Formly

Formly – The fastest way to manage contact forms on the go.

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Inspiration

While building websites and apps for clients, I often struggled with something simple: adding a contact form. Setting up a backend, handling email delivery, and fighting spam felt like too much overhead for something that should just work. This inspired me to build Formly, a plug-and-play contact form API with a mobile inbox — so creators can focus on their business, not backend setup.

What it does

  • Lets users embed contact forms anywhere using a simple API.
  • Stores submissions securely and shows them in the Formly mobile app.
  • Provides insights into submission volume and usage.
  • Prepares reply drafts for submissions, which users can send via their existing email apps (Gmail/Outlook).
  • Offers free and Pro subscription tiers, managed through RevenueCat.

How we built it

  • Frontend & Mobile App: Flutter, to ensure cross-platform support.
  • Backend: Firebase Functions + Firestore for serverless, scalable submission handling.
  • Subscription Management: RevenueCat for entitlements, Pro plan limits, and upgrades.
  • Deployment: Google Play release with live users already testing.

Challenges we ran into

  • Implementing a reliable monthly quota reset without cron jobs.
  • Striking the balance between simplicity and functionality for non-technical users.
  • Meeting Google Play policy requirements around account deletion and data usage.
  • Understanding the nuances of RevenueCat’s entitlements and base plans to set up subscriptions correctly.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

  • Built a fully functional, serverless contact form system that anyone can use
  • Released the app publicly on the Play Store with growing adoption.
  • Integrated subscription management seamlessly using RevenueCat.

What we learned

  • How to integrate RevenueCat effectively for subscription-based apps.
  • Best practices for building a serverless quota tracking system with Firebase.
  • The importance of designing UX for non-technical creators who just want results.
  • How to balance free vs paid features while keeping the app valuable to both tiers.

What's next for Formly

  • Adding AI-powered smart replies directly in the app.
  • Exploring more integrations (Email Forwarding, Slack, Notion, CRM tools) to streamline workflows.
  • Expanding to iOS release alongside Android.

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