v0 started as a narrower tool than it is today: describe a component, like a todo list or a landing page, and get back React and Next.js code styled with Tailwind CSS and shadcn/ui. As it grew into agentic full-stack generation, Vercel rebranded it from v0.dev to v0.app, reflecting a shift from a prompt-to-component tool into something closer to a full application builder.
Design Mode adds visual editing on top of the generated code, letting a developer or designer adjust layout and styling directly rather than only through follow-up prompts, and Figma import lets an existing design hand off directly into generation instead of starting from a text description. Its sandbox now includes Next.js API routes and Supabase integration, letting generated projects include real backend logic and a database rather than only front-end components.
Being built by Vercel, it connects naturally to Vercel's own deployment pipeline, and its tight integration with the Next.js and shadcn/ui ecosystem specifically has made it a default choice for developers already working in that stack rather than a generic cross-framework tool.