Comparison
OpenThorn vs Durable
Facts last verified: . Competitor pricing changes — check their site for current numbers.
Durable generates a small-business website in about 30 seconds and bundles CRM, invoicing, and marketing tools on paid plans from roughly $12/month (billed annually). OpenThorn is free and BYOK — you pay your AI provider's raw token rates, typically cents to a few dollars per site, and you own the generated React source code outright.
Durable targets small-business owners who want a website plus business tools (CRM, invoicing, AI marketing) with zero technical involvement — and it is genuinely fast. The trade-offs are ownership and flexibility: Durable sites live on Durable, and AI usage is bundled into the subscription. OpenThorn generates real source code with your own provider key, free, with per-token costs.
| Feature | OpenThorn | Durable |
|---|---|---|
| Platform price | Free — no subscription, no platform fee | Free plan (3 pages, subdomain); paid plans from ~$12/month billed annually |
| AI usage billing | You pay your provider directly at raw per-token rates | Included in subscription |
| Bring your own API key | Yes — 17 providers | No |
| What you get | Real React source code you fully own | A hosted site plus CRM, invoicing, and marketing tools |
| Code export | Full source export, no paywall; deploy anywhere | No source export — sites stay on Durable's platform |
| Best for | Anyone who wants owned, customizable code at token prices | Non-technical small-business owners who want site + business tools in one bill |
Common questions
Is OpenThorn a free alternative to Durable?
Yes, for the website itself — OpenThorn is free and a typical site costs cents to a few dollars in provider tokens. Durable's value is the bundled business suite (CRM, invoicing, marketing); if you need those tools, that is what its subscription pays for.
Can I export my website from Durable?
No — Durable sites are hosted on Durable and there is no source-code export. OpenThorn generates React source you can export, push to GitHub, and host anywhere, including for free on Netlify.
Should I use Durable or OpenThorn?
Pick Durable if you run a small business, want a site live in minutes with zero technical steps, and value the bundled CRM and invoicing. Pick OpenThorn if you want full ownership of the code, model choice, and per-token pricing instead of a subscription.
Verdict
Durable is the fastest path to a small-business site with bundled business tools. OpenThorn gives you actual source code, free, at token prices. Choose based on whether you want a managed business suite or owned, portable code.
New to BYOK? Read what a BYOK AI website builder is, compare model pricing, or see the other comparisons: OpenThorn vs Lovable · OpenThorn vs Bolt.new · OpenThorn vs v0 (Vercel) · OpenThorn vs Framer · OpenThorn vs Wix AI