As developers, we’ve gotten used to app stores that are heavily curated, closed, or optimized for consumers rather than builders.
But lately, I’ve been thinking: what would an “app store” look like if it were actually designed for developers?
Most of what we build today lives on the web (internal tools, side projects, micro-SaaS apps, AI utilities) yet discovery is still fragmented. You either rely on social media, directories, or word of mouth.
The problem with current discovery
A few patterns I keep running into:
- Great tools get buried quickly after launch
- Distribution depends too much on personal audience
- Many platforms favor polished products over experimental ideas
- There’s no “default place” to browse useful web apps like we browse npm or GitHub
A small shift in thinking
Instead of treating every app like a startup launch, what if we treated them more like packages in an ecosystem?
That idea led me to explore platforms trying to approach this differently: more open, less gatekeeping, and focused on utility over hype.
One interesting example I came across is Unstore, which positions itself more like a “web app store” than a traditional directory. The idea feels closer to how devs actually work: browse, try, use, move on without friction.
Why this approach makes sense
- Lower barrier to sharing: Not everything needs a full Product Hunt launch
- Faster iteration: Apps can evolve without relaunch cycles
- More visibility for niche tools: Especially useful in the AI and indie hacker space
- Closer to developer workflows: discovery through usage, not marketing
Open questions
I’m curious how this category will evolve:
- Will “web app stores” become a standard layer like package registries?
- How do we balance quality vs openness?
- What kind of discovery actually helps devs vs just adding noise?
Would love to hear if others are thinking about this too, or if you’ve found better ways to discover useful tools lately.
Top comments (0)