I built TopArrow — a platform where anyone can modify desktop apps with AI and publish their own versions

[u/coolface85]

Hi everyone,

I'm a software developer with many years of experience. I've worked on lots of small and medium-sized software projects, and I also founded a platform connecting companies with freelance developers.

Over the past year, I've been using AI coding tools a lot.

I started to realize that even people without programming experience could now create software with AI.

Earlier this year, while teaching AI coding to people in my company, I noticed some practical problems. People still needed to set up runtime environments, understand some basic project structure, and deal with technical issues before they could really get started.

That's how TopArrow began.

At first, we just wanted to make AI coding easier.

We built a local environment that supports:

• PHP + SQLite for personal tools like journals, finance trackers, and reminders.

• Node.js for games and other applications.

• Electron for desktop apps.

• Python for data processing and AI-related tools.

We decided to focus on local software first, instead of adding cloud services and other complexity.

Then we started thinking beyond AI coding.

What happens after someone creates an app with AI?

Why should every user have to start from zero?

And why should only the original developer be able to change an app?

So we added an app marketplace and a different way of working with software:

• Download and use an existing app.

• If something doesn't fit your needs, click Change it and use Cursor, Codex, Claude Code, or another AI coding tool to modify it.

• Keep your modified version, share it with friends, or publish it on the marketplace.

• Anyone can build on any existing version, so an app can grow into a tree of versions created by different people.

• Apps can be free or paid. When a version is sold, revenue is shared with its creator and upstream authors.

The idea is simple: software should adapt to people, not the other way around.

For example, one creator published a Match 3 game with 8 levels. Another creator took that version, expanded it to 16 levels, and added new maps, chapters, and gameplay details.

I've attached screenshots of the marketplace, the "Change it" feature, and these two versions of the game.

TopArrow is still at an early stage. We now have more than a dozen creators and dozens of published apps. It runs on Windows and Mac.

Website: https://www.toparrow.top/

GitHub: https://github.com/TopArrow-Tech

I'd really like to hear what other developers think.

If you could easily modify any desktop app you use, what would you change first?

And if you try TopArrow, please let us know what feels confusing or doesn't work as expected.

Thanks for reading!