Rapid App Development in 2025: When AI Meets Real-World Coding
Replit is my new friend!
You know those late-night coding sessions where everything just clicks? (Even if your brain is running on coffee and pure stubbornness D:) Well, I just had one of those moments that made me rethink how we build apps in 2025.
If you've been following my journey of getting back into coding back in August, you know I started with Delphi 7 - the OG of Rapid Application Development (RAD). Yeah, it had its quirks, but man, you could build something overnight if you knew your Object Pascal!
Recently, I've been playing with Ruby on Rails (and falling in love with coding again), using tools like Cursor to speed things up. But here's the thing about AI and coding - if you think you can just throw a prompt at AI and get a perfect app, you're in for a reality check.
Remember when I tried building with AI? It's great for prototypes (like on websim.ai), but real apps? That's where things get interesting.
Enter Replit: The New Kid on My Block
So, at 1 AM (because when else do developers make life-changing decisions?), I decided to give Replit a shot. And wow - let me tell you about this wild ride.
What Makes Replit Different:
Truly rapid development (even when you're half-awake)
Built-in AI that actually gets what you're trying to do
Deployment that doesn't make you want to cry
The QR Code Generator Experiment
I challenged myself to build something simple but useful. The result? A QR code generator that cost me exactly $4.25 to build. Here's the timeline:
Prototype: 10 minutes
MVP: 1 hour
Custom features (fonts, styling): Another hour
And yes, I was probably overpaying because 1 AM me isn't exactly efficiency-oriented :)
The Real Power of Modern RAD
What Makes It Work:
AI Agents that understand your messy midnight ideas
Zero-config deployment (goodbye, nginx nightmares!)
Automatic scaling without the cloud complexity
Domain connection that doesn't require a PhD
The Cost of Convenience
Let's talk money (because that's kind of important):
AI Agent prompts: $0.25 each
Assistant prompts: $0.05 each
Hosting: Pay-as-you-go
Pro tip: Basic coding knowledge is your friend here. It's like having a translator who can fix AI's occasional "creative interpretations" of your requirements.
When to Use What
Cursor: Perfect for Ruby on Rails and when you want full control
Replit: Ideal for quick projects and JavaScript frameworks
Your Brain: Still the most important tool (sorry, AI!)
Looking Forward
Tools like Replit are changing the game, but they're not replacing developers - they're empowering us to focus on ideas rather than infrastructure. It's like having a super-powered coding assistant who also handles your DevOps (but occasionally needs some guidance).
Want to see what's possible with modern RAD tools? Check out some of my other experiments:
What do you think about this new wave of development tools? Are you using any AI-powered coding assistants? Let me know in the comments!
“Your brain, still the most important tool” made me lol. Couldn’t agree more. People somehow seem to forget this amidst the hype!
I really like Replit too! A few months ago, I tried building a small project, a doc tracking platform to track PDF metrics like views, emails, and downloads after you send them out. But Replit struggled a bit with the more complex parts, and I couldn't finish the prototype.
I tested a bunch of other tools after that, and for now, I’ve stuck with Lovable. It feels much better at actually implementing slightly more complicated stuff.