Native and light
A small desktop app on Tauri and Rust instead of a bundled Chromium. Design targets: under 10 MB installer, under 800 ms cold start, under 80 MB idle memory.
Target, not measured yetConcept in development. Phase 0 prototype is live.
Design beyond code.
Somnia is a web design studio that renders in a real browser, writes clean HTML and CSS you own, and has an AI that sees your canvas. We are building it in the open, one honest step at a time.
Runs in Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari. No install, no account. The native desktop app does not exist yet.
Why Somnia
Dreamweaver stopped moving. The cloud tools took your code hostage.
There is a gap for a fast, beautiful visual editor that treats HTML and CSS as the real product. That is the whole idea.
A canvas that tells the truth
The preview is a real browser rendering your real code. If it looks right in the editor, it looks right when you ship it. No fake design view.
Working in the prototypeYour files, forever
Plain HTML, CSS and JS on your disk. Export or deploy anywhere. No project format, no lock-in, no ransom for your own work.
Working in the prototypeWhat it does
Built step by step. Each block is marked with where it stands.
Working in the prototype
Code and design, in sync.
Split view puts code on one side and the canvas on the other. Type in the code and the canvas updates. Drag, drop and style on the canvas and the file updates. One shared undo history covers both.
- CodeMirror 6 editor for HTML, CSS and JS
- Click, drag, reorder, duplicate and edit text in place
- Layers tree with drag and drop
Working in the prototype
Responsive by design, not by accident.
Switch to tablet or mobile and every change you make is written as a real media query. The desktop style stays untouched, and undo removes it again.
- Desktop 1280, tablet 820, mobile 390
- Overrides saved as readable CSS in your file
- Margin and padding shown right on the canvas
Planned
An AI that sees your canvas.
Oneiroi, the AI layer, will not only read code. It will see hierarchy, spacing and color. Select an element and ask for a change, then review every edit as a diff before it lands. Bring your own key or run local models.
- Diff review for every change, accept or reject per hunk
- Accessibility audit with suggested fixes
- Your keys, your data, a fully offline mode
Planned
Frameworks as first-class citizens.
Vanilla HTML first, then Tailwind and Bootstrap with real component libraries, then React and Vue. The output stays idiomatic code you would be happy to commit.
- Semantic HTML, class-based CSS
- No vendor runtime injected into your site
- Deploy by ZIP, SFTP or GitHub Pages
Performance budget
Numbers we hold ourselves to.
These are targets from our performance budget. We will publish measurements when there is a native build to measure.
< 10 MBinstaller
< 800 mscold start
< 80 MBidle memory
16 msframe budget while dragging
Planned
Coming from Dreamweaver?
You built hundreds of sites there and it worked. Then it stopped evolving. The plan is to open your existing projects, turn templates into modern components, and keep the split view you know, only faster.
Today you can already open a folder of plain HTML files from disk in a Chromium browser and edit it in the prototype.
Honest status
What exists today, and what does not.
Exists
- Browser prototype with canvas, layers, properties, code and split view
- In-place text editing, drag and drop, shared undo
- Tablet and mobile overrides as real media queries
- Multi-file projects, preview, ZIP export, command palette
- Open a local folder and save back (Chromium only)
Does not exist yet
- The native desktop app and its installers
- The AI layer (Oneiroi)
- Tailwind, Bootstrap, React and Vue support
- Extension SDK and marketplace
- A price, a license key or a download button
Roadmap
Twelve months from foundation to launch.
- Phase 0Foundation
Open a folder, edit in code view, see it on the canvas, save. The browser prototype covers this and more.
- Phase 1Core WYSIWYG
Build a simple page visually. Closed alpha.
- Phase 2Frameworks and polish
Bootstrap and Tailwind, a competent code editor. Public beta.
- Phase 3Professional features
AI layer, accessibility audit, deploy panel, extensions.
- Phase 4 and 5Launch
Signing, installers, docs, release candidate, v1.0.
FAQ
Questions about Somnia and Dreamweaver alternatives.
What is Somnia?
Somnia is a visual web design studio that is currently in development. It renders your page on a real browser canvas, writes clean HTML and CSS that you own, and is planned to include an AI layer that sees your design. A browser prototype (Phase 0) is available today.
Is Somnia a Dreamweaver alternative?
That is the goal. Somnia targets people who liked the split code and design view of Dreamweaver and want a fast, modern tool that keeps plain HTML and CSS as the real product. It is not a finished replacement yet: the native desktop app does not exist and only the browser prototype is available.
Can I download Somnia?
Not yet. There is no installer, no price and no license key. You can open the Phase 0 prototype in a Chromium, Firefox or Safari browser without an account. Opening and saving local folders works in Chromium browsers.
Does Somnia lock my work into a project format?
No. The design principle is plain HTML, CSS and JS files on your disk that you can export or deploy anywhere.
What is planned next?
Phase 1 is a core visual editor for building a simple page, as a closed alpha. After that come Tailwind and Bootstrap support, an AI layer with diff review, an accessibility audit, a deploy panel, and finally native installers.
Per aspera ad astra
Through the rough, to the stars.
Try what exists. It is rough in places, and it already works.
Open the Phase 0 prototype