Deploy Your AI-Built App for Free

You built an app with AI. It works on your machine. Now you want other people to use it. The good news: you can deploy an AI app for free using GitHub and Vercel, and if you built it in Dyad, you do not need to touch the command line at all.

What you need

• A working Dyad app running locally. If you have not built one yet, follow the vibe coding beginner tutorial.
• A GitHub account (free).
• A Vercel account (free tier is enough).

That is the full list. No paid plans, no credit card, no server to configure.

Step 1: Connect Dyad to GitHub

Dyad has a built-in GitHub integration. You do not need to install Git or use a terminal.

1. Open your app in Dyad.
2. Click the app name in the top-left corner to open the app details card.
3. Click Connect to GitHub.
4. Dyad will walk you through authorizing access. You choose which GitHub organizations and repos Dyad can see. Only you can push code to your repos.

If you have not created a GitHub repository yet, create one on GitHub first. Pick private if you do not want other people to see the source code. You can always make it public later.

Step 2: Sync your code to GitHub

After connecting, you will see a Sync to GitHub button on the app details card.

1. Click Sync to GitHub.
2. Dyad pushes your local project files to the GitHub repository.

That is the whole process. Your code is now on GitHub. Every file, every version. You can verify by opening the repository on github.com.

When you want to deploy an AI app for free, this push step is what connects your local project to the hosting pipeline. Every time you sync, any connected hosting provider (like Vercel) picks up the new code automatically.

Step 3: Import your repo into Vercel

Vercel is a hosting provider with a free tier that works well for the JavaScript apps Dyad generates. Setup takes about two minutes.

1. Go to vercel.com/new.
2. Click Continue with GitHub and sign in with your GitHub account.
3. You will see a section called Import Git Repository with a list of your GitHub repos. Find the repo you just synced and click Import.
4. Vercel detects the framework (usually Vite) automatically. In most cases, you can click Deploy without changing any settings.
5. If your app uses environment variables (for example, Supabase keys or API tokens), add them in the Environment Variables section before deploying. If you forget, you can add them later in your Vercel project settings.

Vercel builds your app and gives you a URL like your-app-name.vercel.app. Open it. Your app is live.

Step 4: Push updates

Whenever you make changes in Dyad, just click Sync to GitHub again. Vercel detects the new push and redeploys automatically. You do not need to log into Vercel or trigger anything manually.

The cycle is: build locally in Dyad, sync to GitHub, Vercel deploys. This is how you deploy an AI app for free on an ongoing basis, not just once.

Collaborating with GitHub

If you are working on a project with other people, Dyad includes Git collaboration features beyond basic syncing.

Branch management

Dyad supports branch management so you can keep changes organized. This is useful when multiple people are working on the same app, or when you want to experiment without affecting the main version.

If you hit merge conflicts, you will need to resolve those outside of Dyad using GitHub Desktop or another Git tool. Dyad handles the common cases, but complex merges still require a dedicated Git interface.

Git Pull UI

When someone else pushes changes to your GitHub repo, Dyad surfaces a Git Pull interface so you can pull those updates into your local project. Syncing now pulls in remote changes before pushing your local changes, which reduces conflicts.

Uncommitted files banner

If files in your project change outside of Dyad (for example, from a manual edit in VS Code), Dyad shows an uncommitted files banner. Click it to open a review and commit dialog where you can see what changed and save those changes to version history.

Dyad automatically commits changes in most cases. The banner is a safety net for edits that happen outside of the normal Dyad workflow.

Why this works for AI-built apps

Apps built with Dyad use standard frameworks and project structures. The output is a normal codebase with a package.json, standard folder layout, and no proprietary runtime. This is important because it means you can deploy an AI app for free using any hosting provider that supports JavaScript apps, not just Vercel. Netlify, Cloudflare Pages, and others all work the same way.

There is no lock-in. Your code is on your machine and on GitHub. If you want to switch hosting providers, disconnect from one and connect to another. The code does not change.

Things to keep in mind

• Security. Once deployed, your app is visible to anyone with the URL. If it handles sensitive data, add proper authentication before deploying. Dyad supports Supabase integration for auth and database features.
• Environment variables. API keys and secrets should go in Vercel's environment variable settings, not in your source code. Vercel keeps these encrypted and separate from your public repo.
• Vercel free tier limits. The free plan covers hobby projects and personal apps. If your app gets significant traffic, you may eventually need a paid plan. For most apps built with an AI app builder, the free tier is more than enough.
• Custom domains. Vercel lets you connect a custom domain on the free plan. You buy the domain separately and point it at Vercel.

Quick reference

The entire process to deploy an AI app for free:

1. Build your app in Dyad.
2. Click Connect to GitHub and authorize.
3. Click Sync to GitHub to push your code.
4. Sign in to Vercel with GitHub.
5. Import your repo and click Deploy.
6. Open your live URL.

After initial setup, ongoing deploys are a single click: Sync to GitHub. Vercel handles the rest.

Dyad is open-source and free to download at dyad.sh. It runs on Mac, Windows, and Linux, and supports AI models from OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, and local providers. You bring your own API keys and keep full control of your code.