Show HN: I made an indie app store alternative with a twist
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://install.page/covid
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://www.softr.io/pwa-builder) 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.