Stagewise

Overview

Stagewise is an AI-powered developer browser that puts a coding agent right inside your browsing experience. Point at any element on your running web app, describe what you want in plain language, and the agent makes the code changes for you. It works with React, Vue, Angular, Svelte, Next.js, and more. You can use it standalone or bridge it to IDE agents like Cursor, Copilot, and Windsurf. Backed by Y Combinator and used by teams at companies like Adobe, Amazon, and Microsoft.

Key Features

Visual Element Selection: Click on any UI element in your running app to give the AI agent precise context about what you want to change, including DOM structure, screenshots, and metadata.
Built-In Coding Agent: Chat with an AI assistant that can read, write, and modify files in your workspace directly from the browser, with full console and debugger access.
Framework Agnostic: Works with React, Vue, Angular, Svelte, Next.js, Nuxt.js, and CSS frameworks like Tailwind, Bootstrap, MUI, and ShadCN.
Inline Diff Review: Accept, reject, or partially accept code changes with full inline diffs before they hit your codebase.
Dual Operation Modes: Use the built-in Stagewise agent or connect external AI coding agents via bridge mode (Cursor, Copilot, Windsurf, etc.).
Reverse Engineering: Inspect and reuse components, style systems, and color palettes from any website you visit.
BYOK Support: Bring Your Own API Key for Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, and other providers for unlimited access.
Plugin System: Extend functionality with framework-specific plugins for deeper React, Vue, and Angular integration, or build custom plugins.

Pros

Zero Setup Required: Run npx stagewise and you're ready to go. No dependencies to install in your project, no configuration files to manage.
Great for Non-Technical Team Members: Product managers, designers, and non-technical founders can make frontend changes without writing code, using plain language descriptions.
Works with Existing Codebases: Unlike tools that only work with new projects, Stagewise is built specifically for production-grade, brownfield codebases.
Eliminates Context Switching: Browse your app and make code changes in the same window instead of jumping between browser, IDE, and chat tools.

Cons

Free Tier Is Limited: The free plan includes limited usage quotas, which may feel restrictive during active development sessions.
Primarily Frontend Focused: The tool is designed for UI and frontend changes. It has limited visibility into server-side logic and backend code.
Team Costs Can Scale: aid plans are priced per user, so costs increase as teams grow.
OAuth Login Required in Standalone Mode: The standalone agent mode requires OAuth authentication, which may not suit every developer's workflow preferences.

Use Cases

Rapid UI Iteration: Select a button on your live app and prompt "make this a secondary button with a gray outline." The agent generates the code change instantly, letting you iterate on component styles without digging through source files.
Design System Awareness: Modify UI components using existing code context to maintain consistency with design patterns and tokens.
Non-Technical Stakeholder Collaboration: Product managers and designers can point at specific UI elements and describe changes in plain language. The agent translates those instructions into actual code changes that developers can review and approve.
Legacy Codebase Maintenance: Working on brownfield projects with complex CSS and component relationships becomes simpler. Stagewise reverse-engineers existing styles and helps you make targeted modifications without breaking adjacent components.
Prototype to Production: Go from a rough idea to a working frontend by describing what you want in natural language. Review inline diffs, accept changes incrementally, and ship when the result matches your vision.

Frequently Asked Questions

What frameworks does Stagewise support?

Stagewise is framework agnostic. It works with React, Vue, Angular, Svelte, and meta-frameworks like Next.js and Nuxt.js. It also supports CSS frameworks including Tailwind CSS, Bootstrap, MUI, and ShadCN.

How do I install Stagewise?

Run npx stagewise in your terminal. That's it. There are no project dependencies to install and no configuration files to set up. Everything runs through the CLI.

Is Stagewise open source?

Yes. The core toolbar is open source under the AGPL-3.0 license with 6,500+ GitHub stars. For use cases outside the scope of the AGPL license, you need to contact the Stagewise team.

Can I use my own API keys?

Yes. Stagewise supports Bring Your Own Key (BYOK) for providers like Anthropic, OpenAI, and Google. Using your own API keys gives you unlimited access without prompt-based restrictions.

What is the difference between standalone and bridge mode?

In standalone mode, Stagewise uses its own built-in AI agent directly in the browser. In bridge mode, it connects to IDE agents like Cursor, Copilot, or Windsurf, so you describe changes in the browser but execution happens in your editor.

How much does Stagewise cost?

Stagewise offers a free plan with limited usage and optional BYOK support, a Pro plan for $20 per month with higher limits, and an Ultra plan for $200 per month with the highest usage capacity, while users can also bring their own API keys to use external AI providers.

Do I need to modify my codebase to use Stagewise?

No. Stagewise runs locally in your browser without requiring any dependencies in your project. It maintains a clean development environment while connecting to your local codebase for edits.