Show HN: I made an indie app store alternative with a twist https://ift.tt/VXaJxBS

Show HN: I made an indie app store alternative with a twist The twist is that although it does (part of) the job of an app store, it's not (nor aims to be) an app store. It's a script you add to your existing web app that makes it "self-distributing". Check it out: https://progressier.com. Under the hood, it leverages the concept of "PWA", but it goes further: 1. It creates an installation page for your app that looks like an app store listing. Demo example: https://ift.tt/uw9dEhf 2. It handles every OS/browser combination to create an installation flow that works everywhere (e.g. on Safari/iOS, with in-app browsers, etc) 3. It lets you manage all the technical aspects of your PWA in a dashboard rather than in code (i.e. service worker, app manifest, caching strategies, icons, etc). You can even send push notifications and design app screenshots from Progressier. Caveats: - It only works for web apps - It's not free! - An app store is supposed to handle "logistics" and "promotion". Progressier only does the former. It won't get you new users. - Push notifications are not yet available on iOS Some fun facts: - There are 5,000+ apps using Progressier - 50%+ of my customers are users of no-code platforms, particularly Bubble. - Under the hood, Softr's PWA Builder (https://ift.tt/WlL0Cnc) actually uses a white-labeled version of Progressier I provide them - Progressier is built entirely by me (https://kevin.tw). For the record, the whole thing is just vanilla CSS/JS — no frameworks. September 2, 2022 at 01:59AM