Should I Build It Should I Build It
05 Jul 2025
Payments

An app that lets you input recurring billing that you have, and it ...

...suggests cheaper alternatives and lets you track costs.

Confidence
Engagement
Net use signal
Net buy signal

Idea type: Swamp

The market has seen several mediocre solutions that nobody loves. Unless you can offer something fundamentally different, you’ll likely struggle to stand out or make money.

Should You Build It?

Don't build it.

Your are here

Your idea of an app to track recurring bills and suggest cheaper alternatives falls into a crowded space where many solutions have struggled to gain traction. The 'Swamp' category reflects this reality, indicating that numerous mediocre solutions exist, but none have truly captured the market. With 5 similar products already identified, competition is present. Although engagement, as indicated by the average number of comments on similar products, is low. This might imply an opportunity for a product that truly resonates with users, but it also underscores the challenge of creating something compelling enough to break through the noise. Given this landscape, it's crucial to approach the idea with caution and a healthy dose of skepticism. Don't get discouraged, instead get prepared to either pivot, iterate, or learn what to avoid, at a minimum.

Recommendations

  1. Begin by thoroughly researching existing solutions to understand why they haven't achieved widespread success. Identify their shortcomings and areas for improvement. Don't just look at the features they offer, but also the user experience, pricing models, and marketing strategies.
  2. If you decide to proceed, narrow your focus to a specific group of users who are currently underserved by existing billing and cost-tracking apps. What are their unique needs and pain points? Tailoring your solution to a niche market can significantly increase your chances of success. For example, given your interest in recurring billing, consider focusing on subscriptions for small businesses, freelancers, or a specific demographic.
  3. Explore the possibility of creating tools or features that integrate with existing billing and subscription management platforms, instead of creating a standalone app. This could involve developing plugins, add-ons, or APIs that enhance the functionality of these platforms, solving a genuine problem.
  4. Based on the positive feedback surrounding m0nthly's clear expense tracking and visual charts, focus on creating an intuitive and visually appealing user interface. Make it easy for users to understand their spending habits and identify potential savings opportunities at a glance. You might want to look at gamification too, to increase engagement.
  5. Before investing significant time and resources into development, conduct extensive user testing and gather feedback on your prototypes. This will help you validate your assumptions and identify any potential usability issues or areas for improvement. Use the feedback to iterate and refine your product until it meets the needs of your target audience.
  6. Carefully consider your pricing model and how it compares to existing solutions. While offering a cheaper alternative can be tempting, it's important to ensure that your pricing is sustainable and allows you to generate sufficient revenue. If you can't beat them on price, think how to beat them on product instead.
  7. Given the low engagement observed in similar products, focus on building a strong community around your app. Encourage users to share their feedback, suggestions, and success stories. Use social media, email marketing, and other channels to foster a sense of belonging and create a loyal customer base.
  8. Continuously monitor the competitive landscape and identify any emerging trends or technologies that could impact your business. Be prepared to adapt your strategy and product roadmap as needed to stay ahead of the curve. If your competitors release features, it means it was important enough to them to build, so be sure to know why that matters.
  9. Before committing further, seriously explore adjacent problems that might present a more promising opportunity. Are there related areas where your skills and expertise could be better utilized? Or are there non-technical alternative to solve this problem? Perhaps look into business consulting instead?
  10. Finally, be honest with yourself about the viability of your idea. If you've exhausted all other options and still aren't convinced that it has the potential to succeed, be willing to cut your losses and move on. There are plenty of other opportunities out there waiting to be discovered.

Questions

  1. What specific, unmet needs are you addressing that existing recurring billing and cost-tracking apps fail to satisfy for your specific target audience? Can you articulate this gap in the market with concrete examples?
  2. Given the low engagement observed in similar products, what unique strategies will you employ to build a strong community around your app and foster a loyal customer base? How will you ensure users actively participate and contribute to the platform?
  3. What key performance indicators (KPIs) will you track to measure the success of your app, and how will you use this data to continuously iterate and improve the product? How do you ensure your KPIs are not just vanity metrics?

Your are here

Your idea of an app to track recurring bills and suggest cheaper alternatives falls into a crowded space where many solutions have struggled to gain traction. The 'Swamp' category reflects this reality, indicating that numerous mediocre solutions exist, but none have truly captured the market. With 5 similar products already identified, competition is present. Although engagement, as indicated by the average number of comments on similar products, is low. This might imply an opportunity for a product that truly resonates with users, but it also underscores the challenge of creating something compelling enough to break through the noise. Given this landscape, it's crucial to approach the idea with caution and a healthy dose of skepticism. Don't get discouraged, instead get prepared to either pivot, iterate, or learn what to avoid, at a minimum.

Recommendations

  1. Begin by thoroughly researching existing solutions to understand why they haven't achieved widespread success. Identify their shortcomings and areas for improvement. Don't just look at the features they offer, but also the user experience, pricing models, and marketing strategies.
  2. If you decide to proceed, narrow your focus to a specific group of users who are currently underserved by existing billing and cost-tracking apps. What are their unique needs and pain points? Tailoring your solution to a niche market can significantly increase your chances of success. For example, given your interest in recurring billing, consider focusing on subscriptions for small businesses, freelancers, or a specific demographic.
  3. Explore the possibility of creating tools or features that integrate with existing billing and subscription management platforms, instead of creating a standalone app. This could involve developing plugins, add-ons, or APIs that enhance the functionality of these platforms, solving a genuine problem.
  4. Based on the positive feedback surrounding m0nthly's clear expense tracking and visual charts, focus on creating an intuitive and visually appealing user interface. Make it easy for users to understand their spending habits and identify potential savings opportunities at a glance. You might want to look at gamification too, to increase engagement.
  5. Before investing significant time and resources into development, conduct extensive user testing and gather feedback on your prototypes. This will help you validate your assumptions and identify any potential usability issues or areas for improvement. Use the feedback to iterate and refine your product until it meets the needs of your target audience.
  6. Carefully consider your pricing model and how it compares to existing solutions. While offering a cheaper alternative can be tempting, it's important to ensure that your pricing is sustainable and allows you to generate sufficient revenue. If you can't beat them on price, think how to beat them on product instead.
  7. Given the low engagement observed in similar products, focus on building a strong community around your app. Encourage users to share their feedback, suggestions, and success stories. Use social media, email marketing, and other channels to foster a sense of belonging and create a loyal customer base.
  8. Continuously monitor the competitive landscape and identify any emerging trends or technologies that could impact your business. Be prepared to adapt your strategy and product roadmap as needed to stay ahead of the curve. If your competitors release features, it means it was important enough to them to build, so be sure to know why that matters.
  9. Before committing further, seriously explore adjacent problems that might present a more promising opportunity. Are there related areas where your skills and expertise could be better utilized? Or are there non-technical alternative to solve this problem? Perhaps look into business consulting instead?
  10. Finally, be honest with yourself about the viability of your idea. If you've exhausted all other options and still aren't convinced that it has the potential to succeed, be willing to cut your losses and move on. There are plenty of other opportunities out there waiting to be discovered.

Questions

  1. What specific, unmet needs are you addressing that existing recurring billing and cost-tracking apps fail to satisfy for your specific target audience? Can you articulate this gap in the market with concrete examples?
  2. Given the low engagement observed in similar products, what unique strategies will you employ to build a strong community around your app and foster a loyal customer base? How will you ensure users actively participate and contribute to the platform?
  3. What key performance indicators (KPIs) will you track to measure the success of your app, and how will you use this data to continuously iterate and improve the product? How do you ensure your KPIs are not just vanity metrics?

  • Confidence: Medium
    • Number of similar products: 5
  • Engagement: Low
    • Average number of comments: 0
  • Net use signal: 90.0%
    • Positive use signal: 90.0%
    • Negative use signal: 0.0%
  • Net buy signal: 0.0%
    • Positive buy signal: 0.0%
    • Negative buy signal: 0.0%

This chart summarizes all the similar products we found for your idea in a single plot.

The x-axis represents the overall feedback each product received. This is calculated from the net use and buy signals that were expressed in the comments. The maximum is +1, which means all comments (across all similar products) were positive, expressed a willingness to use & buy said product. The minimum is -1 and it means the exact opposite.

The y-axis captures the strength of the signal, i.e. how many people commented and how does this rank against other products in this category. The maximum is +1, which means these products were the most liked, upvoted and talked about launches recently. The minimum is 0, meaning zero engagement or feedback was received.

The sizes of the product dots are determined by the relevance to your idea, where 10 is the maximum.

Your idea is the big blueish dot, which should lie somewhere in the polygon defined by these products. It can be off-center because we use custom weighting to summarize these metrics.

Similar products

Relevance

m0nthly - manage your recurring payments in a cute app

09 Jul 2024 Fintech Personal Finance Productivity

m0nthly makes it easy to manage your recurring payments. Add subscriptions, bills, and other expenses, and our app will remind you on time. Track your subs, see the total number, know your spending, and identify redundant services—all in one cute app!

Users appreciate the tool's ability to clearly track monthly expenses with charts and manage recurring payments, including bills. The visual representation and comprehensive tracking of expenses are highlighted as key benefits.

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