Bolt.diy offers an open-source, AI-powered, in-browser development environment designed to streamline the creation of full-stack web applications. It targets developers, project managers, and designers, enabling them to build production-ready applications by giving AI models control over the entire development lifecycle, from coding and dependency management to deployment, directly within the browser.

How It Works

This project leverages StackBlitz's WebContainers to provide a robust, in-browser environment capable of running Node.js servers, installing npm packages (like Vite and Next.js), and interacting with third-party APIs. Its core innovation lies in granting AI models direct control over this environment, including the filesystem, package manager, and terminal. This allows AI agents to manage the complete application lifecycle, moving beyond simple code generation to full-stack development and deployment.

Quick Start & Requirements

• Prerequisites: Git, Node.js, Docker (optional). Google Chrome Canary is recommended for local development.
• Installation:
  1. Clone the repository: git clone https://github.com/stackblitz-labs/bolt.diy.git
  2. Configure API keys by renaming .env.example to .env.local and adding necessary LLM API keys (e.g., OpenAI, Anthropic, Groq). Ollama integration does not require an API key.
  3. Install dependencies: pnpm install (if not using Docker).
• Running Locally: pnpm run dev
• Running with Docker:
  • Build: npm run dockerbuild or docker build . --target bolt-ai-development
  • Compose: docker-compose --profile development up
• Links: Community: https://thinktank.ottomator.ai

Highlighted Details

• Extensive LLM provider support: OpenAI, Anthropic, Ollama, OpenRouter, Gemini, LMStudio, Mistral, xAI, HuggingFace, DeepSeek, Groq, Cohere, Together, and more planned (Azure OpenAI, Perplexity, Vertex AI).
• Full-stack development capabilities within the browser, including package installation, server execution, and API interaction.
• AI control over the development environment: filesystem, Node.js server, package manager, terminal, and browser console.
• Features like code output streaming, version reverting, and image attachment to prompts.

Maintenance & Community

Bolt.diy is described as a "massive community effort" with numerous requested additions and active contributions. Further details on contributing and the project roadmap are mentioned but not directly linked in the provided text. The community can be joined via https://thinktank.ottomator.ai.

Licensing & Compatibility

The specific open-source license for Bolt.diy is not explicitly stated in the provided README content. Consequently, compatibility notes for commercial use or closed-source linking cannot be determined.

Limitations & Caveats

High-priority development areas include improving file locking and diffs to prevent excessive file rewriting, enhancing prompting for smaller LLMs, and enabling backend agent execution. Documentation is noted as still being updated post-transfer. Some integrations, like xAI Grok, are in beta.