Four New Free and Affordable Apps I Like from Indi Devs

SmartTracker

SmartTracker is a universal app that syncs across all platforms via iCloud. Using the URL from a vendor's page (Newegg, Amazon, Micro Center, etc.), the app tracks prices in near real time. You can set a target price and receive a notification within minutes of a price drop.

Several features stand out: charts, tracking numerical data beyond price, and collections. When I'm shopping for a big-ticket item, I find it useful to create a collection of the same product across multiple vendors. Today I got excited when Micro Center listed Mac minis for $100 less than Amazon--until I noticed the fine print: in-store pickup only, at a single store in Georgia.

You can use the free version for up to five items. The full version costs $19.99 in the App Store. The developer, Hugo Price (u/hprione on Reddit), is responsive to support requests, bug reports, and feature suggestions.

WithAudio

WithAudio is a powerful text-to-speech application under active development, with new features and improvements arriving on a weekly basis. It currently supports English and French, with Spanish and Hindi on the roadmap for the near future.

The app works offline after a one-time download of additional resources, which happens automatically after you enter your license. In addition to choosing a language, you can select from 29 different voices across male and female options.

Using your Mac, you can process entire books, queue long documents, and export MP3 or M4B chapters to build your own audiobook library. WithAudio supports EPUB, Markdown, TXT, and some PDFs. (Pro tip: use Calibre to convert PDFs to EPUB for free.)

The Mac app also lets you follow along as a document is read, automatically scrolling and highlighting each sentence. There's even a Chrome browser extension for reading web pages.

The app is priced at $25.50 for a lifetime license and includes a seven-day, no-questions-asked refund period after purchase. Check out the developer on Reddit: u/s3rgio0

Delvepad

My background is in educational technology, primarily in the K--12 world. I always enjoy finding indie apps for students because they're often built by dedicated developers with real skill in conveying information.

Delvepad, a free and open-source app, fits that description. It's available for iPhone, iPad, and Apple Silicon Macs and is useful as a reference tool for lessons on artificial intelligence and the training of large language models. It includes a glossary and shareable resources.

Check out the developer on Reddit: u/Other_Passion_4710

Unfriction

I'm on a lifelong quest to find the perfect scratchpad. The way I work involves accumulating and processing small fragments of text throughout the day. Sometimes I need that information for two minutes; sometimes I want to keep it forever. Either way, I need a way to find it later, when future me goes looking for it with only the faintest memory of what it contains.

A good scratchpad needs to be as friction-free as possible. It should open instantly, accept information without ceremony, and then get out of the way. That's exactly what Unfriction does

It's a Mac overlay notes app by indie developer and Reddit user u/Cute-River-1592 Beyond its near-instant launch, its features include smart tags, automatic OCR from screenshots and an endless built-in clipboard manager. You can do imports and exports of your notes and choose any file storage location you want. It has a limited free version, and a lifetime license will run you $19.99. for a transferable 2-Mac license.