Impressive Download Manager
Open-source download manager with a modern glassmorphic UI
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.
1 Comment
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.