Will AI Coding Tools Kill Freemium Apps?
▼ Summary
– The author, a non-developer, successfully built a custom Mac app using OpenAI’s Codex in about 15 minutes, solving a specific personal need.
– The author argues that AI-assisted coding tools like Codex, Claude Agent, and upcoming Xcode support will make single-purpose, ad-filled apps obsolete.
– While these tools currently require tech-savvy users, their improvement will soon make building custom apps as easy as asking a chatbot a question.
– This shift could threaten independent developers who build single-purpose apps, though it also empowers users to create their own solutions.
– The author acknowledges a risk of the App Store being flooded with more low-quality apps, but believes the trend will accelerate personal “vibe coding.”
The rise of AI-powered coding assistants is poised to fundamentally reshape the landscape of single-purpose applications, potentially challenging the traditional freemium model. For many users, the choice has long been between free apps laden with intrusive ads or paid versions that may not perfectly fit their needs. New tools like OpenAI’s Codex are beginning to offer a compelling third option: building a custom, personal solution without needing deep programming expertise.
For someone who has repeatedly tried and failed to learn traditional coding, these advancements feel revolutionary. The process was historically a source of frustration, despite understanding the core concepts. Early low-code and AI-assisted platforms often fell short of their promise. However, the latest generation of models has changed the game entirely.
Recently, using Codex to build a personal Mac app for a specific productivity task proved the point. The core functionality was operational in under fifteen minutes, starting from nothing more than an empty folder. Iterative improvements, adding a button, integrating a system notification, tapping into an API, became simple conversational requests, executed in seconds.
While existing apps in the store could perform the basic task, the experience was lacking. Free versions were often unusable due to poor ad integration, and even paid apps didn’t behave exactly as desired. The custom-built app, however, works precisely to specification. It’s not about building a commercial product or a Fortune 500 company; it’s about solving an individual problem perfectly. This personal utility is where AI coding tools truly shine.
We are still in the early stages of this shift. Currently, only a small, technically-inclined subset of users is experimenting with these capabilities. The broader adoption of agentic models within development environments like Xcode will take time. Yet, the trajectory is clear. As the tools improve and the abstraction from raw code increases, creating a tailored single-purpose app could become as routine as asking a chatbot a question.
This evolution suggests a challenging future for the ecosystem of poorly-made, ad-dependent freemium apps. Their value proposition weakens when users can craft a superior, ad-free alternative themselves. Even skilled independent developers focusing on niche utilities may face new pressures, though their craftsmanship will likely remain valuable.
A potential counter-effect could be a flood of new low-quality apps on official stores, as barriers to entry plummet. This might actually accelerate the trend of “vibe coding” personal solutions, as users seek to avoid cluttered marketplaces. How platform stewards like Apple manage this democratization of development will be a critical story to watch.
The essential question remains: as these tools become more accessible, will users choose to endure ads for free software, pay for an almost-right solution, or simply build their own? The answer may redefine what we expect from the apps on our devices.
(Source: 9to5Mac)
