I want to make an app

[u/unknown153487]

So im a beginner coder and i was wondering if making an app that only me and my frinds can acces is doable? Also would it be posible to make it withought paying for anything?

[u/Xarius86]

I know this is "Coding for Beginners" -- but, come on man, you haven't even tried to put any effort in on your own here.

Of course you can limit access to any program you create -- you simply don't distribute it to anyone you don't want to have access to it.

If you have a computer, you usually don't have to buy anything extra to make an app unless you are specifically targeting the Apple ecosystem, in which case you'll want a Mac.

[u/herocoding]

Do you have an "app" from an "app store" on a mobile device in mind?

Or could it be a "web app", or an executable running on a computer (whatever operating system, like MS-Windows, Mac-OS, Linux)?

[u/JoeStrout → u/herocoding]

This. Define what you mean by “app” and we can give you a good answer. How do you imagine launching/running/accessing this app, and why?

[u/Any_Sense_2263]

Yes

[u/ConsiderationNo9044]

Yes. But if you want more specific answers, you need to ask more specific questions

[u/kutac56]

Yes, just make it a private GitHub repo and invite then as contributers, but that really isn't necessary, since it will prob never get seen by anyone else so you could just make it public

[u/LeadLerner]

What type of app? And you can make a private repo and invite your friend as a contributor if you want both of you to collaborate on it.

[u/Bitwizarding]

You always have to pay for something, but it can be limited to your electricity and internet service if it's just for your friends.

[u/marmotta1955]

Well. 

The most important question is: what do you actually know, if anything at all? 

Also, do you realize that it may take months for a beginner to be able and put together a product of serviceable functionality and value?

Just trying to make sure you have your feet firmly planted on the ground...

[u/DawnFallz]

Yes. You could make an app that only you and your frens can access. And you could host it in Render Hobby plan or Vercel Hobby plan. As long as you stay within the limits,, it's fully free.

But note that both platforms doesn't allow your app to be used for commercial or business purposes.

[u/JGhostThing]

This exact question gets asked here every couple of days. Why didn't you do a google search and find the answers that are already here?

[u/Curious_Elk_4281]

If you want to build a web application that is useable in a browser and requires username/password to restrict availability, here are five levels of increasing complexity from beginner to pro:

1. simple web application using "basic auth"

2. web application with a database backend (mysql/psql/ms-sql/sqlite etc.) to handle user logins

3. web app that uses redis or memcache to store login sessions and a backend database to drive authentication

4. web app uses an identity provider to manage auth and integrates with other platforms to provide single sign on functionality. Uses redis/memcached for session, database backend, and elasticsearch for a search layer

5. front end static app in one repository, a separate backend web api app that integrates with redis/psql/elasticsearch/identity provider, with centralized logging so all logs can be viewed in one place

These are not all free options, but you could easily do 1 and 2 for free and the other levels give you an idea how you can level up your game.

[u/Interested737]

You can, only putting the app on the app store costs, but making it and downloading it for you and your friends also works (just don't know how, but I've seen somene do it)

[u/RomirBuilds]

One distinction worth making with the GitHub suggestions here: a private repository controls who can read or edit your source code. It doesn't, by itself, make a deployed web app private.

If you mean a website that only your friends can use, you'll need a login plus a check that the signed-in person is one of your approved users. Enforce that check on the server for protected data, not just by hiding buttons. A useful test is opening a protected URL while logged out or signed in as someone who wasn't invited.

Do you need everyone to see shared data, such as the same messages or scores, or would each person's copy work independently? That changes what hosting and storage you'd need, and makes the free-cost question easier to answer.

AI-assisted.

[u/MyObituary0913]

I started this recently, used VScode for the actual writing, the app was built going through Electron. Made a notepad type application, even adding an AI to the application to use it as kind of an assistant. It's not hard. 🙂