Margin

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  Margin app icon - 1024 x 1024, uncropped

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  Margin ledger - authentic app capture, no device frame, resized to 1179 x 2556; example data.

Inspiration

People already use their notes app to write something down quickly and come back to it later. I wanted that same experience for tracking money: open the app, write what happened, and move on. That became Margin, a finance tracker built around freely written notes.

What it does

Margin turns notes about income and expenses into a readable ledger. You can write things like "netflix 15 every month", "salary 5k", or "coffee 5 yesterday" instead of filling out a transaction form. Margin reads the entry, formats the amount, and keeps your original words.

You can also scan receipts, track budgets and recurring spending, ask questions about your ledger, and export your data. Typed notes save offline, so you can record a purchase before you have a connection. The app starts free with a Reads allowance and offers monthly and yearly subscriptions.

How I built it

I built Margin solo as a native iOS app in Swift, with AI-assisted development using Claude. The stack also includes Supabase and RevenueCat.

Challenges I ran into

Working with AI meant learning how to give clearer instructions and keep the app headed in the right direction. My software engineering experience helped me direct the work, but AI could still get stuck in a loop trying to fix something. Getting out of those loops was a challenge in itself.

The work also went beyond the app's code: payments, email, distribution, and marketing all needed attention.

Accomplishments I'm proud of

I took Margin from an idea to a shipped product. I handled the integrations myself, including payments and email, and worked on marketing it too.

What I learned

For me, the hardest part of shipping was no longer just coding. Connecting everything, getting through the app store process, and distributing the app took just as much work.

What's next for Margin

My next goal is to get my first customer and see whether Margin can earn revenue.

Built With

• claude
• revenuecat
• supabase
• swift