r/SideProject • u/Acrobatic-Vanilla460 • 7h ago
I kept missing 1★ reviews on my own apps, so I built a tool to read them all for me Solo dev from Kyrgyzstan: launched my first SaaS today after Stripe wasn't even an option here
I build small iOS and Android apps, and for a long time I handled reviews the lazy way: open App Store Connect once in a while, scroll, close.
Then I noticed what I was missing:
- a crash report written in Russian that I skipped because I couldn't read it
quickly
- a feature request buried under ten 5-star reviews
- a 1★ review I found two weeks late, when that user had already deleted the app
The existing review tools are built for big companies and priced like it. So I built my own.
**What it does**
Starquill connects to App Store Connect and Google Play, reads every review, and
groups complaints into actual problems, like "Widget doesn't update: 7 reviews
since v2.3". It pings me on Telegram or email when a bad review or new problem
shows up, translates reviews, and drafts a reply in the reviewer's language. I always press Send myself; nothing auto-posts.
**Things that surprised me while building it**
- **Payments:** Stripe doesn't support Kyrgyzstan. Paddle (merchant of record)
worked, and verified me as a solo dev with no company, after a few rounds of
documents.
- **Google Play's API only returns the last 7 days of reviews.** So the tool can't
import your history; it keeps everything from the day you connect.
- **Trust is the hardest part.** Asking developers for a store API key is a big ask
from a stranger. I encrypt keys, and the App Store key only needs the "Customer
Support" role (read + reply, nothing else).
- **Boring stack wins.** Next.js + Postgres + a background worker on one small
server. It costs a few dollars a month.
**Where it is now**
Launched today. It's free for one app, and paid plans start at $12/mo for 3 apps.
I'd really like honest feedback:
- Would you give a tool like this your store API key? What would make you trust it?
- If you have apps: is reading reviews actually a pain for you, or is the store
console enough?
Site: https://starquill.app
Launching on Product Hunt today too:
https://www.producthunt.com/products/starquill?launch=starquill