Dyad is a free, local, open-source AI app builder that runs on your own Mac or Windows machine and builds full-stack applications through chat, using your own API keys or local models.
Most AI app builders run in the cloud and rent you access to your own project. Dyad takes the opposite approach: it is a downloadable desktop app with no sign-up required, and everything happens locally. You bring your own API key from an AI provider, or connect a local model, and Dyad’s chat interface generates and edits a complete application that you own outright. The project emphasizes ownership over lock-in — the code is standard, exportable, and not tied to Dyad’s servers. For larger or more complex codebases, paid Pro modes add specialized workflows and monthly AI credits, but the core builder remains free and open source, with an active community shaping releases.
Dyad is model-agnostic: builders can switch between hosted frontier models and local models depending on cost, privacy, and speed, and the interface keeps the conversation, the file changes, and the running app together in one desktop window.
Dyad is freemium. The local open-source builder is free to download and use with your own keys or local models. Dyad Pro, at $20/month, adds exclusive Pro modes, 200 AI credits per month, and full Dyad Academy access, with a higher tier offering 900 credits per month.
Dyad suits developers, tinkerers, and privacy-conscious builders who like the speed of AI app builders such as Lovable or Bolt but want a local, open-source tool with no vendor lock-in. It also appeals to teams that must keep code on their own machines for compliance reasons.