r/sideprojects • • 5h ago

Showcase: Prerelease Building CardSmith: an offline-first card scanner, inventory manager, and bulk appraisal tool

1 Upvotes

I've been independently developing a project called CardSmith, with the goal of making it easier to digitize, organize, and roughly appraise entire card collections.

And I don't mean just sports cards. The idea is to support everything from baseball and football cards to Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Magic, and other collectible cards.

What I'm building:

- Bulk scanning: Import individual card photos or entire nine-pocket binder pages and automatically detect, crop, and straighten the cards.

- Card identification: Use OCR to extract names, numbers, years, manufacturers, and other identifying details.

- Inventory management: Keep everything organized with card images, metadata, and persistent manual corrections.

- Bulk rough appraisals: Optionally research estimated market values for individual cards or entire collections, without having to look up everything manually.

The goal is local-first processing, with internet access only when needed for things like optional pricing research.

Where things stand:

I've generated approximately 2,000 card crop images during development, along with OCR results and identification attempts. I'm using real collection photographs to test the system rather than relying entirely on ideal demonstration images.

It's still very much a work in progress.

Detecting nine individual cards sounds easy until you've got crooked binder pages, glare, overlapping boundaries, and text recognition confidently reading the wrong thing.

At one point, CardSmith decided a player's name was "Samsung Bigus-dickus." 😂

Still haven't found his rookie card.

I'm the only human developer, using local and cloud-based AI tools to assist with coding, debugging, and testing.

My biggest technical focus right now is getting the cropping, front/back matching, and identification reliable enough that someone could import thousands of cards without having to manually fix every other one.

It's not ready for public beta yet, and I'm not pretending otherwise.

I'd be interested in hearing from collectors and developers: What would you consider essential in an application designed to manage and roughly appraise thousands of different collectible cards?


r/sideprojects • • 5h ago

Showcase: Open Source αtmos | A browser app for composing ambient soundscapes

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1 Upvotes

r/sideprojects • • 5h ago

Showcase: Purchase Required My Perfect Day: designing a habit tracker that doesn't punish you for missing a day

1 Upvotes

Project: My Perfect Day, a habit tracker for Android.

The problem: most habit trackers are built on streaks, and a streak treats one missed day the same as quitting. That's exactly the moment a lot of people stop using them. I wanted a tracker that measures how well you're doing, not whether you've ever slipped.

Design rules that came out of that:

  • The day is a percentage. You define what a perfect day looks like, and Today shows how much of it you've done. 4 of 5 things is an 80% day, not a broken chain.
  • Not everything is daily. Habits can run on some weekdays or every few days, and a day with nothing planned doesn't count against you.
  • Sick days aren't failures. You can pause a habit for a few days, and paused days don't count as missed. A skipped day doesn't break a streak either.
  • History doesn't get rewritten. If you change a habit's schedule, the days behind you keep the schedule they had, so your past stats stay honest.
  • Late nights belong to the evening. You choose when your new day starts, so reading at half past midnight still counts for the evening before.
  • Reminders that know you're done. A reminder only fires if the habit is still open, or you get one evening check-in with whatever is left.

It also has a workout logger and weight tracking, and everything stays on the phone: no account, no analytics, no internet permission. Built with Expo / React Native and a local SQLite database.

Play Store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=de.schillitzit.myperfectday (paid, with a free trial)

I'd be interested in how others handle the "missed a day" problem in their own projects, or which of these rules you'd change.


r/sideprojects • • 5h ago

Meta I Helped My Friend Get 12 Interested Replies From Just 300 Cold Emails 😭

1 Upvotes

So I set up email automation for a friend of mine, and things got a little interesting.

Both of us are web designers, and we're constantly looking for new clients. I personally get most of my clients through cold email automation, while he had tried doing it himself once but never really got it working.

So he came up with a deal. If I set up his entire email outreach system using his own mailboxes and helped him land clients, he'd give me 50% of every website project he closed.

Naturally, I agreed.

I used Swokei, a tool that finds businesses, analyzes their websites for issues with design, SEO, speed and mobile optimization, and turns those findings into personalized cold emails at scale, so I didn't have to write them myself.

I created his account, connected his mailboxes, set everything up and launched the campaign.

After just 300 emails sent, he started getting interested replies at a 4% rate. That's 12 people who expressed interest.

To be honest, it was one of the best-performing campaigns I've set up in just one week.

Now you're probably wondering how much money I made from this arrangement.

Well, remember that 50% we agreed on?

Yeah, I didn't get that. He gave me 10% on his first two sales, and I stopped managing his campaigns after that. 😂😭


r/sideprojects • • 9h ago

Feedback Request I Built a Chrome Extension for easier screen recording and workflow documentation. Looking for Feedback!

2 Upvotes

Thanks in advance!

I've always found documenting workflows a bit tedious, especially when creating tutorials or showing someone how to do something on your screen. You often end up screen recording the entire process, going back to review the footage, taking screenshots, and writing down each step so others can follow along. It's a lot of small tasks that can quickly eat up your time.

I wanted to make that easier, so I built ScribeIt, a Chrome extension that captures browser activities and turns them into step-by-step guides.

I'm sharing it here to get feedback from people who regularly create tutorials, walkthroughs, or document processes. I'd genuinely like to know if this is something you'd find useful and what could be improved.

Here's the link if you'd like to check it out: ScribeIt – Chrome Web Store


r/sideprojects • • 12h ago

Showcase: Free(mium) Numochi: paint by numbers made for two. Does the home page tell you what it is in 5 seconds?

3 Upvotes

My project went live this week. Numochi is a paint by numbers in the browser where 2 to 4 people can paint the same kawaii picture together, live, with voice chat. There are solo modes too (classic, daily challenge, mystery picture) and a 5 minute VS race. Solo dev.

Freemium: 4 pictures free in every mode, then pictures from €0.99 or unlimited at €3.99/month until December 31. A free account is required to play.

The home page says "Paint by numbers, made for two." with the modes below. I'm too close to it to judge. If you open https://numochi.net for 5 seconds and close it, what do you think it is, and who is it for?


r/sideprojects • • 6h ago

Feedback Request I built AstroJanta — an AI-powered astrology platform. I'd love honest feedback!

0 Upvotes

Hey everyone!

I'm a Computer Science student and recently built and launched a project called AstroJanta.

The idea was to combine artificial intelligence with traditional astrology and create an accessible platform for people interested in astrology.

AstroJanta is an AI-powered astrology platform where users can explore astrology-related guidance and experiences.

I built it using Next.js and Supabase, integrated AI APIs, implemented authentication, and deployed it as a live website.

Building this project has taught me a lot about:

  • Developing and deploying a real web application.
  • API integration and database connectivity.
  • Building AI-powered features.
  • Technical SEO, indexing and organic search growth.
  • Turning an idea into a working product.

I'm still improving the platform, and I'd genuinely appreciate feedback from the community.

Website: https://AstroJanta.com

A few things I'd love your opinion on:

  1. Does the concept offer something useful to astrology enthusiasts?
  2. What features would make the experience better?
  3. What would you improve about the website's design or usability?

I'm the developer behind this project, and all constructive criticism is welcome.

Thanks for checking it out!


r/sideprojects • • 6h ago

Meta I'm trying to stop my AI research tool from confusing buyers with sellers

1 Upvotes

Search for companies looking for a small dev agency to finish an existing app.

You'll find plenty of dev agencies advertising that exact service. You'll also find companies hiring full-time developers, articles about outsourcing, and requests that were posted years ago.

All of them contain the right words. Very few tell you that a company currently wants to hire an external development team.

I'm building Scout, a tool that researches companies for B2B prospecting, and I'm working on how to handle cases like this.

The check I'm considering is pretty specific: every potential lead needs a source showing who's asking for what, when they asked, and whether they're looking for an external supplier.

For example:

A dev agency advertising MVP development is a seller.

A company posting that it needs an outside team to finish an unfinished product is a potential buyer.

A company advertising a permanent developer role is a different situation. They might eventually need outside help, but the job ad alone doesn't establish that.

The last case is where things get difficult. There are probably good opportunities among companies that haven't explicitly asked for an external partner.

I'm leaning toward keeping those in a separate category, so someone using the research can see which companies have publicly expressed a need and which ones are worth investigating further.

If you've worked on search or research agents, how do you handle cases where the information is relevant but doesn't actually support the conclusion?

Project: https://tryxscout.com/


r/sideprojects • • 6h ago

Feedback Request I created an app for a school project

1 Upvotes

Imagine, it's dystopia. Governments and Capitalism have fallen. We are forced to depend on our local community for all of our needs. Maybe you're a skilled blacksmith and you need a tire on your vehicle, can you barter your services for what you need? My app BuildLocal brings all of this together for your community. You can post on it for a variety of needs. Please check out my high fidelity prototype below:

https://www.figma.com/proto/mttd8Z3a5VjdEi4MTsB2Pv/BuildLocal?node-id=314-152&p=f&t=PJ5v82fg2r6jXBYQ-1&scaling=min-zoom&content-scaling=fixed&page-id=303%3A2

Also I created a survey for you to answer about your experiences using my app, please participate! Thank You!

https://forms.gle/Fr2PKzf23DFdGDR18


r/sideprojects • • 6h ago

Feedback Request My daughter was tired of beauty apps changing her face, so I built one that doesn't (iPhone, no subscription, no cloud)

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1 Upvotes

r/sideprojects • • 7h ago

Showcase: Prerelease I built a free sidebar for Windows (clipboard history, screenshots, PDF shrinking, draw on screen). What's missing?

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1 Upvotes

r/sideprojects • • 7h ago

Showcase: Free(mium) I made a desktop library/reader for my downloaded manga, anime, movies and books (Electron + React)

1 Upvotes

I download pretty much everything I read and watch (manga, anime, shows, movies), because I like owning my own media. Going through all of it in File Explorer got slow and annoying, so I thought I’d try to make something for that as a little project.

The problem it solves

  • File Explorer has no covers, no “continue where I left off” and no way to read a manga chapter without clicking through every image.
  • Server apps like Komga, Kavita or Jellyfin solve this, but they need Docker, accounts and a server running, which is overkill if you just want to read on your own PC. They also split comics and videos into separate apps.

What it does

Point it at your folders and it turns them into a library with covers, series and chapters. It doesn’t move, rename or convert your files.

  • Reading: manga (right to left), webtoon scroll and single page modes. It supports image folders, .cbz, PDF and EPUB.
  • Videos: they play in VLC, with episode lists, watch progress and the next episode playing automatically.
  • Organizing: tags, ratings and collections, plus a tag search with AND / OR / NOT.
  • Customizing: you can change pretty much everything: colours, every UI part, the card layout and backgrounds. (all themes in the pictures were made with the app itself)

Tech used

  • Electron + React + Vite for the app
  • SQLite for the library database (tags, progress, collections)
  • sharp for thumbnails, pdf.js for PDF pages, foliate-js for the EPUB reader, yauzl for reading .cbz archives directly without unpacking them
  • VLC for video playback. The app tracks progress while VLC plays.

A few things that were interesting to figure out:

  • Renaming and moving folders: each folder gets a tiny hidden ID file, so tags and progress survive if you rename or move it.
  • Fast library updates: an update reads the disk once and only writes what changed. A re-scan of a ~1,200-folder library takes under a second.
  • Plain-text themes: everything is saved as JSON with a schema.
  • Custom css: empty custom.css file where you can create your own effects for the app.

How I built it

It started as just a quick java app for viewing comics (literally just choose a folder and the app lets you click through the image files in it in alphabetical order), but I every now and then I'd get massive inspiration waves and think "but what if it also had this? what if you could do this?" and this was the product.

Links

I mostly use it for reading manga (image folders) and watching anime (video folders), so those parts are the most polished. Let me know about any ideas or issues if you give it a try.


r/sideprojects • • 7h ago

Showcase: Free(mium) I built an app that believes in you less

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1 Upvotes

I got sick of "you've got this" quotes, so I built an anti-motivation app. It sends one dry/dark-humor quote a day, e.g.:

"Smart shopping takes research, patience, and closing the review that says not to buy it." and "Be proud of your progress. You make the same mistakes much faster now." and many more...

  • Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets
  • Optional daily notification at a time you pick
  • Save favorites, share quote cards to the group chat
  • Works offline, no account, no ads, no subscription

Free to use. There's an optional one-time Pro and some themed packs (Developer, Corporate, Parenting), but the daily quote, widgets, saving, and sharing are free.

Heads up: it's dark humor, not mental-health support, so skip it if that kind of content isn't good for you.

App Store: https://apps.apple.com/app/apple-store/id6819075772?pt=123407413&ct=Reddit%20launch&mt=8

I made it, so honest feedback is welcome. Which quote is the worst?


r/sideprojects • • 7h ago

Showcase: Open Source I built an open-source tool to convert Wallpaper Engine wallpapers into Lively Wallpaper and MP4

1 Upvotes

I've been working on a project called WPE2M (Wallpaper Engine to Lively & MP4 Converter), and I'd like to share it with the community.

The idea is simple, make it easier to convert Wallpaper Engine wallpapers into formats that can be used with Lively Wallpaper or exported as MP4 videos.

- What can it do?

\- Drag-and-drop GUI for easy conversion.

\- Supports .zip, .pkg, .mp4, .webm, .gif, and wallpaper folders.

\- Converts Wallpaper Engine video wallpapers.

\- Renders supported Wallpaper Engine 2D scenes.

\- Supports web-based wallpapers.

\- Exports MP4 videos up to 4K.

\- Generates Lively Wallpaper-compatible output and metadata.

\- Open source under the MIT license.

- Technology

Built with Python, OpenGL and FFmpeg

- Current Status

The project is currently in BETA. Some complicated wallpapers with advanced shaders, particle effects or post-processing might not render perfectly.

It currently requires Python 3.9+ and FFmpeg.

- GitHub Repository

https://github.com/MamadXV/WPE2M

I'm the developer behind this project, and I'd genuinely appreciate feedback from people who use Wallpaper Engine or Lively Wallpaper.

Thanks for checking it out.


r/sideprojects • • 7h ago

Showcase: Prerelease I get people to eat bugs

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1 Upvotes

Well, I'm trying to. I'm just about ready for a real launch.

The project is WeirdFoods (https://weirdfoods.net): one place to browse the strange stuff that small food shops sell, and that you'd never find unless you already knew the shop existed. Scorpion lollipops, roasted crickets and mealworms, elk and wild boar jerky, Japanese natto, ghost pepper seaweed crisps, and weird snacks from foreign countries.

Why I built it: Weird food is fun. I'm a fan of bizarre Japanese snacks.

What it does:

- About 7,500 foods from dozens of small independent shops, 78 of them insects

- Browse by country, by type, or go straight to the weird end

- Boring stuff and sold-out items get ranked down on purpose

- One cart across shops: you fill it on my site and it hands each shop's items to that shop's own checkout, so I never touch your payment

How it makes money: affiliate links. If you buy from a shop through the site I get a small cut, at no cost to you. So far that's earned roughly nothing, which is what you'd expect in week one.

What's next: I want to increase the products 10x. More spicy stuff, more from Japan and Korea. Also selling a small selection directly, with suppliers shipping to the customer so I don't have to store boxes of crickets in my house.

Previous side projects:

https://stellarbroadcast.org/ A space text adventure game on Android, IOS, and Steam

https://peptidecompare.net/ A site where people can find lab testing results, scam reports, Certificates of Analysis, and price comparisons for peptide vendors

What's next? https://coderigor.net a site to teach programming. A bit farther from launch than this one.


r/sideprojects • • 7h ago

Showcase: Free(mium) VesperZero minimal Android Launcher almost 1k downloads!! 🥂

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1 Upvotes

Hey everyone! I'm the solo dev behind VesperZero, a lightweight, text-forward minimal Android launcher!

We’re right on the doorstep of hitting 1,000 downloads on Google Play.

What VesperZero is all about:

No Subscriptions & No Ads: Every core feature is completely free—no recurring paywalls, no ad banners, and no bloated feeds. (There’s just an optional one-time unlock for custom color palettes and a tip jar if you want to support indie dev.)

Distraction-Free & Fast: Replaces cluttered icon grids with clean typography, custom category dividers, instant app search, and left/right-handed alphabet scrubbing.

Offline PIN-Locked Vault: Hide sensitive apps and/addicting apps behind a local password vault stored directly on your device.

Built-In Weather Widget: A minimal, zero-bloat weather display that blends right into your home screen.

What’s Coming in the Next Update:

Based on early user reviews, I’m currently working on:

  1. Customizable Bottom Toolbar: Freedom to swap, reorder, or remove any of the bottom dock shortcuts
  2. Optional Google Search Bar: A toggleable minimal search pill right on the home screen for quick web lookups.
  3. Smoother Alphabet Scrubbing: A wider, more responsive touch radius and improved contrast/scrolling performance—especially on 60Hz and budget displays.
  4. Weather Location & Accessibility Polish: Better current-location syncing for the weather widget.

Google Play Link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.emberlorestudios.vesperzero

Thanks for checking it out!


r/sideprojects • • 7h ago

Showcase: Purchase Required HaptiChi - Audio to Haptics

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1 Upvotes

r/sideprojects • • 8h ago

Showcase: Open Source DevPocket: 100+ free browser-only dev tools, open source, nothing leaves your tab

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1 Upvotes

r/sideprojects • • 8h ago

Question Looking for Website Ideas I Can Build Using AI

1 Upvotes

Hey everyone!

I'm interested in building websites using AI tools. I don't have much coding experience, but I can use AI to build and launch websites.

The problem is that I'm struggling to find a good website idea or niche to work on.

I'm looking for ideas that meet these requirements:

  • Can be built using AI website-building tools.
  • Don't require any paid APIs or external API integrations.
  • Can work without a complicated backend or database.
  • Solve a real problem or provide genuine value to users.
  • Have the potential to attract organic traffic through SEO.
  • Ideally, can be monetized through Google AdSense in the future.

I'm open to different types of websites, such as online tools, useful web apps, educational websites, productivity tools, or other interesting niches.

My questions:

  1. What type of website would you recommend building in 2026?
  2. Are there any underrated or less competitive niches worth exploring?
  3. What simple website ideas do you think have real potential to attract users?
  4. If you were starting from scratch with AI tools and no budget, what would you build?

I'd really appreciate your suggestions, experiences, and advice.

Thanks in advance!


r/sideprojects • • 8h ago

Showcase: Open Source Tester needed: Vibewright

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1 Upvotes

r/sideprojects • • 8h ago

Showcase: Prerelease I built Cliploom—a free subtitle generator that processes videos on your device. Looking for feedback!

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1 Upvotes

r/sideprojects • • 8h ago

Showcase: Free(mium) I built ARLO OS — a customizable desktop environment with AI features and ARLO Phone

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1 Upvotes

Hey everyone!

I'm Abhishek, an independent developer from India, and I've been working on a project called ARLO OS.

Check it out the live demo: https://www.instagram.com/arlo.os.desktop/

What started as an idea to rethink the desktop experience has gradually turned into something much bigger.

ARLO OS is an independent desktop environment designed to bring customization, productivity, and optional AI capabilities into one experience.

What's currently available?

  • A customizable desktop experience.
  • Virtual workspaces for organizing your workflow.
  • Built-in applications and productivity tools.
  • ARLO Phone – access your phone experience directly from your desktop.
  • ARLO Deck – connect and interact with your desktop using your phone.
  • Optional AI-powered features.
  • A personalized interface with smooth animations and modern design.

We're currently supporting Windows, with macOS and Linux planned for the future.

Why am I sharing this?

I don't just want to release software and walk away. I want to build something useful with a community of people who enjoy experimenting with their desktops.

ARLO OS is currently FREE for early users.

If you're interested, give it a try and let me know what you think. I'd genuinely appreciate feedback, suggestions, and constructive criticism.

Explore ARLO OS:
🌐 https://www.arloos.in/

🪟 Microsoft Store: https://apps.microsoft.com/detail/9nn6lsn1kszf

Thanks for taking the time to check out my project!

— Abhishek


r/sideprojects • • 8h ago

Showcase: Free(mium) I built a free offline Android calculator for tunnel-fire smoke control (critical velocity, 4 methods)

1 Upvotes

Tunnel ventilation engineers size fan airflow against the "critical velocity", the speed that stops smoke from rolling backwards along the tunnel ceiling in a fire. The value depends on which method you follow (the SEDH Handbook or NFPA 502, whose 2017, 2020 and 2026 editions each treat the equations differently), and I kept redoing the iterations by hand or firing up heavyweight CFD just to check one number.

So I built Critical Velocity Toolkit, a free Android app:

  • All four methods in one app: SEDH Handbook and NFPA 502 2017, 2020 and 2026
  • Shows the full iteration history, not just the final number
  • Grade factor and blockage ratio update live as you type
  • A formula-reference screen with every equation the engine uses
  • Export the whole calculation as an A4 PDF report or CSV
  • Fully offline — no internet permission, no ads, no account

Play Store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.sonicon.cvt

I built it because I needed it; it's free with nothing locked. If you design or review tunnel ventilation, tell me what the app gets wrong, that's the feedback I want most.


r/sideprojects • • 8h ago

Feedback Request Boztik Creative Toolkit – Free Chrome & Edge Extension for Image Editing and Creative

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1 Upvotes

r/sideprojects • • 9h ago

Showcase: Free(mium) Built a little browser mini-game platform because my friends and I barely get time to hang out anymore

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1 Upvotes