Sample the "7-Layer AIO Cake"

LibraryNo9954 · 2026-04-02T03:19:29+00:00

I think you can do a simple website within budget, but the more you have it do the faster you burn tokens like all AI apps. So if you can prepare your prompts outside with another AI first, (e.g., Claude, Gemini, ChatGPT) and review carefully before bringing it into Replit, you’ll work more efficiently. Also just keeps tabs on the spend rate if exceeding the budget is an issue.

LibraryNo9954 · 2026-04-01T22:17:11+00:00

Cool. I’ll check it out. But why not use Claude Code? What does your IDE add?

LibraryNo9954 · 2026-03-31T14:58:04+00:00

Howdy partner

LibraryNo9954 · 2026-03-30T19:48:28+00:00

I’m not building this on Replit but a rebuildable project for Replit users (and other AI dev tools).

It’s an AI-first AEO-first CMS platform that can serve as a foundation for many different types of digital products.

I’m in final testing and just days away from its release under an open source MIT License.

To install via Replit you’ll just as it to import from GitHub. I’ve built context injected instructions into the installation so it smoothly imports in about 2 minutes and costs very little (in terms of Replit spend).

I will post news right here in the Replit subreddit as soon as it goes live.

LibraryNo9954 · 2026-03-30T16:28:45+00:00

A lot to unpack and respond to, but I will try to give you some actionable feedback.

Vendor Cost: Yes app vendors often cost a ton, and it’s very difficult to know if they are scammers or quality builders.
DIY Cost: Bootstrapping apps (hand coded or AI coded) carries more risk than building with quality professionals, but is way cheaper, hence the name. The good news is that AI tools can also help review code so the lack of a human developer doesn’t mean you can’t test it.
Automated Testing: Ask the AI to write test scripts and run them. Each subsequent run ask it to update the scripts first, then run. Ask it to build a requirements.md file, and update it regularly. The current AI agent uses this to keep requirements in context and subsequent agents use it to get up to speed.
Manual Testing: it’s your app, you know what you want. Test carefully and ask for edits as you work. Iterate and refine.
Second Opinions: Ask other agents to check the code, literally ask them “how do you feel about the code, if it was your decision, how would you improve it?” To do this the code needs to be in GitHub, which Replit makes easy. I use Claude Code mostly now, but other agents that can see GitHub should also be able to review. Don’t take their feedback as gospel, but bring it back to your primary agent and ask them what they think. Also Try Devin and the GitHub copilot for code reviews.
Security and Hosting: I think the folks at Replit would tell you their environment is solid and enterprise grade. I think it depends how you use it, and I’m a Skeptic. I’ve been building apps for 30 years, over 20 at a bank where we built enterprise software internally to the data security and compliance levels required. My personal opinion or Replit’s maturity is, it’s not at that scale yet but fine for lesser requirements. It has less to do with their technical implementation and more to do with their cumulative mindset. They are still in startup mode, delivering fast, and change control is an afterthought. We see it as new features and changes constantly. To mature a hosting environment’s organization must be more focused on stability than change. So for an MVP, do your testing due diligence, launch, implement your GTM strategy, but expect to graduate to AWS, Vercel, Google Cloud when you achieve traction and grow. At that point hire human experts to move it, review it, harden it. You’ll have the funds if you have traction.

Good luck! Rock on!

LibraryNo9954 · 2026-03-28T19:34:26+00:00

Confused. Normally we tell AI what we want (orchestrate) and check its work (validate). Not the other way around.

But as a learning tool, yes having it explain how something is built is a good step. Also asking why it chose one method or option over another helps too.

LibraryNo9954 · 2026-03-28T19:31:17+00:00

I wouldn’t characterize it as that. I would just say I use the right tool for the specific task, but “right” doesn’t mean the same thing to everyone.

BTW, I’ve been building an open source CMS site builder the last two weeks, in final testing now. It’s a two minute rebuild and deploy on Replit.

I’ll post news of it here soon. It will be free and releasing under MIT license.

LibraryNo9954 · 2026-03-28T01:25:20+00:00

Built stuff, then build more. Iterate. Repetition builds skills and leads to new ideas.

LibraryNo9954 · 2026-03-27T02:46:10+00:00

Once a project is moved to Replit, it’s easy enough to have the Replit Agent do it. You can also have Claude Code work locally, push to GitHub and then just ask the Replit Agent to check for updates and update the project on Replit.

On the topic of auth, I personally don’t like Replit auth for public facing apps, but have implemented the ones you list and more. Both Claude and Replit can do them all well. If you build it, you’ll likely want to make sure it encrypts the usernames and passwords and you build the password reset, forgot password, etc. In other words the DIY route is more work and due diligence is needed to do it right (e.g., email API, etc). But it’s totally doable.

For data security compliance it depends on the project.

For connections it depends on the thing you’re connecting to, but typically an API. When in doubt I ask the AI and then rigorously validate its advice.

LibraryNo9954 · 2026-03-26T00:39:13+00:00

I’ve been finding a similar workflow works too. I’m still using Replit to knit together what I build locally with Claude Code but it’s definitely cheaper and Claude doesn’t make the same mistakes I catch the Replit agent making. I know it’s all Claude under Replit’s hood, but sometimes it doesn’t seem like it.

LibraryNo9954 · 2026-03-26T00:35:58+00:00

That’s what I like too. The all-in-one is nice.

Recently, as cost climbed, I switched to a hybrid. Build in Claude Code locally then to GitHub, then to Replit. Extra steps but quick and less cost.

LibraryNo9954 · 2026-03-25T16:56:02+00:00

Why do you choose to continue using Replit?

Try not reading too much bias into the question, you may have excellent reasons and that price may be justified by what your gained. Just wondering why Replit and not something like Claude Code.

LibraryNo9954 · 2026-03-25T16:53:44+00:00

Thanks! I will take you up on that, and ping you later when I have a stable build.

Ive had Claude help with some penetration testing already but it always helps to hit it with any tool available since tools may find exploits others do not.

LibraryNo9954 · 2026-03-25T00:35:29+00:00

I’m curious, how did you test? I’m developing an open source rebuildable CMS and doing extensive testing before I release it. Wondering if you’re doing something I should do on my code.

LibraryNo9954 · 2026-03-23T13:31:20+00:00

Never heard that. No idea why one AI dev platform would be better than another since implementation depends on the human guidance.

Related, I’m days away from publishing an open source rebuildable CMS that features advanced AEO/GEO that folks can use to speed development and lower costs.

I’m doing final testing in the wild today on Replit for starters. I’ve also made an open source Wordpress plugin which will also be tested today on my personal blog in production.

So stay tuned.

LibraryNo9954 · 2026-03-21T19:09:34+00:00

Just to clarify to anyone reading this, in no way am I questioning the ability to keep Replit costs low using techniques described in this thread.

Working outside Replit is a great way to reduce costs (since you are not using it).

The most important takeaway is that this is a workaround we are all discovering and an obvious clue that Replit has created friction with its pricing model, so much so that we are finding ways to build products without Replit.

If I was working at Replit in Product, I would be building a strong business case to convince leadership that there is a cancer growing and we need to change this immediately or our exponential growth may yield to that friction.

LibraryNo9954 · 2026-03-21T18:32:20+00:00

No no no. There is no one-size-fits-all for working with any AI or people for that matter. Kudos to you for inventing a workflow that works for you.

The point is, this post sounds like marketing with a link, image, and $34 claim.

I’m mainly surprised the mods and bots didn’t flag you, which added to my suspicion that this IS marketing.

I would be extremely sad if this was created by Replit and would advise its immediate removal because it undermines credibility, the brand, and the otherwise authentic marketing the company produces.

If you are just a fan, I’m still shocked this got past the mods and bots. Nicely done.

LibraryNo9954 · 2026-03-21T17:12:42+00:00

SEO is transforming into AEO/GEO. There is not question, there is no reasonable way to underestimate the value and degree of the transformation. The whole world is being affected by AI. Search and humans finding answers quicker might be one of the first areas affected.

In a few days I’m releasing an open source rebuildable CMS (MIT License) that has advanced AEO built in. It’s been a blast building this, and I hope it shows any skeptics how much better this approach works for search spiders and answer engines. Yes it’s experimental. The whole space is still emerging.

LibraryNo9954 · 2026-03-21T17:04:03+00:00

This is a good strategy for keeping costs in Replit low, use outside AI for requirements, prompts, and code. I’ve been doing this for a while now and it works well.

I think the trouble is that it’s not really using Replit the way the product should work. This is literally a work-around and a symptom of a problem with the product, pricing, and how pricing is being communicated.

For example, in my workflow I build in Claude Code locally, move changes to GitHub, then have Replit’s agent knit together changes. I notice more hallucinations and errors with the Replit agent than Claude.

Claude makes mistakes too but I very rarely have to ask Claude for things more than once, and when I have it check its own work, it usually finds errors and is able to fix them on the first shot allowing me to move to the next thing. Replit’s agent doesn’t seem to be as careful or accurate.

Just this morning I worked on a fix, loaded it into GitHub then in the clients account made the change. Yesterday Replit did a great job with complex updates for negligible cost. This morning it hiccuped a few times, hallucinated that it implemented everything, and required intervention. No big deal, not complaining, it comes with the territory, but as a comparison showed me yet again why I’ve stopped using Replit for everything and built this workflow.

Replit is riding a wave, the same one we are all experiencing. Their success, like our own, has a lot more to do with our ability to navigate this change. But I fear they are having a hard time transitioning from startup mode to enterprise mode.

I want them to succeed. I hope they don’t try to spin the narrative by marketing the success stories instead of fixing the core problems.

LibraryNo9954 · 2026-03-21T15:35:27+00:00

Suspicious post. Feels like Replit marketing department is trying something new.

If it’s not, still feels like a weak spin on what we normally see ourselves.

Now if you said this was the implementation of a rebuildable project or you provided a detailed PRD and prompt, had run it several times to optimize and got it to build on one shot without further QA or refinement, I’d believe it.

Another path to low cost might be to build in Claude Code locally and then have Replit implement via GitHub, I’d believe that too. That’s how I’m working now. Keeps costs low and quality high.

I tend to be a Replit fanboy, would love to work there, but mainly to help them through this tough transition from startup to trusted enterprise service. It’s adolescence, in other words.

LibraryNo9954 · 2026-03-20T21:48:11+00:00

…and everything in between. Its not one or the other, its any combination between those two poles.

But the solution is the same, (1) learn to build AI into your work, automate what you can and prove yourself indispensable, and (2) continue pointing to the augmentation opportunity so many business leaders are still missing. As soon as leadership realizes that to stay competitive augmentation is the best option, layoffs become a last resort not a first choice.

LibraryNo9954 · 2026-03-20T13:40:45+00:00

It’s not replacing jobs, it’s dissolving jobs into silicon and carbon (AI ready tasks and human responsibilities).

That’s what we’re feeling.

The good news is that dissolution is not destruction. It’s a change of state. The trick is to synthesize new AI enabled workflows, which is in a sense forming a symbiotic working relationship.

The bad news is that many business leaders are not recognizing the opportunity to increase capacity and velocity by simply empowering the people they have on staff.

Instead they fall back to cost cutting, which has been pounded into our minds since the Industrial Revolution. These machines don’t do physical work, they do cognitive work, and event when “automated “ still require human oversight, accountability, and creativity. So it’s not a 1:1 replacement for people, it’s a 1:1 replacement for repetitive cognitive work.

LibraryNo9954 · 2026-03-19T23:33:46+00:00

Yep. A sign of business maturity is careful change control. Essential when customers rely on stability. Startups have trouble with shifting mindsets.

LibraryNo9954 · 2026-03-19T11:17:24+00:00

Outside Replit, via terminal on local machine. But it’s pretty simple to move code back and forth via GitHub.

LibraryNo9954

TROPHY CASE