# an onboarding tool for indie developers **There is real demand for onboarding help, but this looks crowded and mostly generic rather than a clear indie-dev wedge.** Confidence: medium · 71 signals · checked 2026-08-01 [Full report with live links](https://showsitsworks.com/idea/an-onboarding-tool-for-indie-developers) > **Little of this is specific to indie.** Under *Who is already building this*, only 0 of 7 sourced findings mention indie at all. The rest describe the product category. A crowded section is evidence the category is crowded, not that anyone is serving indie. ## Who is already building this *From data* - Amplication is a large, still-maintained player with 16,019 stars and a last push on 2026-06-30; it explicitly says it simplifies onboarding and standardized delivery. *(not about indie)* - [amplication/amplication](https://github.com/amplication/amplication) `github` — 2020-05-10 - @storybook/addon-onboarding is heavily used, with 13,493,900 downloads last month, and it targets helping new users learn how to write stories. *(not about indie)* - [npm: @storybook/addon-onboarding](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@storybook/addon-onboarding) `registries` — 2026-07-27 - @metamask/onboarding is a live npm package with 2,501,644 downloads last month for onboarding new MetaMask users. *(not about indie)* - [npm: @metamask/onboarding](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@metamask/onboarding) `registries` — 2021-06-10 - v-onboarding has 103,867 monthly downloads and is a typed Vue 3 onboarding component. *(not about indie)* - [npm: v-onboarding](https://www.npmjs.com/package/v-onboarding) `registries` — 2026-05-31 - @frigade/react has 113,688 monthly downloads and positions itself as a tool to build product onboarding faster. *(not about indie)* - [npm: @frigade/react](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@frigade/react) `registries` — 2026-07-30 - There are also open-source repositories aimed at developer onboarding, including divar-ir/ai-doc-gen with 738 stars and last push 2026-07-21, flyeralarm/onboarding with 696 stars and last push 2026-05-29, and josix/awesome-claude-md with 535 stars and last push 2026-06-05. *(not about indie)* - [divar-ir/ai-doc-gen](https://github.com/divar-ir/ai-doc-gen) `github` — 2025-07-19 - [flyeralarm/onboarding](https://github.com/flyeralarm/onboarding) `github` — 2016-11-09 - [josix/awesome-claude-md](https://github.com/josix/awesome-claude-md) `github` — 2025-07-14 - Some competitors are stale or dead, including SwiftyOnboard with 1,305 stars and last push 2022-03-25, awesome-onboarding with 414 stars and last push 2021-07-12, and open-company/developer-onboarding with 49 stars and last push 2020-01-01. *(not about indie)* - [juanpablofernandez/SwiftyOnboard](https://github.com/juanpablofernandez/SwiftyOnboard) `github` — 2017-03-26 - [92bondstreet/awesome-onboarding](https://github.com/92bondstreet/awesome-onboarding) `github` — 2015-01-31 - [open-company/developer-onboarding](https://github.com/open-company/developer-onboarding) `github` — 2015-07-04 ## What people actually say *From data* - "The hardest parts for me weren’t the models or the UI, but scope control," — a first-time indie founder describing shipping pain while building an app. - [Show HN: PhotoCraft – an AI photo editor I built and shipped as my first iOS app](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46614201) `hackernews` — 2026-01-14 - "I tried a lot of existing tools, but after a month, none of them felt \"right\" for my specific workflow." — a new indie developer saying current tools miss their workflow. - [Show HN: A simple, privacy-focused time ledger (no login required)](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46821501) `hackernews` — 2026-01-30 - "If you can't publish your toys without paying 100 dollars then it is a huge issue for onboarding new developers who just want to test what it is like." — an HN commenter describing friction for new indie devs. - [Valve says Counter-Strike 2 for macOS not happening, there aren't enough players](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=37833713) `hackernews` — 2023-10-10 ## People asking to be sold to *From data* - "I’m developing a portal to create the mandates to be able to get access to customer consumption." — a Discourse user describing a procedural onboarding/workflow system they are trying to build. *(not about indie)* - [Fluvius (Belgian energy provider) integration](https://community.home-assistant.io/t/fluvius-belgian-energy-provider-integration/526735/17) `discourse` — 2024-01-30 - "How to Stop Drowning New Contributors in Your Codebase" — the premise of a Dev.to article points to demand for onboarding aids that reduce contributor overload. *(not about indie)* - [How to Stop Drowning New Contributors in Your Codebase](https://dev.to/alanwest/how-to-stop-drowning-new-contributors-in-your-codebase-3a21) `devto` — 2026-03-25 - "Why Developer Onboarding Should Be Contract-First" — another Dev.to piece signals interest in more structured onboarding systems for developers. *(not about indie)* - [Why Developer Onboarding Should Be Contract-First](https://dev.to/otaready/why-developer-onboarding-should-be-contract-first-7l0) `devto` — 2026-06-08 ## Where the opening is *Model estimate* - The signals do not show a product focused specifically on indie developers as customers; most tools are either generic product onboarding widgets, internal developer onboarding docs, or onboarding content for a specific ecosystem. - [npm: @storybook/addon-onboarding](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@storybook/addon-onboarding) `registries` — 2026-07-27 - [amplication/amplication](https://github.com/amplication/amplication) `github` — 2020-05-10 - [npm: @metamask/onboarding](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@metamask/onboarding) `registries` — 2021-06-10 - [juanpablofernandez/SwiftyOnboard](https://github.com/juanpablofernandez/SwiftyOnboard) `github` — 2017-03-26 - [divar-ir/ai-doc-gen](https://github.com/divar-ir/ai-doc-gen) `github` — 2025-07-19 - [flyeralarm/onboarding](https://github.com/flyeralarm/onboarding) `github` — 2016-11-09 - [npm: v-onboarding](https://www.npmjs.com/package/v-onboarding) `registries` — 2026-05-31 - [josix/awesome-claude-md](https://github.com/josix/awesome-claude-md) `github` — 2025-07-14 - [Somafet/onboardjs](https://github.com/Somafet/onboardjs) `github` — 2025-05-22 - [open-company/developer-onboarding](https://github.com/open-company/developer-onboarding) `github` — 2015-07-04 - [npm: react-native-onboarding-swiper](https://www.npmjs.com/package/react-native-onboarding-swiper) `registries` — 2026-01-27 - I do not see evidence of a tool that turns an indie founder’s actual app or codebase into a step-by-step onboarding path for new users, contributors, and teammates in one place. - [amplication/amplication](https://github.com/amplication/amplication) `github` — 2020-05-10 - [divar-ir/ai-doc-gen](https://github.com/divar-ir/ai-doc-gen) `github` — 2025-07-19 - [flyeralarm/onboarding](https://github.com/flyeralarm/onboarding) `github` — 2016-11-09 - [AOSSIE-Org/Devr.AI](https://github.com/AOSSIE-Org/Devr.AI) `github` — 2025-02-28 - [How to Stop Drowning New Contributors in Your Codebase](https://dev.to/alanwest/how-to-stop-drowning-new-contributors-in-your-codebase-3a21) `devto` — 2026-03-25 - [Why Developer Onboarding Should Be Contract-First](https://dev.to/otaready/why-developer-onboarding-should-be-contract-first-7l0) `devto` — 2026-06-08 - The market is full of components, checklists, and guides, but the data does not show a clear wedge around outcome tracking for indie teams after setup, such as activation, first publish, or first contribution. - [npm: @storybook/addon-onboarding](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@storybook/addon-onboarding) `registries` — 2026-07-27 - [npm: @frigade/react](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@frigade/react) `registries` — 2026-07-30 - [npm: v-onboarding](https://www.npmjs.com/package/v-onboarding) `registries` — 2026-05-31 - [Developer Onboarding: Checklist & Best Practices for 2025](https://www.cortex.io/post/developer-onboarding-guide) `tavily` - [The ESSENTIAL guide for onboarding new developers to your open source project](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kc_qR4hKVfA) `tavily` - [Why Developer Onboarding Should Be Contract-First](https://dev.to/otaready/why-developer-onboarding-should-be-contract-first-7l0) `devto` — 2026-06-08 ## How big the market might be *Model estimate* - This search found 12 named projects, all open source; 5 are active, 4 are dead, and 3 are slow. - The largest usage signal is @storybook/addon-onboarding at 13,493,900 downloads last month, followed by @metamask/onboarding at 2,501,644 downloads last month. - [npm: @storybook/addon-onboarding](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@storybook/addon-onboarding) `registries` — 2026-07-27 - [npm: @metamask/onboarding](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@metamask/onboarding) `registries` — 2021-06-10 - There were 3 first-hand complaints and 0 unsolved Stack Exchange questions or stated wants, so the pain is real but not strongly validated as an explicit buying demand yet. - Matching community threads were found in community.home-assistant.io and community.openai.com, which suggests the topic comes up in active communities even if the examples are broad. ## What could go wrong *Model estimate* - This is crowded with generic onboarding tools, templates, and docs projects, so a new product risks sounding like a feature rather than a standalone must-have. - [npm: @storybook/addon-onboarding](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@storybook/addon-onboarding) `registries` — 2026-07-27 - [amplication/amplication](https://github.com/amplication/amplication) `github` — 2020-05-10 - [npm: @frigade/react](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@frigade/react) `registries` — 2026-07-30 - [npm: v-onboarding](https://www.npmjs.com/package/v-onboarding) `registries` — 2026-05-31 - [josix/awesome-claude-md](https://github.com/josix/awesome-claude-md) `github` — 2025-07-14 - [Somafet/onboardjs](https://github.com/Somafet/onboardjs) `github` — 2025-05-22 - [Developer Onboarding: Checklist & Best Practices for 2025](https://www.cortex.io/post/developer-onboarding-guide) `tavily` - [The ESSENTIAL guide for onboarding new developers to your open source project](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kc_qR4hKVfA) `tavily` - [npm: react-native-onboarding-swiper](https://www.npmjs.com/package/react-native-onboarding-swiper) `registries` — 2026-01-27 - Several visible repos are stale or dead, which suggests the space is easy to start but hard to keep differentiated and maintained. - [juanpablofernandez/SwiftyOnboard](https://github.com/juanpablofernandez/SwiftyOnboard) `github` — 2017-03-26 - [92bondstreet/awesome-onboarding](https://github.com/92bondstreet/awesome-onboarding) `github` — 2015-01-31 - [open-company/developer-onboarding](https://github.com/open-company/developer-onboarding) `github` — 2015-07-04 - The evidence is stronger for broad onboarding pain than for a narrow indie-developer budgeted purchase, so monetization may depend on picking a sharper use case than 'help with onboarding.' - [Show HN: PhotoCraft – an AI photo editor I built and shipped as my first iOS app](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46614201) `hackernews` — 2026-01-14 - [Show HN: A simple, privacy-focused time ledger (no login required)](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46821501) `hackernews` — 2026-01-30 - [Valve says Counter-Strike 2 for macOS not happening, there aren't enough players](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=37833713) `hackernews` — 2023-10-10 - [Why Developer Onboarding Should Be Contract-First](https://dev.to/otaready/why-developer-onboarding-should-be-contract-first-7l0) `devto` — 2026-06-08 ## What to do this week *Model estimate* - Narrow the product to one concrete onboarding job, such as getting a new contributor productive in an indie codebase or getting a new user to first value in a shipped indie app. - [divar-ir/ai-doc-gen](https://github.com/divar-ir/ai-doc-gen) `github` — 2025-07-19 - [flyeralarm/onboarding](https://github.com/flyeralarm/onboarding) `github` — 2016-11-09 - [How to Stop Drowning New Contributors in Your Codebase](https://dev.to/alanwest/how-to-stop-drowning-new-contributors-in-your-codebase-3a21) `devto` — 2026-03-25 - [Why Developer Onboarding Should Be Contract-First](https://dev.to/otaready/why-developer-onboarding-should-be-contract-first-7l0) `devto` — 2026-06-08 - Build around a specific artifact the founder already has, like a repo, README, or app flow, rather than a generic onboarding checklist. - [josix/awesome-claude-md](https://github.com/josix/awesome-claude-md) `github` — 2025-07-14 - [Developer Onboarding: Checklist & Best Practices for 2025](https://www.cortex.io/post/developer-onboarding-guide) `tavily` - [The ESSENTIAL guide for onboarding new developers to your open source project](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kc_qR4hKVfA) `tavily` - Test whether indie developers will pay for conversion into an outcome, not for onboarding content itself: faster first contribution, faster first publish, or faster first activation. - [Show HN: PhotoCraft – an AI photo editor I built and shipped as my first iOS app](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46614201) `hackernews` — 2026-01-14 - [Show HN: A simple, privacy-focused time ledger (no login required)](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46821501) `hackernews` — 2026-01-30 - [Valve says Counter-Strike 2 for macOS not happening, there aren't enough players](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=37833713) `hackernews` — 2023-10-10 ## Competitor strength | Project | Stars | Downloads/mo | Activity | |---|---:|---:|---| | [amplication/amplication](https://github.com/amplication/amplication) | 16,019 | — | active | | [juanpablofernandez/SwiftyOnboard](https://github.com/juanpablofernandez/SwiftyOnboard) | 1,305 | — | dead | | [divar-ir/ai-doc-gen](https://github.com/divar-ir/ai-doc-gen) | 738 | — | active | | [flyeralarm/onboarding](https://github.com/flyeralarm/onboarding) | 696 | — | active | | [josix/awesome-claude-md](https://github.com/josix/awesome-claude-md) | 535 | — | active | | [92bondstreet/awesome-onboarding](https://github.com/92bondstreet/awesome-onboarding) | 414 | — | dead | | [innovaccion-virtual/onboarding-github-innovaccion](https://github.com/innovaccion-virtual/onboarding-github-innovaccion) | 401 | — | dead | | [Sfedfcv/redesigned-pancake](https://github.com/Sfedfcv/redesigned-pancake) | 253 | — | dead | | [LucaScheller/VFX-UsdSurvivalGuide](https://github.com/LucaScheller/VFX-UsdSurvivalGuide) | 180 | — | slow | | [Open-Source-Connect/OSCG-2026](https://github.com/Open-Source-Connect/OSCG-2026) | 163 | — | slow | | [gokhanamal/IndieBuilderKit](https://github.com/gokhanamal/IndieBuilderKit) | 125 | — | slow | | [amd/ryzen-ai-documentation](https://github.com/amd/ryzen-ai-documentation) | 102 | — | active | ## Domain names - `indiedevelopers.com` — taken - `indiedevelopers.io` — available - `indie.com` — taken - `getindie.com` — taken --- Sources searched: hackernews (14), github (21), githubissues (none), discourse (3), intent (none), stackexchange (none), registries (15), tavily (8), devto (10) Generated by Shows Its Work — https://showsitsworks.com/idea/an-onboarding-tool-for-indie-developers Findings link to their sources. Estimates are marked as estimates.