February 2026 Summaries

Freestyle has announced the deprecation of their Dev Server API, urging existing users to transition to the new Freestyle VMs API before the official removal date of March 1, 2026. The decision to phase out the Dev Server API, which was initially developed to address issues like consistent start times, versioning, and cost for AI App Builders, was driven by the evolving demands of these builders who now require more complex, multi-service architectures. The original Dev Server API faced challenges such as slow initial response times and ambiguity in git keying and caching, which were partially addressed but ultimately led to a shift in focus to the more robust VMs API. The VMs API offers improved features like fast start times, support for multiple services, and the concept of sticky and recreate VMs, which allow for efficient resource use and the flexibility to reconstruct environments as needed. Despite some successful features like durable URLs and the simple onboarding process of the Dev Server API, Freestyle has positioned the VMs API as a superior, future-proof solution for development environments, catering to the advanced capabilities of modern AI applications.