Same

When you first land on Same’s sleek homepage, you’re greeted with a promise that feels almost audacious: copy any website’s user interface with a single prompt. This isn’t just a tool for developers; it’s a shortcut for anyone who’s ever stared at a stunning website and thought, “I want that, but without the months of coding.” Same, built by Y Combinator-backed Million Software, delivers on this promise with a blend of AI-driven precision and user-friendly design. You input a URL, and within moments, the tool churns out a React project that mirrors the target site’s look and feel. It’s like having a digital artist who can replicate a masterpiece, then hand you the canvas to tweak as you please.

The magic lies in its simplicity. The “Clone UI” feature lets you enter a website’s URL, and Same’s AI scans the page, extracting its structure, styles, and even images with surprising accuracy. For example, users have reported success in replicating clean, image-heavy landing pages, like those for streaming services, complete with hover effects and responsive layouts. The tool then packages this into a React project, ready for customization or deployment. Another standout is the “Deploy to Netlify” feature, which takes your cloned project and puts it online in a few clicks, leveraging Next.js for server-side rendering and static site generation. Developers love this for its speed, especially when prototyping or testing designs. The “Fork Project” option adds another layer of flexibility, letting you build on existing projects without starting from scratch, which is great for collaborative teams or iterative design work.

But it’s not all smooth sailing. Same shines with simpler layouts but can stumble on complex, dynamic interfaces like e-commerce dashboards or heavily interactive sites. User feedback on platforms like Reddit mentions occasional hiccups, such as the tool failing to replicate intricate JavaScript-driven features or getting stuck on data-heavy pages. This isn’t a dealbreaker for most, but if your project hinges on pixel-perfect replication of a site like Airbnb’s homepage, you might need to temper expectations. Pricing-wise, Same offers a free tier that’s generous for casual users, with premium plans unlocking higher usage limits. Compared to competitors like V0, which generates web apps from text prompts, or Bolt, focused on full-stack development, Same’s niche is its laser focus on UI cloning. It’s not trying to be a jack-of-all-trades, which is both its strength and its limitation.

What might surprise you is the public nature of projects created with a free account. Your cloned site’s chat log and files are briefly visible on Same’s homepage, which could be a privacy concern for some. Netcraft has noted this feature’s misuse by bad actors for phishing, though the Same team is quick to address such issues. The tool’s integration with Netlify also means your project gets a unique subdomain, which is handy but predictable, potentially exposing early drafts to curious eyes. Still, the community buzz on X highlights Same’s appeal for rapid prototyping, with developers sharing how they’ve spun up portfolio sites or client mockups in hours, not days.

For those looking to dip their toes into web development or speed up their workflow, Same is a compelling choice. Its AI-driven approach feels like a glimpse into the future of coding, where barriers to entry are lower than ever. If you’re a developer or designer, try starting with a simple landing page to test its cloning prowess. Tweak the generated code in your favorite editor, and deploy it to see how it holds up. For more complex projects, pair it with tools like V0 for added functionality. Just keep an eye on project visibility settings to avoid unwanted exposure.