Not a developer, want to make a simple web app, which LLM should I use?
Posted by 1BlueSpork@reddit | LocalLLaMA | View on Reddit | 61 comments
I want to make a simple web application, and I have no programming experience. Which LLM (paid or free) would you recommend I use? I have a good idea of what the best choice might be, but before committing, I thought it would be good to check here first.
Greedy-Lynx-9706@reddit
https://jasonroell.com/2024/10/10/a-month-with-cursor-and-claude-dev-my-thoughts/
pcipolicies-com@reddit
This site has been compromised. It's trying to get user to run some powershell code when a fake Captcha fails to run.
dxvdxkxtn@reddit
used claude code. open up the terminal and make a folder "you_project" go inside the folder and make a README.md file and describe in that file what you want the app to do. Heck, have a long conversation about your app with any LLM and then get it to write your readme file.
then basically all you have to do is be in that project folder. type "claude" and then you will open claude code and just tell it to read the readme file and then make the app.
Marksta@reddit
It's not learning to code specificly, it's the not learning part in general. There's a special sort of oddness to requesting to learn how to do something without learning how to do something.
How do I am better in a video game? The answers will all be some sort of way to learn, and if the user refuses that what's the answer left over? Like, cheat? Or don't?
So you need a cheat to coding a web app, but if one existed then why do we pay people or learn to do it ourselves? A cheat to productivity isn't wrong, but it wouldn't be a cheat or a hack if it was so simple and common place. It'd be standard process.
That's all to say, you leave people commenting in a paradox. They'd like to help you, but you want something that can't be achieved. They can point you to the best LLM but right now we know the outcome is you're going to hit a wall and with 0% willingness to learn the LLM won't get you where you want.
Like, I hope you can 1 shot prompt this thing you want but once you're 3 chats deep any chance any LLM has of helping you without you knowing a bit of it yourself is going to go right out the door.
Not trying to be a jerk, just pointing out why it might seem like people are being 'unhelpful' saying you need to learn some or that this can't be done. It's just the situation currently.
1BlueSpork@reddit (OP)
I understand your point. Thank you. It's not that I'm not willing to learn. I'm willing to learn whatever is required to make this project work. And I will make it work. What I was trying to say is that I don't want to become a developer and learn how to code just to complete this simple basic web app project. The whole purpose of the project is to learn how to do it as efficiently as possible.
Marksta@reddit
Yea, that's more the spirit. So start probing one of the LLMs the questions you need to learn on for your minimal-viable-learning or MVL process.
Things you need:
So once you have answers for these, break them into steps. They're all separate and should be in their own chat thread. Take note, every time you do a 'follow up' on an LLM, if you switch topics it's like asking the Baker to butcher some meat.
-- I have a Windows 11 home computer. What are my top 3 choices for hosting a local web app on it? [LAMP?]
-- I have XXX, how do I install LAMP?
-- I want to run a database on my XXX computer, what's my top 3 choices... [postgres?]
-- I have XXX, how do I setup postgres?
-- How do I create a table in my new postgres db?
Then you have some infrastructure and a scope in mind, you get to some 'coding' part
-- Write me a single-page-application in plain HTML/JS/CSS that connects to a postgres DB, pulling in listings from the mydb.LISTINGS table that are marked as active. For each LISTING in the table, display on screen a clickable square that'll open the link stored in the LISTING's url field.
Something like that. And at every step it's a new chat, and follow up that chat with "why that..." to make it explain it to you if you don't understand what it's doing so you get some ground level info on it. You can also ask them in that same chat after they complete a piece to "summarize what we've completed" so the LLM will tell you exactly what you've completed so far.
This sort of piece meal prompting, and controlling the moving pieces yourself is best way right now. If you dump it all on a single LLM chat, they're going to run in 1 direction with no guidance and very low chance they ran in the direction you wanted them to.
1BlueSpork@reddit (OP)
It worked! And the whole process took around 3-4 hours. Including domain registration, webhosting setup, and database setup. The web app is fully funcional, including user registration, sending verification emails. users submitting topics, commenting, voting on topics, sorting submissions by votes, admin panel to manage the whole thing ... now just need to work on some details and it's all done. Amazing!
Marksta@reddit
That sounds a bit more than just 'simple' so that's crazy you managed it! Nice job seeing it through! đ đ
1BlueSpork@reddit (OP)
I made the app with Claude 3.7 Sonnet in just a few hours. You can see the whole process here - https://youtu.be/wMSx3PAvEOA
1BlueSpork@reddit (OP)
Thank you :)
1BlueSpork@reddit (OP)
Thanks. It's going to be HTML/JS/CSS and hosted on a web server. Still not sure which backend I'm going to use for the data, but figuring that out should not be an issue. Also, I have been working with many different LLMs for more than I year.
Main-Combination3549@reddit
Cursor with Claude preferably. LocalLLM? Not sure anything will get you there.
I highly, highly recommend you learn to code/webdev in parallel though. LLMs sped my pvpeiny up 3-4x but itâs because I understand whatâs going on.
1BlueSpork@reddit (OP)
Thank you for the advice. I have no intention of learning to code, I just want to build the app using plain English. Is Cursor really necessary? Can I use Claude Sonnet 3.7 alone?
Belnak@reddit
Wait a few years. Thee tech isnât there yet. LLMs are an amazing aid to improve developerâs productivity. They are not stand alone coders by any means. Code needs to be exact to function, and LLMs are more general.
1BlueSpork@reddit (OP)
So, you don't think I can pull this off?
GrungeWerX@reddit
Dude, ignore him. A few years? Is he crazy? I've seen people on this reddit build fully functioning apps in 2 days with zero code experience. I've already built 9 apps myself for personal use cases and I have virtually zero experience.
The answer to your question is to use them all. None are 100% reliable, but you might find you like some more than others. Claude is pound for pound the best imo. But I've had gpt and deepseek fix issues neither of the others could.
Also, learning via AI will naturally increase your knowledge about coding as you run into issues. Grok is a very good teacher, btw. Good luck on your projects.
1BlueSpork@reddit (OP)
Thank you. Really appriciate your answer. Thatâs exactly what I needed to hear. Iâm not trying to become a dev, just want to see if I can make something that works. Good to know others have done it too. I already have ChatGPT Plus subscribtion and I will get one month Claude Pro subscription just for this project and then decide which one to keep. Using other LLM to fix my primary LLM issues sounds like a good idea. I've already done this with some other projects not related to coding.
GrungeWerX@reddit
Great strategy! Youâre on your way. :)
1BlueSpork@reddit (OP)
It worked! And the whole process took around 3-4 hours. Including domain registration, webhosting setup, and database setup. Now just need to work on some details and it's all done. Amazing!
GrungeWerX@reddit
Thatâs why you should never listen to the naysayers. Iâm always accomplishing things people tell me will never work. Great job! :)
1BlueSpork@reddit (OP)
I made the app with Claude 3.7 Sonnet in just a few hours. You can see the whole process here - https://youtu.be/wMSx3PAvEOA
1BlueSpork@reddit (OP)
Exactly!
Thanks for the support :)
I was really surprised that everything worked on the first try.
1BlueSpork@reddit (OP)
Thank you my friend :)
Bubbly_Lengthiness22@reddit
Then you canât even do it without cursor since you donât even know how you can deploy your web app and you will have no intention to learn it. If itâs just a normal app like thousands of others in the market then maybe hire an IndianÂ
1BlueSpork@reddit (OP)
It worked! And the whole process took around 3-4 hours. Including domain registration, webhosting setup, and database setup. The web app is fully funcional, including user registration, sending verification emails. users submitting topics, commenting, voting on topics, sorting submissions by votes, admin panel to manage the whole thing ... now just need to work on some details and it's all done. Amazing!
1BlueSpork@reddit (OP)
I think you misunderstood what I was trying to say. I was probably not clear enough. I will learn whatever is necessery to learn to make this work. And I will make it work (with a help of a LLM) probably in less than a week. The whole idea is to learn. That is the whole purpose of this project. Deployng the web app should not be an issue.
lqstuart@reddit
If you're trying to see how efficiently it can be done, use Cursor. It doesn't matter how fancy the model is, it's worth jack shit if it doesn't have access to the full context of what you're working on.
1BlueSpork@reddit (OP)
I'll consider Cursor. Thank you. This is a very simple project and I was hoping using just a LLM will be enough. Full context should not be an issue for this project .. I think. Then after I'm done with this I can add Cursor for my second project.
lqstuart@reddit
The issue Iâve had was that Claude, Copilot etc wouldnât write things in a way that fit together, and theyâd still hallucinate crap that would take forever to debug. Overall Iâve found LLMs useless for what I know how to write (which is LLMsâŚ) and frustrating at best for stuff I donât know, so Iâm really interested in seeing how it goes for you.
1BlueSpork@reddit (OP)
The web app is fully functional, everything worked on the first try, which really surprised me. Now, I just need to make a few minor adjustments, and it's done. Amazing! The entire process, from domain registration to web hosting setup and app creation, took only 3â4 hours. I'm blown away.
1BlueSpork@reddit (OP)
Good to know, thank you! I'll keep you updated. I registered a domain, set up hosting, and now I'm working with Claude and ChatGPT on the backend setup.
1BlueSpork@reddit (OP)
I made the app with Claude 3.7 Sonnet in just a few hours. You can see the whole process here - https://youtu.be/wMSx3PAvEOA
Greedy-Lynx-9706@reddit
"pvpeiny" = python?
_anotherRandomGuy@reddit
if you just want to use LLM via GUI, use Claude/MS Copilot/Gemini you can try using GPT with Reason, or Deepseek as well
if you are willing to set up tools, use cursor/windsurf/replit
either ways Id suggest looking up basic prompt engineering templates
1BlueSpork@reddit (OP)
Thank you. I'm not looking to set up tools since this is just to see if I can pull it off using LLM via GUI only. Based on my research so far I think Sonnet 3.7 might be the best choice.
_anotherRandomGuy@reddit
Sonnet 3.7 is good, but it's very eager to write a lot of code and it may get overwhelming fast if you don't know which sections of the code to replace. I'd suggest prompting it to keep the number of lines minimum for the features you require.
1BlueSpork@reddit (OP)
That sounds like a good advice. Thanks! Any other advices for my specific situation?
_anotherRandomGuy@reddit
Sure. Prompt Claude to ask follow up questions for your requests before starting to generate code.
Also, ask it to generate code for individual code blocks/functions. Otherwise it'll generate the entire code file again, and it'll end up consuming token usage for daily limits.
1BlueSpork@reddit (OP)
That's great advice. Thank you again. Really appriciate it.
_anotherRandomGuy@reddit
happy prompting!
1BlueSpork@reddit (OP)
It worked! And the whole process took around 3-4 hours. Including domain registration, webhosting setup, and database setup. The web app is fully funcional, including user registration, sending verification emails. users submitting topics, commenting, voting on topics, sorting submissions by votes, admin panel to manage the whole thing ... now just need to work on some details and it's all done. Amazing!
1BlueSpork@reddit (OP)
:)
thetaFAANG@reddit
Bolt.new will create a whole app for you from just Figma designs
Try that! Iâm a dev and a lot of devs and product teams just got cooked
To test it, you can find figma designs for popular app styles and import them into that site
1BlueSpork@reddit (OP)
Thank you, but I was thinking of using just a simple LLM like Sonnet 3.7, or ChatGPT o1, or DeepSeek. Not tools like Bolt.
thetaFAANG@reddit
Bolt is an LLM, multimodal like all of those others
1BlueSpork@reddit (OP)
I understand. But I don't want to use wrappers for this project. Thank you for the suggestion.
thetaFAANG@reddit
Claude Sonnet 3.7 is best for me
1BlueSpork@reddit (OP)
Thank you. That is my first choice at this point. But I will probably Use ChatGPT Plus, DeepSeek, and Gemini 2.5 to assist if I have any issues with Sonnet 3.7. Still ... Sonnet 3.7 will be doing most of the work.
1BlueSpork@reddit (OP)
This is what ChatGPT 4o recommended:
â Claude 3.7 Sonnet Best fit if you value clarity, step-by-step structure, and strong support through each phase
Especially helpful since youâre not a programmerâit explains well and anticipates gaps
Might be slightly slower but makes fewer assumptions
â ChatGPT o1 Fast and efficient, good for when you already know what to ask
Less hand-holdingâmight move too quickly or be less helpful in complex moments
Youâll get results quickly, but may need to do more back-and-forth
â ď¸ Deepseek R1 Strong in raw code generation, but needs more specific prompts
Could be frustrating if you're not confident in debugging or clarifying requests
Great for later stages or refining, but not ideal for guiding the full process
Recommendation: Claude 3.7 Sonnet It will likely give you the most consistent, supportive experience across the whole project. Youâll spend less time rephrasing, debugging, or figuring things out on your own.
GrungeWerX@reddit
I'd agree with this. This has been my experience.
hippobreeder3000@reddit
I will make it for you for less than 50
1BlueSpork@reddit (OP)
Thank you my friend. But the whole point is for me to learn how to do it myself.
Busy-Awareness420@reddit
You can now choose between DeepSeek-V3 (0324) and Gemini Pro 2.5. For implementation, you can use VSCode with the CLine extension and OpenRouter as the API gateway.
Busy-Awareness420@reddit
2 days ago the best option was using Claude, not anymore. Now you have better, faster and lighter in the wallet options. That's why VSCode with Cline (or other opensource tools) are the best option at the moment, beating subscription based tools like Cursor even on their free plan.
1BlueSpork@reddit (OP)
Deepseek? I got "You are sending messages too frequently. Please wait a moment before sending again." message after using it 5 minutes last night.
Busy-Awareness420@reddit
Are you using the web interface or the API? I got not problem at all using the API. But that's all on you to decide, I gave you a clean updated path that isn't complicated at all, and you can code anything you want with the best overall value right now. Current I'm using only the new Gemini because it's better than V3 and anything else at coding. Good luck.
1BlueSpork@reddit (OP)
Thank you. I'm using the web interface. Don't have intention to use API for this project. Do you think Gemini 2.5 is a better choice than Sonnet 3.7 for my project?
1BlueSpork@reddit (OP)
That sounds complicated. I was thinking only HTML/CSS + JavaScript. And keep it very simple. Got "You are sending messages too frequently. Please wait a moment before sending again." after using DeepSeek for 5 minutes. I'm thinking of using eithter Sonnet 3.7 or ChatGPT o1 with no additional software.
jeffwadsworth@reddit
Any of them can do this pretty well. Try Deepseek chat and have fun.
1BlueSpork@reddit (OP)
While testing Deepseek Chat, I received this message after 5 minutes: "You are sending messages too frequently. Please wait a moment before sending again."
jeffwadsworth@reddit
https://huggingface.co/spaces/akhaliq/anychat
Look at the bottom for entering your request.