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Hasith Lakshan
Hasith Lakshan

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I built a cloud download manager in 30 days as a student - here's what I learned

#javascript #webdev #node #showdev

A few weeks ago I was using Offcloud to download torrents to my Google drive. Then they cancelled all lifetime memberships overnight. No warning,
no refund option.

So I built my own.

What is CloudPipe?

CloudPipe is a cloud download manager that fetches files on remote servers and sends them directly to your Google Drive. Paste any magnet link, torrent, or direct URL - it handles the rest.

No files touch your device. Your IP stays hidden. Files land straight in YOUR Google Drive.

The Tech Stack

  • Frontend: Next.js 14 (App Router) + Tailwind
  • Auth + DB: Supabase
  • Worker: Node.js + aria2c
  • CDN/DDoS: Cloudflare
  • Storage: Google Drive API
  • Payments: Creem
  • Hosting: OVH VPS + Oracle Cloud Free Tier
  • Deploy: Netlify + GitHub Actions

The Architecture

The interesting part is the worker system.

Each worker is a Node.js server running aria2c under the hood. When a job comes in:

  1. Worker picks up job from Supabase queue
  2. aria2c downloads the file to local storage
  3. Worker uploads to Google Drive via API
  4. Job marked complete, user notified
  5. Local file deleted after retention period

Multiple workers run in parallel - currently OVH (8GB RAM, 400Mbps) and Oracle Cloud free tier.

Smart Job Routing

One thing I'm proud of - smart worker routing:

  • Direct download jobs → OVH (400Mbps, fast!)
  • Google Drive upload jobs → Oracle (speed doesn't matter, file goes to Drive not user)

This maximizes both servers efficiently.

What I Learned

1. Payments are hard outside US/EU
Finding a payment processor that works in Sri Lanka took weeks. Stripe doesn't support Sri Lanka. Eventually found Creem - works perfectly.

2. aria2c is incredibly powerful
Downloads magnet links, torrents, HTTP, FTP - anything with a URL. Free and blazing fast.

3. Oracle Cloud free tier is genuinely useful
2 AMD micro instances free forever. Perfect for worker nodes that don't need raw speed.

4. Ship fast, fix later
I launched with basic features and got paying customers on day 1. Perfect is the enemy of done.

Results So Far

Launched 2 days ago with zero marketing budget:

  • 142 unique visitors
  • First paying customer within 24 hours
  • Users from USA, Netherlands, Singapore, Mexico

Try It

cloudpipe.app — free plan available, no credit card needed.

Would love feedback from the dev community - especially on the architecture and security!

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