ByteShelf
My own home for free apps on every device
A website where I publish the free apps I build for Mac, Windows, Linux and phones. Every app gets its own page with the right download for your device, screenshots, install steps and a checksum on every file.
- My role
- Designer & developer
- Timeline
- Ongoing
- Year
- 2026
Built with
- Next.js
- TypeScript
- Tailwind CSS
- shadcn/ui
- Motion
- Zod
Key results
- platforms: macOS, Windows, Linux, Android & iOS
- 5
- apps on the shelf — 1 live, 3 on the way
- 4
- servers or databases to run
- 0
01Overview
The story
I build small, free apps for Mac, Windows, Linux and phones, and wanted one place where anyone can find them. ByteShelf is that place. Every app gets its own page: what it does, screenshots, the right download for your device, simple install steps and a checksum that proves the file hasn't been tampered with. I designed and built the whole site myself — and SnapText, my first app, is already live on it.
02Features
What I built
- 01A page for every app: screenshots, install steps and system requirements
- 02Suggests the right download for the device you're on
- 03A checksum on every download, so people know the file is safe
- 04Search and filter apps by platform, open source or official store
- 05App descriptions in English or Hindi, with one click
03On the shelf
The apps
MarkDeckComing December 2026Open source
Write Markdown, present slides
70% builtNetPeekComing early 2027Open source
See which app is using your data
35% builtDropLaneComing 2027
Send files between your devices, no cloud
15% built
04Challenge
Free to run, nothing to maintain
The problem
An app store usually needs a server and a database — more to pay for and more to look after.
How I solved it
There's no backend at all. Every app lives in one JSON file, every page is built ahead of time, and the downloads come straight from file hosting, so the site is fast and there's no server to run.
05Challenge
Adding an app shouldn't break the site
The problem
With every app in one file, a single typo could break an app's page.
How I solved it
The file is checked against a schema: my editor autocompletes it, and the build stops with a clear message if anything is wrong.
06Challenge
Easy installs on every device
The problem
Every platform installs apps differently, and people get stuck between the download and the first launch.
How I solved it
Install steps are written automatically from the file type (.dmg, .exe, .apk, .AppImage, .deb…), and each page highlights the download for your device.
Keep exploring
