Glue vs Sparkles (2026)

Pros

• Novel approach as the first design tool built with AI agents as the primary user
• Open source with zero-cost adoption and zero production impact (devDependencies only)
• Visual annotation workflow provides higher fidelity than text prompting for UI changes
• Strong founder backgrounds from Amazon, Microsoft Copilot Studio, and Meta
• Non-destructive integration that works with existing React projects without modification

Cons

• Very limited framework support — currently only Next.js 14+ and Vite 5+ React projects
• Only Claude Code handoff works today — Codex and Gemini support coming soon
• Extremely early stage with 2-person team and unclear monetization path
• Annotation-based workflow may not scale for large redesigns requiring many UI changes

Pros

• Clear differentiation by targeting existing codebases rather than greenfield — a much larger market than Lovable/Bolt
• Transparent pricing with a generous free tier of 100 credits/month
• GitHub-native PR workflow means engineers retain control and code quality
• Strong investor signal with YC backing and OpenAI angel investors
• Addresses real pain point of non-technical teams waiting on developers for simple changes

Cons