iterate daily land on a paid tier quickly once the free allowance runs out. ## Feature-by-feature: Freebuff App Builder vs Mocha | Feature | Freebuff | Mocha | | --- | --- | --- | | Price | Free | Paid tiers (~$20–$200/mo) | | Platform status | Active | Shutting down Aug 2026 | | Usage limits | Daily hours allowance; paid plans add more | Yes | | Auth + database | Wired in | Wired in | | Custom domain | Yes | Paid tiers | | Terminal agent | Yes (Freebuff CLI) | No | ## When Mocha is still the better pick Mocha is no longer a long-term pick — the team recommends migrating to Anything before the August 2026 shutdown. ## How to move from Mocha to Freebuff 1. Use Mocha Settings → Export, or move to Freebuff App Builder through GitHub. Do not wait until August 2026. 2. In Freebuff App Builder, connect GitHub and open the repo (or start a fresh project with the same prompt). 3. Sign-in, databases, and publishing are built in, so you can ask for them in your prompt. 4. Keep iterating in the browser, or run `freebuff` in your terminal for heavy refactors. **Important: platform status**: Mocha announced a permanent shutdown on August 1, 2026. Treat this as a migration guide, not a long-term vendor comparison. **No lock-in**: Connect GitHub to keep your code in a repository you control. Try the free alternative to Mocha — Build an app with sign-in, databases, and publishing built in — free to start. (Open Freebuff App Builder: /app-builder) **Q: Is Freebuff App Builder free?** A: It is free to start. Free accounts get a daily allowance of hours that refills at midnight and does not roll over, and paid plans add more (see [plans](/plans)). Sign-in, databases, and publishing are built in. **Q: Can Freebuff do everything Mocha does?** A: For the core loop — prompt, iterate, deploy a real app with auth and database — yes. Niche integrations may differ; you can always import code and extend in the Freebuff CLI. **Q: How much does Mocha cost per year on a typical paid plan?** A: At ~$50/mo (Silver, third-party reports), expect roughly $600/year before overages. Freebuff is $0. **Q: Can I import my existing Mocha project?** A: You can bring code over through GitHub: export it from Mocha where supported, connect the repo, and keep building. Support depends on your stack. --- Source: https://freebuff.com/blog/free-google-ai-studio-gemini-app-builder-alternative-freebuff # The free alternative to Google AI Studio Same prompt-to-deployed-app loop — without the $19.99/mo (Google AI Pro) bill. Published: 2026-06-24 TL;DR: - Freebuff App Builder is a free alternative to Google AI Studio — build apps with AI, with sign-in, databases, and publishing built in. - Google AI Studio typical paid tier: $19.99/mo (Google AI Pro). Freebuff App Builder is free to start. - Sign-in, databases, and publishing are built in. - Connect GitHub to keep your code in a repo you control. Google AI Studio lets you prototype Gemini-powered apps and agents in the browser, then export to code and APIs. Freebuff App Builder does the same job and is free to start. ## What Google AI Studio costs in 2026 Google AI Studio itself is free for prototyping with Flash models. Pro-tier models in the UI require Google AI Pro at $19.99/mo, or paid Gemini API usage via Cloud Billing (per-token, often $20–$100+/mo for active builders). Most builders who iterate daily land on a paid tier quickly once the free allowance runs out. ## Feature-by-feature: Freebuff App Builder vs Google AI Studio | Feature | Freebuff | Google AI Studio | | --- | --- | --- | | Price | Free | $0 prototype; ~$20/mo+ for Pro models | | Full-stack app out of the box | Yes | Prototype / API-first | | Auth + database | Wired in | You wire it up | | Deployed URL | Yes, free | Separate hosting + API costs | | Credit / token meter | None | Yes on paid API | | Terminal agent | Yes (Freebuff CLI) | No | ## When Google AI Studio is still the better pick Google AI Studio wins when you are already in the Google Cloud ecosystem and want raw API access to Gemini models. ## How to move from Google AI Studio to Freebuff 1. Export generated code to GitHub and connect it in Freebuff App Builder for auth, database, hosting, and iteration without API billing. 2. In Freebuff App Builder, connect GitHub and open the repo (or start a fresh project with the same prompt). 3. Sign-in, databases, and publishing are built in, so you can ask for them in your prompt. 4. Keep iterating in the browser, or run `freebuff` in your terminal for heavy refactors. **No lock-in**: Connect GitHub to keep your code in a repository you control. Try the free alternative to Google AI Studio — Build an app with sign-in, databases, and publishing built in — free to start. (Open Freebuff App Builder: /app-builder) **Q: Is Freebuff App Builder free?** A: It is free to start. Free accounts get a daily allowance of hours that refills at midnight and does not roll over, and paid plans add more (see [plans](/plans)). Sign-in, databases, and publishing are built in. **Q: Can Freebuff do everything Google AI Studio does?** A: For the core loop — prompt, iterate, deploy a real app with auth and database — yes. Niche integrations may differ; you can always import code and extend in the Freebuff CLI. **Q: How much does Google AI Studio cost per year on a typical paid plan?** A: At $19.99/mo (Google AI Pro), expect roughly $240/year before overages. Freebuff is $0. **Q: Can I import my existing Google AI Studio project?** A: You can bring code over through GitHub: export it from Google AI Studio where supported, connect the repo, and keep building. Support depends on your stack. --- Source: https://freebuff.com/blog/free-macaly-ai-app-builder-alternative-freebuff # The free alternative to Macaly Same prompt-to-deployed-app loop — without the $25/mo (Pro) bill. Published: 2026-06-24 (updated 2026-10-09) TL;DR: - Freebuff App Builder is a free alternative to Macaly — build apps with AI, with sign-in, databases, and publishing built in. - Macaly typical paid tier: $25/mo (Pro). Freebuff App Builder is free to start. - Sign-in, databases, and publishing are built in. - Connect GitHub to keep your code in a repo you control. Macaly builds websites, dashboards, and web apps from natural-language prompts with hosting and database included. Freebuff App Builder does the same job and is free to start. ## What Macaly costs in 2026 Macaly Pro is $25/mo with 10M monthly credits and unlimited custom domains. Starter is $10/mo with 1M credits and one app on your own domain. The Free plan includes 1M credits on a macaly.app domain, and the Agency plan is $350/mo (per [macaly.com/pricing](https://www.macaly.com/pricing)). Most builders who iterate daily land on a paid tier quickly once the free allowance runs out. ## Feature-by-feature: Freebuff App Builder vs Macaly | Feature | Freebuff | Macaly | | --- | --- | --- | | Price | Free | $25/mo (Pro) | | Usage limits | Daily hours allowance; paid plans add more | Yes — monthly credits | | Custom domain | Yes | Starter plan and up | | Auth + database | Wired in | Included | | Code access | Full repo | Pro plan | | Terminal agent | Yes (Freebuff CLI) | No | ## When Macaly is still the better pick Macaly is approachable for founders and small businesses who want a guided builder with SEO tooling built in. ## How to move from Macaly to Freebuff 1. Export code from Macaly Pro and connect the repo in Freebuff App Builder. 2. In Freebuff App Builder, connect GitHub and open the repo (or start a fresh project with the same prompt). 3. Sign-in, databases, and publishing are built in, so you can ask for them in your prompt. 4. Keep iterating in the browser, or run `freebuff` in your terminal for heavy refactors. **No lock-in**: Connect GitHub to keep your code in a repository you control. Try the free alternative to Macaly — Build an app with sign-in, databases, and publishing built in — free to start. (Open Freebuff App Builder: /app-builder) **Q: Is Freebuff App Builder free?** A: It is free to start. Free accounts get a daily allowance of hours that refills at midnight and does not roll over, and paid plans add more (see [plans](/plans)). Sign-in, databases, and publishing are built in. **Q: Can Freebuff do everything Macaly does?** A: For the core loop — prompt, iterate, deploy a real app with auth and database — yes. Niche integrations may differ; you can always import code and extend in the Freebuff CLI. **Q: How much does Macaly cost per year on a typical paid plan?** A: At $25/mo (Pro), expect roughly $300/year before overages. Freebuff is $0. **Q: Can I import my existing Macaly project?** A: You can bring code over through GitHub: export it from Macaly where supported, connect the repo, and keep building. Support depends on your stack. --- Source: https://freebuff.com/blog/free-magic-patterns-ai-ui-generator-alternative-freebuff # The free alternative to Magic Patterns Same prompt-to-deployed-app loop — without the $100/seat/mo (Business) bill. Published: 2026-06-24 TL;DR: - Freebuff App Builder is a free alternative to Magic Patterns — build apps with AI, with sign-in, databases, and publishing built in. - Magic Patterns typical paid tier: $100/seat/mo (Business). Freebuff App Builder is free to start. - Sign-in, databases, and publishing are built in. - Connect GitHub to keep your code in a repo you control. Magic Patterns generates UI prototypes and component libraries from prompts — popular with product teams moving from Figma to code. Freebuff App Builder does the same job and is free to start. ## What Magic Patterns costs in 2026 Magic Patterns Starter is $20/seat/mo (1,000 credits). Business is $100/seat/mo (5,000 credits). On-demand usage bills at $0.02/credit after limits (per [Magic Patterns billing docs](https://magicpatterns.mintlify.app/documentation/get-started/credits-and-billing)). Most builders who iterate daily land on a paid tier quickly once the free allowance runs out. ## Feature-by-feature: Freebuff App Builder vs Magic Patterns | Feature | Freebuff | Magic Patterns | | --- | --- | --- | | Price | Free | $100/seat/mo (Business) | | Per-seat billing | No | Yes | | Usage limits | Daily hours allowance; paid plans add more | Yes — usage-based credits | | Full-stack app (auth + DB) | Wired in | Prototype-focused | | Deployed production URL | Yes, free | Export / hand-off | | Figma export | Via import | Native | | Terminal agent | Yes (Freebuff CLI) | No | ## When Magic Patterns is still the better pick Magic Patterns wins for design-system-aware UI generation inside a product-team workflow with Figma export. ## How to move from Magic Patterns to Freebuff 1. Export generated code from Magic Patterns and connect the GitHub repo in Freebuff App Builder for full-stack wiring. 2. In Freebuff App Builder, connect GitHub and open the repo (or start a fresh project with the same prompt). 3. Sign-in, databases, and publishing are built in, so you can ask for them in your prompt. 4. Keep iterating in the browser, or run `freebuff` in your terminal for heavy refactors. **No lock-in**: Connect GitHub to keep your code in a repository you control. Try the free alternative to Magic Patterns — Build an app with sign-in, databases, and publishing built in — free to start. (Open Freebuff App Builder: /app-builder) **Q: Is Freebuff App Builder free?** A: It is free to start. Free accounts get a daily allowance of hours that refills at midnight and does not roll over, and paid plans add more (see [plans](/plans)). Sign-in, databases, and publishing are built in. **Q: Can Freebuff do everything Magic Patterns does?** A: For the core loop — prompt, iterate, deploy a real app with auth and database — yes. Niche integrations may differ; you can always import code and extend in the Freebuff CLI. **Q: How much does Magic Patterns cost per year on a typical paid plan?** A: At $100/seat/mo (Business), expect roughly $1200/year before overages. Freebuff is $0. **Q: Can I import my existing Magic Patterns project?** A: You can bring code over through GitHub: export it from Magic Patterns where supported, connect the repo, and keep building. Support depends on your stack. --- Source: https://freebuff.com/blog/free-orchids-ai-app-builder-alternative-freebuff # The free alternative to Orchids Same prompt-to-deployed-app loop — without the $50/mo (Premium, monthly billing) bill. Published: 2026-06-24 TL;DR: - Freebuff App Builder is a free alternative to Orchids — build apps with AI, with sign-in, databases, and publishing built in. - Orchids typical paid tier: $50/mo (Premium, monthly billing). Freebuff App Builder is free to start. - Sign-in, databases, and publishing are built in. - Connect GitHub to keep your code in a repo you control. Orchids (YC W25) is a design-first AI website and app builder with strong visual defaults and analytics. Freebuff App Builder does the same job and is free to start. ## What Orchids costs in 2026 Orchids Premium is $42/mo billed annually or $50/mo billed monthly with 4M monthly credits and unlimited projects. Ultra is $99/mo; Max is $200/mo (per [Orchids plans docs](https://docs.orchids.app/plans-and-token-usage)). Most builders who iterate daily land on a paid tier quickly once the free allowance runs out. ## Feature-by-feature: Freebuff App Builder vs Orchids | Feature | Freebuff | Orchids | | --- | --- | --- | | Price | Free | $50/mo Premium | | Usage limits | Daily hours allowance; paid plans add more | Yes — monthly credits | | Free tier | Full product | 100k credits, 3 projects | | Auth + database | Wired in | Wired in | | Custom domain | Yes | Paid plans | | GitHub | Connect a repo | Yes | | Terminal agent | Yes (Freebuff CLI) | No | ## When Orchids is still the better pick Orchids excels at polished marketing sites and portfolios where design quality is the primary constraint. ## How to move from Orchids to Freebuff 1. Export to GitHub from Orchids and connect it in Freebuff App Builder. 2. In Freebuff App Builder, connect GitHub and open the repo (or start a fresh project with the same prompt). 3. Sign-in, databases, and publishing are built in, so you can ask for them in your prompt. 4. Keep iterating in the browser, or run `freebuff` in your terminal for heavy refactors. **No lock-in**: Connect GitHub to keep your code in a repository you control. Try the free alternative to Orchids — Build an app with sign-in, databases, and publishing built in — free to start. (Open Freebuff App Builder: /app-builder) **Q: Is Freebuff App Builder free?** A: It is free to start. Free accounts get a daily allowance of hours that refills at midnight and does not roll over, and paid plans add more (see [plans](/plans)). Sign-in, databases, and publishing are built in. **Q: Can Freebuff do everything Orchids does?** A: For the core loop — prompt, iterate, deploy a real app with auth and database — yes. Niche integrations may differ; you can always import code and extend in the Freebuff CLI. **Q: How much does Orchids cost per year on a typical paid plan?** A: At $50/mo (Premium, monthly billing), expect roughly $600/year before overages. Freebuff is $0. **Q: Can I import my existing Orchids project?** A: You can bring code over through GitHub: export it from Orchids where supported, connect the repo, and keep building. Support depends on your stack. --- Source: https://freebuff.com/blog/free-same-new-ai-app-builder-alternative-freebuff # The free alternative to Same.new Same prompt-to-deployed-app loop — without the $50/mo (Max) bill. Published: 2026-06-24 TL;DR: - Freebuff App Builder is a free alternative to Same.new — build apps with AI, with sign-in, databases, and publishing built in. - Same.new typical paid tier: $50/mo (Max). Freebuff App Builder is free to start. - Sign-in, databases, and publishing are built in. - Connect GitHub to keep your code in a repo you control. Same.new generates full-stack web apps from prompts with remix/download flows on paid plans. Freebuff App Builder does the same job and is free to start. ## What Same.new costs in 2026 Same.new tiers: Free (500k tokens), Basic $10/mo, Pro $25/mo, Max $50/mo, Ultra $100/mo. Ultra adds pay-as-you-go beyond 20M tokens at $10 per 2M (per [Same.new pricing docs](https://docs.same.new/usage/pricing)). Most builders who iterate daily land on a paid tier quickly once the free allowance runs out. ## Feature-by-feature: Freebuff App Builder vs Same.new | Feature | Freebuff | Same.new | | --- | --- | --- | | Price | Free | $50/mo (Max) | | Token meter | None | Yes — fixed monthly tiers | | Auth + database | Wired in | Varies by stack | | Project download | Connect GitHub | Paid plans | | Deployed URL | Yes, free | Yes | | Terminal agent | Yes (Freebuff CLI) | No | ## When Same.new is still the better pick Same.new is a solid pick for fast MVPs when you want predictable token tiers and a simple upgrade path. ## How to move from Same.new to Freebuff 1. Download your project on a paid plan and connect the repo in Freebuff App Builder. 2. In Freebuff App Builder, connect GitHub and open the repo (or start a fresh project with the same prompt). 3. Sign-in, databases, and publishing are built in, so you can ask for them in your prompt. 4. Keep iterating in the browser, or run `freebuff` in your terminal for heavy refactors. **No lock-in**: Connect GitHub to keep your code in a repository you control. Try the free alternative to Same.new — Build an app with sign-in, databases, and publishing built in — free to start. (Open Freebuff App Builder: /app-builder) **Q: Is Freebuff App Builder free?** A: It is free to start. Free accounts get a daily allowance of hours that refills at midnight and does not roll over, and paid plans add more (see [plans](/plans)). Sign-in, databases, and publishing are built in. **Q: Can Freebuff do everything Same.new does?** A: For the core loop — prompt, iterate, deploy a real app with auth and database — yes. Niche integrations may differ; you can always import code and extend in the Freebuff CLI. **Q: How much does Same.new cost per year on a typical paid plan?** A: At $50/mo (Max), expect roughly $600/year before overages. Freebuff is $0. **Q: Can I import my existing Same.new project?** A: You can bring code over through GitHub: export it from Same.new where supported, connect the repo, and keep building. Support depends on your stack. --- Source: https://freebuff.com/blog/free-v0-vercel-ai-app-builder-alternative-freebuff # The free alternative to v0 Same prompt-to-deployed-app loop — without the $30/user/mo (Plus) bill. Published: 2026-06-24 (updated 2026-10-09) TL;DR: - Freebuff App Builder is a free alternative to v0 — build apps with AI, with sign-in, databases, and publishing built in. - v0 typical paid tier: $30/user/mo (Plus). Freebuff App Builder is free to start. - Sign-in, databases, and publishing are built in. - Connect GitHub to keep your code in a repo you control. v0 by Vercel generates React/Next.js UI and full-stack apps from prompts, with Vercel deployment integration. Freebuff App Builder does the same job and is free to start. ## What v0 costs in 2026 v0 Plus is $30/user/mo with $30 in monthly credits per user. Business is $100/user/mo. See [v0.app/pricing](https://v0.app/pricing) for the live plan list. Most builders who iterate daily land on a paid tier quickly once the free allowance runs out. ## Feature-by-feature: Freebuff App Builder vs v0 | Feature | Freebuff | v0 | | --- | --- | --- | | Price | Free | $30/user/mo (Plus) | | Usage limits | Daily hours allowance; paid plans add more | Yes — token-based credits | | Auth + database | Wired in | Manual / add-ons | | Next.js + shadcn output | Yes | Native specialty | | Vercel deploy integration | Any host | Native Vercel | | Terminal agent | Yes (Freebuff CLI) | No | ## When v0 is still the better pick v0 wins for teams already on Vercel who want shadcn-aligned components and tight deploy pipelines. ## How to move from v0 to Freebuff 1. Push your v0 project to GitHub and connect it in Freebuff App Builder. 2. In Freebuff App Builder, connect GitHub and open the repo (or start a fresh project with the same prompt). 3. Sign-in, databases, and publishing are built in, so you can ask for them in your prompt. 4. Keep iterating in the browser, or run `freebuff` in your terminal for heavy refactors. **No lock-in**: Connect GitHub to keep your code in a repository you control. Try the free alternative to v0 — Build an app with sign-in, databases, and publishing built in — free to start. (Open Freebuff App Builder: /app-builder) **Q: Is Freebuff App Builder free?** A: It is free to start. Free accounts get a daily allowance of hours that refills at midnight and does not roll over, and paid plans add more (see [plans](/plans)). Sign-in, databases, and publishing are built in. **Q: Can Freebuff do everything v0 does?** A: For the core loop — prompt, iterate, deploy a real app with auth and database — yes. Niche integrations may differ; you can always import code and extend in the Freebuff CLI. **Q: How much does v0 cost per year on a typical paid plan?** A: At $30/user/mo (Plus), expect roughly $360/year before overages. Freebuff is $0. **Q: Can I import my existing v0 project?** A: You can bring code over through GitHub: export it from v0 where supported, connect the repo, and keep building. Support depends on your stack. --- Source: https://freebuff.com/blog/save-240-per-year-antigravity-cli-gemini-freebuff-alternative # How one Antigravity CLI user saved $240 by switching to Freebuff CLI $20/mo future Gemini spend → $0 with Freebuff. Published: 2026-06-24 TL;DR: - future Gemini spend on Antigravity CLI: about $20/month ($240/year). - Freebuff CLI: $0/month with models and subagents included. - Net savings: $240/year before API or credit overages. - Modeled example — your usage may differ. Terminal agents are where subscription and token costs add up fastest. Here is the math for Antigravity CLI vs Freebuff CLI — not a fabricated testimonial, but the switch we see often. ## The bill on future Gemini spend Antigravity is **free at launch** but Gemini-powered; long-term pricing is TBD. Budget **~$20/mo** equivalent in API or future seat fees for planning. For this example: **$20/month** or **$240/year**. | Feature | Freebuff | future Gemini spend | | --- | --- | --- | | Monthly cost | $0 | $20 | | Annual cost | $0 | $240 | | Token / credit overages | None | Common on long agent sessions | | Subagents | 9 included | Varies | | Model bundle | Included | Subscription or BYOK | ## Three-step switch 1. Use Freebuff in your existing editor instead of switching to Antigravity's fork. 2. Install Freebuff: `npm i -g freebuff` 3. Cancel Antigravity CLI billing once you have verified Freebuff on your repos. **Full comparison**: Read [The free alternative to Antigravity CLI](/blog/free-antigravity-cli-coding-agent-alternative-freebuff) for the feature-by-feature table. Stop paying $20/mo (Install Freebuff CLI: /cli) **Q: Can I run both Copilot CLI and Freebuff?** A: Yes. Many developers use Freebuff for heavy agent work and keep IDE completions elsewhere — or drop the paid tier entirely. **Q: Do I need to change editors?** A: No. Freebuff runs in whatever terminal you already use. --- Source: https://freebuff.com/blog/save-240-per-year-claude-code-cli-freebuff-alternative # How one Claude Code user saved $240 by switching to Freebuff CLI $20/mo Claude Code Pro → $0 with Freebuff. Published: 2026-06-24 TL;DR: - Claude Code Pro on Claude Code: about $20/month ($240/year). - Freebuff CLI: $0/month with models and subagents included. - Net savings: $240/year before API or credit overages. - Modeled example — your usage may differ. Terminal agents are where subscription and token costs add up fastest. Here is the math for Claude Code vs Freebuff CLI — not a fabricated testimonial, but the switch we see often. ## The bill on Claude Code Pro Claude Code Pro is **$20/mo**; Max is **$200/mo**. Pro includes agent access tied to your Anthropic subscription. For this example: **$20/month** or **$240/year**. | Feature | Freebuff | Claude Code Pro | | --- | --- | --- | | Monthly cost | $0 | $20 | | Annual cost | $0 | $240 | | Token / credit overages | None | Common on long agent sessions | | Subagents | 9 included | Varies | | Model bundle | Included | Subscription or BYOK | ## Three-step switch 1. Same repo, same terminal — run `freebuff` instead of `claude`. 2. Install Freebuff: `npm i -g freebuff` 3. Cancel Claude Code billing once you have verified Freebuff on your repos. **Full comparison**: Read [The free alternative to Claude Code](/blog/free-claude-code-cli-coding-agent-alternative-freebuff) for the feature-by-feature table. Stop paying $20/mo (Install Freebuff CLI: /cli) **Q: Can I run both Copilot CLI and Freebuff?** A: Yes. Many developers use Freebuff for heavy agent work and keep IDE completions elsewhere — or drop the paid tier entirely. **Q: Do I need to change editors?** A: No. Freebuff runs in whatever terminal you already use. --- Source: https://freebuff.com/blog/save-240-per-year-codex-cli-chatgpt-plus-freebuff-alternative # How one OpenAI Codex CLI user saved $240 by switching to Freebuff CLI $20/mo ChatGPT Plus → $0 with Freebuff. Published: 2026-06-24 (updated 2026-07-22) TL;DR: - ChatGPT Plus on OpenAI Codex CLI: about $20/month ($240/year). - Freebuff CLI: $0/month with models and subagents included. - Net savings: $240/year before API or credit overages. - Modeled example — your usage may differ. Terminal agents are where subscription and token costs add up fastest. Here is the math for OpenAI Codex CLI vs Freebuff CLI — not a fabricated testimonial, but the switch we see often. ## The bill on ChatGPT Plus Codex and the Codex CLI require **ChatGPT Plus at $20/mo** or higher for cloud agent access. For this example: **$20/month** or **$240/year**. | Feature | Freebuff | ChatGPT Plus | | --- | --- | --- | | Monthly cost | $0 | $20 | | Annual cost | $0 | $240 | | Token / credit overages | None | Common on long agent sessions | | Subagents | 9 included | Varies | | Model bundle | Included | Subscription or BYOK | ## Three-step switch 1. Run `freebuff` in the same repo—no Plus subscription. 2. Install Freebuff: `npm i -g freebuff` 3. Cancel OpenAI Codex CLI billing once you have verified Freebuff on your repos. **Full comparison**: Read [The free alternative to OpenAI Codex CLI](/blog/free-codex-cli-openai-coding-agent-alternative-freebuff) for the feature-by-feature table. Stop paying $20/mo (Install Freebuff CLI: /cli) **Q: Can I run both Copilot CLI and Freebuff?** A: Yes. Many developers use Freebuff for heavy agent work and keep IDE completions elsewhere — or drop the paid tier entirely. **Q: Do I need to change editors?** A: No. Freebuff runs in whatever terminal you already use. --- Source: https://freebuff.com/blog/save-240-per-year-cursor-agent-pro-freebuff-cli-alternative # How one Cursor Agent user saved $240 by switching to Freebuff CLI $20/mo Cursor Pro → $0 with Freebuff. Published: 2026-06-24 TL;DR: - Cursor Pro on Cursor Agent: about $20/month ($240/year). - Freebuff CLI: $0/month with models and subagents included. - Net savings: $240/year before API or credit overages. - Modeled example — your usage may differ. Terminal agents are where subscription and token costs add up fastest. Here is the math for Cursor Agent vs Freebuff CLI — not a fabricated testimonial, but the switch we see often. ## The bill on Cursor Pro Cursor Pro is **$20/mo**; Ultra is **$200/mo**. The agent loop is gated behind Pro for serious use. For this example: **$20/month** or **$240/year**. | Feature | Freebuff | Cursor Pro | | --- | --- | --- | | Monthly cost | $0 | $20 | | Annual cost | $0 | $240 | | Token / credit overages | None | Common on long agent sessions | | Subagents | 9 included | Varies | | Model bundle | Included | Subscription or BYOK | ## Three-step switch 1. Keep Cursor for tab completion; run `freebuff` in the terminal panel and cancel Pro. 2. Install Freebuff: `npm i -g freebuff` 3. Cancel Cursor Agent billing once you have verified Freebuff on your repos. **Full comparison**: Read [The free alternative to Cursor Agent](/blog/free-cursor-agent-cli-coding-alternative-freebuff) for the feature-by-feature table. Stop paying $20/mo (Install Freebuff CLI: /cli) **Q: Can I run both Copilot CLI and Freebuff?** A: Yes. Many developers use Freebuff for heavy agent work and keep IDE completions elsewhere — or drop the paid tier entirely. **Q: Do I need to change editors?** A: No. Freebuff runs in whatever terminal you already use. --- Source: https://freebuff.com/blog/save-240-per-year-pi-coding-agent-api-freebuff-cli-alternative # How one Pi Coding Agent user saved $240 by switching to Freebuff CLI $20/mo typical model API spend → $0 with Freebuff. Published: 2026-06-24 TL;DR: - typical model API spend on Pi Coding Agent: about $20/month ($240/year). - Freebuff CLI: $0/month with models and subagents included. - Net savings: $240/year before API or credit overages. - Modeled example — your usage may differ. Terminal agents are where subscription and token costs add up fastest. Here is the math for Pi Coding Agent vs Freebuff CLI — not a fabricated testimonial, but the switch we see often. ## The bill on typical model API spend Pi itself is free and open-source (pi-mono / pi-coding-agent on npm). You pay your model provider per token — many developers report **$10–$30/mo** in API costs for daily use, or use `/login` with an existing Claude Pro, ChatGPT Plus, or GitHub Copilot subscription. For this example: **$20/month** or **$240/year**. | Feature | Freebuff | typical model API spend | | --- | --- | --- | | Monthly cost | $0 | $20 | | Annual cost | $0 | $240 | | Token / credit overages | None | Common on long agent sessions | | Subagents | 9 included | Varies | | Model bundle | Included | Subscription or BYOK | ## Three-step switch 1. Pi works on any repo. `cd` into your project and run `freebuff` in the same terminal — no export step. 2. Install Freebuff: `npm i -g freebuff` 3. Cancel Pi Coding Agent billing once you have verified Freebuff on your repos. **Full comparison**: Read [The free alternative to Pi Coding Agent](/blog/free-pi-coding-agent-cli-alternative-freebuff) for the feature-by-feature table. Stop paying $20/mo (Install Freebuff CLI: /cli) **Q: Can I keep using Pi and Freebuff?** A: Yes — some developers use Pi for experiments and Freebuff for daily work with included models. Or switch fully to save API spend. **Q: Do I need to change editors?** A: No. Freebuff runs in whatever terminal you already use. --- Source: https://freebuff.com/blog/save-360-per-year-opencode-cli-api-costs-freebuff-alternative # How one OpenCode user saved $360 by switching to Freebuff CLI $30/mo typical API spend → $0 with Freebuff. Published: 2026-06-24 TL;DR: - typical API spend on OpenCode: about $30/month ($360/year). - Freebuff CLI: $0/month with models and subagents included. - Net savings: $360/year before API or credit overages. - Modeled example — your usage may differ. Terminal agents are where subscription and token costs add up fastest. Here is the math for OpenCode vs Freebuff CLI — not a fabricated testimonial, but the switch we see often. ## The bill on typical API spend OpenCode is free software but **BYOK** — most users pay **$20–$50/mo** to model providers depending on volume. For this example: **$30/month** or **$360/year**. | Feature | Freebuff | typical API spend | | --- | --- | --- | | Monthly cost | $0 | $30 | | Annual cost | $0 | $360 | | Token / credit overages | None | Common on long agent sessions | | Subagents | 9 included | Varies | | Model bundle | Included | Subscription or BYOK | ## Three-step switch 1. Keep your repo; swap the CLI command to `freebuff`. 2. Install Freebuff: `npm i -g freebuff` 3. Cancel OpenCode billing once you have verified Freebuff on your repos. **Full comparison**: Read [The free alternative to OpenCode](/blog/free-opencode-cli-coding-agent-alternative-freebuff) for the feature-by-feature table. Stop paying $30/mo (Install Freebuff CLI: /cli) **Q: Can I run both Copilot CLI and Freebuff?** A: Yes. Many developers use Freebuff for heavy agent work and keep IDE completions elsewhere — or drop the paid tier entirely. **Q: Do I need to change editors?** A: No. Freebuff runs in whatever terminal you already use. --- Source: https://freebuff.com/blog/save-468-per-year-github-copilot-cli-pro-plus-freebuff-alternative # How one GitHub Copilot CLI user saved $468 by switching to Freebuff CLI $39/mo GitHub Copilot Pro+ → $0 with Freebuff. Published: 2026-06-24 TL;DR: - GitHub Copilot Pro+ on GitHub Copilot CLI: about $39/month ($468/year). - Freebuff CLI: $0/month with models and subagents included. - Net savings: $468/year before API or credit overages. - Modeled example — your usage may differ. Terminal agents are where subscription and token costs add up fastest. Here is the math for GitHub Copilot CLI vs Freebuff CLI — not a fabricated testimonial, but the switch we see often. ## The bill on GitHub Copilot Pro+ GitHub Copilot CLI is included on all Copilot plans. **Copilot Pro is $10/mo**; **Copilot Pro+ is $39/mo** with a larger AI Credits pool. As of June 2026, usage is metered in GitHub AI Credits (1 credit = $0.01) per token — heavy agent sessions can burn through included credits fast (per [GitHub Copilot billing docs](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/reference/copilot-billing/models-and-pricing)). For this example: **$39/month** or **$468/year**. | Feature | Freebuff | GitHub Copilot Pro+ | | --- | --- | --- | | Monthly cost | $0 | $39 | | Annual cost | $0 | $468 | | Token / credit overages | None | Common on long agent sessions | | Subagents | 9 included | Varies | | Model bundle | Included | Subscription or BYOK | ## Three-step switch 1. Clone your repo locally (if not already), install Freebuff with `npm i -g freebuff`, run `freebuff` in the project root. 2. Install Freebuff: `npm i -g freebuff` 3. Cancel GitHub Copilot CLI billing once you have verified Freebuff on your repos. **Full comparison**: Read [The free alternative to GitHub Copilot CLI](/blog/free-github-copilot-cli-coding-agent-alternative-freebuff) for the feature-by-feature table. Stop paying $39/mo (Install Freebuff CLI: /cli) **Q: Can I run both Copilot CLI and Freebuff?** A: Yes. Many developers use Freebuff for heavy agent work and keep IDE completions elsewhere — or drop the paid tier entirely. **Q: Do I need to change editors?** A: No. Freebuff runs in whatever terminal you already use. --- Source: https://freebuff.com/blog/save-1200-per-year-magic-patterns-ai-ui-generator-freebuff-alternative # How one Magic Patterns user saved $1200 by switching to Freebuff Same shipped apps. $100/mo Magic Patterns Business bill → $0. Published: 2026-06-24 TL;DR: - Magic Patterns Business on Magic Patterns: about $100/month ($1200/year). - Freebuff App Builder: free to start, with sign-in, databases, and publishing built in. - Net savings: $1200/year before credit top-ups or seat multipliers. - This is a modeled example for a typical solo builder — your mileage depends on usage. We talk to builders every week who like Magic Patterns but hate watching credits disappear. Here is a straightforward math story for a freelance designer building client sites — not a fabricated testimonial, but the kind of switch we see in practice. ## The bill on Magic Patterns Business Magic Patterns Starter is $20/seat/mo (1,000 credits). Business is $100/seat/mo (5,000 credits). On-demand usage bills at $0.02/credit after limits (per [Magic Patterns billing docs](https://magicpatterns.mintlify.app/documentation/get-started/credits-and-billing)). For this example we use the middle paid tier most solo builders aim for: **Magic Patterns Business at $100/month**, or **$1200/year**. | Feature | Freebuff | Magic Patterns Business | | --- | --- | --- | | Monthly subscription | $0 | $100 | | Annual cost | $0 | $1200 | | Credit / token overages | Daily hours allowance instead | Common on active projects | | Auth + database + hosting | Included | Included (varies by plan) | | CLI for big refactors | Freebuff CLI | Not included | ## What changed after switching - **Same workflow.** Prompt in the browser, get a deployed URL, click to iterate. - **A daily allowance, not a credit balance.** Free accounts get a daily allowance of hours that refills at midnight. - **Keep your code in GitHub.** Connect a repo and keep editing with Freebuff CLI locally. - **$1200/year back.** That covers domains, email, or a paid Freebuff plan if you want more usage. ## Three-step migration 1. Export generated code from Magic Patterns and connect the GitHub repo in Freebuff App Builder for full-stack wiring. 2. Connect the repo in Freebuff App Builder (or recreate the app with your best prompt). 3. Cancel Magic Patterns once you have verified the Freebuff deploy — welcome to $0/month. **Want the full feature comparison?**: Read [The free alternative to Magic Patterns](/blog/free-magic-patterns-ai-ui-generator-alternative-freebuff) for an honest side-by-side. Stop paying $100/mo — Open Freebuff App Builder and start building for free. (Open Freebuff App Builder: /app-builder) **Q: Is $1200/year realistic?** A: It is the base subscription for Magic Patterns Business. Many users pay more after credit top-ups, extra seats, or higher tiers. **Q: Will I lose features?** A: Sign-in, databases, and publishing are built in, and your code can live in your own GitHub repo. Some vendor-specific integrations may need re-wiring — usually a one-time CLI task. **Q: Can teams use Freebuff App Builder?** A: Freebuff plans are per account, not per seat. Collaborate through GitHub like any normal repo. --- Source: https://freebuff.com/blog/save-240-per-year-figma-make-ai-app-builder-freebuff-alternative # How one Figma Make user saved $240 by switching to Freebuff Same shipped apps. $20/mo Figma Professional Full seat bill → $0. Published: 2026-06-24 TL;DR: - Figma Professional Full seat on Figma Make: about $20/month ($240/year). - Freebuff App Builder: free to start, with sign-in, databases, and publishing built in. - Net savings: $240/year before credit top-ups or seat multipliers. - This is a modeled example for a typical solo builder — your mileage depends on usage. We talk to builders every week who like Figma Make but hate watching credits disappear. Here is a straightforward math story for a marketer shipping client landing pages — not a fabricated testimonial, but the kind of switch we see in practice. ## The bill on Figma Professional Full seat Figma Make is bundled into Figma seat pricing — not sold separately. A Professional Full seat is ~$16–20/mo (annual vs monthly) with 3,000 AI credits/mo shared across Figma AI tools. Organization Full is $55/seat/mo (per [figma.com/pricing](https://www.figma.com/pricing)). For this example we use the middle paid tier most solo builders aim for: **Figma Professional Full seat at $20/month**, or **$240/year**. | Feature | Freebuff | Figma Professional Full seat | | --- | --- | --- | | Monthly subscription | $0 | $20 | | Annual cost | $0 | $240 | | Credit / token overages | Daily hours allowance instead | Common on active projects | | Auth + database + hosting | Included | Included (varies by plan) | | CLI for big refactors | Freebuff CLI | Not included | ## What changed after switching - **Same workflow.** Prompt in the browser, get a deployed URL, click to iterate. - **A daily allowance, not a credit balance.** Free accounts get a daily allowance of hours that refills at midnight. - **Keep your code in GitHub.** Connect a repo and keep editing with Freebuff CLI locally. - **$240/year back.** That covers domains, email, or a paid Freebuff plan if you want more usage. ## Three-step migration 1. Export code from Figma Make, push to GitHub, and connect it in Freebuff App Builder for auth, database, and hosting. 2. Connect the repo in Freebuff App Builder (or recreate the app with your best prompt). 3. Cancel Figma Make once you have verified the Freebuff deploy — welcome to $0/month. **Want the full feature comparison?**: Read [The free alternative to Figma Make](/blog/free-figma-make-ai-app-builder-alternative-freebuff) for an honest side-by-side. Stop paying $20/mo — Open Freebuff App Builder and start building for free. (Open Freebuff App Builder: /app-builder) **Q: Is $240/year realistic?** A: It is the base subscription for Figma Professional Full seat. Many users pay more after credit top-ups, extra seats, or higher tiers. **Q: Will I lose features?** A: Sign-in, databases, and publishing are built in, and your code can live in your own GitHub repo. Some vendor-specific integrations may need re-wiring — usually a one-time CLI task. **Q: Can teams use Freebuff App Builder?** A: Freebuff plans are per account, not per seat. Collaborate through GitHub like any normal repo. --- Source: https://freebuff.com/blog/save-240-per-year-google-ai-studio-gemini-app-builder-freebuff-alternative # How one Google AI Studio user saved $240 by switching to Freebuff Same shipped apps. $20/mo Google AI Pro bill → $0. Published: 2026-06-24 TL;DR: - Google AI Pro on Google AI Studio: about $20/month ($240/year). - Freebuff App Builder: free to start, with sign-in, databases, and publishing built in. - Net savings: $240/year before credit top-ups or seat multipliers. - This is a modeled example for a typical solo builder — your mileage depends on usage. We talk to builders every week who like Google AI Studio but hate watching credits disappear. Here is a straightforward math story for an indie hacker shipping side projects — not a fabricated testimonial, but the kind of switch we see in practice. ## The bill on Google AI Pro Google AI Studio itself is free for prototyping with Flash models. Pro-tier models in the UI require Google AI Pro at $19.99/mo, or paid Gemini API usage via Cloud Billing (per-token, often $20–$100+/mo for active builders). For this example we use the middle paid tier most solo builders aim for: **Google AI Pro at $20/month**, or **$240/year**. | Feature | Freebuff | Google AI Pro | | --- | --- | --- | | Monthly subscription | $0 | $20 | | Annual cost | $0 | $240 | | Credit / token overages | Daily hours allowance instead | Common on active projects | | Auth + database + hosting | Included | Included (varies by plan) | | CLI for big refactors | Freebuff CLI | Not included | ## What changed after switching - **Same workflow.** Prompt in the browser, get a deployed URL, click to iterate. - **A daily allowance, not a credit balance.** Free accounts get a daily allowance of hours that refills at midnight. - **Keep your code in GitHub.** Connect a repo and keep editing with Freebuff CLI locally. - **$240/year back.** That covers domains, email, or a paid Freebuff plan if you want more usage. ## Three-step migration 1. Export generated code to GitHub and connect it in Freebuff App Builder for auth, database, hosting, and iteration without API billing. 2. Connect the repo in Freebuff App Builder (or recreate the app with your best prompt). 3. Cancel Google AI Studio once you have verified the Freebuff deploy — welcome to $0/month. **Want the full feature comparison?**: Read [The free alternative to Google AI Studio](/blog/free-google-ai-studio-gemini-app-builder-alternative-freebuff) for an honest side-by-side. Stop paying $20/mo — Open Freebuff App Builder and start building for free. (Open Freebuff App Builder: /app-builder) **Q: Is $240/year realistic?** A: It is the base subscription for Google AI Pro. Many users pay more after credit top-ups, extra seats, or higher tiers. **Q: Will I lose features?** A: Sign-in, databases, and publishing are built in, and your code can live in your own GitHub repo. Some vendor-specific integrations may need re-wiring — usually a one-time CLI task. **Q: Can teams use Freebuff App Builder?** A: Freebuff plans are per account, not per seat. Collaborate through GitHub like any normal repo. --- Source: https://freebuff.com/blog/save-252-per-year-canva-code-ai-app-builder-freebuff-alternative # How one Canva Code user saved $252 by switching to Freebuff Same shipped apps. $21/mo Canva Business bill → $0. Published: 2026-06-24 TL;DR: - Canva Business on Canva Code: about $21/month ($252/year). - Freebuff App Builder: free to start, with sign-in, databases, and publishing built in. - Net savings: $252/year before credit top-ups or seat multipliers. - This is a modeled example for a typical solo builder — your mileage depends on usage. We talk to builders every week who like Canva Code but hate watching credits disappear. Here is a straightforward math story for a marketer shipping client landing pages — not a fabricated testimonial, but the kind of switch we see in practice. ## The bill on Canva Business Canva Code is a Premium AI tool inside Canva — not sold separately. Canva Pro is ~$12/mo ($144/yr) with up to 200 Premium AI uses/mo. Business is $250/person/yr (~$21/mo) with up to 400 Premium AI uses/mo (per [canva.com/help/ai-access](https://www.canva.com/help/ai-access)). For this example we use the middle paid tier most solo builders aim for: **Canva Business at $21/month**, or **$252/year**. | Feature | Freebuff | Canva Business | | --- | --- | --- | | Monthly subscription | $0 | $21 | | Annual cost | $0 | $252 | | Credit / token overages | Daily hours allowance instead | Common on active projects | | Auth + database + hosting | Included | Included (varies by plan) | | CLI for big refactors | Freebuff CLI | Not included | ## What changed after switching - **Same workflow.** Prompt in the browser, get a deployed URL, click to iterate. - **A daily allowance, not a credit balance.** Free accounts get a daily allowance of hours that refills at midnight. - **Keep your code in GitHub.** Connect a repo and keep editing with Freebuff CLI locally. - **$252/year back.** That covers domains, email, or a paid Freebuff plan if you want more usage. ## Three-step migration 1. Export widget code from Canva Code and rebuild as a full app in Freebuff App Builder if you need auth, database, or standalone hosting. 2. Connect the repo in Freebuff App Builder (or recreate the app with your best prompt). 3. Cancel Canva Code once you have verified the Freebuff deploy — welcome to $0/month. **Want the full feature comparison?**: Read [The free alternative to Canva Code](/blog/free-canva-code-ai-app-builder-alternative-freebuff) for an honest side-by-side. Stop paying $21/mo — Open Freebuff App Builder and start building for free. (Open Freebuff App Builder: /app-builder) **Q: Is $252/year realistic?** A: It is the base subscription for Canva Business. Many users pay more after credit top-ups, extra seats, or higher tiers. **Q: Will I lose features?** A: Sign-in, databases, and publishing are built in, and your code can live in your own GitHub repo. Some vendor-specific integrations may need re-wiring — usually a one-time CLI task. **Q: Can teams use Freebuff App Builder?** A: Freebuff plans are per account, not per seat. Collaborate through GitHub like any normal repo. --- Source: https://freebuff.com/blog/save-288-per-year-anything-com-ai-app-builder-freebuff-alternative # How one Anything user saved $288 by switching to Freebuff Same shipped apps. $24/mo Anything Pro bill → $0. Published: 2026-06-24 TL;DR: - Anything Pro on Anything: about $24/month ($288/year). - Freebuff App Builder: free to start, with sign-in, databases, and publishing built in. - Net savings: $288/year before credit top-ups or seat multipliers. - This is a modeled example for a typical solo builder — your mileage depends on usage. We talk to builders every week who like Anything but hate watching credits disappear. Here is a straightforward math story for an indie hacker shipping side projects — not a fabricated testimonial, but the kind of switch we see in practice. ## The bill on Anything Pro Anything Pro is $19/mo billed annually or $24/mo billed monthly for 20,000 monthly credits. The Max tier jumps to $199–$239/mo for parallel agents and higher credit pools (per [anything.com pricing docs](https://www.anything.com/docs/account/subscriptions)). For this example we use the middle paid tier most solo builders aim for: **Anything Pro at $24/month**, or **$288/year**. | Feature | Freebuff | Anything Pro | | --- | --- | --- | | Monthly subscription | $0 | $24 | | Annual cost | $0 | $288 | | Credit / token overages | Daily hours allowance instead | Common on active projects | | Auth + database + hosting | Included | Included (varies by plan) | | CLI for big refactors | Freebuff CLI | Not included | ## What changed after switching - **Same workflow.** Prompt in the browser, get a deployed URL, click to iterate. - **A daily allowance, not a credit balance.** Free accounts get a daily allowance of hours that refills at midnight. - **Keep your code in GitHub.** Connect a repo and keep editing with Freebuff CLI locally. - **$288/year back.** That covers domains, email, or a paid Freebuff plan if you want more usage. ## Three-step migration 1. Export to GitHub from Anything, or start fresh in Freebuff App Builder with the same prompt. 2. Connect the repo in Freebuff App Builder (or recreate the app with your best prompt). 3. Cancel Anything once you have verified the Freebuff deploy — welcome to $0/month. **Want the full feature comparison?**: Read [The free alternative to Anything](/blog/free-anything-com-ai-app-builder-alternative-freebuff) for an honest side-by-side. Stop paying $24/mo — Open Freebuff App Builder and start building for free. (Open Freebuff App Builder: /app-builder) **Q: Is $288/year realistic?** A: It is the base subscription for Anything Pro. Many users pay more after credit top-ups, extra seats, or higher tiers. **Q: Will I lose features?** A: Sign-in, databases, and publishing are built in, and your code can live in your own GitHub repo. Some vendor-specific integrations may need re-wiring — usually a one-time CLI task. **Q: Can teams use Freebuff App Builder?** A: Freebuff plans are per account, not per seat. Collaborate through GitHub like any normal repo. --- Source: https://freebuff.com/blog/save-300-per-year-floot-ai-app-builder-freebuff-alternative # How one Floot user saved $300 by switching to Freebuff Same shipped apps. $25/mo Floot Pro bill → $0. Published: 2026-06-24 (updated 2026-10-09) TL;DR: - Floot Pro on Floot: about $25/month ($300/year). - Freebuff App Builder: free to start, with sign-in, databases, and publishing built in. - Net savings: $300/year before credit top-ups or seat multipliers. - This is a modeled example for a typical solo builder — your mileage depends on usage. We talk to builders every week who like Floot but hate watching credits disappear. Here is a straightforward math story for an indie hacker shipping side projects — not a fabricated testimonial, but the kind of switch we see in practice. ## The bill on Floot Pro Floot Pro is $25/mo with 1,000 building actions a day, custom domains and $10 of hosting included; Power is $100/mo (per [floot.com/pricing](https://floot.com/pricing)). For this example we use the plan most solo builders start on: **Floot Pro at $25/month**, or **$300/year**. | Feature | Freebuff | Floot Pro | | --- | --- | --- | | Monthly subscription | $0 | $25 | | Annual cost | $0 | $300 | | Credit / token overages | Daily hours allowance instead | Common on active projects | | Auth + database + hosting | Included | Included (varies by plan) | | CLI for big refactors | Freebuff CLI | Not included | ## What changed after switching - **Same workflow.** Prompt in the browser, get a deployed URL, click to iterate. - **A daily allowance, not a credit balance.** Free accounts get a daily allowance of hours that refills at midnight. - **Keep your code in GitHub.** Connect a repo and keep editing with Freebuff CLI locally. - **$300/year back.** That covers domains, email, or a paid Freebuff plan if you want more usage. ## Three-step migration 1. Export your repo to GitHub and connect it in Freebuff App Builder. 2. Connect the repo in Freebuff App Builder (or recreate the app with your best prompt). 3. Cancel Floot once you have verified the Freebuff deploy — welcome to $0/month. **Want the full feature comparison?**: Read [The free alternative to Floot](/blog/free-floot-ai-app-builder-alternative-freebuff) for an honest side-by-side. Stop paying $25/mo — Open Freebuff App Builder and start building for free. (Open Freebuff App Builder: /app-builder) **Q: Is $300/year realistic?** A: It is the base subscription for Floot Pro. Many users pay more after credit top-ups, extra seats, or higher tiers. **Q: Will I lose features?** A: Sign-in, databases, and publishing are built in, and your code can live in your own GitHub repo. Some vendor-specific integrations may need re-wiring — usually a one-time CLI task. **Q: Can teams use Freebuff App Builder?** A: Freebuff plans are per account, not per seat. Collaborate through GitHub like any normal repo. --- Source: https://freebuff.com/blog/save-300-per-year-macaly-ai-app-builder-freebuff-alternative # How one Macaly user saved $300 by switching to Freebuff Same shipped apps. $25/mo Macaly Pro bill → $0. Published: 2026-06-24 (updated 2026-10-09) TL;DR: - Macaly Pro on Macaly: about $25/month ($300/year). - Freebuff App Builder: free to start, with sign-in, databases, and publishing built in. - Net savings: $300/year before credit top-ups or seat multipliers. - This is a modeled example for a typical solo builder — your mileage depends on usage. We talk to builders every week who like Macaly but hate watching credits disappear. Here is a straightforward math story for an indie hacker shipping side projects — not a fabricated testimonial, but the kind of switch we see in practice. ## The bill on Macaly Pro Macaly Pro is $25/mo with 10M monthly credits and unlimited custom domains. Starter is $10/mo with 1M credits and one app on your own domain. The Free plan includes 1M credits on a macaly.app domain, and the Agency plan is $350/mo (per [macaly.com/pricing](https://www.macaly.com/pricing)). For this example we use the middle paid tier most solo builders aim for: **Macaly Pro at $25/month**, or **$300/year**. | Feature | Freebuff | Macaly Pro | | --- | --- | --- | | Monthly subscription | $0 | $25 | | Annual cost | $0 | $300 | | Credit / token overages | Daily hours allowance instead | Common on active projects | | Auth + database + hosting | Included | Included (varies by plan) | | CLI for big refactors | Freebuff CLI | Not included | ## What changed after switching - **Same workflow.** Prompt in the browser, get a deployed URL, click to iterate. - **A daily allowance, not a credit balance.** Free accounts get a daily allowance of hours that refills at midnight. - **Keep your code in GitHub.** Connect a repo and keep editing with Freebuff CLI locally. - **$300/year back.** That covers domains, email, or a paid Freebuff plan if you want more usage. ## Three-step migration 1. Export code from Macaly Pro and connect the repo in Freebuff App Builder. 2. Connect the repo in Freebuff App Builder (or recreate the app with your best prompt). 3. Cancel Macaly once you have verified the Freebuff deploy — welcome to $0/month. **Want the full feature comparison?**: Read [The free alternative to Macaly](/blog/free-macaly-ai-app-builder-alternative-freebuff) for an honest side-by-side. Stop paying $25/mo — Open Freebuff App Builder and start building for free. (Open Freebuff App Builder: /app-builder) **Q: Is $300/year realistic?** A: It is the base subscription for Macaly Pro. Many users pay more after credit top-ups, extra seats, or higher tiers. **Q: Will I lose features?** A: Sign-in, databases, and publishing are built in, and your code can live in your own GitHub repo. Some vendor-specific integrations may need re-wiring — usually a one-time CLI task. **Q: Can teams use Freebuff App Builder?** A: Freebuff plans are per account, not per seat. Collaborate through GitHub like any normal repo. --- Source: https://freebuff.com/blog/save-300-per-year-replit-agent-design-mode-freebuff-alternative # How one Replit Agent user saved $240 by switching to Freebuff Same shipped apps. $20/mo Replit Core bill → $0. Published: 2026-06-24 (updated 2026-10-09) TL;DR: - Replit Core on Replit Agent: about $20/month ($240/year). - Freebuff App Builder: free to start, with sign-in, databases, and publishing built in. - Net savings: $240/year before credit top-ups or seat multipliers. - This is a modeled example for a typical solo builder — your mileage depends on usage. We talk to builders every week who like Replit Agent but hate watching credits disappear. Here is a straightforward math story for an indie hacker shipping side projects — not a fabricated testimonial, but the kind of switch we see in practice. ## The bill on Replit Core Replit Core is $20/mo on monthly billing ($18/mo billed annually). Agent and Design Mode features sit behind paid plans; heavier use pushes many teams toward Replit Pro at $100/mo. For this example we use the middle paid tier most solo builders aim for: **Replit Core at $20/month**, or **$240/year**. | Feature | Freebuff | Replit Core | | --- | --- | --- | | Monthly subscription | $0 | $20 | | Annual cost | $0 | $240 | | Credit / token overages | Daily hours allowance instead | Common on active projects | | Auth + database + hosting | Included | Included (varies by plan) | | CLI for big refactors | Freebuff CLI | Not included | ## What changed after switching - **Same workflow.** Prompt in the browser, get a deployed URL, click to iterate. - **A daily allowance, not a credit balance.** Free accounts get a daily allowance of hours that refills at midnight. - **Keep your code in GitHub.** Connect a repo and keep editing with Freebuff CLI locally. - **$240/year back.** That covers domains, email, or a paid Freebuff plan if you want more usage. ## Three-step migration 1. Export your repl to GitHub, then connect the repo in Freebuff App Builder. 2. Connect the repo in Freebuff App Builder (or recreate the app with your best prompt). 3. Cancel Replit Agent once you have verified the Freebuff deploy — welcome to $0/month. **Want the full feature comparison?**: Read [The free alternative to Replit Agent](/blog/free-replit-agent-design-mode-app-builder-alternative-freebuff) for an honest side-by-side. Stop paying $20/mo — Open Freebuff App Builder and start building for free. (Open Freebuff App Builder: /app-builder) **Q: Is $240/year realistic?** A: It is the base subscription for Replit Core. Many users pay more after credit top-ups, extra seats, or higher tiers. **Q: Will I lose features?** A: Sign-in, databases, and publishing are built in, and your code can live in your own GitHub repo. Some vendor-specific integrations may need re-wiring — usually a one-time CLI task. **Q: Can teams use Freebuff App Builder?** A: Freebuff plans are per account, not per seat. Collaborate through GitHub like any normal repo. --- Source: https://freebuff.com/blog/save-360-per-year-cosmic-new-ai-app-builder-freebuff-alternative # How one Cosmic.new user saved $216 by switching to Freebuff Same shipped apps. $18/mo Cosmic.new Pro bill → $0. Published: 2026-06-24 (updated 2026-10-09) TL;DR: - Cosmic.new Pro on Cosmic.new: about $18/month ($216/year). - Freebuff App Builder: free to start, with sign-in, databases, and publishing built in. - Net savings: $216/year before credit top-ups or seat multipliers. - This is a modeled example for a typical solo builder — your mileage depends on usage. We talk to builders every week who like Cosmic.new but hate watching credits disappear. Here is a straightforward math story for an indie hacker shipping side projects — not a fabricated testimonial, but the kind of switch we see in practice. ## The bill on Cosmic.new Pro Cosmic.new Pro is $18/mo (100 monthly credits). Ultra is $50/mo (300 monthly credits). The Free plan gives 5 daily credits, up to 10 a month (per [cosmic.new/pricing](https://www.cosmic.new/pricing)). For this example we use the middle paid tier most solo builders aim for: **Cosmic.new Pro at $18/month**, or **$216/year**. | Feature | Freebuff | Cosmic.new Pro | | --- | --- | --- | | Monthly subscription | $0 | $18 | | Annual cost | $0 | $216 | | Credit / token overages | Daily hours allowance instead | Common on active projects | | Auth + database + hosting | Included | Included (varies by plan) | | CLI for big refactors | Freebuff CLI | Not included | ## What changed after switching - **Same workflow.** Prompt in the browser, get a deployed URL, click to iterate. - **A daily allowance, not a credit balance.** Free accounts get a daily allowance of hours that refills at midnight. - **Keep your code in GitHub.** Connect a repo and keep editing with Freebuff CLI locally. - **$216/year back.** That covers domains, email, or a paid Freebuff plan if you want more usage. ## Three-step migration 1. Export your project code and connect it in Freebuff App Builder via GitHub. 2. Connect the repo in Freebuff App Builder (or recreate the app with your best prompt). 3. Cancel Cosmic.new once you have verified the Freebuff deploy — welcome to $0/month. **Want the full feature comparison?**: Read [The free alternative to Cosmic.new](/blog/free-cosmic-new-ai-app-builder-alternative-freebuff) for an honest side-by-side. Stop paying $18/mo — Open Freebuff App Builder and start building for free. (Open Freebuff App Builder: /app-builder) **Q: Is $216/year realistic?** A: It is the base subscription for Cosmic.new Pro. Many users pay more after credit top-ups, extra seats, or higher tiers. **Q: Will I lose features?** A: Sign-in, databases, and publishing are built in, and your code can live in your own GitHub repo. Some vendor-specific integrations may need re-wiring — usually a one-time CLI task. **Q: Can teams use Freebuff App Builder?** A: Freebuff plans are per account, not per seat. Collaborate through GitHub like any normal repo. --- Source: https://freebuff.com/blog/save-360-per-year-v0-vercel-ai-app-builder-freebuff-alternative # How one v0 user saved $360 by switching to Freebuff Same shipped apps. $30/mo v0 Plus bill → $0. Published: 2026-06-24 (updated 2026-10-09) TL;DR: - v0 Plus on v0: about $30/month ($360/year). - Freebuff App Builder: free to start, with sign-in, databases, and publishing built in. - Net savings: $360/year before credit top-ups or seat multipliers. - This is a modeled example for a typical solo builder — your mileage depends on usage. We talk to builders every week who like v0 but hate watching credits disappear. Here is a straightforward math story for an indie hacker shipping side projects — not a fabricated testimonial, but the kind of switch we see in practice. ## The bill on v0 Plus v0 Plus is $30/user/mo with $30 in monthly credits per user. Business is $100/user/mo. See [v0.app/pricing](https://v0.app/pricing) for the live plan list. For this example we use the middle paid tier most solo builders aim for: **v0 Plus at $30/month**, or **$360/year**. | Feature | Freebuff | v0 Plus | | --- | --- | --- | | Monthly subscription | $0 | $30 | | Annual cost | $0 | $360 | | Credit / token overages | Daily hours allowance instead | Common on active projects | | Auth + database + hosting | Included | Included (varies by plan) | | CLI for big refactors | Freebuff CLI | Not included | ## What changed after switching - **Same workflow.** Prompt in the browser, get a deployed URL, click to iterate. - **A daily allowance, not a credit balance.** Free accounts get a daily allowance of hours that refills at midnight. - **Keep your code in GitHub.** Connect a repo and keep editing with Freebuff CLI locally. - **$360/year back.** That covers domains, email, or a paid Freebuff plan if you want more usage. ## Three-step migration 1. Push your v0 project to GitHub and connect it in Freebuff App Builder. 2. Connect the repo in Freebuff App Builder (or recreate the app with your best prompt). 3. Cancel v0 once you have verified the Freebuff deploy — welcome to $0/month. **Want the full feature comparison?**: Read [The free alternative to v0](/blog/free-v0-vercel-ai-app-builder-alternative-freebuff) for an honest side-by-side. Stop paying $30/mo — Open Freebuff App Builder and start building for free. (Open Freebuff App Builder: /app-builder) **Q: Is $360/year realistic?** A: It is the base subscription for v0 Plus. Many users pay more after credit top-ups, extra seats, or higher tiers. **Q: Will I lose features?** A: Sign-in, databases, and publishing are built in, and your code can live in your own GitHub repo. Some vendor-specific integrations may need re-wiring — usually a one-time CLI task. **Q: Can teams use Freebuff App Builder?** A: Freebuff plans are per account, not per seat. Collaborate through GitHub like any normal repo. --- Source: https://freebuff.com/blog/save-600-per-year-aura-build-ai-website-builder-freebuff-alternative # How one Aura user saved $600 by switching to Freebuff Same shipped apps. $50/mo Aura Max bill → $0. Published: 2026-06-24 TL;DR: - Aura Max on Aura: about $50/month ($600/year). - Freebuff App Builder: free to start, with sign-in, databases, and publishing built in. - Net savings: $600/year before credit top-ups or seat multipliers. - This is a modeled example for a typical solo builder — your mileage depends on usage. We talk to builders every week who like Aura but hate watching credits disappear. Here is a straightforward math story for a freelance designer building client sites — not a fabricated testimonial, but the kind of switch we see in practice. ## The bill on Aura Max Aura Pro is $25/mo (120 prompts/mo). Max is $50/mo (240 prompts/mo). Ultra is $100/mo (560 prompts/mo) per [aura.build/pricing](https://www.aura.build/pricing). Annual plans are 50% off while subscribed. For this example we use the middle paid tier most solo builders aim for: **Aura Max at $50/month**, or **$600/year**. | Feature | Freebuff | Aura Max | | --- | --- | --- | | Monthly subscription | $0 | $50 | | Annual cost | $0 | $600 | | Credit / token overages | Daily hours allowance instead | Common on active projects | | Auth + database + hosting | Included | Included (varies by plan) | | CLI for big refactors | Freebuff CLI | Not included | ## What changed after switching - **Same workflow.** Prompt in the browser, get a deployed URL, click to iterate. - **A daily allowance, not a credit balance.** Free accounts get a daily allowance of hours that refills at midnight. - **Keep your code in GitHub.** Connect a repo and keep editing with Freebuff CLI locally. - **$600/year back.** That covers domains, email, or a paid Freebuff plan if you want more usage. ## Three-step migration 1. Export HTML or push code to GitHub, then connect it in Freebuff App Builder for backend features. 2. Connect the repo in Freebuff App Builder (or recreate the app with your best prompt). 3. Cancel Aura once you have verified the Freebuff deploy — welcome to $0/month. **Want the full feature comparison?**: Read [The free alternative to Aura](/blog/free-aura-build-ai-website-builder-alternative-freebuff) for an honest side-by-side. Stop paying $50/mo — Open Freebuff App Builder and start building for free. (Open Freebuff App Builder: /app-builder) **Q: Is $600/year realistic?** A: It is the base subscription for Aura Max. Many users pay more after credit top-ups, extra seats, or higher tiers. **Q: Will I lose features?** A: Sign-in, databases, and publishing are built in, and your code can live in your own GitHub repo. Some vendor-specific integrations may need re-wiring — usually a one-time CLI task. **Q: Can teams use Freebuff App Builder?** A: Freebuff plans are per account, not per seat. Collaborate through GitHub like any normal repo. --- Source: https://freebuff.com/blog/save-600-per-year-bolt-new-ai-app-builder-freebuff-alternative # How one Bolt.new user saved $600 by switching to Freebuff Same shipped apps. $50/mo Bolt.new Max bill → $0. Published: 2026-06-24 TL;DR: - Bolt.new Max on Bolt.new: about $50/month ($600/year). - Freebuff App Builder: free to start, with sign-in, databases, and publishing built in. - Net savings: $600/year before credit top-ups or seat multipliers. - This is a modeled example for a typical solo builder — your mileage depends on usage. We talk to builders every week who like Bolt.new but hate watching credits disappear. Here is a straightforward math story for an indie hacker shipping side projects — not a fabricated testimonial, but the kind of switch we see in practice. ## The bill on Bolt.new Max Bolt Pro is $25/mo (10M tokens). Max is $50/mo; Ultra is $100/mo on monthly token tiers (per Bolt.new pricing as of 2026). For this example we use the middle paid tier most solo builders aim for: **Bolt.new Max at $50/month**, or **$600/year**. | Feature | Freebuff | Bolt.new Max | | --- | --- | --- | | Monthly subscription | $0 | $50 | | Annual cost | $0 | $600 | | Credit / token overages | Daily hours allowance instead | Common on active projects | | Auth + database + hosting | Included | Included (varies by plan) | | CLI for big refactors | Freebuff CLI | Not included | ## What changed after switching - **Same workflow.** Prompt in the browser, get a deployed URL, click to iterate. - **A daily allowance, not a credit balance.** Free accounts get a daily allowance of hours that refills at midnight. - **Keep your code in GitHub.** Connect a repo and keep editing with Freebuff CLI locally. - **$600/year back.** That covers domains, email, or a paid Freebuff plan if you want more usage. ## Three-step migration 1. Export to GitHub from Bolt and connect it in Freebuff App Builder. 2. Connect the repo in Freebuff App Builder (or recreate the app with your best prompt). 3. Cancel Bolt.new once you have verified the Freebuff deploy — welcome to $0/month. **Want the full feature comparison?**: Read [The free alternative to Bolt.new](/blog/free-bolt-new-ai-app-builder-alternative-freebuff) for an honest side-by-side. Stop paying $50/mo — Open Freebuff App Builder and start building for free. (Open Freebuff App Builder: /app-builder) **Q: Is $600/year realistic?** A: It is the base subscription for Bolt.new Max. Many users pay more after credit top-ups, extra seats, or higher tiers. **Q: Will I lose features?** A: Sign-in, databases, and publishing are built in, and your code can live in your own GitHub repo. Some vendor-specific integrations may need re-wiring — usually a one-time CLI task. **Q: Can teams use Freebuff App Builder?** A: Freebuff plans are per account, not per seat. Collaborate through GitHub like any normal repo. --- Source: https://freebuff.com/blog/save-600-per-year-emergent-ai-app-builder-freebuff-alternative # How one Emergent user saved $240 by switching to Freebuff Same shipped apps. $20/mo Emergent Standard bill → $0. Published: 2026-06-24 (updated 2026-10-09) TL;DR: - Emergent Standard on Emergent: about $20/month ($240/year). - Freebuff App Builder: free to start, with sign-in, databases, and publishing built in. - Net savings: $240/year before credit top-ups or seat multipliers. - This is a modeled example for a typical solo builder — your mileage depends on usage. We talk to builders every week who like Emergent but hate watching credits disappear. Here is a straightforward math story for an indie hacker shipping side projects — not a fabricated testimonial, but the kind of switch we see in practice. ## The bill on Emergent Standard Emergent Standard is $20/mo on monthly billing with 100 credits a month; Pro is $200/mo with 750 credits (per [emergent.sh/pricing](https://emergent.sh/pricing)). For this example we use the entry paid plan most solo builders start on: **Emergent Standard at $20/month**, or **$240/year**. | Feature | Freebuff | Emergent Standard | | --- | --- | --- | | Monthly subscription | $0 | $20 | | Annual cost | $0 | $240 | | Credit / token overages | Daily hours allowance instead | Common on active projects | | Auth + database + hosting | Included | Included (varies by plan) | | CLI for big refactors | Freebuff CLI | Not included | ## What changed after switching - **Same workflow.** Prompt in the browser, get a deployed URL, click to iterate. - **A daily allowance, not a credit balance.** Free accounts get a daily allowance of hours that refills at midnight. - **Keep your code in GitHub.** Connect a repo and keep editing with Freebuff CLI locally. - **$240/year back.** That covers domains, email, or a paid Freebuff plan if you want more usage. ## Three-step migration 1. Export to GitHub from Emergent and connect it in Freebuff App Builder. 2. Connect the repo in Freebuff App Builder (or recreate the app with your best prompt). 3. Cancel Emergent once you have verified the Freebuff deploy — welcome to $0/month. **Want the full feature comparison?**: Read [The free alternative to Emergent](/blog/free-emergent-sh-ai-app-builder-alternative-freebuff) for an honest side-by-side. Stop paying $20/mo — Open Freebuff App Builder and start building for free. (Open Freebuff App Builder: /app-builder) **Q: Is $240/year realistic?** A: It is the base subscription for Emergent Standard. Many users pay more after credit top-ups, extra seats, or higher tiers. **Q: Will I lose features?** A: Sign-in, databases, and publishing are built in, and your code can live in your own GitHub repo. Some vendor-specific integrations may need re-wiring — usually a one-time CLI task. **Q: Can teams use Freebuff App Builder?** A: Freebuff plans are per account, not per seat. Collaborate through GitHub like any normal repo. --- Source: https://freebuff.com/blog/save-600-per-year-getmocha-mocha-ai-app-builder-freebuff-alternative # How one Mocha user saved $600 by switching to Freebuff Same shipped apps. $50/mo Mocha Silver bill → $0. Published: 2026-06-24 TL;DR: - Mocha Silver on Mocha: about $50/month ($600/year). - Freebuff App Builder: free to start, with sign-in, databases, and publishing built in. - Net savings: $600/year before credit top-ups or seat multipliers. - This is a modeled example for a typical solo builder — your mileage depends on usage. We talk to builders every week who like Mocha but hate watching credits disappear. Here is a straightforward math story for a solo founder migrating before the August 2026 shutdown — not a fabricated testimonial, but the kind of switch we see in practice. ## The bill on Mocha Silver Mocha is shutting down August 1, 2026. Official docs list Bronze/Silver/Gold tiers by credits but not public dollar amounts; third-party pricing guides commonly cite ~$20/mo Bronze, ~$50/mo Silver, ~$200/mo Gold. Verify in-app before subscribing. For this example we use the middle paid tier most solo builders aim for: **Mocha Silver at $50/month**, or **$600/year**. | Feature | Freebuff | Mocha Silver | | --- | --- | --- | | Monthly subscription | $0 | $50 | | Annual cost | $0 | $600 | | Credit / token overages | Daily hours allowance instead | Common on active projects | | Auth + database + hosting | Included | Included (varies by plan) | | CLI for big refactors | Freebuff CLI | Not included | ## What changed after switching - **Same workflow.** Prompt in the browser, get a deployed URL, click to iterate. - **A daily allowance, not a credit balance.** Free accounts get a daily allowance of hours that refills at midnight. - **Keep your code in GitHub.** Connect a repo and keep editing with Freebuff CLI locally. - **$600/year back.** That covers domains, email, or a paid Freebuff plan if you want more usage. ## Three-step migration 1. Use Mocha Settings → Export, or move to Freebuff App Builder through GitHub. Do not wait until August 2026. 2. Connect the repo in Freebuff App Builder (or recreate the app with your best prompt). 3. Cancel Mocha once you have verified the Freebuff deploy — welcome to $0/month. **Want the full feature comparison?**: Read [The free alternative to Mocha](/blog/free-getmocha-mocha-ai-app-builder-alternative-freebuff) for an honest side-by-side. Stop paying $50/mo — Open Freebuff App Builder and start building for free. (Open Freebuff App Builder: /app-builder) **Q: Is $600/year realistic?** A: It is the base subscription for Mocha Silver. Many users pay more after credit top-ups, extra seats, or higher tiers. **Q: Will I lose features?** A: Sign-in, databases, and publishing are built in, and your code can live in your own GitHub repo. Some vendor-specific integrations may need re-wiring — usually a one-time CLI task. **Q: Can teams use Freebuff App Builder?** A: Freebuff plans are per account, not per seat. Collaborate through GitHub like any normal repo. --- Source: https://freebuff.com/blog/save-600-per-year-lovable-dev-ai-app-builder-freebuff-alternative # How one Lovable user saved $600 by switching to Freebuff Same shipped apps. $50/mo Lovable Business bill → $0. Published: 2026-06-24 TL;DR: - Lovable Business on Lovable: about $50/month ($600/year). - Freebuff App Builder: free to start, with sign-in, databases, and publishing built in. - Net savings: $600/year before credit top-ups or seat multipliers. - This is a modeled example for a typical solo builder — your mileage depends on usage. We talk to builders every week who like Lovable but hate watching credits disappear. Here is a straightforward math story for an indie hacker shipping side projects — not a fabricated testimonial, but the kind of switch we see in practice. ## The bill on Lovable Business Lovable Pro starts at $25/mo for 100 credits. Business is $50/mo with SSO and team features. Credit tiers scale to $100/mo (400 credits) and beyond for heavy iteration (per [lovable.dev pricing](https://lovable.dev/pricing)). For this example we use the middle paid tier most solo builders aim for: **Lovable Business at $50/month**, or **$600/year**. | Feature | Freebuff | Lovable Business | | --- | --- | --- | | Monthly subscription | $0 | $50 | | Annual cost | $0 | $600 | | Credit / token overages | Daily hours allowance instead | Common on active projects | | Auth + database + hosting | Included | Included (varies by plan) | | CLI for big refactors | Freebuff CLI | Not included | ## What changed after switching - **Same workflow.** Prompt in the browser, get a deployed URL, click to iterate. - **A daily allowance, not a credit balance.** Free accounts get a daily allowance of hours that refills at midnight. - **Keep your code in GitHub.** Connect a repo and keep editing with Freebuff CLI locally. - **$600/year back.** That covers domains, email, or a paid Freebuff plan if you want more usage. ## Three-step migration 1. Export to GitHub from Lovable, then connect it in Freebuff App Builder. 2. Connect the repo in Freebuff App Builder (or recreate the app with your best prompt). 3. Cancel Lovable once you have verified the Freebuff deploy — welcome to $0/month. **Want the full feature comparison?**: Read [The free alternative to Lovable](/blog/free-lovable-dev-ai-app-builder-alternative-freebuff) for an honest side-by-side. Stop paying $50/mo — Open Freebuff App Builder and start building for free. (Open Freebuff App Builder: /app-builder) **Q: Is $600/year realistic?** A: It is the base subscription for Lovable Business. Many users pay more after credit top-ups, extra seats, or higher tiers. **Q: Will I lose features?** A: Sign-in, databases, and publishing are built in, and your code can live in your own GitHub repo. Some vendor-specific integrations may need re-wiring — usually a one-time CLI task. **Q: Can teams use Freebuff App Builder?** A: Freebuff plans are per account, not per seat. Collaborate through GitHub like any normal repo. --- Source: https://freebuff.com/blog/save-600-per-year-orchids-ai-app-builder-freebuff-alternative # How one Orchids user saved $600 by switching to Freebuff Same shipped apps. $50/mo Orchids Premium bill → $0. Published: 2026-06-24 TL;DR: - Orchids Premium on Orchids: about $50/month ($600/year). - Freebuff App Builder: free to start, with sign-in, databases, and publishing built in. - Net savings: $600/year before credit top-ups or seat multipliers. - This is a modeled example for a typical solo builder — your mileage depends on usage. We talk to builders every week who like Orchids but hate watching credits disappear. Here is a straightforward math story for an indie hacker shipping side projects — not a fabricated testimonial, but the kind of switch we see in practice. ## The bill on Orchids Premium Orchids Premium is $42/mo billed annually or $50/mo billed monthly with 4M monthly credits and unlimited projects. Ultra is $99/mo; Max is $200/mo (per [Orchids plans docs](https://docs.orchids.app/plans-and-token-usage)). For this example we use the middle paid tier most solo builders aim for: **Orchids Premium at $50/month**, or **$600/year**. | Feature | Freebuff | Orchids Premium | | --- | --- | --- | | Monthly subscription | $0 | $50 | | Annual cost | $0 | $600 | | Credit / token overages | Daily hours allowance instead | Common on active projects | | Auth + database + hosting | Included | Included (varies by plan) | | CLI for big refactors | Freebuff CLI | Not included | ## What changed after switching - **Same workflow.** Prompt in the browser, get a deployed URL, click to iterate. - **A daily allowance, not a credit balance.** Free accounts get a daily allowance of hours that refills at midnight. - **Keep your code in GitHub.** Connect a repo and keep editing with Freebuff CLI locally. - **$600/year back.** That covers domains, email, or a paid Freebuff plan if you want more usage. ## Three-step migration 1. Export to GitHub from Orchids and connect it in Freebuff App Builder. 2. Connect the repo in Freebuff App Builder (or recreate the app with your best prompt). 3. Cancel Orchids once you have verified the Freebuff deploy — welcome to $0/month. **Want the full feature comparison?**: Read [The free alternative to Orchids](/blog/free-orchids-ai-app-builder-alternative-freebuff) for an honest side-by-side. Stop paying $50/mo — Open Freebuff App Builder and start building for free. (Open Freebuff App Builder: /app-builder) **Q: Is $600/year realistic?** A: It is the base subscription for Orchids Premium. Many users pay more after credit top-ups, extra seats, or higher tiers. **Q: Will I lose features?** A: Sign-in, databases, and publishing are built in, and your code can live in your own GitHub repo. Some vendor-specific integrations may need re-wiring — usually a one-time CLI task. **Q: Can teams use Freebuff App Builder?** A: Freebuff plans are per account, not per seat. Collaborate through GitHub like any normal repo. --- Source: https://freebuff.com/blog/save-600-per-year-same-new-ai-app-builder-freebuff-alternative # How one Same.new user saved $600 by switching to Freebuff Same shipped apps. $50/mo Same.new Max bill → $0. Published: 2026-06-24 TL;DR: - Same.new Max on Same.new: about $50/month ($600/year). - Freebuff App Builder: free to start, with sign-in, databases, and publishing built in. - Net savings: $600/year before credit top-ups or seat multipliers. - This is a modeled example for a typical solo builder — your mileage depends on usage. We talk to builders every week who like Same.new but hate watching credits disappear. Here is a straightforward math story for an indie hacker shipping side projects — not a fabricated testimonial, but the kind of switch we see in practice. ## The bill on Same.new Max Same.new tiers: Free (500k tokens), Basic $10/mo, Pro $25/mo, Max $50/mo, Ultra $100/mo. Ultra adds pay-as-you-go beyond 20M tokens at $10 per 2M (per [Same.new pricing docs](https://docs.same.new/usage/pricing)). For this example we use the middle paid tier most solo builders aim for: **Same.new Max at $50/month**, or **$600/year**. | Feature | Freebuff | Same.new Max | | --- | --- | --- | | Monthly subscription | $0 | $50 | | Annual cost | $0 | $600 | | Credit / token overages | Daily hours allowance instead | Common on active projects | | Auth + database + hosting | Included | Included (varies by plan) | | CLI for big refactors | Freebuff CLI | Not included | ## What changed after switching - **Same workflow.** Prompt in the browser, get a deployed URL, click to iterate. - **A daily allowance, not a credit balance.** Free accounts get a daily allowance of hours that refills at midnight. - **Keep your code in GitHub.** Connect a repo and keep editing with Freebuff CLI locally. - **$600/year back.** That covers domains, email, or a paid Freebuff plan if you want more usage. ## Three-step migration 1. Download your project on a paid plan and connect the repo in Freebuff App Builder. 2. Connect the repo in Freebuff App Builder (or recreate the app with your best prompt). 3. Cancel Same.new once you have verified the Freebuff deploy — welcome to $0/month. **Want the full feature comparison?**: Read [The free alternative to Same.new](/blog/free-same-new-ai-app-builder-alternative-freebuff) for an honest side-by-side. Stop paying $50/mo — Open Freebuff App Builder and start building for free. (Open Freebuff App Builder: /app-builder) **Q: Is $600/year realistic?** A: It is the base subscription for Same.new Max. Many users pay more after credit top-ups, extra seats, or higher tiers. **Q: Will I lose features?** A: Sign-in, databases, and publishing are built in, and your code can live in your own GitHub repo. Some vendor-specific integrations may need re-wiring — usually a one-time CLI task. **Q: Can teams use Freebuff App Builder?** A: Freebuff plans are per account, not per seat. Collaborate through GitHub like any normal repo. --- Source: https://freebuff.com/blog/save-960-per-year-base44-ai-app-builder-freebuff-alternative # How one Base44 user saved $960 by switching to Freebuff Same shipped apps. $80/mo Base44 Pro bill → $0. Published: 2026-06-24 TL;DR: - Base44 Pro on Base44: about $80/month ($960/year). - Freebuff App Builder: free to start, with sign-in, databases, and publishing built in. - Net savings: $960/year before credit top-ups or seat multipliers. - This is a modeled example for a typical solo builder — your mileage depends on usage. We talk to builders every week who like Base44 but hate watching credits disappear. Here is a straightforward math story for an indie hacker shipping side projects — not a fabricated testimonial, but the kind of switch we see in practice. ## The bill on Base44 Pro Base44 Builder is $40/mo (annual) with 250 message credits. Pro is $80/mo with 500 message credits plus integrations. Elite is $160/mo (per [base44.com/pricing](https://www.base44.com/pricing)). For this example we use the middle paid tier most solo builders aim for: **Base44 Pro at $80/month**, or **$960/year**. | Feature | Freebuff | Base44 Pro | | --- | --- | --- | | Monthly subscription | $0 | $80 | | Annual cost | $0 | $960 | | Credit / token overages | Daily hours allowance instead | Common on active projects | | Auth + database + hosting | Included | Included (varies by plan) | | CLI for big refactors | Freebuff CLI | Not included | ## What changed after switching - **Same workflow.** Prompt in the browser, get a deployed URL, click to iterate. - **A daily allowance, not a credit balance.** Free accounts get a daily allowance of hours that refills at midnight. - **Keep your code in GitHub.** Connect a repo and keep editing with Freebuff CLI locally. - **$960/year back.** That covers domains, email, or a paid Freebuff plan if you want more usage. ## Three-step migration 1. Use GitHub integration in Base44, then connect it in Freebuff App Builder. 2. Connect the repo in Freebuff App Builder (or recreate the app with your best prompt). 3. Cancel Base44 once you have verified the Freebuff deploy — welcome to $0/month. **Want the full feature comparison?**: Read [The free alternative to Base44](/blog/free-base44-ai-app-builder-alternative-freebuff) for an honest side-by-side. Stop paying $80/mo — Open Freebuff App Builder and start building for free. (Open Freebuff App Builder: /app-builder) **Q: Is $960/year realistic?** A: It is the base subscription for Base44 Pro. Many users pay more after credit top-ups, extra seats, or higher tiers. **Q: Will I lose features?** A: Sign-in, databases, and publishing are built in, and your code can live in your own GitHub repo. Some vendor-specific integrations may need re-wiring — usually a one-time CLI task. **Q: Can teams use Freebuff App Builder?** A: Freebuff plans are per account, not per seat. Collaborate through GitHub like any normal repo. --- Source: https://freebuff.com/blog/freebuff-in-the-wild-may-2026 # Freebuff in the wild: notes from May What we saw people build, break, and ship with Freebuff this month. Published: 2026-05-26 (updated 2026-06-08) We've been doing this informally on our Discord for a while — sharing the projects that show up in our feedback channel that we think more people should see. A few folks suggested we just… put it on the blog. So here we are. This is the May 2026 edition. Names and identifying details are redacted unless the person asked us to keep them in. Sometimes the original message was edited for clarity. The quotes are otherwise verbatim. --- ## 1. A freelancer in India shipping local-shop websites We gave this one its own post because the case is so clean: SvelteKit websites for local shops, around $100 per project, built mostly on weekends, all on the free tier. The thing we keep thinking about is the currency-sensitivity of free — a $20/month subscription means very different things in different parts of the world. $0 means the same thing everywhere. Read the full case study — "Earning $100 a website: a Freebuff side-income story from India" (Read the case study: /blog/side-income-with-freebuff-india-case-study) --- ## 2. A non-coder shipping their first app, in Spanish > Excelente, muy intuitivo para alguien que no escribe código. > — In-app feedback, May 2026 Translation: “Excellent, very intuitive for someone who doesn’t write code.” This came from someone using Freebuff Web, not the CLI. We hadn’t fully internalized how much of our user base is going to be people whose first contact with anything code-adjacent is the visual editor + prompt box, until we started seeing how many of the in-app messages aren't in English. Lots of small UX decisions changed because of this — keyboard shortcuts moved to be cmd+enter friendly, error messages were rewritten to be less jargon-y. --- ## 3. A model-curious developer running comparisons in our terminal > Amazing product! This is the first time that I can try out new models with real coding tasks. > — D., via email, May 2026 This pattern shows up a lot in our feedback. People want to actually try the new open-weight model that just dropped, but cloning a repo and wiring up an API key is just enough friction to keep them from doing it. Freebuff already speaks Deepseek v4, MiMo 2.5 Pro, GLM 5.2, Minimax M3, plus GPT-5.4 through a connected ChatGPT subscription. So `/model deepseek-v4` and you’re running a real benchmark against your own codebase. --- ## 4. Someone who finally got their project across the line > I've been trying to get a project up and running for a while now, and keep getting stuck. This just became a lifesaver — I actually got my project done in one go now, and only fine-tuning it. > — Early user, via email We get a version of this every week. It's the one that motivates the team most. We think a lot about the difference between a tool that helps people who already ship, and one that helps people who don’t ship yet. The second is harder, and we'd like to keep getting better at it. --- ## Patterns we noticed this month - **Freebuff Web is becoming the on-ramp for the CLI.** People prompt their way into a working app, then eject to GitHub and finish in the terminal. We didn’t plan it that way — it just emerged. - **`/model` is used more than we expected.** We assumed people would set-and-forget. Instead, a lot of users swap models per task: MiMo for refactors, DeepSeek or GLM for greenfield, connected GPT-5.4 for the final review pass. - **Subagents are getting forked.** A handful of users have written their own subagents and shared them on Discord. The migration-planner pattern from one of our guides is the most popular fork. - **The non-English share is climbing.** Spanish and Portuguese feedback together is about 18% of our incoming notes this month, up from ~6% in March. ## What we’re working on next month - Faster cold-start on Freebuff Web preview deploys. - Better defaults for the planner subagent on small repos (it currently over-plans). - A small library of subagents contributed by the community, with a `freebuff add-agent ` command to install them. If you’re building something with Freebuff that we should highlight here next month, ping us on Discord or just send a note via the in-app feedback button. We mean it — we actually read all of them. Show us what you ship — Join the Discord and drop a screenshot. (Install Freebuff: /) --- Source: https://freebuff.com/blog/side-income-with-freebuff-india-case-study # Earning $100 a website: a Freebuff side-income story from India A developer in India is using Freebuff to ship websites for local shops while studying Rust on the side. Published: 2026-05-25 (updated 2026-10-09) An email came into my inbox a couple of weeks ago that I keep coming back to. It was from a developer in India who has been quietly using Freebuff to build a real side business — making websites for local shops in his city for about $100 a piece (around 7,000 INR). He gave us permission to share it, with his name removed. > I am loving the Freebuff. I am from India, and I am using Freebuff to create websites for our local shops and earning $100 (7k INR). I just got my first client and agreed to design a website for him. I am using Freebuff to develop it in SvelteKit (because I am so used to it). I am doing these as a side income, but I am trying to build compilers and interpreters in Rust and to get a job in Rust. Till then, I make websites for our local businesses to make some side income. So thank you a lot for making this process easier and less time-consuming. > — S., India — via email, May 2026 --- ## Why this email stuck with me I want to be careful here. It's easy to do the dramatic founder-pose where you take someone else's story and turn it into your own marketing. That's not what I mean to do. I just think this little email contains almost everything we hoped Freebuff would do for people. - **It met someone where they already are.** SvelteKit. Not React. Not whatever the AI demo of the week is. The framework he’s comfortable in. Freebuff is meant to be that — a great teammate inside whatever stack you already use. - **It collapsed a 3-day job into an afternoon.** That’s the unlock: real money for real work, but the work is fast enough to be a side hustle around studying. - **It’s not the whole life plan.** He’s studying compilers in Rust. He wants a Rust job. Freebuff isn’t his career; it’s the bridge that funds the career he actually wants. That feels like a healthy way to use a tool. - **The economics work in his currency.** $100 USD is meaningful money in a lot of the world. A $20/month subscription often isn’t worth that trade. Free changes who can play. ## A small back-of-envelope If you can build one site like this in a weekend with Freebuff, four weekends a month is roughly $400. That’s a meaningful number when the average software engineering salary in many parts of India is between $5,000 and $15,000 USD per year. It also stacks neatly with a day job or a degree. | Feature | Freebuff | A typical paid AI coding tool | | --- | --- | --- | | Monthly cost | $0 | $20–$60 | | Break-even per month | Zero clients | 1 client (out of pocket if you miss) | | Margin per $100 site | ~100% | 40–80% (after tool + provider costs) | | Extra planning passes | Available with connected ChatGPT | Bundled into the seat fee whether you use it or not | | Currency sensitivity | Free is the same in every currency | Subscription scales weird across regions | **If you’re running a similar side business**: We’d genuinely love to hear from you. A small-shop website agency powered by Freebuff is the kind of story that helps us push harder on the things that matter — fast deploys, good defaults, free models that don’t embarrass you in front of a paying client. ## Some practical notes for anyone trying this 1. Start with a template you already know. If you’re a SvelteKit person, stay there. Freebuff handles every popular stack, but you ship faster when you can spot a wrong turn in the code. 2. Charge by project, not by hour. Your time-to-finish drops fast as you get better at prompting; you don’t want your billable hours dropping with it. 3. Use Freebuff App Builder for the first draft, then push to GitHub and finish in Freebuff CLI. Visual editing for the layout, real CLI work for the integrations. 4. Use a connected ChatGPT subscription for the planning step on bigger sites. A strong reasoning pass early can save an hour of cleanup later. --- S., if you're reading this — good luck with the Rust job. Send us the compiler when you ship it. Build your own side income — Same tools, same free tier. Start a small business in an afternoon. (Install Freebuff: /) --- Source: https://freebuff.com/blog/what-developers-are-saying-about-freebuff # What developers are saying about Freebuff A few of the kinder things people have written to us since the free tier shipped. Published: 2026-05-24 (updated 2026-06-08) We don't usually do testimonial posts. We're an engineering team, not a marketing team, and we kind of dread the whole logo-wall thing. But the messages have been getting hard to ignore, and a few of you have told us reading what other people said convinced you to try it. So — here are some of the notes that landed in our inbox, our DMs, and our feedback firehose over the last few weeks. Names and email addresses are redacted. Otherwise these are verbatim. --- ## On Freebuff just… working > One of the fast and best AI agent ever. Even giving better results than a paid one! I really appreciate it. Keep going. > — In-app feedback, May 2026 This one came in via the in-app feedback form. It made our day. It also reflects something we hear a lot: people try Freebuff expecting "free = worse," and are surprised when it isn’t. The free models are genuinely good now. We talked about that shift over in our research piece on why free coding agents won. > Amazing product! This is the first time that I can try out new models with real coding tasks. Thanks to you for building it and making it available. > — D., via email The “try out new models with real coding tasks” part is something we think about a lot. Most people never get past the demo prompts on a model provider's homepage. With Freebuff you can `/model` your way through Deepseek, MiMo, GLM, Minimax, and GPT-5.4 through a connected ChatGPT subscription on the same task, with the same context, in your own repo. That was always the goal. --- ## On Freebuff unblocking projects that were stuck > I am so grateful and thankful for this, and I mean it from the very bottom of my heart. I've been trying to get a project up and running for a while now, and keep getting stuck. This just became a lifesaver — I actually got my project done in one go now, and only fine-tuning it. I hope this stays around for long, and keeps getting better. > — Early user, via email We get a version of this email almost every week now. Someone has a project they’ve been chipping away at for months. They try Freebuff. It ships. That feels like the whole point. --- ## From around the world > Excelente, muy intuitivo para alguien que no escribe código. > — In-app feedback, May 2026 "Excellent, very intuitive for someone who doesn’t write code." That one came in Spanish. We’ve also gotten notes in Portuguese, Tagalog, Hindi, and Japanese in the last month. It’s humbling. The web of who codes is wider than the English-speaking dev Twitter would have you believe. **Side note**: We have a separate post coming about a developer in India who’s used Freebuff to start a small website-building business for local shops. That story deserves its own page. --- ## On the open web > My accolades! This is the kind of business I would love to work on or with. Thank you for democratizing code agents. > — A developer on Twitter, May 2026 > You sir are doing a service to humanity. > — A developer on Twitter, May 2026 We’re going to print that second one out and tape it next to the build monitor. The bar for “service to humanity” is high — we mostly write TypeScript — but we'll take it. --- ## And one that made us think about the business model > Does it help you if I click through or copy the URL on ads, or is the income just based on ad views? This service is proving life-changing in making a dream of mine come true, so I want to support it as best I can. > — A user in our Discord, May 2026 This is the part we don’t usually say out loud. Freebuff is free because of the ads in the CLI — they run before and after agent turns. Both views and click-throughs count. Mostly we just want you to use it. If an ad is relevant and you actually click, that helps a lot. If it isn’t, just keep coding. We are deeply allergic to dark patterns and we’re going to keep it that way. --- ## Thanks If you’re shipping something with Freebuff, tell us about it. We read every message. Most of them, honestly, don’t end up on a page like this — but the ones that do are a reminder of why this is worth building. Try it for yourself — Install Freebuff and see what people are talking about. (Install Freebuff: /) --- Source: https://freebuff.com/blog/free-alternative-to-bloom # The free alternative to Bloom Agentic web app creation without the SaaS tier. Published: 2026-05-23 TL;DR: - Bloom is one of the cleaner agentic web app generators on the market. - Freebuff App Builder does the same flow and is free to start. - Sign-in, databases, and publishing are built in. ## Feature-by-feature: Freebuff App Builder vs Bloom | Feature | Freebuff | Bloom | | --- | --- | --- | | Price | Free | Paid tiers | | Auth + DB | Free, included | Paid plans | | Deployed URL | Free, per change | Free preview | | GitHub | Connect a repo | Limited | | CLI for power users | Yes (Freebuff CLI) | No | Skip the paid tier — Same agentic app builder, no monthly fee. (Open Freebuff App Builder: /app-builder) --- Source: https://freebuff.com/blog/free-alternative-to-a0-dev # The free alternative to a0.dev Mobile + web AI app generator, free to start. Published: 2026-05-22 TL;DR: - a0.dev is great at fast mobile + web app generation. - Freebuff App Builder matches on the web side for free, with auth/DB/deploy built in. - For native mobile, Freebuff CLI + Expo gets you there in a few prompts. ## Feature-by-feature: Freebuff App Builder vs a0.dev | Feature | Freebuff | a0.dev | | --- | --- | --- | | Price | Free | Free tier capped | | Usage limits | Daily hours allowance; paid plans add more | Per-prompt credits | | Web app generation | Yes | Yes | | Mobile app generation | Via Freebuff CLI + Expo | Native (preview) | | Auth + DB included | Yes | Limited on free | | GitHub | Connect a repo | Limited | Build apps, free to start — Same prompt-to-app loop, no per-generation meter. (Open Freebuff App Builder: /app-builder) --- Source: https://freebuff.com/blog/why-free-coding-agents-won-2026 # Why free coding agents won in 2026 Four forces that collapsed paid AI coding tools — and what comes next. Published: 2026-05-22 (updated 2026-06-08) TL;DR: - **Model commodification:** open-weight models matched frontier on coding by Q1 2026. - **Direct model billing normalized:** users prefer transparent model costs over per-seat SaaS. - **Ad-supported tooling works** when ads are devtool-relevant and CLI-native. - **Per-seat AI pricing died** — the unit economics never matched developer churn. In Q4 2025, the "frontier coding agent" market was paid by default. By Q3 2026, the top three CLI coding agents were free. This is the post-mortem. ## 1. Model commodification Deepseek v4 (Jan 2026), Kimi K2.6 (Feb 2026), GLM 5.2 (Mar 2026), and Minimax M3 (Apr 2026) each landed within 2 points of GPT-5.4 on SWE-Bench Verified at <10% of the cost. By summer, the gap on coding tasks was effectively zero. Paid tools that locked you into Claude or GPT-5.4 had nothing to defend. | Feature | Freebuff | Frontier closed (GPT-5.4 Pro) | | --- | --- | --- | | SWE-Bench Verified | Deepseek v4: 71% | 74% | | Cost per 1M output tokens | $0.50 – $1.40 | $15+ | | Latency p50 | 350 – 600 ms first token | 500 ms first token | ## 2. Direct model billing normalized Developers got tired of paying $20/mo to a SaaS that paid the model provider $3/mo on their behalf. Direct OpenAI, Anthropic, and OpenRouter billing became table-stakes for open-source tools. The middle layer collapsed. ## 3. Ad-supported devtools work Devtool-relevant ads (compute, hosting, dev infra, model APIs) match developer intent better than 99% of consumer-internet ads. CTRs on Freebuff CLI ads in 2026 were 4–7x higher than typical web display ads, making free-with-ads sustainable. ## 4. Per-seat AI pricing died Per-seat pricing assumes daily active use. AI coding agent usage is bursty — heavy weeks shipping features, dead weeks during meetings or holidays. Users felt overcharged on the dead weeks, churned, and the unit economics never closed. ## What comes next - **Free tier becomes the default tier.** Paid tiers will exist for team features (audit logs, SSO), not for the agent itself. - **BYOK-only model providers grow.** Anthropic and OpenAI will sell more direct keys, fewer wholesale licenses to SaaS middlemen. - **Open-weight + local inference doubles**. Devs with M-series Macs already run capable models locally; that’s only going one way. - **Vertical agents win.** Free coding agent + paid security-review agent + paid migration agent. Specialization beats one-size-fits-all. > The free coding agent didn’t kill paid coding agents. The unit economics of per-seat AI did. Free was just the alternative that was already there. > — Freebuff Research, June 2026 Use the agent that won — Install Freebuff and join the free CLI agent default. (Install Freebuff: /) --- Source: https://freebuff.com/blog/coding-agent-benchmarks-what-they-miss # What coding agent benchmarks miss SWE-Bench is necessary, insufficient, and a little misleading. Here’s what to add. Published: 2026-05-22 TL;DR: - SWE-Bench measures patch correctness on toy GitHub issues — useful, not enough. - Real-world agents are judged on: cost, iteration speed, recovery from wrong turns, and willingness to ask. - Freebuff Research uses a 6-axis eval that better predicts user retention. If you optimize purely for SWE-Bench, you ship a brittle agent that nails the benchmark and frustrates users. Here’s why — and what we measure instead. ## The 4 things benchmarks miss 1. **Cost per accepted change.** A benchmark that takes 80 tool calls is "right" but unaffordable. 2. **Recovery from wrong turns.** Real bugs hide. Did the agent backtrack, or dig itself deeper? 3. **Asking when uncertain.** A good engineer asks. A SWE-Bench-optimized agent always answers. 4. **Cross-file consistency.** Benchmarks rarely test 10+ file changes that must stay in sync. ## The Freebuff Research 6-axis eval | Feature | Freebuff | SWE-Bench Verified alone | | --- | --- | --- | | Patch correctness | Yes — weighted 25% | 100% of score | | Cost per accepted PR | Yes — weighted 20% | Not measured | | Recovery from wrong turns | Yes — weighted 15% | Not measured | | Clarification questions asked | Yes — weighted 10% | Not measured | | Cross-file consistency (>10 files) | Yes — weighted 20% | Not measured | | User-reported friction | Yes — weighted 10% | Not measured | ## Concrete failure modes we caught - **Confident wrong patch:** Top SWE-Bench agent failed silently on a typed migration because the test passed but the runtime behavior broke. Cross-file consistency check caught it. - **Cost runaway:** One frontier agent burned $4.20 on a task another agent solved for $0.18. Same correctness; very different ROI. - **No-question bias:** SWE-Bench-tuned agents never ask. Real users want the agent to stop and ask when requirements are ambiguous. **How we test Freebuff itself**: Every release runs the 6-axis eval on 200 internal tasks plus 100 paid customer tasks (consented). The 6-axis score is the gating release metric, not SWE-Bench alone. ## What this means for buyers If you’re comparing agents, don’t stop at SWE-Bench. Run them on 5 of *your* most representative tasks. Measure cost, time-to-merge, and how many tries it takes. The leaderboard winner is often not the winner on your repo. Try Freebuff on your hardest task — Free agent, free run, real measurement. (Install Freebuff: /) --- Source: https://freebuff.com/blog/free-base44-ai-app-builder-alternative-freebuff # The free alternative to Base44 Generate internal tools and full apps from a prompt — for $0/month. Published: 2026-05-21 TL;DR: - Base44 nailed the internal-tool-from-a-prompt workflow. - Freebuff App Builder does the same, no monthly fee, no per-seat surprise bills. - Real Postgres-backed DB and auth wired in by default; not a "demo backend". ## Feature-by-feature: Freebuff App Builder vs Base44 | Feature | Freebuff | Base44 | | --- | --- | --- | | Price | Free | $40–$80/mo (Builder–Pro) | | Message credits | None | 250–500/mo on paid tiers | | Integration credits | Included | 10k–20k/mo on paid tiers | | Real DB (not demo) | Yes — included | Yes on paid plans | | Auth | Free, included | Paid plans | | GitHub | Connect a repo | Limited | | CLI for power-user edits | Yes (Freebuff CLI) | No | | Custom domains | Yes | Paid plans | ## What Base44 costs in 2026 Base44 Builder is **$40/mo** (annual billing) with 250 message credits. Pro is **$80/mo** with 500 message credits and more integrations. Elite is $160/mo. See [base44.com/pricing](https://www.base44.com/pricing) for the live tier table. **Built for non-engineers and engineers**: Same project can be edited by a non-engineer in the visual editor and by an engineer in Freebuff CLI. No "design tier" / "developer tier" split. Free internal tools, free full apps — Stop paying per seat. Build for $0/month. (Open Freebuff App Builder: /app-builder) --- Source: https://freebuff.com/blog/free-floot-ai-app-builder-alternative-freebuff # The free alternative to Floot Same agentic web app builder — open source repo, no monthly plan. Published: 2026-05-19 (updated 2026-10-09) TL;DR: - Floot ships a clean prompt-to-app experience for web apps. - Freebuff App Builder is free to start, with sign-in, databases, and publishing built in. - Connect GitHub and keep building with the Freebuff CLI. ## Feature-by-feature: Freebuff App Builder vs Floot | Feature | Freebuff | Floot | | --- | --- | --- | | Price | Free | Free plan; $25/mo Pro; $100/mo Power | | Auth + DB | Included | Limited on free | | Deployed URL | Free, per change | Free during preview | | GitHub | Connect a repo | Limited | | Terminal agent | Yes (Freebuff CLI) | No | ## What Floot costs Floot has a Free plan (100 building actions a day), Pro at **$25/mo** (1,000 actions a day, custom domains, no Floot badge, $10 of hosting included) and Power at **$100/mo** (5,000 actions a day). See [floot.com/pricing](https://floot.com/pricing) for current limits. **Free preview vs free product**: Most AI app builders are "free during preview." Freebuff App Builder is free as a long-term commitment — supported by CLI ads on the Freebuff CLI side, not by surprise pricing changes. Build web apps without a paywall — Get the same agentic loop, free to start. (Open Freebuff App Builder: /app-builder) --- Source: https://freebuff.com/blog/free-alternative-to-heyboss # The free alternative to HeyBoss AI app builder + free hosting + a CLI escape hatch when you outgrow the prompt box. Published: 2026-05-18 TL;DR: - HeyBoss is a polished AI app builder with monthly plans. - Freebuff App Builder does the prompt-to-app loop for free, with auth and DB built in. - When the visual builder runs out of road, Freebuff CLI takes over — same repo. HeyBoss is great for non-engineers shipping their first app. Freebuff App Builder is HeyBoss without the subscription, plus a real CLI agent for when your app gets serious. ## Feature-by-feature: Freebuff App Builder vs HeyBoss | Feature | Freebuff | HeyBoss | | --- | --- | --- | | Price | Free | Subscription | | Auth + database included | Yes | Limited on free plan | | Deployed URL | Per change, free | On paid plans | | GitHub | Connect a repo | Paid feature | | Terminal agent | Yes (Freebuff CLI) | No | | Visual element editor | Yes | Yes | ## Who should switch - **Hitting the HeyBoss free-plan ceiling** — Freebuff App Builder has no per-month cap. - **Want to own your code** — connect GitHub to keep your code in a repo you control. - **Going from prototype to real product** — drop into Freebuff CLI when prompts aren’t enough. Build full-stack apps for free — Same prompt-to-app loop, no subscription, real code you own. (Open Freebuff App Builder: /app-builder) **Q: Can I migrate a HeyBoss project?** A: Yes if you can export the code. Push to GitHub, then connect it in Freebuff App Builder and continue iterating with prompts or the CLI. --- Source: https://freebuff.com/blog/free-alternative-to-vibecode # The free alternative to VibeCode Ship an app from a prompt — free to start. Published: 2026-05-16 (updated 2026-06-08) TL;DR: - VibeCode helped popularize "vibe coding" — type a vibe, get an app. - Freebuff App Builder does the same loop and is free to start. - Sign-in, databases, and publishing are built in. - Connect GitHub and keep editing with the Freebuff CLI. VibeCode’s pitch is great — describe the vibe, ship the app. Freebuff App Builder is the same pitch with the bill removed. ## Feature-by-feature: Freebuff App Builder vs VibeCode | Feature | Freebuff | VibeCode | | --- | --- | --- | | Price | Free | Free tier capped; paid above | | Usage limits | Daily hours allowance; paid plans add more | Per-prompt credits | | Auth + database | Included by default | Add-on / paid | | Deployed URL per change | Yes | Yes | | GitHub | Connect a repo | Limited / paid | | Terminal agent | Yes (Freebuff CLI) | No | ## What you keep - **Prompt-to-app speed** — the loop that made vibe coding fun. - **Live preview** that updates per prompt. - **Visual iteration** for non-engineers. ## What you gain - **Free to start, with a daily allowance of hours.** - **A real database + auth** wired in from the first prompt. - **A CLI for heavy refactors** when the visual editor reaches its limit. Vibe code for free — Start an app with sign-in, databases, and publishing built in. (Open Freebuff App Builder: /app-builder) **Q: Can I import my VibeCode project to Freebuff?** A: Yes — export to GitHub from VibeCode, then Import from GitHub in Freebuff App Builder. **Q: Does Freebuff support the same visual editing?** A: Yes. Edit by prompt, or use the in-browser file editor + element inspector. Iterate visually, then commit when ready. --- Source: https://freebuff.com/blog/free-antigravity-cli-coding-agent-alternative-freebuff # The free alternative to Antigravity CLI Agentic coding in your terminal — without Google’s editor fork. Published: 2026-05-15 (updated 2026-10-08) TL;DR: - Antigravity is Google’s agentic IDE — polished, Gemini-powered, fork of an editor. - Freebuff is editor-agnostic — runs in your terminal inside VS Code, JetBrains, Vim, or Cursor. - Both are free at launch; only Freebuff is structurally free long-term (ad-supported, not VC-subsidized). - Antigravity is Gemini-only. Freebuff lets you switch models per task. Antigravity is what happens when Google ships its answer to Cursor — an opinionated agentic IDE with Gemini deeply integrated. Freebuff is the same agent power in your existing terminal, without changing editors or vendors. ## What Antigravity costs in 2026 Antigravity is **free at launch**. Long-term pricing is not finalized — expect Gemini API usage or seat fees similar to other Google dev tools. Budget **~$20/mo equivalent** when comparing total cost of ownership. ## Feature-by-feature: Freebuff CLI vs Antigravity | Feature | Freebuff | Antigravity (Google) | | --- | --- | --- | | Price | Free (permanent, ad-supported) | Free at launch; future pricing TBD | | Editor | Use any editor | Antigravity IDE (forked editor) | | Models | MiMo 2.6 Flash (default), GLM 5.3 Flash, DeepSeek V4.1 Flash, GPT-6 Luna, and more | Gemini 3.x only | | Model choice per task | Yes | Locked to Gemini | | Subagents bundled | 9 specialized | One general agent | | Browser-use | Built-in subagent | Yes (built-in) | | Data use | Models or features labeled “May use data for AI training” may keep submissions to develop, train, test, evaluate, fine-tune, and improve AI models or products, and Freebuff may share or sell them. | Google Cloud cloud-by-default | ## When Antigravity wins - **You’re happy switching editors** and love a tightly-integrated UX. - **You’re all-in on Gemini** for its long-context and multimodal strengths. - **Cloud-first workflows** where the agent running in Google’s cloud is a feature, not a tradeoff. ## When Freebuff wins - **You don’t want to migrate editors** — Freebuff goes wherever your terminal goes. - **You want vendor-agnostic model choice.** - **You want a guaranteed-free tier**, not a free preview that may change. - **Runs locally.** Freebuff edits files locally but sends relevant prompts, code, files, and repository context to its servers and model providers. See the Privacy Policy for details. Get the editor-agnostic free alternative — Install Freebuff inside any editor you already use. (Install Freebuff: /) **Q: Will Antigravity stay free?** A: No commitment yet. Like most launches, Antigravity’s pricing will likely evolve. Freebuff’s free tier is a permanent commitment funded by CLI ads. **Q: Does Freebuff have a "cascade"-style multi-file agent loop like Antigravity?** A: Yes. Freebuff plans across files first, then applies edits in a single pass that you can review and approve, with the code-reviewer subagent verifying afterwards. --- Source: https://freebuff.com/blog/free-alternative-to-gemini-cli # The free alternative to Gemini CLI A free CLI agent that doesn’t make you bring a Gemini key — and lets you pick the model per task. Published: 2026-05-14 (updated 2026-10-08) TL;DR: - Gemini CLI is great, free during preview, and locked to one model family — Google Gemini. - Freebuff is also free, supports many models (MiMo 2.6 Flash as the default, GLM 5.3 Flash, DeepSeek V4.1 Flash, GPT-6 Luna, Gemini 3.8 Flash, and more), and ships 9 specialized subagents. - Gemini CLI requires a Google Cloud / Gemini API key. Freebuff requires nothing. - Both run locally and edit files in your terminal. Google’s Gemini CLI is a polished free preview of "what if Google had Claude Code?" Freebuff is a free CLI agent that doesn’t make you pick one vendor’s model. ## Feature-by-feature: Freebuff vs Gemini CLI | Feature | Freebuff | Gemini CLI | | --- | --- | --- | | Price | Free | Free during preview; rate-limited | | API key required | No | Yes — Gemini API key | | Models | MiMo 2.6 Flash (default), GLM 5.3 Flash, DeepSeek V4.1 Flash, GPT-6 Luna, and more | Gemini 3.x family only | | Choose model per task | `/model` switch | Locked | | Subagents | 9 specialized | General agent | | Browser-use | Built-in | No native support | | Codebase indexing | Local + free | Local + free | ## When Gemini CLI wins - **You love Gemini’s style** — long-context summarization is excellent. - **You’re already inside Google Cloud** and want the path of least friction. - **You want huge free quotas during preview** — Google’s preview limits are generous right now. ## When Freebuff wins - **You don’t want a Google account on file**. - **You want model choice** — sometimes MiMo is the right call, sometimes DeepSeek, sometimes GPT-6 Luna. - **You want browser-use, code review, and deep-thinking subagents** in the box. **Freebuff already uses Gemini**: Under the hood, Freebuff’s file-picker subagent uses Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite for fast file finding. So you get the best of Gemini’s long-context throughput inside a broader agent — no API key needed. Try the free alternative to Gemini CLI — No API key. No Google account. One npm command. (Install Freebuff: /) **Q: Will the Gemini CLI preview stay free?** A: Probably not at current quotas. Google has historically introduced paid tiers once preview tools graduate. Freebuff is free as a permanent commitment, supported by CLI ads. **Q: Can I use Gemini models inside Freebuff?** A: Yes — Freebuff routes its file-picker through Gemini Flash Lite. Direct Gemini selection from `/model` is on the roadmap. --- Source: https://freebuff.com/blog/free-opencode-cli-coding-agent-alternative-freebuff # The free alternative to OpenCode Open-source CLI agent + your own API keys vs $0, batteries-included. Published: 2026-05-11 (updated 2026-10-08) TL;DR: - OpenCode is a great open-source CLI agent, but you bring (and pay for) the model API keys. - Freebuff bundles frontier models in the free tier — MiMo 2.6 Flash (the default), GLM 5.3 Flash, DeepSeek V4.1 Flash, GPT-6 Luna, and more, depending on your app and access level. - 9 specialized subagents ship in the box; OpenCode is one general agent. - Browser-use is built in on Freebuff; OpenCode needs MCP + extra setup. - If you already self-host Ollama + open weights, OpenCode is the closer fit. Otherwise Freebuff is faster to value. OpenCode proved that the Claude-Code-style loop could be open-sourced. Freebuff makes the same loop free to run — no API key on file, no monthly bill. ## What OpenCode costs in 2026 OpenCode is **free software** (SST / opencode). Your real bill is model APIs — most developers spend **$20–$50/mo** on Anthropic, OpenAI, or OpenRouter tokens, or run Ollama locally for $0 inference. ## Feature-by-feature: Freebuff vs OpenCode | Feature | Freebuff | OpenCode | | --- | --- | --- | | Per-run cost | Free | Pay your model provider per token | | Model bundle | MiMo 2.6 Flash (default), GLM 5.3 Flash, DeepSeek V4.1 Flash, GPT-6 Luna, and more included + `/byok` for OpenRouter or any OpenAI-compatible endpoint | BYOK — OpenAI, Anthropic, OpenRouter, Ollama | | Subagents bundled | 9 specialized | 1 general agent | | Browser-use | Built-in | MCP + setup | | Slash commands shipped | /interview, /plan, /review, /pr, /deploy, more | Minimal default set | | Codebase indexing | Local + free | Local, you handle embeddings | | License | Free (ad-supported, source available) | MIT / Apache (depends on fork) | ## When OpenCode is the better pick - **You self-host open-weight models** (Ollama, vLLM) and want zero data leaving your network. - **You want to audit and fork every line** of the agent loop. - **Air-gapped environments** where Freebuff’s ad endpoint can’t resolve. ## When Freebuff is the better pick - **You don’t want to manage API keys** for 3+ providers. - **You want browser verification, code review, and deep thinking built in** without wiring MCP servers. - **Your model bill matters** — Freebuff’s included models cover most coding tasks at $0 per run. **You can pair them**: Some teams use OpenCode for local-only refactors against an Ollama Qwen model, and Freebuff for any task that benefits from a frontier model or browser verification. Both write to the same repo; pick per task. Get the batteries-included free option — Install Freebuff with one npm command — no API keys to set up. (Install Freebuff: /) **Q: Is OpenCode actually free?** A: OpenCode’s code is free and open-source. Running it is not — you pay your model provider per token (OpenAI, Anthropic, OpenRouter, or your own compute for Ollama). **Q: Can Freebuff use the same models OpenCode uses?** A: Freebuff includes its own picker of models (MiMo 2.6 Flash as the default, GLM 5.3 Flash, DeepSeek V4.1 Flash, GPT-6 Luna, and more), and `/byok` lets the CLI use your own key for OpenRouter or any OpenAI-compatible endpoint. Freebuff Desktop can also run Claude Code or Codex on your own subscription. --- Source: https://freebuff.com/blog/switch-from-cursor-to-freebuff # Switch from Cursor to Freebuff in 5 minutes A no-disruption migration: keep your editor, drop the subscription. Published: 2026-05-09 TL;DR: - You don’t need to change editors — Freebuff runs in any terminal. - Total time: ~5 minutes. - Cost after switch: $0/month. ## Step 1: Install Freebuff ```bash npm install -g freebuff ``` Or run without install: `npx freebuff@latest`. ## Step 2: Open a project + start Freebuff ```bash cd ~/code/my-app freebuff ``` Freebuff indexes the repo locally on first run. No upload, no cloud sync. ## Step 3: Pin Freebuff side-by-side with your editor - **VS Code / Cursor:** open the built-in terminal (View → Terminal) and run `freebuff`. Drag the terminal panel to the side for a vertical split. - **JetBrains:** open the terminal tool window (`Alt+F12`). - **Vim/Neovim:** use a tmux split or `:terminal`. ## Step 4: Map your common Cursor flows to Freebuff | Feature | Freebuff | Cursor | | --- | --- | --- | | Inline edit (⌘K) | Highlight in CLI prompt + describe change | ⌘K | | Chat / agent | Prompt at top of Freebuff CLI | ⌘L Composer | | Codebase Q&A | `/ask ` | @codebase | | Browser preview | `/browser` (built-in) | External | | Multi-file refactor | `/plan` then accept | Composer plan | | Model switch | `/model` | Model menu | ## Step 5: Cancel your Cursor subscription In Cursor: Settings → Billing → Cancel. You’re done. Welcome to $0/month. **You can keep Cursor too**: Nothing breaks if you keep Cursor installed alongside Freebuff. Many engineers use Cursor’s tab-completion + Freebuff’s agent loop together for free. Make the switch — Install Freebuff once. Free forever. (Install Freebuff: /) **Q: Do I lose tab-completion?** A: Not if you keep Cursor or use VS Code with a free completion extension. Freebuff focuses on the agent loop; pair it with whatever completion you like. **Q: Will my Cursor rules and prompts transfer?** A: Mostly yes. Move `.cursorrules` content into `.freebuff/AGENTS.md` and Freebuff will respect it automatically. --- Source: https://freebuff.com/blog/freebuff-subagents-deep-dive # The 9 subagents inside Freebuff (and when each one runs) A field guide to the specialized workers that make a CLI agent feel agentic. Published: 2026-05-06 (updated 2026-10-09) TL;DR: - Freebuff orchestrates 9 specialized subagents instead of one general "do everything" model. - Each subagent has narrow scope, narrow context, and narrow trust. - The main agent decides which subagents to spawn for each task. - You can also spawn them by hand with `/agent `. Big agents are bad at small tasks; small agents are bad at big ones. Freebuff splits the work: a coordinator picks the right subagent for each turn. Here is the cast. ## 1. file-picker Runs Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite against a local code map to find the files that matter for the current task. Returns ranked paths plus a one-line justification per file. Almost every other subagent depends on it. ## 2. code-reviewer Reads diffs after an edit and reports issues by severity. Catches obvious regressions, missing tests, and security smells. Runs automatically after any multi-file edit; trigger manually with `/review`. ## 3. browser-use Drives a real Chromium instance to verify the app you just edited still works. Logs in, navigates, asserts on the rendered DOM, takes screenshots. Used heavily on full-stack tasks generated from Freebuff App Builder. ## 4. thinker-with-files-gemini When a turn needs deep reasoning, the coordinator hands off to thinker-with-files-gemini. It reads the files it needs and thinks the problem through on Gemini Pro — free inside Freebuff. ## 5. researcher Does web research with citations. Useful when the task touches an unfamiliar library or API. Returns a short brief with linked sources. ## 6. test-runner Detects the project’s test framework (vitest, jest, pytest, go test, cargo test) and runs only the relevant tests. Streams failures back to the coordinator for repair. ## 7. git-curator Stages, commits, and writes commit messages that match the repo’s historical style. Opens PRs with `/pr`. Refuses to push to `main` unless you explicitly ask. ## 8. shell-runner Executes shell commands inside a permission boundary. Destructive commands always require approval. Long-running processes are backgrounded with output streamed to a terminal file the main agent can read. ## 9. project-scout New in 2026: indexes the repo on first run and keeps the index warm. Tracks recent edits, build outputs, lint errors, and stack metadata so the coordinator has a fast structural understanding without re-reading the whole tree. ## Why subagents beat one big model - **Scope of context.** The reviewer does not need browser logs. The browser does not need shell history. - **Scope of trust.** The shell-runner can refuse what the coordinator cannot. - **Scope of cost.** File-picker can run on a cheap, fast model. Thinker-gpt can run on the smartest model only when needed. - **Parallelism.** Independent subagents run concurrently and stitch results back together. See subagents in action — Install Freebuff and try `/interview` on any task. (Install Freebuff: /) **Q: Can I disable a subagent?** A: Yes — pass `--no-subagent ` at startup, or set it in your project’s `.freebuffrc`. **Q: Does each subagent use a different model?** A: Yes by default. File-picker uses Gemini Flash Lite for speed; thinker-with-files-gemini uses Gemini Pro; the rest pick the model that best matches the task shape. --- Source: https://freebuff.com/blog/free-emergent-sh-ai-app-builder-alternative-freebuff # The free alternative to Emergent Same agentic full-stack builder. Without the $20/mo bill. Published: 2026-04-30 (updated 2026-10-09) TL;DR: - Freebuff App Builder is a free alternative to Emergent.sh — full-stack app generator with deployed URLs. - Emergent’s paid plans run $20/mo (Standard) and $200/mo (Pro). Freebuff App Builder is free to start. - Auth, database, hosting, and a paired CLI are included. - Better for indie hackers and students who want to start free. Emergent has been a favorite for "agent does the whole app" demos. The catch: Standard is capped at 100 credits a month, and the next step up is $200/mo. Freebuff App Builder replicates the loop and removes the bill. ## What Emergent costs in 2026 Emergent Standard is **$20/mo** on monthly billing (100 credits a month). Pro is **$200/mo** (750 credits a month, plus a larger context window and priority support). Annual billing is cheaper. See [emergent.sh/pricing](https://emergent.sh/pricing) for current plan names and limits. ## Feature-by-feature: Freebuff App Builder vs Emergent | Feature | Freebuff | Emergent | | --- | --- | --- | | Price | Free | $20/mo Standard; $200/mo Pro | | Credit / token meter | None | Yes | | Auth + database | Wired in | Wired in | | Deployed URL | Yes, free | Yes | | GitHub | Connect a repo | Yes (paid plans) | | Terminal agent | Yes (Freebuff CLI) | No | ## When Emergent is still the right call Emergent’s template gallery and SaaS-shaped starters (Stripe billing, multi-tenant auth, admin dashboards) are deeper than ours today. If you need those scaffolds out of the box and the $200/mo Pro plan is justified, stay. For everything else, Freebuff App Builder is the same loop at $0. Try the free alternative to Emergent — Free to start, with real published apps. (Open Freebuff App Builder: /app-builder) **Q: Can I move an Emergent project to Freebuff?** A: Yes — Emergent exports to GitHub. Import the repo into Freebuff App Builder and we wire up the equivalent infra. **Q: Will Freebuff have SaaS-shaped templates like Emergent?** A: Yes, more are landing every week. Today you can scaffold auth + DB + billing in a single prompt. --- Source: https://freebuff.com/blog/free-alternative-to-devin # The free alternative to Devin An autonomous coding agent that ships PRs — without the $500/mo invoice. Published: 2026-04-26 (updated 2026-10-08) TL;DR: - Freebuff is a free alternative to Cognition’s Devin — autonomous agent that ships PRs. - Devin starts around $500/mo for serious use. Freebuff is $0. - Edits run locally, but relevant prompts, code, files, and repository context are sent to Freebuff and model providers. - Browser-use subagent verifies the app the way Devin verifies in its sandbox. Devin set the bar for "the agent does the whole task end-to-end" — including verifying the result in a real browser. Freebuff implements the same loop locally, with no subscription. ## Feature-by-feature: Freebuff vs Devin | Feature | Freebuff | Devin (Cognition) | | --- | --- | --- | | Price | Free | $500+/mo (serious tier) | | Execution location | Local + your shell | Devin’s cloud sandbox | | Opens PRs | Yes via `/pr` | Yes | | Verifies in browser | Built-in browser-use subagent | Yes | | Models | MiMo 2.6 Flash (default), GLM 5.3 Flash, DeepSeek V4.1 Flash, GPT-6 Luna, and more | Internal model selection | | Inspect & take over | You watch in your terminal | Devin Console | | Per-task cost | Free | Burns Devin "ACUs" | ## When Devin still wins - **Fully managed cloud agents.** Devin runs in its own sandbox so you do not even need a terminal open. - **Long, multi-day tasks with managed retries.** Devin’s scheduling is more mature. ## When Freebuff wins - **Runs locally.** Freebuff edits files locally but sends relevant prompts, code, files, and repository context to its servers and model providers. See the Privacy Policy for details. - **You see every command in real time** — easier to step in and steer. - **No "ACU" or credit accounting.** - **Per-task model choice.** **How to get a "Devin-like" task**: Use `/interview` to nail down the spec, `/plan` to lock in the implementation plan, then run the implementation. Add `/browser-use` at the end to verify the result in a real browser. That is the Devin loop. Get the free alternative to Devin — Autonomous agent, real PRs, $0 / month. (See the install command: /) **Q: Can Freebuff really replace Devin?** A: For local-first workflows, yes. Freebuff plans, edits, runs, verifies in a browser, and opens PRs. Devin’s edge is fully cloud-managed scheduling for very long-running jobs. **Q: Does Freebuff have a "Console" like Devin?** A: Freebuff runs in your terminal, so the console is your terminal. The web dashboard shows recent runs, costs, and PRs. --- Source: https://freebuff.com/blog/free-alternative-to-windsurf # The free alternative to Windsurf A free agentic IDE experience, without the $15/mo seat. Published: 2026-04-23 (updated 2026-10-08) TL;DR: - Freebuff is a free alternative to Windsurf with the same agentic, multi-file autonomy. - Windsurf Pro is $15/mo (and rising on enterprise). Freebuff is $0. - You get 9 specialized subagents and the freedom to switch models per task. - Editor-agnostic — works in VS Code, JetBrains, Vim, or a bare terminal. Windsurf’s Cascade made multi-file autonomous edits feel safe. Freebuff has the same cadence — plan, edit, run, verify — without the seat license. ## Feature-by-feature: Freebuff vs Windsurf | Feature | Freebuff | Windsurf Pro | | --- | --- | --- | | Price | Free | $15+/mo per seat | | Editor lock-in | None — works anywhere | Windsurf IDE (Codeium) | | Models | MiMo 2.6 Flash (default), GLM 5.3 Flash, DeepSeek V4.1 Flash, GPT-6 Luna, and more | Codeium-curated set | | Subagents | 9 specialized | General Cascade agent | | Browser-use subagent | Built-in | No | | Codebase indexing | Local + free | Cloud + metered | ## When Windsurf still wins - **You love the cascade panel UI.** Windsurf’s diff review is polished. - **Team seats with enterprise SSO.** Windsurf has paperwork Freebuff does not match yet. ## When Freebuff wins - **You want to use any editor.** Freebuff lives in your terminal — bring whichever IDE you like. - **You want to control model spend.** Switch per task with `/model`. - **You want browser automation in the agent.** Freebuff ships it natively. - **You do not want a seat license.** $0 vs $15/mo per seat scales differently. Get the free alternative to Windsurf — Install Freebuff with one npm command. (See the install command: /) **Q: Will Freebuff replace my IDE like Windsurf does?** A: No — Freebuff is an agent that lives in your terminal. Keep VS Code, JetBrains, or Vim, and run `freebuff` in the integrated terminal. **Q: Does Freebuff have cascade-style multi-file edits?** A: Yes. Freebuff plans across files first, then applies edits in a single pass you can review and approve. --- Source: https://freebuff.com/blog/free-lovable-dev-ai-app-builder-alternative-freebuff # The free alternative to Lovable Same idea — type a prompt, get a deployed full-stack app — without the $25/mo bill. Published: 2026-04-19 (updated 2026-10-08) TL;DR: - Freebuff App Builder is a free alternative to Lovable.dev with sign-in, databases, and publishing built in. - Lovable costs $25–$100/mo depending on credits. Freebuff App Builder is free to start, with a daily allowance of hours. - Both ship deployed URLs on every prompt; Freebuff App Builder also has a CLI for heavy edits. - You can keep your code in a GitHub repo on both. - If you outgrow it, upgrade to Freebuff Pro for priority models and longer context. Look, Lovable is genuinely a great product. It taught a lot of people what “vibe coding” could feel like. The reason this page exists isn't that we think Lovable is bad — it's that we kept hearing the same conversation, over and over again, in our Discord: “Is there a free version of this?” So we'll just answer it. Yes. It's Freebuff App Builder. Here's the honest comparison. ## Why so many people are searching for this The credit system is the thing. Lovable's pricing tops out around $100/mo for serious use, and credits burn faster than people expect once you start iterating on real work. The free tier is generous-looking in the marketing copy but caps quickly in practice — a handful of generations a day, with most of the useful features gated behind a paid plan. For students, indie hackers, freelancers, and basically anyone shipping a side project at 2am, that runs out of road fast. Freebuff App Builder is for that crowd. Same prompt-to-app loop. Same deployed URLs after every prompt. Same iterate-by-clicking feel. Free to start, with a daily allowance of hours. ## What Lovable costs in 2026 Lovable Pro starts at **$25/mo** for 100 monthly credits. **Business is $50/mo** with SSO and team features. Credit tiers scale to $100/mo (400 credits) and far beyond for power users. See [lovable.dev/pricing](https://lovable.dev/pricing). ## Feature-by-feature: Freebuff App Builder vs Lovable | Feature | Freebuff | Lovable | | --- | --- | --- | | Price | Free | $25/mo Pro; $50/mo Business | | Usage limits | Daily hours allowance; paid plans add more | Yes, per-prompt | | Deployed URL on every change | Yes | Yes | | Auth + database wired in | Yes | Yes (Supabase add-on) | | GitHub | Connect a repo | Yes (paid plans) | | CLI for heavy refactors | Yes (Freebuff CLI) | No | ## When Lovable is still the better pick Lovable has a more mature gallery of community templates and tighter Supabase integrations for teams already invested in that stack. If you are running a paid Lovable workspace today and you are happy with the spend, there is nothing wrong with staying. Freebuff is for the long tail of people who want the same outcome without the meter running. ## How to move a Lovable project to Freebuff 1. In Lovable, export your project to GitHub. 2. In Freebuff App Builder, click `Import from GitHub` and paste the repo URL. 3. Freebuff detects the stack (Vite + React + Supabase is the common one) and wires up an equivalent backing store. 4. Iterate from there in the browser, or `cd` in and run `freebuff` in your terminal. **Worried about lock-in?**: Connect GitHub to keep your code in a repository you control, and keep editing it locally with the Freebuff CLI. ## What you are giving up vs paid Lovable - **Premium model defaults.** Freebuff defaults to MiMo 2.6 Flash, with GLM 5.3 Flash, DeepSeek V4.1 Flash, GPT-6 Luna, and others in the picker. They are not Anthropic models, and which ones you see depends on your app and access level. - **Some plugin ecosystem maturity.** Lovable has been around longer and has more pre-built integrations. We are catching up fast. For everything else — the loop of prompt → deployed app → iterate → ship — Freebuff App Builder is a 1:1 replacement. Try the free alternative to Lovable — Open Freebuff App Builder and ship a deployed app in the next 90 seconds. (Open Freebuff App Builder: /app-builder) **Q: Is Freebuff App Builder actually free, or freemium with a hidden cap?** A: Actually free. No per-prompt credits and no daily generation limit. Generous compute and storage defaults apply; if you outgrow them you can upgrade or self-host. **Q: Can I use Freebuff for production apps, like Lovable users do?** A: Yes. The repo is yours, the database is provisioned per project, and you can attach a custom domain. The same code you preview is the code that ships. **Q: Does Freebuff support Supabase like Lovable?** A: Freebuff provisions its own backing store by default, but you can swap to Supabase, Postgres, or Convex by importing from GitHub and editing the connection in your terminal. **Q: How is Freebuff different from Bolt.new or Replit Agent?** A: Freebuff bundles auth, database, hosting, and a paired CLI in one free product. Bolt and Replit Agent each cover part of that surface, often gated behind subscriptions. --- Source: https://freebuff.com/blog/free-bolt-new-ai-app-builder-alternative-freebuff # The free alternative to Bolt.new Same instant in-browser app generator. Different price. Published: 2026-04-16 (updated 2026-06-08) TL;DR: - Freebuff App Builder is a free alternative to Bolt.new — same in-browser, deployed-by-default app generator. - Bolt charges by tokens; Freebuff App Builder has no token meter. - Sign-in, databases, and publishing are built in. - Connect GitHub and keep editing in the Freebuff CLI. Bolt.new proved you could spin up a full-stack app from a prompt and have it running directly in your browser in seconds. Freebuff App Builder took the same idea, removed the token meter, and added a paired CLI for the heavy lifting. ## What Bolt.new costs in 2026 Bolt Pro is **$25/mo** (10M tokens). The middle tier most production builders pick is **Bolt Max at $50/mo**; Ultra is $100/mo. Tokens burn fast on large apps, so many users pay for top-ups on top of the subscription. ## Feature-by-feature: Freebuff App Builder vs Bolt.new | Feature | Freebuff | Bolt.new | | --- | --- | --- | | Price | Free | $25/mo Pro; $50/mo Max | | Token meter | None | Yes — burns fast on big apps | | Auth + database | Wired in by default | Supabase add-on | | Hosting | Free deployed URL per project | Netlify integration | | GitHub | Connect a repo | Yes | | Terminal agent | Yes (Freebuff CLI) | No | ## What you keep from Bolt - **Instant in-browser runtime.** No "loading container" stalls. - **Live preview that updates per prompt.** - **One-shot stack scaffolds for the common combos** (React + Vite + Tailwind, Next.js, Astro, etc). ## What you gain over Bolt - **No token meter.** Iterate as many times as you want. - **Database + auth + storage out of the box** — no Supabase setup walk-through. - **The Freebuff CLI for big refactors.** Connect GitHub and keep going in your terminal. - **A paired CLI for deep thinking and large refactors.** **For pure prototyping, Bolt is still great**: If you want a throwaway prototype to ship a tweet in five minutes, Bolt’s free tier is fine. Freebuff is for the projects you want to actually keep. Try the free alternative to Bolt.new — Spin up a deployed full-stack app with no token meter. (Open Freebuff App Builder: /app-builder) **Q: Does Freebuff App Builder run apps in the browser like Bolt?** A: Freebuff App Builder runs your project in a hosted sandbox by default for faster cold starts and instant URLs. You can pull the same project locally and run it natively too. **Q: Can I import a Bolt project?** A: Yes — Bolt projects export to GitHub. Import the GitHub repo into Freebuff App Builder and we wire up the equivalent infra. --- Source: https://freebuff.com/blog/free-replit-agent-design-mode-app-builder-alternative-freebuff # The free alternative to Replit Agent Build, deploy, iterate — including Replit Design Mode workflows — without the Core subscription. Published: 2026-04-12 (updated 2026-10-09) TL;DR: - Freebuff App Builder is a free alternative to Replit Agent — prompt-to-deployed-app in a browser. - Replit Core is $20/mo (with Agent and Design Mode); Freebuff App Builder is free to start. - Sign-in, databases, and publishing are built in. - You also get the Freebuff CLI for heavy refactors that browser editors are bad at. Replit Agent and Replit Design Mode made in-browser app building feel real. Freebuff App Builder is the same feeling without the $20/mo Core subscription gate. ## What Replit costs in 2026 Replit Core is **$20/mo** on monthly billing ($18/mo billed annually). That unlocks Agent, Design Mode, and production deploys for most solo builders. Teams that outgrow Core often move to **Replit Pro at $100/mo**. See [replit.com/pricing](https://replit.com/pricing) for current tiers. ## The Replit Agent loop, but free Replit Agent’s pitch is: type a prompt, watch a real app appear in a real container, click around, iterate. Freebuff App Builder does the same thing, and you can connect GitHub and keep editing the project in your terminal. ## Feature-by-feature: Freebuff App Builder vs Replit Agent | Feature | Freebuff | Replit Agent (with Core) | | --- | --- | --- | | Price | Free | $20/mo (Core); $100/mo (Pro) | | Auth + database | Included | Included | | Deployed URL on every change | Yes | Yes | | GitHub | Connect a repo | Yes (export) | | Paired CLI agent for refactors | Yes (Freebuff CLI) | No | | In-browser shell | Yes | Yes | ## When Replit is still the right call - **Education.** Replit’s classroom tooling and curriculum are unmatched. - **Multiplayer real-time pair coding.** Replit invented this for browsers and still does it best. - **You already pay for Core and use it heavily.** Stay. ## When Freebuff App Builder is the right call - **You want to ship a real app without paying $20/mo.** - **You want a CLI agent that can keep editing the same project locally.** - **You want to pick the model per task.** Freebuff’s picker includes MiMo 2.6 Flash (the default), GLM 5.3 Flash, DeepSeek V4.1 Flash, GPT-6 Luna, and more. **Keep your code in GitHub**: Connect GitHub to keep your code in a repo you control. You can keep iterating in the browser, or continue with `freebuff` in your terminal. ## Migrating from Replit to Freebuff 1. In Replit, export your repl to GitHub. 2. In Freebuff App Builder, click Import from GitHub and paste the repo URL. 3. Freebuff wires up auth, database, and hosting for the new project. 4. Iterate in the browser or `cd` in and run `freebuff` in your terminal. Try the free alternative to Replit Agent — Open Freebuff App Builder and ship a deployed app in 90 seconds. (Open Freebuff App Builder: /app-builder) **Q: Can I import an existing Replit project?** A: Yes — export your repl to GitHub, then connect the repo in Freebuff App Builder. Support depends on your stack. **Q: Does Freebuff have an in-browser shell?** A: Yes. The hosted preview includes a terminal you can use without ever installing the CLI. **Q: Will my Freebuff app stay deployed if I stop iterating?** A: Yes. Deployed apps stay live indefinitely on the free tier as long as they receive normal traffic. --- Source: https://freebuff.com/blog/state-of-free-ai-coding-2026 # The state of free AI coding in 2026 Frontier models got cheap. Coding agents got free. Here is what that changes. Published: 2026-04-08 (updated 2026-10-09) TL;DR: - In 2026, every major category of AI coding tool has a free, frontier-quality option. - CLI agents (Freebuff vs Claude Code / Codex). - In-editor agents (Freebuff CLI + your editor vs Cursor / Windsurf). - In-browser full-stack builders (Freebuff App Builder vs Lovable / Bolt / Replit / Emergent). - The economics flipped because inference fell 10x while subscription pricing stayed flat. I keep getting asked some version of: “Wait, what actually changed? Last year free AI coding tools were toys. This year people are telling me they prefer them. Did I miss something?” Yes. Quite a lot, actually. Here's the map of how we got here, in plain English, written for people who don't have time to read 47 model release blog posts. ## The three forces that made free coding agents inevitable ### 1. Inference is 10x cheaper than it was last year DeepSeek V4, Kimi K2, and MiniMax M2 brought frontier-quality models to costs that would have looked rounding-error a year ago. Most provider pricing for coding-grade output is now below $1/M tokens. That collapses the economic case for charging a flat $20/mo for "access" to a model. ### 2. The agent loop is mostly solved The "plan, edit, run, verify" loop that Claude Code, Cursor, and Devin pioneered is now well-understood. Open implementations exist (Aider, OpenCode, Cline, Goose), and the differentiation has moved up the stack: subagents, browser-use, BYOK, deep thinking, slash commands. ### 3. Distribution beats subscription A free CLI you install with `npm install -g freebuff` reaches more developers in a week than a $20/mo product reaches in a quarter. Ad-supported and freemium business models tend to win in the long tail of developer tools — see Codeium, GitHub Copilot Free, Cline, and now Freebuff. ## The map: free options across every category | Feature | Freebuff | Paid leader | | --- | --- | --- | | CLI coding agent | Freebuff (free) | Claude Code, Codex CLI ($20–$200/mo) | | In-editor agent | Freebuff CLI inside any editor (free) | Cursor, Windsurf ($15–$200/mo) | | Browser app builder | Freebuff App Builder (free) | Lovable, Bolt, Replit, Emergent ($20–$99/mo) | | Autonomous "cloud SWE" | Freebuff + browser-use (free, local) | Devin ($500+/mo) | | Inline autocomplete | GitHub Copilot Free, Codeium, Tabby (free) | Copilot Pro, Cursor Tab ($10–$20/mo) | ## What this means for developers - **You no longer need a $200/mo stack to do AI-assisted coding.** A free CLI agent plus a free autocomplete covers a lot of what paid setups do. - **Model choice matters more than vendor loyalty.** The right model per task beats the "best" model overall. - **Local execution can beat cloud-only for many workflows.** It can reduce latency and compute spend while keeping commands and file edits in your workspace. - **Subagents are the next axis of differentiation.** Code review, browser verification, deep thinking — the agents that compose well will pull ahead. ## What this means for paid coding tools The "$20/mo for access to a frontier model" tier is dead. Paid tools will move up-market — enterprise paperwork, team analytics, managed compliance — or sideways into specialized verticals (Devin’s long-running cloud sandbox, Cursor’s editor experience). The general "agent in your terminal" and "app builder in your browser" tiers will be free by default, ad-supported or freemium with optional Pro. ## What this means for us Freebuff is a bet that free coding tools should not have to be worse — they should just be free. We will keep raising the bar from there. Pick the free version of your stack — Install Freebuff CLI and open Freebuff App Builder in two minutes. (Start with Freebuff: /) **Q: Are the free models really at parity with Claude / GPT?** A: It depends on the task, so test on your own repo. Freebuff’s picker includes MiMo 2.6 Flash (the default), GLM 5.3 Flash, DeepSeek V4.1 Flash, GPT-6 Luna, and more, depending on your app and access level. If you want Claude itself, Freebuff Desktop can run Claude Code on your own Anthropic subscription. **Q: Why would anyone still pay for Cursor / Claude Code / Lovable?** A: For specific UX they love, for enterprise paperwork, or because team-wide standardization is worth $20/mo per seat. None of those reasons require an individual developer to pay. **Q: Will the free tier last?** A: Yes. Freebuff is supported by ad sponsorship in the CLI, plus optional Pro upgrades. The free tier is the product. --- Source: https://freebuff.com/blog/best-free-cli-coding-agents-2026 # The best free CLI coding agents in 2026 Eight CLI coding agents you can use today without paying — ranked. Published: 2026-04-01 (updated 2026-06-08) TL;DR: - There has never been a better year for free CLI coding agents. - We tested 8 of them on the same medium-sized refactor task. - Freebuff ranked #1 on speed, autonomy, and out-of-the-box subagents. - Aider and OpenCode are excellent open-source picks if you want BYOK only. - Continue and Cline are great if you live inside VS Code. In 2024, "free coding agent" meant "VS Code extension with a chat panel." In 2026, free CLI coding agents are doing real, autonomous, multi-file work — opening PRs, running browsers, reviewing their own code. Here is the full state of the art, ranked. ## The test Each agent got the same prompt against the same fresh clone of a public TypeScript monorepo: "Add a /healthz endpoint that reports DB connectivity, write tests, and update the README." We scored speed, edit quality, autonomy (did it need hand-holding?), and out-of-the-box subagents. ## 1. Freebuff Free, no-config, frontier models, nine subagents, browser-use built in. Finished the task in ~2 minutes with no intervention, ran the test suite, and opened a PR. It also caught a missing edge case (database lock contention) and added a test for it. - **Strengths:** Speed, subagents, model choice, browser-use. - **Weaknesses:** Newer ecosystem; ad-supported (text ads in CLI). - **Install:** `npm install -g freebuff`. ## 2. Aider The OG. Open source, BYOK, polished CLI. You bring the API key (OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, Ollama, etc.) and Aider handles the loop. Honest, fast, transparent. Not really "free" once you factor in the API bill, but the tool itself is. - **Strengths:** Mature, open source, BYOK, great git integration. - **Weaknesses:** No subagents, no browser, you pay the model bill. ## 3. OpenCode A newer open-source CLI agent with a Claude-Code-style loop. Free if you BYOK; otherwise you pay the provider directly. Good model abstraction layer. ## 4. Continue.dev (CLI) Continue is famous as a VS Code/JetBrains extension, but its CLI is solid. Open source, BYOK. Less autonomous than Freebuff or Aider, but very predictable. ## 5. Cline / Roo Code Free open-source autonomous agent inside VS Code. Lives in the panel, not the terminal, but feels CLI-like. Excellent if you live in VS Code and want a true free Claude-Code competitor inside the editor. ## 6. SuperMaven / TabbyML CLIs Tab-style autocomplete and completion agents with optional CLI bindings. Worth a mention for low-friction tab completion. Not really "agents" in the autonomous sense. ## 7. Continue + Ollama (fully local) Run any open-weight model locally with Ollama, point Continue at it, and you have a 100% offline, 100% free agent. Performance scales with your GPU. ## 8. Goose (Block) Block’s open-source CLI agent. Pluggable extensions ("toolkits"), supports a wide model list, BYOK. Worth trying if you like a more "Unix philosophy" feel. ## How they compare on the actual task | Feature | Freebuff | Aider / OpenCode / Continue | | --- | --- | --- | | Wall-clock time on test task | ~2 minutes | 4–10 minutes | | Subagents bundled | 9 | 0 | | Browser-use | Built-in | No | | Model bill | Free | Pay-per-token (BYOK) | | Out-of-box autonomy | High | Medium | ## Our recommendations - **Best overall (free + frontier models):** Freebuff. - **Best open source + BYOK:** Aider. - **Best 100% local:** Continue + Ollama. - **Best inside VS Code:** Cline. Try the #1 free CLI coding agent — Install Freebuff with one npm command, no account. (See the install command: /) **Q: Is there a free CLI coding agent that does not need an API key at all?** A: Yes — Freebuff. Every other entry on this list is "open-source + BYOK," which means you pay your model provider directly. **Q: Which one is closest to Claude Code?** A: Freebuff is closest in feel and feature parity. OpenCode is the closest open-source clone if you want to BYOK. **Q: Can I run multiple agents on the same repo?** A: Yes, but coordinate by branch — multiple agents writing to the same files at once is a recipe for merge pain. --- Source: https://freebuff.com/blog/free-codex-cli-openai-coding-agent-alternative-freebuff # The free alternative to OpenAI Codex (and the Codex CLI) A free CLI coding agent that runs your code, edits your repo, and ships PRs. Published: 2026-03-25 (updated 2026-10-08) TL;DR: - Freebuff is the free alternative to OpenAI Codex and the Codex CLI. - Codex requires ChatGPT Plus ($20/mo) or higher to run the cloud agent. - Freebuff runs locally, ships with 9 subagents, and has a model picker with MiMo 2.6 Flash (the default), GLM 5.3 Flash, DeepSeek V4.1 Flash, GPT-6 Luna, and more. Freebuff Desktop can also run Codex on your own ChatGPT subscription. - Same shape: read repo, plan, edit, run, verify, PR. OpenAI Codex is brilliant. It is also gated behind a ChatGPT Plus subscription, with cloud-only execution and limited control over which model handles each turn. Freebuff is the same loop, free, local, and model-agnostic. ## What "free version of Codex" actually looks like Codex (the cloud agent and the Codex CLI) is OpenAI’s answer to autonomous coding: hand it a repo and a task, and it plans, edits, runs the test suite, and opens a PR. Freebuff runs commands and edits files locally on your machine, and the per-task cost is zero. Freebuff edits files locally but sends relevant prompts, code, files, and repository context to its servers and model providers. See the Privacy Policy for details. ## Feature-by-feature: Freebuff vs Codex | Feature | Freebuff | OpenAI Codex | | --- | --- | --- | | Price | Free | ChatGPT Plus ($20+/mo) required | | Execution location | Local — your machine, your filesystem | OpenAI cloud sandbox | | Model choice | MiMo 2.6 Flash (default), GLM 5.3 Flash, DeepSeek V4.1 Flash, GPT-6 Luna, and more; Codex harness in Desktop with your own ChatGPT subscription | GPT-5.x family only | | Subagents | 9 specialized | General agent only | | Use your ChatGPT subscription | Yes, as the Codex harness in Freebuff Desktop | You are already paying | | Browser-use subagent | Built-in | Limited | | Run on a private repo | Edits run locally, but relevant prompts, code, files, and repository context are sent to Freebuff and model providers. | Cloud sandbox uploads | ## When Codex is still the better pick - **You want pure cloud execution.** Codex spins up sandboxes; nothing to install. Freebuff runs locally. - **You want OpenAI’s exact agent loop and prompt taste.** Freebuff has its own opinions. ## When Freebuff is the better pick - **You want work to run locally.** Freebuff edits files locally but sends relevant prompts, code, files, and repository context to its servers and model providers. See the Privacy Policy for details. - **You want to pick the cheapest or fastest model per task.** `/model` switches mid-conversation. - **You already have a ChatGPT subscription.** Freebuff Desktop can run Codex on it, next to the free Freebuff harness. - **You want subagents that specialize.** Browser-use, code-reviewer, file-picker, thinker-with-files-gemini are all included. **Codex on your own subscription**: If you already pay for ChatGPT, Freebuff Desktop runs threads on the Codex harness with that subscription, or on the free Freebuff harness. The Freebuff CLI itself does not connect to ChatGPT. ## Migrating from Codex CLI 1. Install: `npm install -g freebuff`. 2. `cd` into the repo Codex was working on. 3. Hand it the same prompt you would give Codex. The shape of the loop is the same. Get the free alternative to OpenAI Codex — No ChatGPT Plus required. Runs locally on your machine. (See the install command: /) **Q: Do I need a ChatGPT subscription?** A: No. Freebuff is free and brings its own models — pick one from the model selector and start coding. There is nothing to connect and nothing to pay for. Only Freebuff Desktop’s optional Codex harness uses your ChatGPT subscription. **Q: Will Freebuff open a PR for me like Codex?** A: Yes. Run `/pr` and the agent will create a branch, write a commit message, push, and open a pull request with a summary. --- Source: https://freebuff.com/blog/free-cursor-agent-cli-coding-alternative-freebuff # The free alternative to Cursor Agent Free CLI coding agent with subagents — no Cursor Pro subscription. Published: 2026-03-21 (updated 2026-10-08) TL;DR: - Freebuff is the free alternative to Cursor Agent — a CLI coding agent that works in any editor. - Cursor Pro is $20/mo; Cursor Ultra is $200/mo. Freebuff is $0. - You get 9 specialized subagents (code-reviewer, browser-use, file-picker, deep thinking, more). - Run it inside VS Code, JetBrains, Vim, or a bare terminal — no editor lock-in. - A model picker with MiMo 2.6 Flash (the default), GLM 5.3 Flash, DeepSeek V4.1 Flash, GPT-6 Luna, and more, depending on your app and access level. I've used Cursor for two years. It's a beautifully made editor. The tab completion is still one of the most addictive things in dev tooling. I'm not here to tell you to throw it in the trash. I'm here because we keep getting asked: “is there a free version of the Cursor experience that's actually any good?” And the honest answer, in our slightly biased opinion, is yes — it's Freebuff inside the editor you already use. Below is the comparison without the marketing gloss. ## The core tradeoff, briefly Cursor wraps the agent loop inside its own VS Code fork. That gives them tight UI control and a polished UX, but it also locks you into their editor and their pricing in order to use their agent. Freebuff is editor-agnostic. Open a terminal inside VS Code, JetBrains, Vim, Zed, or Cursor itself, run `freebuff`, and you're done. If you love the Cursor UI specifically — the inline diffs, the composer panel, that exact rhythm — you might genuinely prefer to keep paying. That's a fine answer. We've also had a surprising number of users keep Cursor for tab-completion, run Freebuff in the terminal panel for the agent loop, and stop paying for Cursor's Pro tier. That hybrid setup is free and arguably better than either tool alone. ## What Cursor Agent costs in 2026 Cursor Pro is **$20/mo**; Cursor Ultra is **$200/mo**. The agent loop is gated behind Pro for serious daily use. See [cursor.com/pricing](https://cursor.com/pricing) for current tiers. ## Feature-by-feature: Freebuff vs Cursor Agent | Feature | Freebuff | Cursor Agent | | --- | --- | --- | | Price | Free | $20/mo (Pro), $200/mo (Ultra) | | Editor lock-in | None — works anywhere | Cursor-only | | Models | MiMo 2.6 Flash (default), GLM 5.3 Flash, DeepSeek V4.1 Flash, GPT-6 Luna, and more | Curated set; Auto by default | | Subagents | 9 specialized | General agent only | | Browser use | Built-in | Beta / MCP | | Codebase indexing | Local + free | Cloud + metered | ## When Cursor still wins - **Inline edit UX.** Cursor’s tab-to-accept inline diff is genuinely best-in-class. - **Team features.** Cursor Business has team analytics and SOC2 paperwork Freebuff does not match yet. - **You already pay for it.** If $20/mo is rounding error and you like the editor, keep it. ## When Freebuff wins - **You use multiple editors.** Freebuff goes wherever your terminal goes. - **You want big, agentic tasks.** `/interview` → `/plan` → implement → `/review` is faster and cheaper than driving a chat panel through the same task. - **You want to control which model touches your code.** Pick per-task with `/model`. - **You already pay for ChatGPT.** Freebuff Desktop can run Codex on your ChatGPT subscription next to the free Freebuff harness. **You can run both**: Plenty of devs keep Cursor open for its inline diff and run `freebuff` in the integrated terminal for big refactors. Use the best tool for the turn. ## Migrating from Cursor in 3 steps 1. Install: `npm install -g freebuff`. 2. Open the integrated terminal in your editor, `cd` into the repo, and run `freebuff`. Get the free alternative to Cursor — Install Freebuff with a single npm command. (See the install command: /) **Q: Does Freebuff replace Cursor or work alongside it?** A: Either. Plenty of users keep Cursor for inline edits and use Freebuff in the terminal for bigger tasks. **Q: Is the codebase indexing as good as Cursor’s?** A: Yes. Freebuff uses Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite for file finding and a local code map, all free. No cloud index, no per-seat charge. **Q: What about Tab autocomplete?** A: Freebuff is an agent, not an autocomplete. Pair it with GitHub Copilot Free, Codeium, or Continue.dev for inline autocompletion. --- Source: https://freebuff.com/blog/free-claude-code-cli-coding-agent-alternative-freebuff # The free alternative to Claude Code Same CLI agent loop. Different bill. Published: 2026-03-17 (updated 2026-10-08) TL;DR: - Freebuff is a free alternative to Claude Code with the same CLI-first agent loop. - Claude Code Pro is $20/mo, Max is $200/mo. Freebuff is $0. - You get 9 specialized subagents in the box: code-reviewer, browser-use, file-picker, and more. - A model picker with MiMo 2.6 Flash (the default), GLM 5.3 Flash, DeepSeek V4.1 Flash, GPT-6 Luna, and more. Which models you see depends on your app and access level. - Freebuff Desktop can also run Claude Code on your own Anthropic subscription, next to the free Freebuff harness. Claude Code is, in my opinion, the best-designed CLI agent of the last two years. The taste is real. The feedback loop is right. I tell every new engineer to go read its docs even if they never plan to use it. The only thing standing between most people and shipping with it is the bill — $20/mo for Pro, $200/mo for Max. So the question keeps coming up: is there a free version that's actually good? Freebuff is our answer. ## What “free Claude Code” actually means here Freebuff is a CLI-first agent. You install it once with npm, `cd` into a repo, run `freebuff`, and you're talking to an agent that can plan, edit files, run shell commands, and review its own output. Same shape as `claude`. Different model menu, a richer subagent ecosystem in the box, and — the headline — nothing on your card. We genuinely think it's the closest 1:1 experience you can get to Claude Code for $0. ## Feature-by-feature: Freebuff vs Claude Code | Feature | Freebuff | Claude Code | | --- | --- | --- | | Price | Free | $20/mo (Pro), $200/mo (Max) | | Primary model | MiMo 2.6 Flash (default) / GLM 5.3 Flash / DeepSeek V4.1 Flash / GPT-6 Luna and more; Claude Code harness in Desktop with your own subscription | Claude 4.x family | | Model choice per task | Yes via `/model` | Limited | | Subagents bundled | 9 specialized | Generic delegation | | Browser-use subagent | Built-in | MCP setup required | | Slash command palette | /interview, /plan, /review, /deploy, more | Smaller default set | | Available globally | Yes (limited mode covers VPNs + other countries) | Region-restricted | ## What you keep - **The CLI feel.** A real terminal interface, not a chat panel in an editor. - **Long-running tasks.** Plan, edit, run, test, fix — the agent stays autonomous until the task is done. - **Permission prompts before destructive shell commands.** Approve only what you want. - **Subagent delegation.** Big tasks fan out to focused workers (file-picker, code-reviewer, browser-use) and come back with verified results. ## What you get that Claude Code does not have - **Choice of frontier model.** Switch models mid-conversation. Each task can use the model best suited to it. - **Built-in browser-use subagent.** The agent can drive a real browser to verify the app it just shipped. - **Your own subscriptions, in Desktop.** Freebuff Desktop runs threads on the Freebuff harness for free, or on the Claude Code or Codex harness with your own Anthropic or ChatGPT subscription. - **Slash commands shaped around shipping.** `/interview` flushes out requirements, `/plan` produces a written spec, `/review` runs the code-reviewer subagent. - **Free.** The big one. ## When Claude Code is still the better pick If your team is standardized on Anthropic models, has bought into the Claude Sonnet/Opus style of reasoning, and the $20–$200/mo is rounding error, Claude Code is a fantastic product. Freebuff is for everyone else: people who want the same loop without the subscription, or want to choose their model per task. **You can run both**: Plenty of devs alternate. They keep Claude Code for Anthropic-flavored reasoning, and Freebuff Desktop can run it on your own Anthropic subscription next to the free Freebuff harness. They use Freebuff for fast iteration, browser tasks, and any model that is not Claude. ## Migrating from Claude Code 1. Install: `npm install -g freebuff`. 2. `cd` into your repo and run `freebuff` — your shell history is preserved across sessions. 3. Try `/interview` on any new feature to feel the difference vs Claude Code’s default loop. Get the free alternative to Claude Code — One npm command, no credit card. (See the install command: /) **Q: Can Freebuff use Claude under the hood?** A: Not in the Freebuff CLI: its model picker lists MiMo 2.6 Flash (the default), GLM 5.3 Flash, DeepSeek V4.1 Flash, GPT-6 Luna, Gemini 3.8 Flash, and more, depending on your app and access level. Freebuff Desktop can additionally run threads on Claude Code with your own Anthropic subscription. **Q: Will the quality match Claude Code?** A: Claude is a strong coding model, and Freebuff’s free models are a different set. Try the default on a real task from your repo and switch models in the picker if it falls short. If you want Claude itself, Freebuff Desktop can run Claude Code on your own Anthropic subscription. **Q: How does the ad-supported model work?** A: Freebuff shows occasional text ads in the CLI from developer-tool sponsors. Messages, agent traces, files, and app usage may be analyzed to personalize ads and train ad models. Separately uploaded files, project files, and connected repositories are not provided to advertising providers. Restricted partners may evaluate connected Cloud repositories, but cannot otherwise use, broadly share, or train on them. Models or features labeled “May use data for AI training” may separately use submissions for AI training. --- Source: https://freebuff.com/blog/freebuff-web-launch # Introducing Freebuff Web: free, instant full-stack apps Type one prompt. Get a working full-stack app, deployed, free. Published: 2026-03-08 (updated 2026-10-09) **Update, 2026-10-09**: The original Freebuff Web builder at /web has been deprecated. To build apps with AI, use [Freebuff App Builder](/app-builder). This post is kept as a record of the launch. TL;DR: - Freebuff Web turns one prompt into a deployed, full-stack app — for free. - Auth, database, file storage, and hosting are wired in by default. - It is the free alternative to Lovable, Bolt.new, Replit Agent, Emergent, and v0. - Vly users are migrating here automatically — same product, no paywall. - Open `freebuff.com` and ship today. OK — this is the post I've been waiting to write. Vly is becoming Freebuff Web. Same product, same team, same templates. We just took the price tag off. The very short version: you type one prompt at freebuff.com, you get a real full-stack app with auth, a database, a deployed URL, and a GitHub repo. The bill at the end is $0. I want to say up front: this isn't a free trial. There's no 14-day countdown. It's not a credit system that runs out after one big task. We have argued about this internally a lot, and we landed where we landed: if free coding tools can be as good as paid ones (and at this point, they can), then making people choose between price and quality just isn't the right product. So we didn't. ## What "full-stack" actually means here Most AI app generators give you a single-file React demo and call it shipped. Freebuff Web wires up the boring stuff so the app you get is the app you would actually deploy. - **Auth.** Sign in with Google, GitHub, or email magic links. Sessions, roles, and protected routes work out of the box. - **Database.** A real backing store with schemas, mutations, queries, and migrations. No "save it to localStorage" jank. - **File storage.** Upload, store, and serve user-generated files without writing infra. - **Hosting.** Every prompt deploys to a live URL within seconds. Custom domains are one click. - **Codebase.** You own the code. Eject to GitHub any time, then keep editing it in the Freebuff CLI. ## Why we built it (and why now) Vly was good. I'm proud of it. But the credit system always nagged at me — you'd be three prompts into something promising, hit the cap, and the momentum would die. The right product was always going to be one where you didn't have to think about how many tries you had left. Then a few things happened in parallel. Open-weight models got really good at front-end code. Convex made the data layer trivial. The Freebuff CLI gave us a way to fund Freebuff Web through CLI ads instead of subscriptions. Suddenly removing the cap stopped being a sacrifice and started being the obvious move. **Migrating from Vly?**: Your projects, themes, and templates carry over automatically the next time you sign in. Open the dashboard and pick up where you left off. ## How it compares | Feature | Freebuff | Lovable / Bolt / Replit / Emergent | | --- | --- | --- | | Price | Free | $20–$99/mo | | Auth + DB included | Yes | Partial / paid add-on | | Deployed URL on every prompt | Yes | Yes (most) | | Eject to GitHub | Yes — repo is yours | Sometimes paywalled | | CLI editor for the same project | Yes (Freebuff CLI) | No | | Connect ChatGPT subscription | Yes | No | ## The Freebuff Web → CLI loop Freebuff Web is fastest for greenfield. The Freebuff CLI is fastest for editing. The trick is that both share the same agent, the same context model, and the same subagents — so you can prototype in the browser, eject to GitHub, and keep iterating in your terminal without losing momentum. 1. Prompt your idea on `freebuff.com`. Get a deployed app. 2. Iterate visually until the shape is right. 3. `Push to GitHub` and `cd` into the repo. 4. Run `freebuff` and let the CLI take over for the heavy refactors. 5. Deploy from the CLI with `/deploy`. Build a full-stack app, free — No credit card. Your first deployed URL takes about 90 seconds. (Open Freebuff Web: /) **Q: Is Freebuff Web the same as Vly?** A: Yes — Vly is becoming Freebuff Web. Same product team, same engine, same templates, but with no paywall and tighter integration with the Freebuff CLI. **Q: Can I use my own domain?** A: Yes. Point a custom domain at any deployed app from the project settings page. **Q: How is my data used and stored?** A: Freebuff uses your messages, agent traces, and files to run the service and respond to your requests. We may analyze this data, and how you use the app, to personalize ads and train ad models. We do not give separately uploaded files, project files, or connected repositories to advertising providers. Restricted partners may evaluate repositories you connect to Freebuff Cloud, but cannot otherwise use, broadly share, or train on them. See the Privacy Policy for details. **Q: Is my data used to train AI?** A: Only when a model or feature says data may be used for AI training. Freebuff or the provider may then keep submissions to develop, train, test, evaluate, fine-tune, and improve AI models or products, and Freebuff may share or sell them to third parties. Separately, Freebuff may use your data to train the models that choose and measure ads. **Q: What is the limit on the free tier?** A: There is no per-task credit limit. Generous defaults apply for compute and storage; if you outgrow them, upgrade to Freebuff Pro. --- Source: https://freebuff.com/blog/vly-becomes-freebuff-web # Vly is becoming Freebuff Web Same engine, same templates, no paywall. Published: 2026-03-04 (updated 2026-10-09) **Update, 2026-10-09**: The original Freebuff Web builder at /web has been deprecated. To build apps with AI, use [Freebuff App Builder](/app-builder). This post is kept as a record of the launch. TL;DR: - Vly is becoming Freebuff Web. - Same engine, same templates, same dashboard — no credit meter. - Existing projects migrate automatically. - Custom domains, GitHub eject, and Pro plans all stick around. A note for Vly users, before anything else: nothing breaks. Your projects, themes, and deployment URLs are right where you left them. Sign in, and you're on the new brand. We didn't move your files, we didn't reset your themes, and we didn't ask you to migrate anything by hand. Everything that worked yesterday works today. If you're new here — Vly was our no-code app builder. Freebuff is our free CLI coding agent. They're the same team, the same engine under the hood, and as of today they're literally the same brand. Vly is now Freebuff Web. The reason we did this is in the section below, but the short version is: free should be the default, and we wanted one name for one company. ## What actually changed - **Pricing.** The free tier is now the default tier. No per-prompt credits, no daily generation cap. - **Branding.** "Vly" → "Freebuff Web". The same product family as the Freebuff CLI. - **CLI integration.** Eject any project to GitHub and keep editing in `freebuff` in your terminal. ## What stayed the same - Your projects, dashboards, themes, and analytics. - Custom domains and deployment URLs. - Pro plans (for teams that want priority models and longer context). - Data use: Models or features labeled “May use data for AI training” may keep submissions to develop, train, test, evaluate, fine-tune, and improve AI models or products, and Freebuff may share or sell them. ## Why we did this Vly was already a great product. Putting it inside Freebuff lets us drop the credit meter, tie it to the CLI for serious refactor work, and reach the millions of developers who already trust the Freebuff brand for free, no-config tooling. Open Freebuff Web — Your old Vly projects are right where you left them. (Open the dashboard: /) **Q: Do I need to do anything?** A: No — log in with the same account and your projects appear automatically. **Q: What happens to my Vly credits?** A: Credits are gone because the meter is gone. You can now iterate without rationing. **Q: Is the engine the same?** A: Yes. Same agent, same templates, same code generation pipeline. --- Source: https://freebuff.com/blog/freebuff-launch # Introducing Freebuff: the free coding agent No subscription. No configuration. Start in seconds. Published: 2026-02-12 (updated 2026-10-09) TL;DR: - Freebuff is a free, no-config CLI coding agent — install with `npm install -g freebuff`. - It uses frontier models (Deepseek v4, MiMo 2.5 Pro, GLM 5.2, Minimax M3) plus Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite for file finding. - 9 specialized subagents ship in the box: code-reviewer, browser-use, file-picker, thinker-with-files-gemini, and more. - It is the free alternative to Claude Code, Codex CLI, Cursor, Windsurf, and Devin. - Limited mode means it works in every country on Earth, even behind a VPN. I want to write the kind of launch post I'd actually want to read, which means no flexing and no buzzwords. So here's the simple version: Freebuff is a free CLI coding agent. Install it, point it at your repo, ship code. There's no trial, no card on file, no credit cap that turns into a paywall after one big task. It's free because it should be. We started building this because the price of frontier models dropped about 10x in the last 18 months, and the price of paid coding tools didn't really move. That felt off. So we built the thing we thought should exist — a free agent that picks the right open-weight model for the job and gets out of your way. If you're not sold yet, the rest of this post is the longer version. If you are sold, scroll to the install command at the bottom. ## What you get on day one - **One command to install.** `npm install -g freebuff` and you are agentic. - **Your choice of frontier model.** Deepseek v4 for raw intelligence, MiMo 2.5 Pro for balance, GLM 5.2 for coding precision, Minimax M3 for speed — plus BYOK for Claude Code. - **9 specialized subagents.** Code review, browser automation, deep thinking with your own ChatGPT subscription, file finding, and more — orchestrated automatically. - **Polished slash commands.** `/interview` → `/plan` → implement → `/review` takes you from a vague idea to a polished PR. - **Follow-up suggestions.** After every response, Freebuff proposes three clickable next steps so the chat never dead-ends. ## How can it actually be free? Short answer: ads in the terminal. Slightly longer answer: small, text-only ads from sponsors developers actually use (cloud, hosting, dev infra). They show up between agent turns, not inside generated code or as popups. Messages, agent traces, files, and app usage may be analyzed to personalize ads and train ad models. Separately uploaded files, project files, and connected repositories are not provided to advertising providers. Restricted partners may evaluate connected Cloud repositories, but cannot otherwise use, broadly share, or train on them. Models or features labeled “May use data for AI training” may separately use submissions for AI training. If you genuinely never want to see an ad and you're an organization that can pay, Codebuff Pro exists and that's the upgrade path. But for the 95% of folks who just want to ship, Freebuff is the answer. **AI training**: Models or features labeled “May use data for AI training” may keep submissions to develop, train, test, evaluate, fine-tune, and improve AI models or products, and Freebuff may share or sell them. ## How it compares | Feature | Freebuff | Claude Code | | --- | --- | --- | | Price | Free | $20/mo (Pro) or $200/mo (Max) | | Models | Deepseek v4, MiMo 2.5 Pro, GLM 5.2, Minimax M3 + BYOK for Claude | Claude only | | Subagents | 9 specialized | Generic | | Browser use | Built-in | MCP setup required | | Connect ChatGPT subscription | Yes (GPT-5.4 for deep thinking) | No | ## Limited mode for the rest of the world Full-model Freebuff is available in 25+ countries today. Outside those countries — or when you are using a VPN — Freebuff drops to limited mode: Deepseek v4 Flash only, 6 one-hour sessions per day. Still free. Still better than nothing. We are expanding the full-mode list every month. ## What’s next Freebuff Web (since replaced by [Freebuff App Builder](/app-builder)) launched in open beta — the free way to generate, edit, and deploy full-stack apps from a single prompt. Think of it as the free alternative to Lovable, Bolt, Replit Agent, and Emergent, all in one tab. Read more in the Freebuff Web launch post. Try Freebuff in 10 seconds — No account. No credit card. No config file. (Get the install command: /) **Q: Is Freebuff really free forever?** A: Yes. Freebuff is ad-supported in the CLI. You will never be asked for a credit card to use the core product. **Q: How is Freebuff different from Codebuff?** A: Freebuff is the free, ad-supported tier built on top of the Codebuff agent framework. Codebuff Pro is for teams that want priority models, longer context, and no ads. **Q: Does Freebuff work with my existing repo?** A: Yes — just `cd` into your project and run `freebuff`. It indexes the repo on first run and keeps the index warm afterwards.