The Subframe Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Subframe in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Subframe
The Insider’s Guide
Design canvas, coding agent and browser in one desktop app
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among AI app builders, read from Subframe’s own pages.
Made by Subframe · checked Nov 12, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Subframe’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Subframe’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Nov 12, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.2
GPA, above 11 of the 52 other AI app builders we grade
Subframe is a desktop app that puts a design canvas, a coding agent and a built-in browser in one place. It works against the codebase on your machine and can use an existing Claude Code or Codex subscription as its agent. The canvas is stored in the cloud and can also be opened in a web browser.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Subframe, taken from its own pages and our grades.
The vendor says it works with React, and no plan above Pro is listed.
- 1
Best for a design canvas wired to your coding agent
Subframe is a desktop and web design canvas that hands work to your own Claude Code or Codex.
- 2
Paid plans start at $20 a month for each person
As its pricing page puts it: $20 per editor / month.
- 3
There is a free plan
One project, unlimited viewers and editors, limited AI credits, and use of your own Claude or Codex subscription.
- 4
It runs on 3 platforms
Web, macOS and Windows.
- 5
Design canvas
Components with props, slots and variants, plus themes and design tokens across light and dark modes, synced with the design system in your codebase.
- 6
Built-in browser
Preview and edit your running app inside Subframe, with detected local dev servers listed in the browser panel.
- 7
Coding agent
Uses an existing Claude Code or Codex subscription as the internal agent. Other agents such as Cursor or Gemini connect through MCP.
- 8
A 2.2 GPA, above 11 of 52
That is against the other AI app builders we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
To replace Subframe you would be making a tool that builds and hosts other apps. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Subframe at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $20 per editor / month
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web, macOS, Windows
- Made by
- Subframe
- Category
- AI App Builders
- Our grade
- 2.2 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for a design canvas wired to your coding agent
Subframe is a desktop and web design canvas that hands work to your own Claude Code or Codex. Free is one project, and Pro is $20 per editor with no billing basis shown. The vendor says it works with React, and no plan above Pro is listed.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | $20 per editor a month, the category's middle price. The page doesn't say if that is monthly or yearly. |
| Free plan and trial | C | Free: one project, unlimited viewers and editors, limited AI credits, or your own Claude or Codex plan. One project is a firm cap. |
| Features | C | Canvas with components and tokens, a built-in browser, an agent and comments. The vendor says it is aimed at React. |
| Ease of use | C | No store rating on record. It is a desktop app that needs a running dev server and a Claude or Codex subscription. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Mac, Windows and web, with Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, Gemini, GitHub and Mobbin connections. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Subframe is for
- Fits if you already pay for Claude Code or Codex and work in React
- Works for designers and developers sharing one canvas
Who it is not for
- Tight if you stay free: one project only
- Watch out: more than one project needs Pro at $20 per editor
- Watch out: AI credits apply only in the web version or in place of your own Claude or Codex plan
- Not for you if you want a tier above Pro: none is listed
Good to know
Good for
- Teams designing and shipping React interfaces from one tool
- Developers who already pay for Claude Code or Codex
- Designers who want components tied to the codebase's design system
Worth knowing
- The Free plan allows one project; unlimited projects need Pro at $20 per editor / month.
- The vendor says it works best with React, though the browser and canvas work with anything that renders on the web.
- AI credits are used only in the web version or when you use them instead of your own Claude or Codex subscription.
- The pricing section does not say whether $20 is billed monthly or annually, and lists no plan above Pro.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$20
A month to start, for each person. There is a free plan too
Subframe has a free plan. Paid plans start at $20 per editor / month.
The page doesn't say if that is monthly or yearly.
Free
$0
One project, unlimited viewers and editors, limited AI credits, and use of your own Claude or Codex subscription.
Pro
$20
per editor / month
Unlimited projects, 6x the AI credits of Free, and multiple themes per project. Billing basis (monthly or annual) is not stated.
The free plan
One project, unlimited viewers and editors, limited AI credits, and use of your own Claude or Codex subscription.
Read from subframe.com on Nov 12, 2026.
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
3
Places it runs: Web, macOS and Windows
Design canvas, coding agent and browser in one desktop app. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: AI features, real-time collaboration, AI agents, app builder.
Canvas with components and tokens, a built-in browser, an agent and comments.
- Design canvas
- Components with props, slots and variants, plus themes and design tokens across light and dark modes, synced with the design system in your codebase.
- Built-in browser
- Preview and edit your running app inside Subframe, with detected local dev servers listed in the browser panel.
- Coding agent
- Uses an existing Claude Code or Codex subscription as the internal agent. Other agents such as Cursor or Gemini connect through MCP.
- Prompting on the canvas
- Ask for designs or repetitive changes without leaving the canvas, then hand the result to the agent to implement in code.
- Multiplayer and comments
- Share a canvas link and comment in threads with teammates or the agent, then turn feedback into changes.
Where it runs
- Web
- macOS
- Windows
What it works with
- Claude Code
- Codex
- Cursor
- Gemini
- GitHub
- Mobbin
Subframe is made by Subframe.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
11/52
Other AI app builders it is graded above
Subframe's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 11 of the 52 other AI app builders we grade, and level with 14.
It stands best on platforms and integrations (B, above 13 of 52) and worst on features (C, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $20 a month for each person, against a middle price of $20 for the category: 25 of the 50 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 out of 4. 12 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 53 AI app builders we grade, cut by the letter each got. Subframe’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 11 of 52
- CFree plan and trialAbove 4 of 52
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 52
- CEase of useAbove 0 of 52
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 13 of 52
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 51 AI app builders. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Subframe is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace Subframe you would be making a tool that builds and hosts other apps. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 27 of the 52 other AI app builders grade higher. It costs $240 a year.
What you could not
- A tool that builds and hosts other apps.
- An AI agent, with the models and the safeguards behind it.
- A real app for macOS and Windows. Something home-made would be a web page.
- Several people working in it at the same moment.
- It plugs into other products, Claude Code, Codex and Cursor among them.
What this rests on. Subframe’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Magic Patterns, v0, Lovable and Bolt
The 4 tools Subframe is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.2GPA
Magic Patterns
Free plan · from $17/mo
AI prototyping tool that builds product UIs from prompts.
- Only Subframe lists macOS and Windows apps.
- Subframe also covers AI agents.
- Magic Patterns also covers no-code.
- 2.4GPA
v0
Free trial · from $30/mo
Vercel's AI agent for building and deploying full-stack web apps.
- Subframe has a free plan. v0 does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Subframe lists macOS and Windows apps.
- Only v0 lists an iOS app.
- 2.8GPA
Lovable
Free plan · from $21/mo
Chat-based AI builder for full-stack web apps and websites.
- Only Lovable lists iOS and Android apps.
- Subframe also covers AI agents.
- Lovable also covers no-code.
- 2.6GPA
Bolt
Free plan · from $18/mo
Browser-based AI builder for websites, web apps and mobile apps.
- Only Subframe lists macOS and Windows apps.
- Subframe also covers AI agents.
- Bolt also covers no-code.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
12
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Subframe free?
Subframe has a free plan. One project, unlimited viewers and editors, limited AI credits, and use of your own Claude or Codex subscription.
How much does Subframe cost?
Subframe lists 2 plans. Free: $0.
What platforms does Subframe work on?
Subframe is available on Web, macOS and Windows.
Does Subframe have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Subframe is listed for Web, macOS and Windows.
Does Subframe have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Subframe is listed for Web, macOS and Windows.
Is Subframe open source?
Subframe is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 12, 2026.
What does Subframe integrate with?
Subframe's listing names Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, Gemini, GitHub and Mobbin.
Who makes Subframe?
Subframe is made by a company of the same name.
What are the alternatives to Subframe?
The closest alternatives to Subframe in our directory are Magic Patterns, v0, Lovable and Bolt.
How does Subframe compare with other AI app builders?
Subframe's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 11 of the 52 other AI app builders we grade, and level with 14.
Is Subframe good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Subframe C for value for money. Its paid plans start at $20 a month for each person, against a middle price of $20 for the category: 25 of the 50 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Subframe?
To replace Subframe you would be making a tool that builds and hosts other apps.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Subframe’s own pages on Nov 12, 2026, and the grades were given on Nov 12, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Subframe's own pages on 12 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. The vendor's page showed no readable prices in the text we pulled, so prices rest on the listing.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Subframe. Prices change, so check subframe.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
5,038
Tools graded, in 95 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
5,038
tools graded
95
categories
739
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Subframe, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/subframe
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Subframe: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 12, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/subframe
Know someone choosing between AI app builders?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/subframe/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded AI app builders after Subframe, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- AI App Builders Insider's GuideEvery one of the 53 AI app builders we grade, compared
- Taskade Insider's GuideWorkspace that builds apps, AI agents and automations from prompts3.2 GPA
- Replit Insider's GuideCloud platform where an AI agent builds, hosts and publishes apps3.0 GPA
- Appsmith Insider's GuideOpen-source low-code platform for internal apps2.8 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Subframe’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Subframe is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Subframe. Prices and plans change: check subframe.com before you buy.