Rapid App Development in 2025: When AI Meets Real-World Coding

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:

1. AI Agents that understand your messy midnight ideas
2. Zero-config deployment (goodbye, nginx nightmares!)
3. Automatic scaling without the cloud complexity
4. 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:

• Magenda
• Public Chat App
• Dynamic Claude Chat

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!