What is Stately.ai?

Updated

Stately.ai is a visual platform for designing, simulating, and shipping application logic using state machines and statecharts. You use it if you want to turn flows—frontend user journeys or backend workflows—into diagrams that are also executable code, rather than static pictures that drift out of date. It fits teams working in JavaScript or TypeScript, especially those already using or willing to use XState.

What it actually does

The core idea is an executable diagram: the same artifact serves as design, documentation, and running logic.

  • Visual editor — a drag-and-drop canvas for building state machines and statecharts. No code required to create flows, so non-engineers can contribute.
  • Simulation — run the design to test and iterate before committing to implementation.
  • Code generation — export generated code in JavaScript or TypeScript, including auto-generated React apps and tests.
  • Bidirectional updates — changes in code reflect in the visualization and vice versa, so you can work in whichever mode suits you.
  • AI assistance — generate flows, suggest variants, surface edge cases, and write code at each phase.

The XState connection

Diagrams run on XState, an open-source library for orchestrating state in JavaScript and TypeScript apps. This is the mechanism that makes the diagrams executable rather than decorative.

Practical consequences:

  • No lock-in — XState is open source and usable independently of Stately.
  • Runs anywhere JavaScript runs — frontend, backend, or elsewhere.
  • Framework integrations — React, Vue, Svelte, and others.
  • Works without XState too — you can automatically visualize Redux, Zustand, and other code to get the diagram benefits in an existing codebase.

Who it's for

If you are… Stately is useful because…
A product or design team You can prototype flows and gather requirements without technical detail, then share for feedback
A frontend engineer You get React app scaffolding, test generation, and visual iteration on complex UI logic
A backend engineer You can model workflows with the same statechart approach, running on XState
A team with mixed contributors One shared source of truth replaces siloed diagrams and docs

Getting started

  1. Open the visual editor on stately.ai and build a flow, or start from a community diagram for inspiration.
  2. Simulate the design to test behavior and iterate.
  3. Generate code (JavaScript or TypeScript) or a React app prototype.
  4. Connect GitHub to sync Stately with your codebase, or use the VS Code extension to bring Stately into your editor.
  5. Inspect running apps with Stately Inspector to compare actual behavior against the design.

Pricing details are listed on the site's pricing page; check there for current plans and limits.