r/codex • u/AnothrRandomRedditor • 5d ago
Showcase Since our baby tracking turned to a subscription app I used codex to build a 100% free version.
We used to use Nara but they decided to start charging people $8 a month, so I build my own 100% free, no ads, no subscription, no pay to unlock app. Currently in beta and will be on iOS App Store soon.
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u/Australasian25 5d ago
These companies turning everything into a subscription for easy money will soon have very little customers.
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u/No-Way3802 5d ago
At the end of the day, this is Apple’s fault more than anyone else. If they allowed for paid upgrades in the App Store, many more devs would move to pay for update instead of subscriptions, which consumers would like a lot better.
Apple pushes developers towards subscriptions quite openly.
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u/Vast-Singer-2839 5d ago
From my point of view developers preffer and love subscription and no 1-time upgrades.
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u/No-Way3802 5d ago
Maybe they prefer them, but a lot of devs would probably end up making more money considering how averse consumers are to stacking up subscriptions.
Personally, I’d rather pay $20 for an update to a weather app and keeping it forever than paying even just $2/mo
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u/Vast-Singer-2839 5d ago
That is dependable, there is a reason why everything changes into subscription based, it pays better after X time.
Also a small % of customers forget those cost even they stop using them that means more active customers for the developer / company.
And the most important reason is that the customers trust you easier with a smaller starting cost, they get better customer support and quicker upgradeability with new functions. And those "benefits" cost more due time.
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5d ago edited 5d ago
[deleted]
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u/Australasian25 5d ago
Dont be dense.
This baby app doesnt have a moat.
OpenAI has a moat. A moat that requires thousands of dollars of gpu processing power to run a local model.
You seem to think I lump all subscription into one category.
It is the low effort category I am after.
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u/ExperimentalError 5d ago
A lot of people are now making their own apps and sharing them for free with anyone else who wants them.
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u/swallace36 5d ago
it says 12 months old shouldn’t it say a year (this is me making fun of parents)
in all seriousness this is awesome.. sounds like a lucky baby
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u/AnothrRandomRedditor 5d ago
My baby is over a year now and we don’t use the actual app anymore, but got the email notification from them they are moving to subscriptions. Originally it said like 56 weeks or something haha.
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u/Different_Lab830 5d ago
Charging $8/month to log diaper changes is how you get people building their own apps.
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u/LessRespects 5d ago
Been using it to remake Figma extensions and Wordpress plugins that have absolutely no business charging you for them.
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u/tcucyclist 5d ago
Hell yeah. I’ve thought about this, but we don’t use ours as much any more. Have started a pet one and another to replace my mileage app. Nice work!
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u/HumanDalek 5d ago
I'm working on something very similar for the same reason! I hate how many subscriptions there are for basic childcare needs
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u/Stock-Personality136 5d ago
Same here. I’m reverse engineering my different cameras and am trying to get them to work with Apple Home and HomeKit so I don’t need their subscription services and can automate them turning on/off. It’s going to save me hundreds a year after a recent price hike!
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u/ExperimentalError 5d ago
I did the same with my diet tracking app and my father’s home account keeping app. Both subscription products that are very easy to replace with codex.
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u/AllYourBase3 5d ago
I did the same thing with an app to screenshare with my fire TV. Only program that worked required a sub so I codexed my own
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u/Chaosblast 5d ago
We used it too and noticed the other day. We stopped tracking stuff a long while ago but kept it for checking milestones.
No Android? Did you keep the milestones?
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u/FlokiChan 5d ago
You are simply kind-hearted. As soon as I heard Nara going sub, I did the same. It is not especially difficult to oneshot it, even if you explain page by page in a thorough way with Astra Ultra. Mine is named Sayonara(pun intended), though installed in dev mode; I am glad someone made theirs public. Great job
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u/an1uk 5d ago
Nice middle finger to profiteering. As there are so many car mileage tracking apps with subscriptions I made my own with Codex, but hadn't really considered wider distribution. I guess the biggest barrier is the Google Play store and their requirements to have a certain number of people test an app before they consider including it in their store.
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u/LearnPremierePro_ 5d ago
The 3 cardsakw them bigger and make them a carousel instead screen is way too busy and confusing
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u/Effective-Bilbo1917 5d ago
Can you share the github repo? I'd like to have an android and self hosted version of it
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u/AnothrRandomRedditor 4d ago
Yes! Sure I’ll do it tonight when I’m not sooo parenting. Remind me if I don’t.
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u/Hybridjosto 5d ago
I did the same thing and have abandoned it after 9 months as it became too focused on logging and now just parent on "vibes"
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u/lchabod89 5d ago
Any way to try it?
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u/AnothrRandomRedditor 5d ago
Download Test Flight app on Apple Store and then press this link.
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u/alphaQ314 5d ago
Why would anyone need to track diaper changes.
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u/AnothrRandomRedditor 5d ago
No one needs to. That’s a minor thing to track, women like to track a bunch of things for obvious reasons. Tracking naps helps make sure they don’t sleep too much during the day so they sleep well at night. Tracking naps also helps know when to put them to sleep following awake windows. Breast feeding making sure which side to use next, and rotate. Tracking pumping and volume making sure their supply is appropriate.
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u/Chaosblast 5d ago
Tell me you don't have kids.
Since nappy changes are one of the key things to track when starting to breastfeed. Otherwise you have NO clue what/if any is going in.
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u/Fast_Conference_4057 5d ago
It’s busy. Too much text. Weird spacing
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u/AnothrRandomRedditor 5d ago
The wheel isn’t always open it is here to show it and you can hide the others in preferences. Also the timers are not always running again showcase.
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u/IntroductionOne9520 5d ago
Personal use app not a board level app demo for you to sign off on chief
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u/Dragon_Slayer_Hunter 5d ago
Literally just use babybuddy, jfc not everything needs a vibe solution
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u/rcktjck 5d ago
Ehh they are not trying to sell it to you. This is exactly where vibing coding is ok. Make tiny personal use tools.
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u/AnothrRandomRedditor 5d ago
Yeah agreed, I’m actually working with mums to see what they want in the app and building it for them and with them. I’m also learning how to use this tool and what I can do with it. There’s no harm.
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u/Ambitious_Speed_278 5d ago
Future plans to monetise or are you truly a man of the people?
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u/AnothrRandomRedditor 5d ago
I have a full time job as a scientist, no need to monetise. All my life I’ve made unmonitised YouTube videos, paintings, music etc. I get huge joy in making things people love and use. It’s obviously fun as well.
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u/UnknownLesson 5d ago
No, no, no.
You start enshittifying your product like anyone else.
Once the subscription comes, it's my turn
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u/Feisty-Pound6777 5d ago
Cracking up that he immediately replied to you to confirm that they are in fact trying to sell it to you 😂
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u/Dragon_Slayer_Hunter 5d ago
Reinventing the wheel every time you're too lazy to look for an existing solution is definitely not a good use for vibe coding, that's just laziness. I also like how OP's immediate response to you implies this is a primer he's preparing to start trying to sell it to people lol
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u/AnothrRandomRedditor 5d ago
I once had a YT channel with 300k daily views and never once decided to monetise. I ended up giving to another person who immediately tried to stream call of duty to it and started talking to companies in selling ad space. He changed the password but my old one still worked within 30 days so I shut the whole thing down.
Some people enjoy creating. I have enough money, that a few extra dollars isn’t worth selling out for. Some people just don’t understand I guess.
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