Caide questions, answered directly.

Caide is a local-first workspace for building production-grade full-stack applications with AI. Unlike general-purpose code assistants or chatbots, Caide manages the complete app development lifecycle: scaffolding framework projects (React Native, Flutter, Next.js), streaming agent code changes, reviewing architecture with App Blueprints, testing in DeviceLab with live hot-reloading, and deploying production builds.

Caide is free forever when you use your own accounts and keys. Connect OpenRouter, OpenCode Console, ChatGPT/Codex, Claude Code, DeepSeek, or Google Gemini and pay only your provider. The optional Caide Agent is ₦3,000 for 30 days with a 7-day/500-credit trial and runs on OpenCode Console; no other feature is gated.

Your provider keys are stored locally in Caide's encrypted store, and BYOK traffic goes directly to the provider you chose. Caide Agent is the one exception: it uses your Caide account and is proxied through our gateway to OpenCode Console, with only aggregate usage metered — prompts and code are never stored by Caide.

Caide currently provides deep, first-class support for four immutable project types: React Native (Expo) for iOS/Android/Web, Flutter for cross-platform native apps, Website (Next.js / Vite) for modern web applications, and Blank for unconstrained custom codebases.

Absolutely. In React Native and Flutter projects, Caide manages the local development servers, streams logs, provides responsive device frames (iPhone and Android) with mobile QR code testing, and triggers native production builds (APK, AAB, and IPA artifacts) using your local toolchains.

Before writing code for complex features, Caide's agent can generate interactive App Blueprints outlining routes, data models, and component hierarchies, alongside 3-question questionnaires to align on technical tradeoffs with you before committing changes.

Caide integrates directly with Neon serverless Postgres and Supabase. When working on feature threads, Caide can spin up isolated, copy-on-write database branches in seconds so your agent can test migrations without affecting production data.

Your source code remains entirely on your machine in standard local directories. Caide creates standard Git repositories that you can open in any editor, push to GitHub, or build with standard CLI tools at any time.

Caide is a desktop app for macOS, Linux, and Windows. Signed builds are publishing to GitHub Releases; the install page covers platform requirements and current availability.

No. You can use Caide with your own provider accounts and keys without signing in. A Caide account is only required for Caide Agent, its usage dashboard, API keys, and billing.

Seven: OpenRouter, OpenCode Console, Caide Agent, ChatGPT/Codex, Claude Code, DeepSeek, and Google Gemini. OpenRouter, OpenCode Console, DeepSeek, and Google use your own API key. ChatGPT/Codex and Claude Code use your existing account login. Caide Agent is the optional hosted plan.

No. Caide is proprietary software. Signed desktop builds, release notes, and checksums are published in the public caide-releases repository on GitHub. BYOK is still free; Caide Agent is the only paid surface.

Caide is a local-first desktop app builder, not a hosted web builder or a code editor with autocomplete. It scaffolds React Native, Flutter, Next.js, and blank projects, runs the local toolchain, previews the running app in DeviceLab, and supports copy-on-write database branching. See the comparison pages for a capability-by-capability view.

Yes. React Native (Expo) projects use the Metro dev server, mobile simulator frames, QR testing on physical devices, and native APK/AAB/IPA builds. Flutter projects use the Dart toolchain, flutter analyze/test, DeviceLab preview, and native packaging.

Yes, in React Native and Flutter projects. Caide manages local dev servers, streams logs, provides iPhone and Android device frames, and triggers native production builds using your local toolchains. You still need the platform SDKs and signing credentials on your machine.

Caide Agent is the optional hosted agent. It costs ₦3,000 for 30 days after a 7-day / 500-credit trial and runs on OpenCode Console, so you do not need to bring a provider key. It is the only paid surface; every local feature works with BYOK.

App Blueprints are interactive planning cards the agent produces before complex changes. They outline routes, data models, component hierarchies, and tradeoffs. A short questionnaire aligns on decisions before code is written.

Caide connects to Supabase or Neon serverless Postgres and can create an isolated copy-on-write branch per thread. The agent can run migrations and tests on the branch without touching your main database.

No. Project files, SQLite state, thread history, and keys stay on your machine. BYOK requests go directly to your provider. Caide Agent requests are proxied through Caide's gateway to OpenCode Console, and Caide records aggregate usage counts only — not prompts or generated code.

The desktop workspace, files, history, and local toolchains work offline. AI turns require a connection to your model provider (or to Caide Agent for the hosted plan).

Yes. New accounts get 7 days or 500 credits, whichever runs out first. When the trial ends, Caide Agent requires the ₦3,000 30-day pass; BYOK continues to work without a plan.

No. It is a one-time ₦3,000 payment for 30 days. Access ends after 30 days, and you can buy another pass to extend it. There is no subscription to cancel.

Yes. The 30-day pass supports bank transfer, card, mobile money, and crypto. Bachs shows the currencies and methods available for your country at checkout. It does not auto-renew; buy another pass to extend access.

Yes. Caide can connect Model Context Protocol servers over stdio and SSE, so you can add custom tools and data sources to the agent.

The documentation covers installation, the turn loop, frameworks, providers and BYOK, DeviceLab, database branching, MCP, and local storage. Start at caide.us/docs.