Open Design: A Free Open-Source Claude Design Alternative

OpenDesign is a free, open-source app for creating prototypes, landing pages, dashboards, decks, documents, images, and video with AI coding agents or your own model provider.

It runs as a local-first Claude Design alternative with desktop apps and project files you can inspect and keep.

The app can run generation through an installed coding agent such as Claude Code or Codex, a BYOK provider, or OpenDesign Cloud. No OpenDesign Cloud account is required for local CLI or BYOK projects.

Visit OpenDesign

OpenDesign vs Claude Design

OpenDesign and Claude Design both turn a brief and design context into artifacts you can review and revise.

Claude Design is an Anthropic beta on Pro, Max, Team, and Enterprise plans. OpenDesign uses an Apache-2.0 codebase and can run through its desktop app, coding-agent CLIs, BYOK providers, source checkout, or Docker deployment.

	OpenDesign	Claude Design
License	Open-source	Anthropic-hosted beta
Cost	Free app with external agent, API, cloud, or hosting costs	Included with Pro, Max, Team, and Enterprise plans
Account	No OpenDesign Cloud account for local CLI or BYOK projects	Claude account on an eligible plan
Agent and model choice	Claude Code, Codex, Cursor Agent, Kimi, Qwen, BYOK providers, and other runtimes	Claude
Hosting	Local desktop, source checkout, or Docker	Anthropic-hosted service
Design systems	`DESIGN.md` packages, tokens, components, and project files	Imports from codebases, design files, decks, documents, and uploads
Review and collaboration	Sandboxed preview, comments, editing controls, and project files	Canvas comments, direct edits, layout controls, and organization sharing
Exports and handoff	HTML, PDF, PPTX, MP4, project files, and deployment outputs	HTML, PDF, PPTX, Claude Code handoff, and app connectors

Key Features

Runs as a desktop app with project files stored on your machine.
Detects installed coding-agent CLIs through PATH.
Connects BYOK model providers from the app.
Uses reusable skills, plugins, templates, and DESIGN.md design systems.
Streams generated files into a sandboxed preview for revision.
Exports HTML, PDF, PPTX, MP4, and project files.
Runs from source or Docker for self-hosted deployments.

What You Can Create

Web, desktop, and mobile prototypes.
Landing pages and marketing pages.
Dashboards and live artifacts.
Pitch decks, presentations, and one-page documents.
Images, video, and motion graphics.
Project handoff files for continued coding-agent work.

How OpenDesign Works

The OpenDesign daemon detects compatible coding-agent CLIs from PATH and lists them as project runtimes. A filesystem-backed agent works inside the project directory with the selected skill, template, and DESIGN.md package. OpenDesign updates the preview as the agent writes project files.

BYOK mode connects a configured model provider through the app. OpenDesign retired the Gemini CLI local generation runtime. Gemini continues as a BYOK provider and MCP client destination.

Each project can store its brief, references, design rules, generated files, comments, and conversation history. The generated artifact stays in project files that a coding agent can continue editing after the design session.

How to Use OpenDesign

Download the Desktop App

Download desktop installers for macOS Apple Silicon, macOS Intel, and Windows x64 through its GitHub Releases page.

After launch, choose a detected local coding agent, configure a BYOK provider, or select OpenDesign Cloud. Local CLI and BYOK projects can start from Home with no OpenDesign Cloud account.

Run OpenDesign From Source

git clone https://github.com/nexu-io/open-design.git
cd open-design
corepack enable
corepack pnpm --version
pnpm install
pnpm tools-dev run web

Run the Desktop Shell From Source

Use the repository development command to run the daemon, web app, and desktop shell together.

pnpm tools-dev

Run OpenDesign With Docker

The Docker deployment listens on http://127.0.0.1:7456 by default. Copy the environment template, generate a token, place that value after OD_API_TOKEN= in .env, and start the containers.

git clone https://github.com/nexu-io/open-design.git
cd open-design/deploy
cp .env.example .env
openssl rand -hex 32
# Paste the generated value into OD_API_TOKEN= in .env
docker compose up -d

Start a Design Project

Open the desktop app or local web app.
Choose an installed coding agent, a configured BYOK provider, or OpenDesign Cloud.
Select a skill or design template for the artifact.
Select a DESIGN.md design system or your project design rules.
Enter the brief and attach relevant reference files.
Review the artifact in the sandboxed preview and revise it with prompts, comments, or editing controls.
Export the finished artifact or continue editing the project files with a coding agent.

Skills, Plugins, and Design Systems

A skill is a file-based set of work instructions built around SKILL.md and any required assets. Plugins package reusable OpenDesign extensions for distribution and can contain skills, design-system references, configuration fields, previews, and project assets.

A design-system package uses DESIGN.md as its main design contract. Packages can contain token files, components, assets, manifests, and provenance data. During generation, the selected agent reads these files as project rules for typography, color, spacing, components, and brand details.

Pros

Apache-2.0 source code.
Local project files.
Multiple coding-agent runtimes.
BYOK model providers.
Portable DESIGN.md systems.
Self-hosted Docker deployment.

Cons

Agent, provider, and hosting choices require configuration.
Local runtime choices depend on installed CLIs.
Hosted model providers can introduce usage costs.

FAQs

Q: Do I need a Claude subscription to use OpenDesign?
A: No. OpenDesign can use other local coding agents, BYOK providers, or OpenDesign Cloud. A Claude subscription is relevant when you select a Claude product that requires one.

Q: Does OpenDesign require an account?
A: No OpenDesign Cloud account is required for local CLI or BYOK projects. OpenDesign Cloud and external providers use their own authentication.

Q: Does OpenDesign work with Gemini CLI?
A: OpenDesign retired Gemini CLI as a local generation runtime. Gemini is available as a BYOK provider and MCP client destination.

Q: Does local OpenDesign use keep all project data on the device?
A: Project files and the local daemon can stay on your machine. Hosted coding agents, BYOK APIs, OpenDesign Cloud, and connected services receive the data required for their requests. A fully local configuration needs a local model endpoint.