A different kind of visual editor.
Most tools force a choice: design visually and lose control of the code, or write code and lose the visual canvas. Backdraft does not make you choose. It works with your existing source files — bidirectionally — and it brings AI, CLI agents, and design resources along.
landscape
Where most tools fall.
Design-to-code tools
These tools let you design on a canvas and export code. The workflow is one-directional: canvas to code. Once you edit the exported code, the design tool does not know about it. You are maintaining two sources of truth — and they always drift.
Code editors
These are where developers live — VS Code, WebStorm, Vim. Full control over every character. But no spatial canvas, no visual property editing, no way to see the result without switching to a browser and refreshing.
Bidirectional editors
Backdraft sits in the middle. It is a code editor with a visual canvas — and changes flow both ways. Edit on the canvas, the code updates. Edit the code, the canvas updates. The source file is always the single source of truth.
features
Feature-by-feature.
| Feature | Design-to-code tools | No-code builders | Code editors | Backdraft |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Visual canvas | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| Code editor | Limited / none | No | Yes | Yes (Monaco) |
| Bidirectional sync | No (one-way) | No | No | Yes |
| Works with existing code | No (starts from canvas) | No | Yes | Yes |
| Import project folders | No | No | Yes (no canvas) | Yes |
| Figma import | Some (via plugins) | No | No | Yes |
| Webflow import | No | N/A | No | Yes |
| Code preservation | No (generates code) | N/A | N/A | Yes (CST patching) |
| AI agent | Some (basic) | Some (generate pages) | Some (inline completion) | Yes (13+ tools, visual verification) |
| Visual verification | No | No | No | Yes (screenshots + mockup comparison) |
| CLI agent integration | No | No | Via terminal | Yes (Claude Code, Codex, Gemini CLI in-editor) |
| Bring your own AI model | No (vendor-locked) | No | Some (via extensions) | Yes (Ollama, LM Studio, OpenRouter) |
| Responsive preview | Some (single breakpoint) | Some (single) | No (browser devtools) | Yes (all breakpoints simultaneously) |
| Component resolution | N/A | N/A | N/A | Yes (follows imports, 5 levels deep) |
| Design system extraction | Some | No | No | Yes (auto-extracts from code) |
| Font / animation / image libraries | Some | Some | Via extensions | Yes (built-in) |
| Deploy | Some (proprietary hosting) | Yes (proprietary hosting) | Via terminal | Yes (Netlify, GitHub, any host) |
| Lock-in | High (proprietary format) | Very high | None | None |
| Offline / local-first | No (cloud-based) | No (cloud-based) | Yes | Yes |
| Platform | Browser | Browser | Desktop + browser | macOS desktop |
| Git-compatible | Export only | No | Yes | Yes (your files are the repo) |
unique
What you will not find anywhere else.
Import and edit existing codebases
Open any project folder — a landing page, a React app, a Webflow export — and edit it visually on a canvas. No other visual editor works with your existing source files this way.
Learn moreAI visual verification
The AI agent takes screenshots of its own work and compares them to your reference mockup. It does not generate code blindly — it verifies the visual output and iterates.
Learn moreCST-level code preservation
Visual edits produce minimal diffs. Comments, formatting, business logic, and non-visual code are never touched. Your git history stays clean.
Learn moreCLI agents inside a visual editor
Launch Claude Code, Codex, or Gemini CLI from within Backdraft. The CLI agent edits your files while you watch the canvas update in real time. No other visual editor has this.
Bring your own AI model
Run Ollama locally for fully offline AI. Connect to LM Studio for local model management. Use OpenRouter for cloud models. No vendor lock-in on AI.
All breakpoints, all at once
See every responsive breakpoint rendered simultaneously on the canvas. Edit an element at a specific breakpoint and the correct responsive class is written to your code.
Learn morescenarios
Which tool type fits your workflow?
"I am building something new from a design."
If you are starting from a Figma mockup and need to build a pixel-perfect implementation, a design-to-code tool gets you a first draft. But you will spend significant time cleaning up the generated code. With Backdraft, you can import the Figma frames and refine them on the canvas — with code you can actually maintain.
"I have an existing project and need to make visual changes."
Code editors make this possible but slow — change a value, switch to browser, refresh, check. Backdraft makes it immediate: open the folder, see the project on the canvas, click an element, drag a value. The code updates in real time. This is where bidirectional editing shines.
Import your existing project"I want AI to help me build or modify a UI."
Most AI coding tools generate code blind. Backdraft's AI agent sees the rendered result, compares it to your reference, and iterates autonomously. Combined with a visual canvas, you get the speed of vibe coding with the quality control of manual review.
See how the AI agent worksQuestions
Frequently asked
See the difference yourself.
Import a project. Edit it on the canvas. See the code update in real time.