Building an app with a database
Apps that keep their data.
Its own database, customer accounts, file storage and scheduled jobs arrive with the first build. There is nothing to set up.
Each customer sees only their own rows from the first build. On paid plans every payment lands in the same database, tied to the customer who paid.
What arrives with a database
| Piece | Arrives |
|---|---|
| Its own database | With the first build |
| Customer accounts | With the first build |
| File storage | With the first build |
| Scheduled jobs | With the first build |
| Private rows per customer | With the first build |
| Payments | Paid plans, once you connect your own payment account |
Payments are the one piece you connect yourself; the rest needs no setup.
Five apps that remember everything
The client portal
A client portal for my bookkeeping practice where each client uploads receipts and sees only their own files.
Accounts · File storage · Private rows per client
- Accounts
- File storage
- Private rows per client
Every plan, Free included
The club directory
A members' directory for my running club with profiles, photos and who ran what this week.
Accounts · Its own database · File storage for photos
- Accounts
- Its own database
- File storage for photos
Every plan, Free included
The order book
An order book for my flower stall that clears finished orders every night and keeps a monthly total.
Scheduled jobs · Its own database · Charts from its rows
- Scheduled jobs
- Its own database
- Charts from its rows
Every plan, Free included
The recipe box
A recipe box where people save recipes, sign in with a one-time code and find any recipe by a word in it.
One-time code sign-in · Search across rows · Its own database
- One-time code sign-in
- Search across rows
- Its own database
Every plan, Free included
The class passes
A class booking app for my yoga studio where people buy a ten-class pass and book against it.
Accounts · Payments to your account · Passes tracked per person
- Accounts
- Payments to your account
- Passes tracked per person
Paid plans
Asked before starting
- What does an app with a database cost?
- The database, accounts and storage come on every plan, Free included. Free is $0 with 30 credits a month (5 messages a day). Hobby is $6 a month, Starter $15, Pro $40 and Business $80. Running a published app draws on Instroc Cloud: Free comes with $5 once. Paid plans renew every month: Hobby $5, Starter $10, Pro $20 and Business $25.
- Can it take payments?
- Yes, on every paid plan from Hobby at $6 a month. You connect your own payment account once, and money goes straight to you. Every payment is recorded in the app's database against the customer who paid.
- Who can see the data?
- Data is private by default: each customer sees only their own rows. You decide which tables are public, private or shared, and you can read everything from the dashboard.
- Can I get my data out?
- Yes. Every table is readable in your dashboard, and the app's source downloads whenever you want.
- Can I take the code with me?
- Yes, on every plan. The app is real React and TypeScript, and you can view and download the source whenever you want. Paid plans add a code editor in the browser.
Send the sentence. Change any word first.
After sign-up the sentence is waiting in your prompt box. Nothing is built until you press send. The Free plan needs no card.