Open-source & self-hosted

The visual site builder that lives in your codebase.

React + Next.js, low-code, self-hosted. Editors build and publish visually; developers keep full control of the code. Your data, your infrastructure, every feature included.

Start free — no credit card, no email Read the docs

Explore the open-source core

What is ChaiBuilder?

ChaiBuilder is a React-based, framework-agnostic visual builder, best paired with Next.js, packaged as an npm package (chai pro) that drops directly into your Next.js app. It ships with a public starter (Next.js + Payload CMS): clone, deploy, build. You own the data and infrastructure, and every license is the full product.

npm package

Drops directly into your existing Next.js app — no vendor lock-in.

Public starter

Next.js + Payload CMS — clone, deploy, and start building immediately.

Full ownership

Your data, your infrastructure. Every license includes every feature.

The core difference

Low-code, not no-code

Developers build it. Editors run it.

For developers

A plugin in your Next.js app

Override pages and routing. Plug in your own Payload collections. Extend the builder with custom blocks and panels. Anything the visual builder can't do, you build — by design, not as a workaround.

Override pages & routing — the builder lives inside your app
Plug in your own Payload collections — your schema, your types
Extend with custom blocks — register your own React components
Escape hatches everywhere — if the visual tool can't do it, code it

For editors

RBAC-based visual editing

Build and publish pages with no code. Role-based access control keeps the right people editing the right things — no developer bottleneck, no risky changes.

Drag, drop, and publish — the full page-building workflow
Role-based access control — granular permissions per user
Live preview — see exactly what your audience sees
No developer bottleneck — editors ship independently

One tool. Two audiences. Zero compromise.

Capabilities at a glance

What you can do with it

Five capability groups. One tool. Everything needed to build, ship, and scale.

Build & edit

Visual builderDesign tokensTheme systemData bindingCustom blocksExtensible builder UI

Content & media

MultilingualMedia managerImage editorConnect external CMS

Collaborate & ship

Multi-user editing with page lockingOne-click publishPreview mode (Next.js draft mode)Revisions & restore

AI

Page editing assistantSEO assistantTheme assistant

Access

Role-based access controlFull feature set, no tiers

See all features

AI assistant

Edit by chat.
No coding required.

An in-builder chat panel that edits content, creates and edits sections, and helps with SEO and theming — all in plain language.

Bring your own AIVercel AI Gateway out of the box

A sophisticated AI-powered website builder interface showing real-time visual editing and a chat assistant panel

Built on real code

Real code you control,
not a walled garden

Built on React, Next.js, Tailwind CSS v4, and Payload CMS. Payload ships by default; the CMS is swappable, and you can wire in external data.

React

Next.js

Payload CMS

Tailwind CSS v4

Payload by default

Payload CMS ships out of the box with the public starter. Clone, deploy, and you have a full content layer from day one.

Swappable CMS

Prefer a different headless CMS? Swap Payload for Sanity, Contentful, or your own backend. The builder stays the same.

Wire in external data

Connect external APIs, databases, or existing CMS instances. Your data bindings pull from wherever your data lives.

Integrations & CMS

Made with ChaiBuilder