Frequently asked questions.

A bidirectional web editor lets you click any element on the rendered page to jump straight to its source code, and edit code to see the page update live — closing the gap between visual editing and code editing.

The core editor is free forever, with no account required — bidirectional sync, Monaco, live preview, CSS hot-swap, semantic visual editing, framework detection, the layers panel, and visual property editing. Kerf Pro adds one-click Vercel deploy, a snippet library, design token consolidation, and the accessibility audit. We don't plan to move free features into Pro.

Not for the free editor. Download and use it directly. An account is only required for Kerf Pro, so we can verify your subscription.

You can download Kerf free today on macOS (Apple Silicon, signed and notarized) and Linux (.deb). A signed Windows build is coming soon and will be linked from the download page once code-signing finishes.

Kerf edits any static HTML and CSS, and detects Tailwind and Bootstrap automatically. It isn't tied to a build step or a JavaScript framework — if it renders to HTML and CSS, Kerf can edit it.

Kerf works with any static HTML/CSS site. It automatically detects Tailwind and Bootstrap projects for framework-aware completions.

The opposite. Dev tools edit the live DOM and forget everything on reload. Kerf writes every change back to your actual source files, so what you edit is what ships.

Yes. Kerf picks up where Brackets left off with bidirectional editing, but uses Monaco (the VS Code editor engine) with modern features like CSS hot-swapping and click-to-source sync.

No. Kerf is a native desktop app that edits your local files in place. There's no telemetry in the editor; the only network calls are sign-in and the Pro license check.

Kerf Pro pricing is published: $96 per year or $10 per month, same features either way. Pro billing is coming soon — the pricing page shows a "Coming soon" pill while we finish setting up checkout. You can already download and use the free editor today, and upgrade in-app once Pro billing opens.

Both unlock the same Kerf Pro features: one-click Vercel deploy, the snippet library, design token consolidation, and the full accessibility audit. Monthly is $10 charged each month and stops when you cancel. Annual is $96 per year — like getting two months free versus monthly — and renews yearly until you cancel.

Yes. Annual renews once a year at $96 until you cancel — and you can switch to monthly or cancel anytime from your account. You keep Pro through the end of any period you've already paid for, and we'll never paywall features you already had.

You keep full access to the free editor — bidirectional sync, Monaco, live preview, layers, framework detection, and visual property editing all stay on. Pro features (Vercel deploy, snippets, token consolidation, accessibility audit) lock until you re-subscribe.

Yes. We offer a 14-day refund on Kerf Pro purchases — monthly or annual — no questions asked. Email support and we'll process it.

Yes. A single Kerf Pro license works on all your personal devices. We don't enforce per-machine limits as long as you're the one using them.

We don't have a formal team plan yet. If you need 5+ seats, email support — we'll work something out.

In-app. Open Kerf, click any Pro feature (the deploy panel, snippets, design tokens, or accessibility audit), and you'll get an upgrade prompt with both monthly and annual options.