Hey PH — I'm Radhan, solo indie dev. I built Cactus because I have the hydration habits of a desert lizard. The problem I'd go entire mornings without a sip of water, then wonder why I had a headache by 2pm. I tried every water tracker on the App Store. They all felt the same — clinical blue interfaces, aggressive notifications, guilt-tripping dashboards. Drinking water should feel good, not stressful. So I thought: what if instead of tracking water for myself, I was keeping something alive? How it works When you open Cactus, you see your cactus. Its mood reflects your hydration: Dry (0-24%) — wilting, it needs you Thirsty (25-49%) — hanging in there Neutral (50-74%) — doing okay Happy (75-99%) — thriving, almost there Thriving (100%) — full bloom, you did it Your daily goal is calculated from your weight, activity level, and climate (weight × 33ml × activity × climate multipliers). Reminders are gentle nudges from your cactus, not alarm-level push notifications. Why it looks the way it does Most health apps use dark, serious themes because health is serious. But habits stick when they're fun. Cactus uses a light cream palette with soft greens and water blues. It feels like opening a plant care app, not a hospital dashboard. That warmth is intentional — it makes you want to come back. What it's not No social features. No leaderboards. No premium subscription. No account. No cloud sync. Your cactus lives on your phone and nowhere else. Just a free app with a couple non-intrusive ads. I'm not building a water empire, just a useful little thing that makes people drink more water. I've been using it for months and I actually drink water consistently for the first time in my life. Turns out I care more about a pixel cactus than my own wellbeing. Make of that what you will. React Native + Expo. 11 languages. Everything runs locally. I do design, code, marketing, support — all solo. How's your cactus doing?

Cactus

Grow a cactus by drinking water. Stay hydrated, stay alive.

Grow a cactus by drinking water. Stay hydrated, stay alive.