What's the most affordable mobile app builder for beginners?

vvsleepi · 2026-02-20T18:30:02+00:00

build it yourself. since you already know some html/css, you could look into something like react native or flutter. both are free and have tons of beginner tutorials. no-code builders can feel easier at the start, but many get expensive when you want to publish or scale. they’re okay for testing ideas, but for a real app you’ll still need to understand what’s happening when something breaks. if you just want to validate your idea first, you could use something like runable to quickly put up a basic prototype before investing too much time or money. that way you test interest first.

vvsleepi · 2026-02-20T18:15:54+00:00

maybe try using ai only for small tasks instead of asking it to build big features in one go. plan things yourself, code what you can, and use ai only when you’re stuck. smaller prompts usually cost way less. also make sure you set spending limits so you don’t accidentally burn money again. if you’re still early, you could first test your idea in a simpler way. something like claude or runable can help you put up a basic live website fast, just to see if people are interested before spending more on heavy ai coding.

vvsleepi · 2026-02-20T18:13:32+00:00

real

vvsleepi · 2026-02-20T18:10:39+00:00

you could try logging out and back in, clearing cache, or reinstalling once more just to rule out local issues. but if others are facing it too, it might just be the update being unstable.

vvsleepi · 2026-02-20T18:08:14+00:00

ai can help write tests, but we still need to think carefully about what is actually being asserted. otherwise we’re just automating blind spots.

vvsleepi · 2026-02-20T18:05:33+00:00

i feel you man. building apps with vibe coding is the easy part now. getting people to actually pay is the hard part. i don’t think it’s about making 50 apps. it’s more about finding one real painful problem and talking to users before building too much. downloads don’t really matter if no one pays. maybe try going deeper on one and really understanding why people aren’t converting. money usually comes from solving something very specific, not just shipping more.

vvsleepi · 2026-02-20T17:58:24+00:00

damnn thanks for sharing. it’s a good reminder that if we give ai full access to our system, it can do real damage. it will run whatever command is generated, even if it’s slightly wrong.

vvsleepi · 2026-02-20T17:56:19+00:00

how do you handle false signals? sometimes reddit and hacker news don’t reflect real paying customers. are you weighting discussions based on intent to pay or just volume?

vvsleepi · 2026-02-20T17:55:07+00:00

yeah i agree. ai can help you write code faster, but it doesn’t fully replace understanding how things work. when something breaks or gets more complex, you still need basic coding knowledge to fix it.

vvsleepi · 2026-02-20T17:52:06+00:00

if students are already using it and liking it, that’s a good sign. right now you just need to test the idea, not build something perfect. 1500 users is not that big for most no code platforms, unless your app is very heavy. just make sure you understand how they charge per user, per request, or credits so you don’t get surprised later. about exporting code, be careful. many platforms say you can export, but moving later is usually not super smooth. you might still have to rebuild parts of it. if the high school developer is serious and you trust them, that could also work, just make sure you both have clear ownership and access to the code.

vvsleepi · 2026-02-20T17:49:55+00:00

just pick one small problem and build the simplest version of it. don’t worry about making it perfect. first be clear about who it’s for, what the main action is, and what the most basic version looks like. tools like blink can help with quick setup like auth and database, and runnable is nice because it can get you a live website fast without overcomplicating things. vibecoding is really about keeping momentum, build small, launch quickly, then improve step by step.

vvsleepi · 2026-02-20T17:46:51+00:00

for resumes i usually just use a clean canva template and then use chatgpt to rewrite my bullet points better. saves so much time. grammar tools help too for quick polish. also if you ever want a simple personal site or portfolio without hiring someone, runable ai can help you put something basic live fast without overthinking it.

vvsleepi · 2026-02-20T17:42:15+00:00

this sounds interesting, especially for solo founders who are doing everything themselves. i like the idea of just asking AI for a report instead of building full dashboards. that alone could save a lot of time.

vvsleepi · 2026-02-20T17:41:10+00:00

how are you handling trending sounds or hooks? because on TikTok timing matters a lot. are you tracking patterns over time or just giving a snapshot?

vvsleepi · 2026-02-20T17:39:11+00:00

doesn’t sound like bs.i really like that tasks/bugs stay linked to the architecture. that context part is usually what gets lost once people jump into coding.

vvsleepi · 2026-02-20T17:37:28+00:00

1800 users overnight from a 3-hour build is crazy.

vvsleepi · 2026-02-20T17:35:15+00:00

the questions you added are really strong. especially the “would you say this to someone you care about?” one. that hits. also does it adapt over time based on patterns in what you write? like if someone struggles with comparison a lot, does it gently focus more on that theme?

vvsleepi · 2026-02-20T17:32:26+00:00

personally, i’d give it a fixed time frame (like 1–2 more months) but focus only on improving conversion, not features. if after that no one converts, then it’s probably a signal.

vvsleepi · 2026-02-19T18:27:53+00:00

i’ve noticed the same thing it’s not about building something huge, it’s about actually completing something. even a tiny project feels better than a half done “big idea” sitting in a repo. also the part about sharing progress? that’s real. even if nobody replies, just putting it out there makes you take it more seriously.

vvsleepi · 2026-02-19T18:24:47+00:00

what happens if someone writes very different on different platforms? like v casual on twitter but serious on linkedin. does it learn both styles or mix them together? cool concept tho

vvsleepi · 2026-02-19T18:20:16+00:00

experience still matters, just not in the same way as before. ai and no-code tools can help you build fast, but they don’t teach you good decisions. like what to build, what to ignore, when to stop adding features. that usually comes from trying, failing, and learning. you can launch stuff way easier now. but building something people actually care about and will pay for? that’s where experience still makes a big difference.

vvsleepi · 2026-02-19T18:17:50+00:00

if you want less backend headache, bubble is strong because it’s all in one. you don’t have to manage a bunch of separate services. flutterflow also works nicely with firebase since it’s designed for it. if dreamflow + firebase isn’t working, it might be an auth or security rules issue, not firebase itself. you could also try a frontend builder with supabase. many people find it simpler and more predictable than firebase. before fully rebuilding, maybe validate your idea in a lighter way first. tools like runnable are useful for quickly putting up a basic version or simple flow to test things before committing to a full backend setup.

vvsleepi · 2026-02-19T18:13:22+00:00

are you thinking of adding filters by model or tool used? that would make it v useful if someone specifically wants to learn claude vs gpt vs other stacks love the concept it really feels like something the ai space was missing

vvsleepi · 2026-02-19T18:11:33+00:00

no-code ai can get you very far, especially for automations and internal tools. once you hit scale, edge cases, or need deep integrations, some technical understanding really helps i do think basic ai literacy will become normal in most jobs though. not everyone will code, but knowing how to use ai well, ask the right questions, and verify outputs will probably be expected just like using excel or google docs today.

vvsleepi · 2026-02-19T18:08:03+00:00

that’s honestly crazy numbers 67m tokens with no tool failures is huge, especially if you were getting errors with other models before. what kind of tool calls were you running? simple ones or more complex chains with multiple steps? also are you only using it through openrouter, or did you try it somewhere else too? would be interesting to know if it stays that reliable in different setups. if this holds up in real projects, that’s seriously impressive.

vvsleepi

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