# Free SwiftUI Chat App Templates and UI Kits

> By Lawrence Arya, Founder & CEO of VP0. Published 2026-06-01, updated 2026-06-02. 5 min read.
> Source: https://vp0.com/blogs/swiftui-chat

You do not have to build a chat UI from scratch. Open-source SwiftUI frameworks and a free design reference get you a real chat screen in minutes.

**TL;DR.** For a free SwiftUI chat UI you have good options: open-source frameworks like exyte/Chat (customizable cells plus a media picker), SwiftyChat, and ChatUI, plus the build-from-design path where VP0, the free iOS design library, gives an AI builder a chat reference to generate your own. Use a framework for speed or a VP0 reference for full control. Either way, get the message list, bubbles, input, and streaming right.

Looking for a free SwiftUI chat app template? The short answer: you do not have to build chat from scratch. There are solid open-source SwiftUI frameworks, and there is the build-from-design path where VP0, the free iOS design library for AI builders, hands an AI builder a chat reference to generate your own. Use a framework for speed or a VP0 reference for full control. Either way, the message list, bubbles, input, and streaming are what matter. For context, roughly 62% of developers [already use AI tools](https://survey.stackoverflow.co/2024/ai) day to day.

## Who this is for

This is for developers who want a chat screen in a SwiftUI app and would rather start from a template or reference than build the list, bubbles, and keyboard handling by hand.

## The free options, by control

There are two routes. Open-source frameworks give you a working chat fast if you accept their structure: [exyte/Chat](https://github.com/exyte/chat) is a SwiftUI chat framework with fully customizable message cells and a built-in media picker, [SwiftyChat](https://github.com/EnesKaraosman/SwiftyChat) is a SwiftUI chat UI framework, and [ChatUI](https://github.com/x-0o0/ChatUI) provides SwiftUI chat components with example projects. The other route is building your own from a design reference, which gives full control over bubbles, streaming, and styling, and an AI builder makes it nearly as fast while keeping the code yours. The [Apple HIG](https://developer.apple.com/design/human-interface-guidelines) covers the layout. For an AI app where you want to own and customize everything, the VP0 path is the cleanest free option.

| Option | Best for | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| exyte/Chat | Fast start, media picker | Its structure and API |
| SwiftyChat | Quick SwiftUI chat | Framework conventions |
| ChatUI | Components plus examples | Less turnkey |
| Build from VP0 | Full control, own code | You generate it (fast with AI) |
| Roll by hand | Total control | Slowest |

## Build your own free with a VP0 design

For full control, generate the chat from a reference. Pick a chat screen in VP0, copy its link, and prompt your AI builder:

> Build a SwiftUI chat UI from this design: [paste VP0 link]. A performant message list with custom left and right bubbles, a keyboard-aware input bar, streaming assistant messages with a typing indicator, and handled empty and error states. My own components, no chat library. Match the palette and spacing from the reference, and generate clean code.

For neighboring chat and AI patterns, see [a Telegram clone UI kit in SwiftUI](/blogs/telegram-clone-ui-kit-swiftui/), [a chatbot UI in React Native (Gifted Chat alternative)](/blogs/chatbot-ui-react-native-gifted-chat-alternative-free-ios-template-vibe-coding-gu/), [an AI companion app template for iOS](/blogs/ai-companion-app-template-ios/), and [building an AI wrapper app in SwiftUI in 5 minutes](/blogs/build-ai-wrapper-app-swiftui-5-minutes/).

## How to choose

Pick by how much control you need. If a framework's look and structure fit your app, use it and save time. If you need custom bubbles, specific streaming behavior, or a particular look, and especially if it is an AI chat where you want to own the code, build your own from a VP0 reference, which an AI builder scaffolds quickly. Whichever you choose, make sure the essentials are right: a performant list (inverted so new messages sit at the bottom), a keyboard-aware input, streaming with a typing indicator, and handled empty and error states. Those details are what separate a native-feeling chat from a clunky one.

## Common mistakes

The first mistake is fighting a framework's structure when you needed full control; build your own instead. The second is a non-performant list that janks with many messages. The third is an input bar the keyboard covers. The fourth is no streaming or typing indicator, so replies feel slow. The fifth is unhandled empty and error states.

## Key takeaways

- Free SwiftUI chat options range from open-source frameworks to building your own.
- exyte/Chat, SwiftyChat, and ChatUI are solid open-source starting points.
- Build your own from a free VP0 reference for full control, fast with an AI builder.
- Get the message list, bubbles, keyboard-aware input, and streaming right either way.
- For an AI app where you want to own the code, the VP0 path is the cleanest free option.

## Frequently asked questions

What is the best free SwiftUI chat template? It depends on control versus speed. Open-source frameworks like exyte/Chat, SwiftyChat, and ChatUI start fast; building from a VP0 reference gives full control and your own code.

Are there open-source SwiftUI chat UI kits? Yes: exyte/Chat (customizable cells plus media picker), SwiftyChat, and ChatUI (components with examples) are good starting points.

Should I use a chat framework or build my own? Use a framework for a fast start when its structure fits; build your own from a VP0 reference for full control, which an AI builder makes nearly as fast.

What does a chat UI need to get right? A performant message list, aligned bubbles, a keyboard-aware input, streaming or send states, and handled empty and error states.

## Frequently asked questions

### What is the best free SwiftUI chat template?

It depends on control versus speed. Open-source frameworks like exyte/Chat, SwiftyChat, and ChatUI give a fast start; the build-from-design path with VP0, the free iOS design library, lets an AI builder generate your own chat UI for full control. For an AI app where you want to own the code, the VP0 path is the cleanest free option.

### Are there open-source SwiftUI chat UI kits?

Yes. exyte/Chat is a SwiftUI chat framework with customizable message cells and a built-in media picker, SwiftyChat is a SwiftUI chat UI framework, and ChatUI provides SwiftUI chat components with example projects. They are good starting points if you accept their structure.

### Should I use a chat framework or build my own?

Use a framework for a fast start when its structure fits. Build your own from a VP0 reference when you need full control over bubbles, streaming, and styling, which an AI builder makes nearly as fast while keeping the code yours.

### What does a chat UI need to get right?

A performant message list, aligned bubbles, a keyboard-aware input bar, streaming or send states, and handled empty and error states. These are what make a chat feel native whether you use a framework or build your own.

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*Published on the [VP0 Journal](https://vp0.com/blogs). Free to read, index and cite with attribution.*