OpenBuilder
The vibe coding platform where builders actually finish.
Hey YC, we are Paul and James, cofounders at OpenBuilder. 👋
TL;DR
OpenBuilder is the open source alternative to Lovable — where non-technical builders actually finish their projects.
🔴 The Problem: vibe coding is a slot machine
Pay for credits, pull the lever, pray things work.
Vibe coding has brought millions of non-technical users into building. But over 80% can't finish what they start. The magic fades as projects grow — bugs multiply, progress stalls, and builders get stuck
Three core problems block non-technical builders:
- too expensive — costs spiral out of control
- too many bugs — issues pile up faster than they can fix
- getting help is nearly impossible — especially on closed platforms where backend/integration code is hidden
🟢 The Solution:
At OpenBuilder, users build for free on a truly open platform, and pay to get unstuck from a real dev.
Vibe code without limits.
OpenBuilder uses optimized open-source models to match Claude Sonnet 4's performance—making building completely free.
Pay to get unstuck.
Our interactive debugger helps you first. If that doesn't solve it, you can escalate to a real developer who already has your project context.
Truly open platform, no lock-in.
OpenBuilder is truly open. It's built on VS Code, so you can swap in your own AI model, try different agents, or export your entire codebase anytime.
Team
Paul & James have known each other for over 10 years. They met while studying CS at the University of Waterloo.
Before OpenBuilder, they built EasyCode — a popular context-aware coding assistant installed by over 1.5M developers between VS Code and JetBrains. Now they are applying similar technologies to help non-technical builders turn their ideas into reality.
Ask
We're making building accessible to everyone. Non-technical founders shouldn't just start projects—they should finish and ship them.
Here is how you can help. 🙂
- Follow us on X and LinkedIn and share the launch!
- We're open sourcing our codebase soon. Want to contribute early? Email paul@theopenbuilder.com
