Zalcro is a pre-build planning tool for AI-assisted app development: you describe your app idea in plain language and it returns an Architecture Design Document, system diagrams, and a sequenced implementation plan rendered as paste-ready prompts or dependency-ordered tickets for AI coding tools.
What is Zalcro?
Zalcro is a web app that takes a plain-language description of the software you want to build and produces a build-ready blueprint before any code is generated. Its outputs are an Architecture Design Document (ADD) covering tech stack, database design, main system components, trade-offs, a plain-language summary, implementation risks, and a "what to build first" checklist; architectural diagrams; and a phased implementation plan. For vibe coding tools — Lovable, Bolt, Replit, and v0 — it produces Prompt Packs of copy-ready prompts; for coding agents such as Claude Code, Cursor, and Codex it produces dependency-aware implementation tickets readable over MCP. Projects and architecture stay saved so you can return to them mid-build.
What makes Zalcro stand out?
- Architecture Design Document — a written spec covering technology stack, database design, system components, key trade-offs, and a recommended implementation approach, plus a plain-language summary and explicit implementation risks.
- Prompt Packs for vibe coding — phase-by-phase paste prompts tailored to a specific platform (Lovable, Bolt, Replit, v0), each encoding the architecture decisions from your planning session.
- Agent-ready tickets with MCP — dependency-ordered tasks that Claude Code, Cursor, and similar agents can pull directly through the Model Context Protocol instead of re-pasting specs into new conversations.
- Versioned architecture — when requirements change at the architectural level, Zalcro can generate a new version of the ADD and diagram, each with its own implementation plan and Prompt Pack or ticket set.
- Export formats — ADDs export as Markdown, PDF, or DOCX; diagrams as images or Draw.io XML; tickets to Linear or as structured Markdown (Linear, DOCX, and Draw.io XML export are Builder tier features).
- In-project AI chat for debugging — describe an error from your coding tool and the assistant references your generated prompts and implementation steps to help work through it.
- Published sample blueprints — Homestay (planned for Lovable), Strata (planned for Replit), and Chroma (planned for Claude Code) show real generated output rather than mockups.
Who should use Zalcro?
- Non-technical first-time builders — people using Lovable, Bolt, or Replit for a first app who need the data model and feature dependencies explained in plain terms before prompting.
- Experienced developers working with coding agents — Cursor, Claude Code, and Codex users who want a dependency-ordered ticket backlog and MCP access to architecture context.
- Builders stuck mid-project — anyone whose app has degraded into what the site calls a "Jenga codebase" can return to the project chat, troubleshoot the error, and regenerate prompts or a new architecture version.
What can you do with Zalcro?
- Vibe coders shipping an MVP: plan a booking marketplace or habit tracker, then paste the phase-one prompt into Lovable or Replit with the architecture already encoded.
- Agent-driven developers: export the ticket backlog to Linear or let Claude Code read the ADD and tickets over MCP, avoiding repeated spec pasting.
- Product planners: export the Architecture Design Document as PDF or DOCX to circulate the stack, trade-offs, and risks before development starts.
How does Zalcro work?
- Describe what you want to build in plain language and answer the guided elicitation questions (typically five to ten minutes).
- Zalcro generates the Architecture Design Document and diagram, which takes about a minute.
- After you review and approve the architecture, the implementation plan and per-phase tickets generate on demand, each phase in about a minute.
- Build in your AI tool, returning to the Zalcro project chat if you hit errors.
Pricing
Zalcro is freemium with no credit card required to start. The free Starter tier includes the complete Architecture Design Document, the architectural diagram, and the first phase of build instructions — the initial paste-ready prompt or Phase 1 implementation tickets — with the project saved for return visits. The Builder tier unlocks the remaining implementation phases, including the full Prompt Pack or ticket backlog, plus Linear, DOCX, and Draw.io XML exports. Downgrading does not delete documents; gated phases unlock again on re-subscription.
FAQ
Is Zalcro free?
Yes to start. The Starter tier is free and returns the full Architecture Design Document, the diagram, and the first build phase. Remaining phases, the full Prompt Pack or ticket backlog, and Linear, DOCX, and Draw.io XML exports require the paid Builder tier.
Which AI coding tools does Zalcro support?
Zalcro generates platform-specific Prompt Packs for Lovable, Bolt, Replit, and v0, and structured tickets for Claude Code, Cursor, and Codex. The Architecture Design Document and tickets can also be consumed by any coding agent that accepts text context, or read directly over MCP.
Do I need a technical background?
The planning conversation runs in plain language, and Zalcro explains options and gives a recommendation without assuming you know what hosting or APIs are. Technical users still get value because outputs are structured for coding agents and can serve as a reference during development.
Can I change my plan after it is generated?
Yes. Small changes can be worked through in the project AI chat, which supplies updated prompts. Larger changes that affect architecture can trigger a new version of the Architecture Design Document and diagram, each with its own implementation plan and build instructions.
How long does planning take?
The guided conversation typically takes five to ten minutes depending on detail. Architecture document and diagram generation take about a minute, and each implementation phase of tickets generates in roughly a minute after you approve the architecture.
