Recto

Recto is a native AI design tool that gives coding agents a visual canvas to build UI, motion, and 3D.

Recto is a native AI design tool built for Windows, Mac, and Linux that functions as a visual canvas for coding agents. It works locally on your computer alongside agents like Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, and OpenCode without requiring extra setup or API configurations. You can prompt your agent to build landing pages, interfaces, and product experiences, then edit elements directly on the canvas or pin comments to guide further changes. It supports HTML and CSS underneath, allowing you to manage design systems, import designs from the web, and create motion and 3D elements. The app is completely free and runs natively as a desktop application.

Recto at a glance

Best for: Software engineer, Designer
Runs on: macOS, Windows, Linux
Pricing: Free
Released: October 2026
Category: AI coding tool
Website: recto.design

Key features

Visual canvas for coding agents
Local execution without network round-trips
Direct editing on the canvas
Comment pinning for targeted agent feedback
Motion and timeline animation tools
SVG and 3D element creation
Web design import
Design system and token management

Use it for

Design interfaces and landing pages with coding agents
Create motion, transitions, and animations
Build and edit scalable graphics and 3D elements
Import designs from the web to edit locally
Manage consistent design systems with CSS variables

Companions

Tools that articles about Recto recommend using with it, each with its job.

Claude Code — Built to work with Claude Code.
Codex — Built to work with Codex.
Cursor — Built to work with Cursor.
Context7 — Provides up-to-date documentation for AI agents and code editors.
Superpowers — Brainstorm, plan and execute skills for bigger tasks.
Playwright MCP — Enables LLMs to interact with web pages using structured accessibility snapshots.

Alternatives to Recto

Suta — Reduces AI-generated design slop in user interfaces.
Ret — Manage multiple AI coding agents across projects from one unified desktop interface.
Designobo — Prototype complex web flows on an infinite canvas using text or image input.
Motion2code — It gives coding agents vision tools and a frame comparison loop to prevent guesswork.
Remocn Studio — Runs on your existing coding agent subscription with no added API fees.
GoCodeo — Generates production-ready code, explains code, and creates tests in seconds.
pstack — Improves AI coding agent outcomes with rigorous workflows.
Draw.io Skill — Synchronizes diagrams with code changes without discarding manual layout adjustments.
AgentIntersect World — Explore your code as a 3D city and work locally with up to four AI coding agents.
Kolo — Teams share one browser session to watch, type, and control AI agents together.
MengTo Skills — Provides versioned playbooks and workflows to improve agent output quality.
Skisso — Generates exact CSS and text diff patches for coding agents directly from the browser

All Recto alternatives