Caide Documentation

Caide is an open-source, local-first workspace for turning prompts into production full-stack software. It unifies chats, architecture blueprints, tool execution, live multi-device previews, and production builds into a single focused window.

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Architectural Philosophy

Caide is engineered from the ground up to replace fragmented AI developer tools with an integrated local environment:

1. V1 Faithful Engine + V2 High-Craft UI: The agent turn engine, tool execution loops, consent gates, safeStorage encrypted credentials, and local SQLite persistence run with full fidelity, presented through a responsive, modern interface.
2. 100% Local-First Boundary: Your code, git history, thread messages, and execution traces live strictly on your machine. Zero cloud telemetry, zero remote log tracking.
3. Free BYOK, optional Caide Agent: Seven providers only — OpenRouter, OpenCode Console, Caide Agent, ChatGPT/Codex, Claude Code, DeepSeek, and Google. BYOK is free forever with no token markup or quota. Caide Agent is the only paid surface: $2/month after a 7-day / 500-credit trial, powered by OpenCode Console.
4. Immutable Framework Boundaries: Stack selection is locked in at creation (React Native Expo, Flutter, Next.js / Website, or Blank). Toolchain verifiers, live dev servers, and prompts adapt specifically to your chosen framework.
5. Architectural Alignment First: Before destructive code modifications touch disk, Caide presents interactive App Blueprints and 3-question design surveys to align on technical tradeoffs.
6. Live Multi-Device Stage: Inspect running applications in real time with DeviceLab (iPhone 16 Pro, Google Pixel, iPad, Desktop) featuring hot reload, physical device QR codes, and live console streaming.
7. Copy-on-Write Database Branching: Connect Neon serverless Postgres to spin up isolated database branches per thread, allowing the agent to test schema migrations without jeopardizing staging data.

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Navigating the Documentation

• Product Overview — Core architecture, design decisions, and system breakdown.
• Installation & Access — Release status, platform support, and early access whitelist.
• Quickstart Guide — Build and preview your first project in under 5 minutes.
• Agent Modes & Turn Loop — Build and Plan modes, read-only planning, and cancel chain semantics.
• Tool Consent & Safety — Approval gates, command blocklists, and version checkpoints.
• Framework Toolchains — React Native Expo, Flutter, Next.js, and Blank.
• Model Hub & BYOK — The seven providers, free BYOK, and the optional Caide Agent.
• LiveLab & DeviceLab — Multi-device previewing, console streaming, and problem diagnostics.
• Neon Database Branching — Serverless Postgres copy-on-write branching per thread.
• MCP Integrations — Model Context Protocol servers, stdio & SSE tools.
• Local Storage & Privacy — SQLite schemas, context compaction, and privacy boundary.