> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://vlyai-1c28d863.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# FAQ

> Answers to the most common questions about vly.ai — what it builds, what it doesn't, pricing, exporting, and how it compares.

The questions we hear most often, organized so you can skim. Use the table of contents on the right to jump.

## About the product

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="What does vly generate, exactly?" icon="code">
    A complete deployed app. The frontend is React + Vite + Tailwind + shadcn/ui. The backend is [Convex](/convex/overview) — a real-time database with serverless queries, mutations, actions, scheduled functions, file storage, vector search, and full-text search. Auth, deployment, and a public URL are included.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I see the code?" icon="eye">
    Yes. Every file is visible and editable in the in-browser editor. Drop into [Code mode](/building/code-mode) to make manual edits at any time.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I export the code?" icon="download">
    Code export is on the [roadmap](/resources/roadmap) but not currently shipped. Today, your app runs on vly's managed infrastructure. You connect a custom domain and own the data.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What languages and frameworks does vly use?" icon="languages">
    React + TypeScript on the frontend (Vite, Tailwind, shadcn/ui, React Router). Convex (TypeScript) on the backend. End-to-end types — the same `Project` type Convex returns is the type your component consumes. No DTO mapping, no codegen.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Why Convex and not Postgres / Supabase / Firebase?" icon="database">
    Convex's reactive sync (queries that auto-update on the client when underlying data changes) is the killer feature for the kind of apps vly users build — dashboards, collaboration tools, chats, multiplayer. End-to-end TypeScript and serverless functions remove a lot of boilerplate. Read [the Convex deep dive](/convex/overview) for the full case.

    You can still use Supabase, Postgres, MongoDB, and others as integrations — they're just not the primary store.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Is it just a chatbot wrapped around a code template?" icon="meh">
    No. vly's pipeline is plan → typed-codegen → build → preview, with a closed-loop type-checker that retries failed builds before showing them to you. The agent has access to your full codebase context, not just snippets, and uses one of three production-grade coding models (Claude Code, OpenAI Codex, Gemini CLI).
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Pricing & plans

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="What does it cost?" icon="dollar-sign">
    Free tier is enough to build and deploy your first few apps. Paid plans start at **\$3/month** — typically 7× cheaper than comparable AI app builders. See [plans & pricing](/getting-started/plans-and-pricing) for the full breakdown.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What are credits?" icon="coins">
    Credits meter your agent runs. A typical small change costs 1–3 credits; a large refactor 5–15. Plans include a monthly allotment; you can buy more or upgrade at any time. See [Credits](/features/billing/credits).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Is there a free trial?" icon="gift">
    The Free plan *is* the trial — no time limit, no credit card. You get a credit allotment to try real builds.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I deploy a free-tier app to a custom domain?" icon="globe">
    Custom domains are a paid feature. Free-tier apps live at `*.vly.app`. See [plans & pricing](/getting-started/plans-and-pricing).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Do you have an enterprise / team plan?" icon="briefcase">
    Yes. Team and enterprise tiers add SSO, SCIM provisioning, audit logs, dedicated support, and contracts. [Contact us](mailto:enterprise@vly.ai).
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Workflow & limits

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="How long does a build take?" icon="clock">
    Small changes (1–2 files): 5–20 seconds. Medium features (new page, new schema table): 30–90 seconds. Major rewrites: 2–5 minutes. Plan mode adds 5–15 seconds upfront but typically saves 2–3 round-trips.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can multiple people work on the same project?" icon="users">
    Yes. Projects support [real-time collaboration](/building/real-time-collaboration) — multiple editors see each other's changes live, with cursor presence. Branching and review live in [Branching](/building/branching).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I roll back a change?" icon="undo">
    Yes. Every prompt produces a new revision in [version history](/building/version-history). One click to roll back; one click to compare diffs.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Are there rate limits?" icon="gauge">
    Rate limits apply per-workspace based on plan. The Free plan caps concurrent builds and total monthly credits. Paid plans relax both. See [Rate limits](/api-reference/rate-limits) for the API equivalents.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I use it offline?" icon="wifi-off">
    No — vly runs in the cloud. The agent needs cloud compute and the build pipeline runs on vly's infrastructure.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## AI agents

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Which agent should I use?" icon="bot">
    Default: **Claude Code**. Best general-purpose pick. Switch to **OpenAI Codex** for tight, surgical edits and **Gemini CLI** for multi-file design and schema work. See [Choosing an agent](/features/agents/choosing-an-agent) for the full decision tree.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I switch agents mid-project?" icon="arrow-right-left">
    Yes. Choose a different agent for any individual prompt. The whole-project context is shared between agents.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Are my prompts and code used to train models?" icon="shield">
    No. vly does not use customer prompts, code, or data to train models. Provider zero-data-retention agreements are enabled by default. See [Security overview](/security/overview) and [Data export](/security/data-export).
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Integrations

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Which integrations does vly support?" icon="puzzle">
    50+ first-class integrations across payments (Stripe, LemonSqueezy), auth (Clerk, Auth0, WorkOS), email (Resend, SendGrid), AI (OpenAI, Anthropic, Replicate), analytics (PostHog, Mixpanel), and more. See the full [Integrations directory](/integrations/directory).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I add an integration that's not on the list?" icon="plus">
    Yes. Any third-party REST or GraphQL API can be called from a [Convex action](/convex/actions). For OAuth-based integrations, follow the [custom integration guide](/integrations/overview#custom-integrations).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How are API keys for integrations stored?" icon="key">
    Encrypted at rest, scoped per environment, never exposed to client code. Set them via the integrations dashboard or `vly secrets set`. See [Secrets management](/security/secrets-management).
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Comparisons

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="vly vs Lovable" icon="scale">
    Both ship full-stack output. **vly's backend is Convex** (reactive by default); Lovable defaults to Supabase. **vly is meaningfully cheaper** (\$3/mo vs higher). vly offers **three agent options** instead of one. See [Migrating from Lovable](/migration/from-lovable).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="vly vs v0" icon="scale">
    v0 ships beautiful **frontend-only output**. You bring your own backend, auth, database, deploy. vly ships everything wired up. Pick v0 if you only need a UI; vly if you need a working app.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="vly vs Bolt.new" icon="scale">
    Bolt focuses on rapid in-browser prototyping. vly focuses on **production-ready output** with a managed backend, real-time data, and custom domains. See [Migrating from Bolt](/migration/from-bolt).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="vly vs Replit Agent" icon="scale">
    Replit is a generalist coding environment + agent. vly is **specialized for production React + Convex apps** with a documented happy path and integrated deployment. Pick Replit for general-purpose dev; vly for product-shipping speed.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="vly vs Cursor / Windsurf" icon="scale">
    Those are AI **coding assistants** that you run in your existing editor. vly is an AI **app builder** that owns the full pipeline from prompt to deploy. They complement each other — many vly users use Cursor for hand-editing locally exported code (when that ships).
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Support

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="How do I get help?" icon="life-buoy">
    Start with [Troubleshooting](/troubleshooting/overview) — covers 90% of common issues. Then check the FAQ above. If you're still stuck, email [support@vly.ai](mailto:support@vly.ai) or join the [Discord](https://discord.gg/vly).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Is there a community?" icon="users">
    Yes — the [vly Discord](https://discord.gg/vly) is the main hub. Showcase channel, help channel, and weekly office hours.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I file a feature request?" icon="lightbulb">
    Yes — share it in #feature-requests on Discord, or email [feedback@vly.ai](mailto:feedback@vly.ai). The most-requested items make the [roadmap](/resources/roadmap).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How do I report a security issue?" icon="shield-alert">
    Email [security@vly.ai](mailto:security@vly.ai) directly. Do not file public issues. See [Security compliance](/security/compliance) for our disclosure policy.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Still have questions?

<CardGroup cols={3}>
  <Card title="Quickstart" icon="rocket" href="/getting-started/quickstart">
    Just try it. Five minutes.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Discord" icon="message-circle" href="https://discord.gg/vly">
    Live community. Office hours weekly.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Email support" icon="mail" href="mailto:support@vly.ai">
    Direct line for technical issues.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>


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