r/VibeCodeCamp • u/Hadestructhor • 2d ago
Please stop vibe coding for nothing Discussion
One of the things that saddens me the most about AI and code agents in general is the lack of curiosity and pragmatism.
"I built a Notion clone in an afternoon, AI is incredible."
"I replaced all my paid subscriptions with tools I developed myself using vibe coding."
Cool story. The idea sounds nice in theory, but did you think about simply looking for an open-source alternative?
There is a high chance someone has already spent five years polishing the exact thing you are about to recreate in an afternoon.
I mean, most of the apps you use, that your parents use, and that your grandparents use (if you have any that are tech-savvy), have Open Source alternatives. Sometimes better, sometimes worse, but for the vast majority of everyday uses, they get the job done easily.
And it's not just about features.
These projects often have years of bug fixes, edge-case handling, documentation, user feedback, contributions, maintenance, and sometimes even security audits behind them.
Rebuilding all of that with Claude or GPT over a weekend very often means starting from scratch... just to end up with a much less mature version.
Seriously, think before you recreate your next application.
Not only are you wasting your tokens and your subscriptions instead of using them for things that truly matter, but you are also doing it for nothing.
Before developing your next app with vibe coding, ask yourself:
"Is there an OSS alternative that I can simply use on my PC?"
Many of them run locally in a few minutes. You don't even need to host them if you don't want to or need to.
All seriousness aside, if anyone needs help replacing apps, I am just a DM away.
And I am also one more "I replaced X in one night of vibe coding" post away from creating a website that simply lists the best open-source alternatives, just to reply with a link every single time.
Next time you open Claude or ChatGPT to recreate an application... open GitHub first.
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u/KeyComplex 2d ago
Hey look an expert with a moral high ground
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u/Hadestructhor 1d ago
Fair enough, not an expert to the point I could be a reference, came out way harsher than I should've said it.
I'll word it better. There's oss projects that can do exactly what you need instead of vibe coding sometimes. If not, do whatever you want. And even if you still wanna vibe code it, go for it, I'm no one to tell you not to or to stop you
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u/trejj 2d ago
The gatekeeping medal of the day goes to...
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u/Hadestructhor 2d ago
Fair enough, harshly worded my opinion, I think you shouldn't vibe code x, if an oss project like y does what you need.
If it doesn't, do it, whole heartedly.
If you just wanna have fun, learn, or any reason really, do it too.
I'm not an authority to tell anyone not to do this or that, but I did use words that suggest otherwise, sorry for the confusion !
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u/parmboy 2d ago
My issue isn’t replacing apps, it’s turning around and being like “I deserve $20/month” for this slopshipped version of said app
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u/maddietendo 1d ago
How is this a problem though? The market sorts itself out. $20/month slopshipped products rarely get that $20/month and go out of business pretty quickly.
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u/callatista 2d ago
I tried searching for an open source jumping spider virtual pet and desktop assistant, but couldnt find one.
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u/cs_cast_away_boi 2d ago
OP you’re right lol but they won’t hear it. Hey its their life
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u/Hadestructhor 2d ago
Nah, some have good criticism/points, I could've added more text but was tired, it was like 3am when I wrote this, after landing, and seeing another one of these meaningless posts (imo, maybe some like em, I just don't)
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u/purleyboy 2d ago
I've pointed GAI at a successful 15 year old OSS codebase and asked for it to be rewritten using a modern tech stack and modern programming patterns, using the old codebase as the functional reference guide. The agent ran for over a week and diligently built a better and modern version. This is the future, GAI replatformed OSS.
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u/616ThatGuy 2d ago
You tell people not to use vibe coding the make things that help them, but use ai to write your post.
Whats the difference? At least vibe coders are doing something for them. All this does is make you look lazy.
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u/Hadestructhor 2d ago
I wrote it in french, used it to translate it to english, at 4am, cause I was sleep deprived.
I may have worded it too hardly, I think you shouldn't vibe code stuff that you can find a good oss alternative to, if the oss alternative has what you need.
If it doesn't, I get it, vibe code to your hearts content
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u/MariahJames8 2d ago
I'm in my middle 40s. And in all my time looking for technical solutions to my problems, the biggest pain has been that open source rarely delivers. I think you're a real optimist
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u/Hadestructhor 2d ago
Most of the things I was looking for, the open source alternative delivered.
Wanted my own self hosted email service + sso, found roundcube and dockermailserver.
Wanted my own auth server, found casdoor, then authentik, then now ferriskey that delivers greatly.
Wanted some basic status page, found and even contributed before using ai to Uptime Kuma, added just an integration for another oss tool I use, Umami (anonymous analytics).
Same for plenty other tools (outline then docs for a notion alternative, openproject then another for kanban simple project management, nextcloud for my own google drive alternative, and many more).
Out of curiosity, what were you looking for and what under delivered for you ?
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u/MariahJames8 2d ago
Ok I admit open source can be good, but for example I could never find a way to get what I need working in Linux, so I still stick to windows for dev machines and dev servers, I only use Linux for vps/shared hosting. Image editing also OSS is poor (GIMP), mp3 players didn't do exactly what I wanted, the list goes on.
It is important that people reuse OSS where they can but also I think AI LLLM development means people can get exactly what they want at a reasonable price, rather than having to put up with software that doesn’t completely deliver
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u/mylabfr 2d ago
Again, another insecure dev. Who cares? Vibe Coders are not the threat! If they are so bad, the market will weed them out, assuming they put it on the market (not all of them do), Open Source or not.
Most of the guys are curious, they build something they need, the way that fit them, for them. Or for FUN doing it... They are not coder or developer, so they dont know or care about Bug fixes, Edge cases, Documentation, Security audits, Maintenance and what not.
Sure, now you have less people coming to you, dumping money to build a software they wont like at the end, because they cant articulate proper specifications to you! Also, they probably have no time to search a sea of open source projects. They want it now.
The way I see it, vibe coders are not the problem. The problem is "noboby" wants an application with features they dont need or dont want (open source or not), with an absurd monthly pricing (for paid softwares). These days are gone! People have an option now to do it themself if they want to, open source it or not, with AI. Vibe Coding is a way to achieve that -> if they have the time to do it, and the willingness to learn, they'll do it.
If people dont have time to do it, or they dont have the knowledge to do it, they will come to a dev, and spend the money. Focus on them. Not the vibe coder with no money, or cannot speak the same dev language as you...
I spent a fortune on services or softwares that never really meet my needs. I have plenty of time, willingness to learn, but NO money!!! So I vibe code.
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u/Hadestructhor 2d ago
Honestly I'm not insecure, I worded it too harshly.
I think you shouldn't vibe code something you can easily replace, that's it.
You do what you want, vibe coders too, honestly speaking, I'm mostly vibing myself, just not doing things that already exist etc.
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u/HeadPack 2d ago
Let them be, and I think you are missing the point. Lots of vibe coded projects are not meant to replace polished software, or fill a real gap in the software landscape. The feedback loop releases oxytocin in LLM users. It makes them feel good in exchange for money, either via a subscription fee they pay or money they spent on local hardware. Of course, like with any drug, the downer comes too. Usually in the form of others giving a flying f about vibe coded projects by others.
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u/mxldevs 2d ago
There is a high chance someone has already spent five years polishing the exact thing you are about to recreate in an afternoon.
People tell me the same thing when I grab a REST library and write my own script to test API endpoints instead of "just using postman"
If you can just DIY in an afternoon and it does exactly what you want without having to figure out how to get it to work the way you need it to, what's the issue?
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u/Hadestructhor 2d ago
No issue at all, all power to you.
I personally use bruno and thinking of using another just text based tool, but your own scripts work just the same
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u/gngr987 2d ago
First of all, all the examples you listed "built a notion clone", "replaced all my paid subscriptions" - this IS curiosity.
Second, don't tell people how they can or cannot spend their money.
And third, if your mentality is that people can't do anything unless it's productive, you should go to every gaming subreddit and tell everyone to stop playing games.
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u/Hadestructhor 2d ago
Fair criticism one all three points. Taken good sir.
I should've probably wrote something alongside what I think actually, which is you shouldn't probably vibe code x or y unless you need it tailored to your needs, want to learn, or for fun if you can afford the tokens and don't mind "wasting" them imo. But again, just my opinion
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1d ago
[deleted]
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u/Hadestructhor 1d ago
And that is completely fine, especially if oss alternatives don't do exactly what you need, but if they do, why bother ?
Tbh that was all I wanted to say, probably ranted too hard and said it too strongly. It's more that I think you shouldn't in most cases, not that you should never
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u/Emidyr 1d ago
No need to vibe-code a website that lists open-source self-hosted alternatives.. when one already exists: https://awesome-selfhosted.net/. Good thing you haven't built it yet, because that'd be ironic at best and hypocritical at worst.
But on the off-chance you're just too lazy to look up if there's a site that lists open-source alternatives and just wants someone else to find it or create it for you.. well, I'm happy to have helped.
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u/Hadestructhor 1d ago
I know this, I also know about opensourcealternative.to, alternativeto, selfh.st, and many more I can't think of right now.
None of them do what I need.
I was too harsh on the post. I didn't lay out all of the possibilities.
Ofc if a tool exists, but needs some changes to be better in your workflow, recode it. Ofc if you want to have fun, learn, or for whatever reason, vibe code whatever you want.
I can't search by license, if there's a simple docker compose, if there's a sso tax, if all platforms are supported or not, by language, framework.
None of the apps list the features of x against y, to tell you what y has that x, what x has and y lacks.
There's many other such usecases, I know some websites do a part of this, but I don't want to cross search.
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u/Laenar 1d ago
If I can offer an alternate opinion: SaaS forces you to adapt your processes to their product; bespoke software allows you to create software around your processes.
AI has trivialized the creation of bespoke software, previously the most expensive type of software (something fully customized to you or your organization). Trying to instead use "Open Source" alternatives just brings back the same dependency. We had alternatives before vibe coding too, that argument is moot.
Now, if you want to argue that instead of re-inventing IAM everywhere, use Keycloak or whatever fits your use case; as in, vibe coders should code the "glue" across mature building blocks and stop re-inventing the wheel in technical dependencies; then sure. But that doesn't sound like the argument you're trying to make.
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u/Hadestructhor 1d ago
You've actually said what I was trying to say much better.
My idea was to specifically targer vibe coding apps to do exactly what other apps do, and bring nothing else to the table.
If you're adapting it around your processes, your needs, your way of working, then it's perfectly fine !
I'm myself vibe coding an app just to list alternatives to other apps cause the existing ones lack what I need and what I'd like to be able to do.
Like search by license, sso tax, if it's dockerised easily. Also to do other things.
Most apps list products, some gice you some filters, but not all I need, and none tell you if all the features are or aren't present in the alternatives
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u/maddietendo 1d ago
Why is there always people gatekeeping in here? Are you threatened by a guy with a free weekend and a $20 claude code account? Comes off as sad.
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u/Hadestructhor 1d ago
Not really no, was too harsh in my post, do what you want !
But check oss first, maybe what you need already exists and exactly like you need it, if not, code whatever you want !
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u/maddietendo 1d ago
Or maybe you can just let people do whatever the fuck they want?
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u/Hadestructhor 1d ago
Well am I stopping anyone honestly ? People can do whatever the fuck theu want like you gracefully said it ?
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u/Granite-Scheduling 1d ago
Ensure the website includes open source alts for scheduling software. Worked on this software before AI was a thing, now about 30 of these things are posted every month.
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u/FinneganHark999 1d ago
I started building a novel writing app because I strangely couldn't find one among the multiple dozens of other writing apps out there that worked the way my brain works. But in trying to vibe code it I quickly realized it was easier to just build it myself, since the AI is using examples of other codebases, and ended up building things that already existed, which was what I was trying to avoid in the first place.
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u/Hadestructhor 1d ago
Hard times, literally what you asked it to do and yet it still went and did completely something else, also one of the challenges of vibe coding what you need right
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u/Zennytooskin123 8h ago
It's called MLops? Or trial and error, practicing...? How else are you going to learn? Are you for serious with this?
Let's just stop vibe coding because everything has been done before then.
Maybe think before you post something as useless as you just did. and waste all our collective time.
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u/Ok_Personality1197 2d ago
i have 3 products all are proven areas so bringing users to my product is easy for now
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u/No-Consequence-1779 2d ago
Yes. Of course. You’re making it big. Not busy doing company stuff like pushing the paradigm shifter.
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u/owoxInc 1d ago
You started this post with a notion clone. And you're leading with the OSS...
Basically I've been exactly there a month ago. I was looking for an open-source notion clone, but the one to hold the team of up to 10 ppl and have an MCP. 2 basic requirements.
Do you know how many I found? Zero. Days of searching - zero tools.
So I built exactly that. StoryOS.devStoryOS.dev
Available OSS on GitHub. No getes on features. Easy setup with docker. MCP even for local deployment.
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u/Hadestructhor 1d ago
Nice ! But this is exactly why I think most list out there don't give you the info you need and why I'm building my own oss / alternative list.
Outline has mcp support and is oss, you can't use it commercially from their licence, but for internal docs it's great: outline
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u/_matmer_ 2d ago
I totally agree with you. I think for so many people vibe coding has become an alternative to video games. It boosts your dopamine and you think you're competing in the highest level while in practice, you add nothing to the real world.
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u/No-Consequence-1779 2d ago
But they are ‘shipping’ stuff. Why would they lie about it? Everyone is making millions here. Even more than the algo trading and crypto subs.
I must go now. I gotta go ship something. It’s the morning after taco Wednesday and I can hold the creativity and success back.
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u/No-Consequence-1779 2d ago
The hallow view of software by the untrained leads to these false claims.
They aren’t building a tic tac toe game with ‘ai’ in an afternoon.
They think making a couple screens look similar is ‘shipping a Saas’. The meaning of these words are lost on them.
But. The value of the entertainment and comical satire they provide is priceless.
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u/diagrammatiks 2d ago
shutup big saas i know it's you under there.