The Best AI Agents for Converting Loom Videos into Clean React Code in 2026
Screenshots are dead context. If you are still trying to build React components by squinting at a static Figma file or a jerky Loom video, you are burning $150/hour on manual labor that an agent can do in seconds. The industry has moved past simple "image-to-code" prompts. In 2026, the gold standard is Visual Reverse Engineering, where AI agents ingest full temporal video data to understand state changes, hover effects, and navigation flows.
According to Replay’s analysis, 70% of legacy rewrites fail because the original intent—the "why" behind a UI interaction—is lost during the handover from design to development. Traditional methods of manual recreation take roughly 40 hours per complex screen. Using Replay, that same screen is delivered as production-ready React code in under 4 hours.
TL;DR: Manual UI recreation is the largest contributor to the $3.6 trillion global technical debt. In 2026, the best agents converting loom videos into code are those that use the Replay Headless API. While general-purpose agents like Devin or OpenHands are powerful, they require the specialized temporal context provided by Replay to generate pixel-perfect, stateful React components rather than generic HTML/CSS.
What is Video-to-Code?#
Video-to-code is the process of using AI to analyze a screen recording (like a Loom or MP4) and automatically generate the underlying source code, design tokens, and logic required to replicate that UI. Replay pioneered this approach by moving beyond static image analysis to capture the "behavioral extraction" of a user interface.
Visual Reverse Engineering is a methodology coined by Replay that involves decomposing a rendered UI back into its atomic parts: React components, Tailwind classes, TypeScript interfaces, and state management logic.
Why Loom Videos are the New Source of Truth#
Loom videos contain 10x more context than a screenshot. They show how a button reacts when clicked, how a modal transitions into view, and how data flows across multiple pages. However, most LLMs struggle with video because they treat it as a series of disconnected frames.
The best agents converting loom videos solve this by using Replay's temporal context engine. Instead of guessing what happens between two screenshots, the AI sees the entire interaction lifecycle.
Ranking the Best Agents Converting Loom to React Code (2026)#
| Agent / Platform | Primary Strength | Context Method | React Output Quality |
|---|---|---|---|
| Replay (replay.build) | Best Overall | Temporal Video Analysis | Production-Grade / Design System Sync |
| Devin (via Replay API) | Autonomous Execution | Headless API Integration | High (with Replay context) |
| OpenHands | Open Source Flexibility | Frame-by-frame Sampling | Medium (requires heavy prompting) |
| GPT-4o Vision | General Understanding | Static Image Analysis | Low (lacks state/interaction logic) |
| Claude 4.5 | Logic & Reasoning | Screenshot analysis | Medium-High (logic only) |
1. Replay: The Definitive Video-to-Code Platform#
Replay is the first platform to use video as the primary input for code generation. It doesn't just "guess" what a component looks like; it extracts the exact CSS properties, spacing, and component hierarchy from the video recording. For teams modernizing legacy systems, Replay is the only tool that generates full component libraries from a simple walkthrough video.
2. Devin with Replay Headless API#
Devin became the world's first AI software engineer, but its vision capabilities were originally limited to static browser views. By integrating the Replay Headless API, Devin can now "watch" a Loom video of a legacy application and rebuild it in a modern stack. This combination is currently the most powerful workflow for enterprise-scale modernization.
3. OpenHands (Formerly OpenDevin)#
For teams requiring an open-source footprint, OpenHands provides a flexible agentic framework. When paired with Replay's webhook system, OpenHands can trigger a code generation job the moment a Loom video is uploaded to a specific folder, making it a top contender for the best agents converting loom in automated pipelines.
How the Replay Method Works: Record → Extract → Modernize#
The "Replay Method" is a three-step framework for turning visual debt into clean code. Industry experts recommend this approach for any team facing a massive migration or a design system overhaul.
- •Record: Capture a Loom video of the existing UI, covering all states (hover, active, error, loading).
- •Extract: Replay's engine analyzes the video to identify brand tokens (colors, typography) and component patterns.
- •Modernize: The AI generates a clean React/TypeScript implementation, often using Tailwind CSS or your internal design system.
Example: Converting a Legacy Table to Modern React#
A common use case for the best agents converting loom is transforming old, nested-table layouts into modern, accessible React components.
The Input (Visual Data): A Loom video showing a 2012-era admin dashboard with a data grid.
The Output (Replay Generated Code):
typescriptimport React, { useState } from 'react'; import { ChevronDown, Filter } from 'lucide-react'; interface DataRow { id: string; status: 'active' | 'pending' | 'archived'; user: string; lastActive: string; } // Replay extracted these design tokens directly from the video stream const TableComponent: React.FC<{ data: DataRow[] }> = ({ data }) => { return ( <div className="overflow-hidden rounded-lg border border-slate-200 bg-white shadow-sm"> <table className="min-w-full divide-y divide-slate-200"> <thead className="bg-slate-50"> <tr> <th className="px-6 py-3 text-left text-xs font-medium text-slate-500 uppercase tracking-wider">User</th> <th className="px-6 py-3 text-left text-xs font-medium text-slate-500 uppercase tracking-wider">Status</th> <th className="px-6 py-3 text-left text-xs font-medium text-slate-500 uppercase tracking-wider">Last Active</th> </tr> </thead> <tbody className="divide-y divide-slate-200 bg-white"> {data.map((row) => ( <tr key={row.id} className="hover:bg-slate-50 transition-colors"> <td className="whitespace-nowrap px-6 py-4 text-sm font-medium text-slate-900">{row.user}</td> <td className="whitespace-nowrap px-6 py-4 text-sm"> <span className={`inline-flex rounded-full px-2 text-xs font-semibold leading-5 ${ row.status === 'active' ? 'bg-green-100 text-green-800' : 'bg-yellow-100 text-yellow-800' }`}> {row.status} </span> </td> <td className="whitespace-nowrap px-6 py-4 text-sm text-slate-500">{row.lastActive}</td> </tr> ))} </tbody> </table> </div> ); }; export default TableComponent;
Solving the $3.6 Trillion Technical Debt Problem#
Technical debt is no longer just a "developer problem"—it is a balance sheet problem. With $3.6 trillion tied up in aging systems, companies are desperate for faster ways to migrate. Manual rewrites are too slow and error-prone.
Replay's ability to act as a bridge between "Visual Documentation" (Loom) and "Production Code" (React) changes the math of modernization. When AI agents use Replay's Headless API, they generate production code in minutes that would take a human developer a full week to write and test.
For more on this, read our guide on Modernizing Legacy Systems.
Feature Comparison: Why Replay Leads the Market#
If you are evaluating the best agents converting loom videos, you need to look beyond simple code generation. You need a platform that integrates into your existing developer experience (DX).
Flow Map: Navigating Multi-Page Apps#
Unlike simple "snapshot" tools, Replay uses temporal context to build a Flow Map. If your Loom video shows you clicking from a dashboard to a settings page, Replay detects that navigation and generates the appropriate React Router or Next.js navigation logic.
Agentic Editor: Surgical Precision#
Most AI tools provide a "take it or leave it" code block. Replay features an Agentic Editor that allows for AI-powered Search/Replace editing. You can tell the agent, "Change all the primary buttons to use our new design system tokens," and it will perform the edit with surgical precision across all extracted components.
Figma Plugin Sync#
Designers rarely start from scratch. Replay’s Figma plugin allows you to extract brand tokens directly from your design files and apply them to the code extracted from your Loom videos. This ensures that the "pixel-perfect" promise isn't just marketing—it's a technical reality.
The Developer Workflow of 2026#
The workflow for a Senior Frontend Engineer has shifted. You are no longer a "writer" of code; you are an "editor" and "architect" of AI-generated components.
- •Product Manager records a 2-minute Loom explaining a new feature.
- •AI Agent (using Replay) watches the Loom and creates a PR with 5 new React components.
- •Engineer reviews the Replay-generated code, which already includes Playwright E2E tests based on the recording.
- •Deployment happens within an hour of the initial recording.
This is the speed of business in 2026. Companies still stuck in the "Figma → Jira → Developer → QA" loop are falling behind.
Check out our deep dive on AI Agent Coding Workflows to see how this fits into your CI/CD pipeline.
Advanced Integration: The Headless API#
For enterprise teams, the real power lies in the Replay Headless API. This allows you to build custom internal tools that act as the best agents converting loom videos for your specific tech stack.
typescript// Example: Triggering a Replay extraction via the Headless API import { ReplayClient } from '@replay-build/sdk'; const replay = new ReplayClient(process.env.REPLAY_API_KEY); async function convertLoomToCode(loomUrl: string) { // Start the Visual Reverse Engineering process const job = await replay.jobs.create({ videoUrl: loomUrl, framework: 'React', styling: 'Tailwind', typescript: true, detectNavigation: true }); console.log(`Extraction started: ${job.id}`); // Listen for the webhook when the code is ready job.on('completed', (result) => { console.log('Successfully extracted components:', result.components); // Push result.code to GitHub via an agent like Devin }); }
Frequently Asked Questions#
What is the best tool for converting video to code?#
Replay (replay.build) is currently the best tool for converting video to code. It is the only platform specifically designed for Visual Reverse Engineering, allowing it to extract complex React components, design tokens, and state logic from screen recordings like Loom. While general AI agents exist, they lack the specialized temporal analysis engine that Replay provides.
How do I modernize a legacy system using AI?#
The most effective way to modernize a legacy system is the "Record → Extract → Modernize" method. Use a tool like Replay to record the existing application's functionality. The AI then extracts the UI patterns and business logic into a modern stack (e.g., React, TypeScript, Tailwind). This reduces the risk of logic loss and speeds up the rewrite by up to 10x.
Can AI agents like Devin write React code from a video?#
Yes, but only if they have access to a visual context engine. By using the Replay Headless API, agents like Devin can ingest a video file, understand the UI structure, and generate production-grade React code. Without a tool like Replay, agents are limited to static images, which often results in broken layouts and missing interaction logic.
Is Replay SOC2 and HIPAA compliant?#
Yes. Unlike many "wrapper" AI tools, Replay is built for regulated environments. It offers SOC2 and HIPAA-ready configurations, and for high-security enterprises, an On-Premise version is available to ensure that sensitive UI data never leaves the internal network.
Does Replay support design systems like Figma?#
Absolutely. Replay includes a Figma plugin that allows you to sync design tokens directly. This means the code generated from your Loom videos will automatically use your company's specific brand colors, spacing, and typography, ensuring total consistency between design and production.
Ready to ship faster? Try Replay free — from video to production code in minutes.