Darce
Darce
The AI coding agent that makes you smarter, not lazier.
Darce (دَرْس) means "a lesson" in Arabic.
Website · Download · Quick Start · Roadmap
The Problem
AI coding tools made us faster but dumber. We accept diffs without reading them. We ship code we can't explain. We stopped learning.
Darce is a desktop code editor with a full AI agent that builds software — and teaches you what it's doing while it works. Think of it as a senior engineer who writes your code and explains every decision.
Open source. Local-first. Any model. Your keys.
Three Gears
You pick the depth. Switch anytime.
| Mode | What Happens | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ship | The AI builds fast. No interruptions. You ship. |
| 2 | Understand | The AI builds and explains every decision. What pattern. Why. What else it considered. |
| 3 | Learn | The AI asks you first. Then builds, explains, and quizzes you. Spaced repetition in your workflow. |
Features
AI Agent
- Creates files, runs terminal commands, reads your codebase, installs dependencies
- Agentic loop with tool calling — plans, executes, verifies
- Full project context in every request (file tree, open files, terminal output)
Editor
- Monaco (same engine as VS Code) with syntax highlighting, autocomplete, IntelliSense
- Multi-tab, file tree with search, context menus
- Ctrl+S saves to disk. All keyboard shortcuts you'd expect.
Teaching
- AI-powered code analysis after every action
- Concept cards with adjustable depth (Brief / Standard / Deep / ELI5)
- Interactive quizzes in Learn mode
- Understands patterns across React, CSS, TypeScript, Node.js, and more
Platform
- 200+ models via OpenRouter — Claude, GPT, Gemini, Llama, Grok, Kimi, and more
- ~8MB installer. Native desktop. Built with Tauri + Rust.
- Chat history saved per project. Settings persist. Last project reopens on launch.
- Bring your own API key. No account required. No data collection.
Quick Start
Download
Download Darce — pick the installer for your platform:
| Platform | Format |
|---|---|
| Windows | .msi or .exe |
| macOS | .dmg |
| Linux | .deb or .AppImage |
Build From Source
Prerequisites: Node.js 18+, Rust, C++ build tools (Windows / macOS: xcode-select --install)
git clone https://github.com/AmerSarhan/darce.git
cd darce
npm install
npm run tauri dev
On first launch: paste your OpenRouter API key. Open a folder. Start building.
Architecture
| Layer | Technology |
|---|---|
| Desktop | Tauri 2 (Rust) |
| Frontend | Svelte 5, TypeScript |
| Editor | Monaco Editor |
| Styling | Tailwind CSS v4 |
| AI | OpenRouter (tool calling, SSE streaming) |
What Makes Darce Different
Most AI coding tools optimize for speed. Darce optimizes for understanding.
Teaching is built in, not bolted on. Every file the AI writes gets broken down into concepts, patterns, and decisions — automatically.
Model agnostic. 200+ models through one API key. Switch mid-conversation. No vendor lock-in.
Lightweight. ~8MB native app. Tauri + Rust. Not Electron.
Open source. MIT. Fork it, extend it, own it.
Roadmap
- Anthropic Direct API support
- Claude Code CLI integration (use your Claude Max/Pro subscription)
- Ollama local model support
- Git integration (status, commit, diff)
- Live browser preview
- VS Code extension (Learn mode as a standalone extension)
- Concept progress tracking across sessions
- Community concept library
See open issues for what's being worked on.
Contributing
Contributions welcome. Check CONTRIBUTING.md for setup instructions. Issues labeled good first issue are a good starting point.
git clone https://github.com/AmerSarhan/darce.git
cd darce && npm install && npm run tauri dev
License
