Is Frontman really free to use?

Yes, the client libraries are Apache 2.0 licensed with no fees, but you need your own API keys for AI models like Claude or GPT, so you'll pay for LLM usage directly to providers.

How does Frontman compare to Cursor for frontend work?

Frontman excels at visual browser-based editing with live DOM context, while Cursor is an IDE replacement for full-stack coding. Use Frontman for precise frontend tweaks and Cursor for broader refactoring.

How to install Frontman in a Next.js project?

Run `npx @frontman-ai/nextjs install`, then start your dev server and navigate to the /frontman endpoint. It works with App Router, Pages Router, and Turbopack.

Can Frontman edit backend code or just frontend?

Frontman is designed for frontend editing; it sees server logs and routes for context, but its strength is visual changes to UI components, styles, and copy, not backend logic.

What AI models does Frontman support?

It connects to Anthropic's Claude, OpenAI's ChatGPT, or OpenRouter for access to hundreds of models like Llama and Mistral. You provide API keys directly in the interface.

Does Frontman work with SvelteKit?

Yes, through the Vite integration—it auto-detects SvelteKit from vite.config. Run `npx @frontman-ai/vite install` in a SvelteKit project to get started.

Frontman

NOASSERTIONReScriptv0.17.0

An AI coding agent that lives in your browser, letting you edit frontend source files by clicking elements and describing changes in plain English.

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What is Frontman?

Frontman is an open-source AI coding agent that integrates with your frontend development server, allowing you to make visual changes to your application directly from the browser. It sees the live DOM, component tree, and computed CSS, enabling precise edits to source files through a chat interface. The tool solves the problem of tedious back-and-forth between design and code by letting anyone on the team iterate on the frontend visually.

Target Audience

Frontend developers who want richer context than terminal-based AI tools, as well as designers and product managers who need to adjust copy, spacing, colors, or layouts without opening an IDE. It's also valuable for teams where collaboration between design and engineering is time-consuming.

Value Proposition

Developers choose Frontman because it provides unique live application context—seeing the rendered output and computed styles—which leads to more accurate and intuitive edits. Its browser-based, visual editing workflow and BYOK pricing model offer a free, open-source alternative to proprietary AI coding tools.

Overview

The AI agent that lives in your framework/browser

Use Cases

Best For

Making visual CSS adjustments like spacing and colors directly in the browser

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Updating copy or text content without navigating source files

Collaborating between designers and engineers on frontend iterations

Debugging and editing components with live DOM and computed style context

Rapid prototyping and layout exploration during development

Integrating AI-assisted editing into Next.js, Astro, or Vite projects

Not Ideal For

Projects using unsupported frameworks like Angular or Ember
Backend-heavy development where changes focus on APIs or databases
Teams with strict budgets avoiding ongoing AI API costs
Environments requiring real-time multi-user collaboration beyond code edits

Pros & Cons

Pros

Live DOM Context

Frontman accesses the rendered DOM, computed CSS, and component tree, providing accurate visual feedback that source-file-only tools lack, as highlighted in its comparison table.

Visual Editing Workflow

Users click elements and describe changes in plain English; edits apply to source files with instant hot reload, enabling non-technical team members to iterate quickly.

Framework Flexibility

Supports Next.js, Astro, and Vite with React, Vue, or Svelte via simple commands like `npx @frontman-ai/nextjs install`, easing integration into popular stacks.

Cost-Transparent Model

BYOK approach means no subscription fees; users pay directly to LLM providers like Anthropic or OpenAI, offering flexibility in model choice and cost control.

Cons

Narrow Framework Support

Limited to specific frameworks; doesn't work with Angular, Ember, or vanilla JS setups, restricting utility in diverse or legacy tech stacks.

Ongoing AI Costs

While the tool is free, users must cover LLM API expenses for models like Claude or GPT, which can accumulate with frequent use, unlike flat-fee alternatives.

AGPL Licensing Complexity

The server is AGPL-3.0 licensed, requiring sharing modifications if deployed commercially, which may deter enterprises wanting private changes.

Open Source Alternative To

Frontman is an open-source alternative to the following products:

C

Cursor

Cursor is an AI-powered code editor built on VS Code, designed to enhance developer productivity with features like AI-assisted coding, code generation, and intelligent autocomplete.

v

v0

v0 is a generative UI tool by Vercel that creates React components from text prompts, enabling rapid prototyping of user interfaces.

GitHub Copilot

GitHub Copilot is an AI-powered code completion tool that suggests lines or blocks of code as developers type, trained on public code repositories.

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