Solo dev from Pakistan. I built a dowload manager in Rust + Tauri: fast, tiny, glassmorphic UI. v0.7.1 beta, open source, Feedback welcome!
I'm a solo dev from Pakistan. This project started with a simple frustration: to download anything big, I had to choose between tools that are fast but look like 2005, or modern apps that look nice but eat my RAM (Electron).
Why can't a desktop app be both fast AND beautiful?
I built it with two constraints: $0 budget, no Electron. I chose Rust + Tauri v2. The learning curve was real, but so was the payoff small size, minimal memory, and multi-threaded downloads that actually feel fast.
What worked:
The glassmorphic UI became the biggest point.
Building on GitHub brought my first users.
What didn't (being honest):
The browser extension needs manual install via Developer Mode because I haven't paid the $5 Chrome Web Store fee yet. Some users drop off right there.
Calling it "IDM" was a learning experience everyone assumes it's the classic Internet Download Manager.
Today: v0.7.1 beta, Windows + Linux, macOS coming soon, $0 spent.
Questions for you all:
How do you distribute browser extensions without store fees?
Is Product Hunt still worth it for solo devs?
Happy to share code, numbers, mistakes. Ask me anything.
The manual extension install showing up as a drop-off point is interesting. I’d be curious how many people make it through that step compared with the rest of the setup.