# Onlook vs v0

> Onlook vs v0: v0 is our pick, leading for beginners and developers. They split on output stack and backend model. Verified August 2026.

![Onlook logo](https://www.versusref.com/logos/onlook.png) ![v0 logo](https://www.versusref.com/logos/v0.png)

This is the verified Onlook vs v0 breakdown: Onlook (OSS visual-first ('Figma-like') AI code editor for Next.js/Tailwind) and v0 (AI UI/full-stack generation agent, tightly integrated with the Vercel platform) are AI app builders platforms, priced from $0 license (self-host) and $30/mo respectively. The bottom line, head-to-head facts, and true cost tiers follow.

AI app builders platforms · 33 facts compared · all sourced · pricing verified Aug 31, 2026

## Bottom line

v0 takes the majority of use cases here: it wins Beginners with a confirmed agent mode and a free tier capped at $5 of monthly credits, Developers on GitHub sync and self-hosting the exported output, Free Plans with its published $30/mo entry price and credit rollover, and Internal Tools through Vercel Marketplace integrations and SSO on its Team and Enterprise plans. Onlook wins the two cases about owning the tool itself: Self-Hosted, since it runs offline under an Apache-2.0 license, and UI Design, where its element-level editing fixes imports without a prompt. Mobile Apps ties, since neither produces real mobile output. With four wins to Onlook's two, v0 leads the overall record.

## Verdict summary

| Use case | Winner | Why |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Beginners | v0 | For newcomers who want an AI agent to do the heavy lifting, v0 offers a confirmed agent mode that handles autonomous multi-step builds, exactly what a first-timer needs. |
| Developers | v0 | Both export a full project, Onlook's export is a complete project and v0's comes through a connected GitHub repo, essentially a wash. |
| Free Plans | v0 | For a formal try-before-you-pay path, v0 publishes exactly what its free plan restricts: $5 of monthly credits and a 7-message daily cap, with the cheapest paid plan starting at $30/mo once that runs out. |
| Internal Tools | v0 | Ops and IT teams need integrations reaching systems the business already runs, and only v0 documents that reach: Vercel Marketplace integrations including Neon, SSO on its Team and Enterprise plans, and built-in collaboration for teams working the same build. |
| Mobile Apps | Tie | Neither tool is built for phone screens. |
| Self-Hosted | Onlook | For running the app builder itself, not just its output, Onlook fits directly: it's local-first and runs offline, licensed under Apache-2.0 so there's no vendor lock on the code, and billed only through the OpenRouter, Anthropic, or OpenAI API key you bring rather than a subscription. |
| UI Design | Onlook | Both import from Figma or a screenshot, so that part is even. |

## Onlook vs v0: head-to-head facts

| Fact | Onlook | v0 | Verified |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Metering unit | n/a | credits (dollar-denominated ([source](https://vercel.com/blog/updated-v0-pricing)) | Aug 31 |
| What the free plan caps | n/a | $5 of included monthly credits; 7 messages/day limit ([source](https://v0.app/pricing)) | Aug 31 |
| Cheapest paid plan (monthly) | n/a | $30 ([source](https://v0.app/pricing)) | Aug 31 |
| Metering pool at entry plan | n/a | $30 of credits/mo per user ([source](https://v0.app/pricing)) | Aug 31 |
| Published per-action unit cost | n/a | Per-model token rates published: v0 Mini $0.20-$1.20/M to... ([source](https://v0.app/pricing)) | Aug 31 |
| Output stack | Next.js + TailwindCSS only (explicitly the sole supported... ([source](https://github.com/onlook-dev/onlook/blob/main/README.md)) | Next.js, React, Tailwind CSS, shadcn/ui ([source](https://v0.app/docs)) | Aug 31 |
| Backend model | Supabase (Auth, Database, Storage) + Drizzle ORM ([source](https://github.com/onlook-dev/onlook/blob/main/README.md)) | BYO via one-click Vercel Marketplace integrations: Neon (... ([source](https://v0.app/docs/databases)) | Aug 31 |
| Code export | full project ([source](https://github.com/onlook-dev/onlook/blob/main/README.md)) | full project (via connected GitHub repo ([source](https://v0.app/docs/github)) | Aug 31 |
| GitHub sync | n/a | one_way (GitHub as source of truth ([source](https://v0.app/docs/github)) | Aug 31 |
| Self-host the output | n/a | ✓  Yes ([source](https://v0.app/docs/github)) | Aug 31 |
| Mobile output | n/a | none ([source](https://v0.app/docs)) | Aug 31 |
| Agent mode (autonomous multi-step builds) | n/a | ✓  Yes ([source](https://v0.app/docs)) | Aug 31 |
| Figma / screenshot import | ✓  Yes ([source](https://github.com/onlook-dev/onlook/blob/main/README.md)) | ✓  Yes ([source](https://vercel.com/blog/working-with-figma-and-custom-design-systems-in-v0)) | Aug 31 |
| Element-level editing | ✓  Yes ([source](https://github.com/onlook-dev/onlook/blob/main/README.md)) | n/a | Aug 31 |
| Training-on-your-code policy | n/a | Enterprise customers can opt out of having their content... ([source](https://v0.app/docs/security)) | Aug 31 |
| Public API | n/a | ✓  Yes ([source](https://v0.app/docs)) | Aug 31 |
| License | Apache-2.0 ([source](https://github.com/onlook-dev/onlook/blob/main/LICENSE.md)) | n/a | Aug 31 |
| BYO API keys | OpenRouter (primary chat provider), Anthropic, OpenAI ([source](https://github.com/onlook-dev/onlook/blob/main/apps/web/client/.env.example)) | n/a | Aug 31 |
| Runs offline (local-first) | ✓  Yes ([source](https://docs.onlook.com/developers/running-locally)) | n/a | Aug 31 |

## Onlook vs v0 pricing: true cost at 3 usage tiers

True monthly cost at 3 builder profiles: weekend prototyper (1 app, ~40 edit prompts/mo), active builder (2-3 apps, ~250 edit prompts/mo), small team (5 seats, continuous). Vendors with a published per-action cost resolve to a real $/mo; effort-based or unpublished metering renders honestly as "metered - conversion not published" rather than a guess. Open-source/local tools show license + BYO-API-key cost, never $0.

| Volume | Buyer | Onlook | v0 | Note |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 app, ~40 edit prompts/mo | Weekend prototyper | Free, self-hostable (Apache-2.0) - $0 platform fee, but generation calls your own OpenRouter/Anthropic/OpenAI key, so the real bill is that provider's usage cost. A hosted onlook.com option exists in closed beta/waitlist with no published pricing yet. | $30/mo, $30 of credits/mo per user included - metered, conversion not published | A single side project, built once and lightly iterated on over a weekend or two a month. |
| 2-3 apps, ~250 edit prompts/mo | Active builder | Free, self-hostable (Apache-2.0) - $0 platform fee, but generation calls your own OpenRouter/Anthropic/OpenAI key, so the real bill is that provider's usage cost. A hosted onlook.com option exists in closed beta/waitlist with no published pricing yet. | $30/mo, $30 of credits/mo per user included - metered, conversion not published | Several projects in flight at once with a steady daily edit cadence - the volume where a credit pool that looked generous at signup starts to run out. |
| 5 seats, continuous builds | Small team | Free, self-hostable (Apache-2.0) - $0 platform fee, but generation calls your own OpenRouter/Anthropic/OpenAI key, so the real bill is that provider's usage cost. A hosted onlook.com option exists in closed beta/waitlist with no published pricing yet. | $30/mo, $30 of credits/mo per user included - metered, conversion not published | A 5-person team building continuously. Priced off each vendor's own published team/business plan, not a per-seat guess - pooled-credit workspaces (Lovable, Rocket) do not simply multiply the solo price by seat count, so a tool with no published flat team rate renders honestly as not published rather than an invented multiply. |

## Onlook vs v0: verdicts by use case

### Beginners → v0

For newcomers who want an AI agent to do the heavy lifting, v0 offers a confirmed agent mode that handles autonomous multi-step builds, exactly what a first-timer needs. v0 also publishes a clear entry point: the free plan caps out at $5 of monthly credits and 7 messages per day, with the cheapest paid plan starting at $30/mo once you outgrow it. Onlook counters with strong element-level editing for fixing the AI's mistakes without code, but getting started means running the app locally and supplying your own OpenRouter, Anthropic, or OpenAI API key, a setup step most first-time builders won't want.

### Developers → v0

Both export a full project, Onlook's export is a complete project and v0's comes through a connected GitHub repo, essentially a wash. v0 pulls ahead on the two hard filters here: a real GitHub sync with the repository as source of truth, and confirmed self-hosting of the exported output. v0 also publishes a public API for scripting builds, which Onlook's sheet does not cover. Onlook's Supabase plus Drizzle ORM backend is a tiebreaker against v0's bring-your-own database via Vercel Marketplace integrations. For developers who want AI to scaffold fast then get out of the way, v0's GitHub sync and self-hosting make it the stronger fit.

### Free Plans → v0

For a formal try-before-you-pay path, v0 publishes exactly what its free plan restricts: $5 of monthly credits and a 7-message daily cap, with the cheapest paid plan starting at $30/mo once that runs out. Unused v0 credits roll over instead of expiring, and custom domains are available through the connected Vercel deployment. Onlook doesn't publish a comparable vendor free tier or paid plan; it's open source software you run yourself, paying only for the OpenRouter, Anthropic, or OpenAI API key you connect, a different cost model rather than a matching capped free tier. For buyers comparing published free-tier caps, v0 is the documented option.

### Internal Tools → v0

Ops and IT teams need integrations reaching systems the business already runs, and only v0 documents that reach: Vercel Marketplace integrations including Neon, SSO on its Team and Enterprise plans, and built-in collaboration for teams working the same build. v0's own facts note it has no built-in auth, so that gets added separately, similar to how Onlook expects a connected Supabase project, which bundles auth, database, and storage, for its backend. Onlook doesn't publish SSO, integrations, or collaboration facts to compare. On the attributes ops teams actually check first, integrations reach and SSO, v0 is the better documented pick.

### Mobile Apps → Tie

Neither tool is built for phone screens. v0 explicitly confirms no mobile output, its stack is confined to Next.js, React, Tailwind CSS, and shadcn/ui for the browser. Onlook's output stack is Next.js and TailwindCSS only, explicitly the sole supported target, so it produces the same kind of web app rather than a native mobile build. Where v0 does pull ahead is self-hosting the exported output and an agent mode for autonomous builds, but neither of those closes the core gap: if the goal is a real app for a phone, not a browser tab, both tools land you back in a web view.

### Self-Hosted → Onlook

For running the app builder itself, not just its output, Onlook fits directly: it's local-first and runs offline, licensed under Apache-2.0 so there's no vendor lock on the code, and billed only through the OpenRouter, Anthropic, or OpenAI API key you bring rather than a subscription. Onlook also offers a hosted option at onlook.com, still in closed beta with a waitlist. v0's facts only confirm its generated output can be self-hosted after export, nothing about running the builder itself locally or under an open license. For buyers who want to own and run the tool, not just the app it makes, Onlook is the clear fit.

### UI Design → Onlook

Both import from Figma or a screenshot, so that part is even. What separates them is what happens after the import lands: Onlook has element-level editing, letting a designer click any element and adjust it directly without writing a prompt, while v0's fact sheet doesn't confirm that same click-to-edit control. Onlook also has versioning and rollback for design iterations. v0 counters with multiplayer collaboration, which teams working through a handoff together would value, and it's fact-confirmed. Output stacks are close, Onlook is Next.js and Tailwind CSS only versus v0's Next.js, React, Tailwind CSS, and shadcn/ui. For getting from import to a pixel-tweakable result without touching code, Onlook edges ahead.

## Onlook vs v0: common questions

### Is Onlook cheaper than v0?

Onlook is open source under an Apache-2.0 license, so there's no vendor subscription, you pay only for the OpenRouter, Anthropic, or OpenAI API key you connect. v0 charges $30/mo for its cheapest paid plan, with a free tier limited to $5 of monthly credits and 7 messages per day. Comparing a subscription to a bring-your-own-key setup isn't apples to apples, but Onlook carries no vendor plan fee at all.

### Onlook vs v0: which is better for beginners?

v0 is the better choice for someone who has never shipped an app before. It confirms an agent mode that handles autonomous multi-step builds, plus a free tier you can try immediately, capped at $5 of monthly credits and 7 messages per day, before a $30/mo plan kicks in. Onlook has strong element-level editing, but getting started means running it locally and supplying your own API key, a bigger first step for a beginner.

### Does Onlook or v0 cost less to run at scale?

v0's team plan costs $100 per user per month, on top of its $30/mo entry plan for individual credits. Onlook is open source under an Apache-2.0 license with no vendor subscription, you run it yourself and pay only for the OpenRouter, Anthropic, or OpenAI API key you connect. For a team, Onlook's costs are infrastructure and API usage rather than a per-seat vendor fee.

### Is Onlook a good alternative to v0 for open source projects?

Yes. Onlook is fully open source under an Apache-2.0 license and runs locally offline, while v0's fact sheet publishes no such license. If you want the app builder itself, not just the output, to be open source and self-hostable, Onlook fits that need; v0 requires the vendor's hosted environment with plans starting at $30/mo.

### Do Onlook and v0 support GitHub sync?

v0 offers one-way GitHub sync, with the connected GitHub repository treated as the source of truth for the exported code. Onlook's fact sheet doesn't publish a GitHub sync capability; it instead offers full project code export directly. If continuous GitHub-based sync matters, v0 is the documented option.

### What happens to unused v0 credits at the end of the month?

v0's unused credits roll over rather than expiring at the end of the billing cycle, so credits purchased on the $30/mo entry plan carry forward if you don't use them all.

### Can Onlook run without an internet connection?

Yes, Onlook is local-first and runs offline, since it runs entirely on your machine rather than requiring a persistent connection to a hosted service. Its hosted option at onlook.com is still in closed beta with a waitlist, so most users today run it locally.

### Does v0 support single sign-on (SSO)?

Yes, v0 offers SSO on its Team and Enterprise plans, letting organizations manage access centrally rather than per individual account.

Source: https://www.versusref.com/app-builders/onlook-vs-v0/