Head to head
Stop guessing which one. Put them side by side.
Up to 4 tools, same rows for each: what it is, what it really costs, the trap, and how to wire it up. The URL carries your picks — send it to anyone.
Pencil (pen.dev)Gemini Canvas
Quick read
- Editor's pick: Pencil (pen.dev).
- No logged gotchas: Gemini Canvas.
| Field | Pencil (pen.dev)pen.dev | Gemini Canvasgemini.google.com |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A Figma-like canvas inside Cursor/VS Code/Windsurf, storing designs as JSON .pen files inside your project folder so they are git-versioned next to the code. Runs as an MCP server, so the agent reads the canvas as structured design context rather than as an image. Two-way: you can import existing components back onto the canvas. | A side panel where Gemini writes and iteratively edits an artifact with a live preview. For UI it defaults to a single HTML file with embedded CSS and vanilla JS; you can explicitly prompt for React instead. Copy from the Code tab is the only export mechanism. |
| Category | AI design builders | AI design builders |
| Cost tier | free | free |
| Pricing | Free during early access | Free · $7.99–$249.99/mo tiers |
| Why builders pick it | Names your exact stack as a first-class target — React + Tailwind + shadcn/ui. Draw the article template, and the drawing becomes real components. Because the .pen file lives beside the code, the design and the build cannot silently drift. | The cheapest way to test a UI idea before spending Lovable credits on it. No repo integration, no MCP, no awareness of your components — everything it writes is a self-contained island you reconcile by hand. |
| Watch out for | Requires a local checkout via Lovable's GitHub sync — cannot touch the browser editor. Domain is mid-rename (pencil.dev → pen.dev), early access, no published pricing commitment. | not logged |
| How to wire it up | MCP server; assumes Claude Code as the agent | not logged |
| Editor's pick | Yes | No |
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# Tool comparison — Pencil (pen.dev) vs Gemini Canvas Source: Kbaise, a directory of tools that work with Lovable projects. Pick one and tell me why before writing any integration code. ## Pencil (pen.dev) (pencil) - URL: https://www.pen.dev/ - Category: AI design builders - Cost: free — Free during early access - What it is: A Figma-like canvas inside Cursor/VS Code/Windsurf, storing designs as JSON .pen files inside your project folder so they are git-versioned next to the code. Runs as an MCP server, so the agent reads the canvas as structured design context rather than as an image. Two-way: you can import existing components back onto the canvas. - Why builders pick it: Names your exact stack as a first-class target — React + Tailwind + shadcn/ui. Draw the article template, and the drawing becomes real components. Because the .pen file lives beside the code, the design and the build cannot silently drift. - Trap: Requires a local checkout via Lovable's GitHub sync — cannot touch the browser editor. Domain is mid-rename (pencil.dev → pen.dev), early access, no published pricing commitment. - Wiring: MCP server; assumes Claude Code as the agent - Full dossier: /api/public/tools/pencil ## Gemini Canvas (gemini-canvas) - URL: https://gemini.google.com/ - Category: AI design builders - Cost: free — Free · $7.99–$249.99/mo tiers - What it is: A side panel where Gemini writes and iteratively edits an artifact with a live preview. For UI it defaults to a single HTML file with embedded CSS and vanilla JS; you can explicitly prompt for React instead. Copy from the Code tab is the only export mechanism. - Why builders pick it: The cheapest way to test a UI idea before spending Lovable credits on it. No repo integration, no MCP, no awareness of your components — everything it writes is a self-contained island you reconcile by hand. - Full dossier: /api/public/tools/gemini-canvas ## Quick read - Editor's pick: Pencil (pen.dev). - No logged gotchas: Gemini Canvas. ## Rules 1. Prefer the free tier when no budget was stated, and say what the ceiling is. 2. Read the full dossier before integrating. 3. Fetch /api/public/models before writing any AI model ID.
Agents can fetch the same thing: GET /api/public/compare?slugs=pencil,gemini-canvas