Show HN: I wrote a simple and free budgeting app
by vanceism7_ | 2025-07-26 21:27:40+00:00
Hey everyone!

## tl;Dr I wrote a completely free budgeting app. I can't release it until I've acquired atleast 12 testers. If anyone's interested, send me your Gmail address and I'll add you to the list.

Opt in here: https://play.google.com/apps/internaltest/470145068466114205...

## The long post

I'm a software developer who was unemployed for about 6 months but just recently got hired. During the time I was unemployed, I started going down the rabbit hole of trying to start my own business. I had a lot of down time and got tired of running budgets inside an excel sheet, so I did the thing any reasonable software developer would do and scratched my own itch lol. I'm pretty happy with how the app has turned out and I've completely ditched my excel sheets for the app - In my mind, this is already a big win. But since I went to the trouble of creating this whole thing, I thought maybe others might find it useful as well, so I decided to try and publish it on the Google Play store.

## What makes your app so special?

In the past, I had tried quite a few budgeting apps (ynab, Every Dollar, etc), but I really didn't like them; they felt needlessly complicated and like I was pulling teeth to setup a budget the way I wanted to. I also really hate "subscription" software and paying for "the cloud" when most of the time, the data doesn't need to go anywhere besides your device.

Anyways with that said, here are some notable differences that sets my app apart

It's simple - Setting up a budget is pretty darn easy IMO

Local data - Nothing gets sent to a cloud, the app works without an internet connection. Privacy is yours, and the app is fast

Completely free - Originally, I was planning on trying to sell it for 3$, but I've realized browsing the Internet that people are really hoping and wishing for a free budgeting app, and it seems like you shouldn't have to pay money on your quest to save money. People should be rewarded for trying to build good habits, not charged.

Um... As far as distinguishing features go, I guess that's it lol.

## I need testers

So now that the sales pitch is done, here comes the call to action... I need testers.

HN suggests that we should avoid signups or multi-step actions to try out the thing we made, but I have no choice. Google won't let this app be officially released until I've ran a test phase with 12 testers. So if anyone is an android user and wants to try it, send me your email address at vance@self-reliant.dev, or in a comment, or however you want to send it, and I'll add you to the testers list.

Once you're in the testers list, you can opt in here: https://play.google.com/apps/internaltest/470145068466114205...

Once you're opted in, you can download the app here: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=dev.selfrelian...

## Dev Info I wrote the app in flutter, which means I can eventually release it in the Apple store first, but Google store is cheaper to start with so I'm starting there first. If it gets enough traction, I'll work on an iOS build. It's currently closed source but I think I will open source it so maybe people who are interested can contribute new features.

## Financial Support If anyone feels so inclined to send me a donation, I have a coffee link. But Im really not trying to promote some financial scheme here, so I'm not even gonna post it. Its linked on the website itself.

Thanks everyone for taking the time!