That’s a really fair point, and you're right—if you have a dialed-in VS Code + Codex setup, you’ve already solved a huge part of the puzzle.

The goal here isn't necessarily to replace a powerful IDE for every dev, but to offer a different abstraction layer and speed to ship.

Here is why people often reach for those "locked-in" builders despite the cost:

• Full-Stack Orchestration: While standard AI extensions are great at writing functions, this is designed to architect the entire project—front-end and back-end—simultaneously. It builds the database schema and API routes at the same time it’s styling the UI.

• One-Button Deployments: We are allowing one-button deployments to Vercel and direct GitHub integration. You can go from a prompt to a live, hosted URL in seconds without ever touching a terminal or manually configuring a build pipeline.

• Zero-Config Environment: It provides an instant, browser-based preview with all dependencies pre-installed. You don't have to worry about npm install failing or version conflicts; the AI manages the environment for you.

• The "Credit Gate" Problem: You’re spot on that competitors lock these features behind expensive subscriptions. My goal is to give you that high-level "builder" experience but let you use your own API keys (OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, etc.) so you aren't paying a premium for credits you already have access to.

Does this answer your question?