January 13, 2026
Budget bliss, typo hiss
Show HN: An iOS budget app I've been maintaining since 2011
Fans cheer offline-first, typo police show up, and indie devs swap hustle tips
TLDR: An indie budget app maintained since 2011 touts offline sync and European-hosted privacy, and it isn’t free. Commenters applauded the offline-first approach and long-term support, traded indie-business tips, and teased a typo—proof that steady care and sustainable pricing still beat flash in personal finance apps.
Show HN brought out a blast from the past: a budget app that’s been lovingly maintained since 2011, now part of the Primoco platform. The pitch is refreshingly simple—one budget across your family’s devices, offline entry with later sync, and European-hosted data with strict privacy—plus, it’s not free (on purpose). But the real fireworks were in the comments.
First came the offline-first victory lap. One user cheered that it works offline and syncs later, declaring we need more apps like this. That tugged on the community’s nostalgia for tools that don’t crumble without perfect signal. Then the indie-business crowd arrived: a longtime builder praised the app’s staying power and asked about marketing secrets, while another veteran dev dropped wisdom bombs—forget flashy ads, support is the moat, answer every email, keep customers close.
Of course, it wouldn’t be the internet without a twist: a drive-by from the typo police over “conenction” sparked a mini side-show. Light ribbing ensued, proving even a 13-year-old success story isn’t safe from spellcheck stans.
Meanwhile, a curious commenter nudged a deeper thread: how do you survive Apple’s constant redesigns and still look modern? Early adopter or slow and steady? The vibe stayed sweetly respectful. In a world of throwaway finance apps and dark patterns, the crowd rallied around a simple theme: offline sanity, long-term care, and sustainable pay-for-value over growth-hack glitter.
Key Points
- •Primoco is a web app by Priotecs for managing personal budgets, complemented by MoneyControl apps for iOS, Android, and macOS.
- •The platform focuses on essential budgeting features: income/expense tracking, monthly overviews, transfers, recurring entries, and categorization.
- •Users can add details via categories, accounts, persons, and groups; use a built-in calculator; and switch between months easily.
- •Data can be exported via CSV for use in tools like Excel and Numbers, and mobile apps support offline entry with later synchronization.
- •Security is emphasized with encrypted data transfers and servers located in Germany and Europe; Primoco is paid with a free test available.