stagewise

stagewise builds an open-source frontend coding agent for real codebases. We enable backend devs, designers and product managers to build pretty and functional web apps in a simple and visually guided manner - no matter the used tech stack.

stagewise lives right inside your browser, makes changes in your local codebase and is compatible with all kinds of frameworks and setups - allowing it to be retrofitted into any existing project. Our agent enables you to show and tell what you want to change - all while using your app on localhost and without having to switch to external tools. Making changes is as easy as selecting elements, giving a simple prompt like “make it green and put it in the top right corner”, and immediately seeing the result.

We're two founders from Germany who met while working at a B2B SaaS startup. With Glenn's background in building dev tools for enterpries (Rheinmetall, Miele), as well as Julians experience in building web apps used by thousands (saasmetrix, strukto.io), we have the unique blend of experience and product sense needed to build this.

After making our initial launch with the open-sourced toolbar that puts your favorite coding agent right inside your browser and going viral with it, we’re now launching a high-speed coding agent dedicated to frontend development - taking our product and the experience of our users to the next level.

Our vision is to replace frontend devs completely, by gradually enabling both the backend devs, but also less technical designers and product managers to create well-designed applications. We start with developers who lack design experience, but our ultimate goal is to change how products are built.

High-Level Overview

Stagewise is an AI-powered frontend coding agent designed to accelerate development on real, production-grade web applications by enabling prompt-based UI editing directly within the browser. It provides a browser toolbar that connects live frontend applications with AI coding assistants, capturing rich contextual data such as DOM elements, screenshots, and metadata to empower precise UI modifications. This tool serves frontend developers and engineering teams working with major frameworks like React, Vue, Angular, Next.js, and Svelte, helping them reduce manual coding effort and speed up iteration cycles while maintaining codebase integrity[1][2][5].

Origin Story

Founded in 2024 by Julian and Glenn, Stagewise emerged from the founders' desire to improve the experience of iterating on complex frontend projects beyond simple prototypes. They recognized that existing AI app builders struggled with production-grade projects where developers must constantly switch between browser and IDE. To solve this, they created an open-source, framework-independent toolbar that integrates directly into local web apps, enabling developers to prompt UI changes visually and have the AI make precise codebase edits. Early traction includes over 4,800 GitHub stars and 130,000 downloads, reflecting strong community interest and adoption[4][1].

Core Differentiators

• Open-source and framework-independent: Works seamlessly with all major frontend frameworks and design systems without impacting production bundle size[1][4][6].
• Local-first architecture: Runs entirely in the browser on the developer’s local machine, ensuring speed, privacy, and no dependency installation in projects[2][5][6].
• Rich contextual data capture: Collects DOM elements, styles, screenshots, and app metadata to provide AI agents with detailed UI context for accurate code changes[1][6].
• Prompt-based UI editing: Developers select elements visually and describe desired changes in natural language, bridging the gap between design and code[3][4].
• Integration with popular AI assistants: Compatible with AI coding agents like Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Windsurf, and others, enhancing developer workflows[1][6].
• Live collaboration and commenting: Supports real-time annotations on UI elements to improve team communication during development[1].
• Community-driven development: Built in public with transparency, encouraging contributions and rapid feature evolution[5].

Role in the Broader Tech Landscape

Stagewise rides the wave of AI-assisted software development, particularly the trend toward integrating AI directly into developer tools to automate repetitive tasks and enhance productivity. The timing is critical as frontend development complexity grows with modern frameworks and design systems, and teams demand faster iteration without sacrificing code quality. By providing a local, visual, and context-rich interface for AI coding agents, Stagewise addresses the challenge of translating UI changes into code in production environments, a pain point for many developers. This innovation helps bridge the gap between designers and developers, fostering more collaborative and efficient workflows, and pushing forward the adoption of AI in real-world software engineering[3][4][6].

Quick Take & Future Outlook

Looking ahead, Stagewise is poised to deepen its integration with AI models and expand its ecosystem of supported frameworks and AI assistants. Trends such as increased AI adoption in developer tooling, demand for low-latency local-first solutions, and the rise of no-code/low-code paradigms will shape its evolution. Its open-source nature and community engagement suggest continuous innovation and responsiveness to developer needs. As AI coding agents mature, Stagewise’s role as the frontend interface for real codebases could become foundational in modern development workflows, enabling faster, more intuitive UI iteration and potentially influencing broader software development practices.

In essence, Stagewise transforms frontend development by embedding AI directly into the browser, making real-time, prompt-driven UI coding accessible and efficient for production projects.