I couldn't find a free, no-login, no-AI checklist app–so I built one

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

App behavior, hosting, and reliability

  • Multiple users report a white screen or HTTP 429 “Too many requests” when creating a new checklist, on both mobile and desktop browsers.
  • Cause is misconfigured rate limiting on a free Fly.io plan; later comments say it’s been adjusted.
  • Some worry that the creator might shut the app down if they find a better alternative, raising reliability concerns for users.

Core design goals and constraints

  • Intended as a free, web-based, no-login, no-install, no-AI shared checklist, mainly for ephemeral lists like shopping or packing.
  • Sharing is via a simple URL; no accounts, no app store, and cross-platform (iOS + Android + desktop).
  • Several commenters note that many existing tools (TickTick, Microsoft To Do, Google Keep, Notes/Reminders, etc.) require logins or installs and thus don’t meet these constraints.

Data storage, lifetime, and sync trade-offs

  • Current model: server-side lists expire after 7 days. Some find this too short, suggesting 30–90 days, a year, or user-controlled expiry.
  • Others suggest expiring based on inactivity (e.g., last access) to save storage while supporting long-lived “slow burn” lists.
  • Alternatives proposed:
    • LocalStorage-only apps (simpler, offline, but hard to share).
    • Encoding state in the URL (as text/base64); rejected for this use case because every edit changes the link.
    • Local-first approach: changes stored locally and synced when online.

Feature requests and UX ideas

  • Requested features: templates, history of completed templates, hierarchical items/sections, task groups/projects, drag-and-drop reordering, offline access, and simple pin/lock to prevent accidental edits.
  • Ideas for lightweight identity/sharing include QR-code or token-based “login” while retaining the no-explicit-account feel.
  • Some argue the UI is nicely simple; creator states they want to avoid turning it into a full Todoist/Trello-style product.

Existing apps, “no-AI” marketing, and skepticism

  • Commenters list many checklist/todo apps and GitHub projects; some demos fit parts of the requirements but often miss “no login” or “easy web sharing.”
  • There’s debate over whether “no-AI” is substantive or just marketing, likened to past hype cycles (e.g., XML) and “GMO-free” labels.
  • Some argue pen-and-paper or basic notes apps are sufficient; others counter that collaborative, cross-platform sharing is the key gap this app targets.