Easy Daily Checklist launches ad-free checklist app with no account

Easy Daily Checklist launched July 4 with no signup, no ads and no server-side data storage, and 9,244 people used it in its first 18 days without giving an email address. Creator Andrew “Easy” Anderson says the app is a test of whether a genuinely free tool can sustain itself through voluntary support.

Why it matters: - Easy Daily Checklist is aimed at users who want a habit tracker without subscriptions, account creation or ad tracking. - The app stores data only on the user's device, which makes privacy and ownership central to the product. - Anderson is testing whether a free consumer app can support itself without relying on signups, email capture or upsells.

What happened: - Easy Daily Checklist launched on July 4, 2026, the 250th anniversary of American independence. - The app had 9,244 users in its first 18 days, and none of them were identified by the creator. - The app is available at Easy Daily Checklist. - Anderson said the project is an "Anti-Funnel Experiment" built to see whether voluntary patronage can fund a genuinely free tool.

The details: - The app includes reminders, streaks and a calendar. - The app requires no account, no email address and no subscription. - The app shows no interruptive ads and does not use cookies, tracking pixels or a database. - The entire application is a single HTML file, about 147 kilobytes on the server and about 40 kilobytes to download. - Users can view the source code directly. - The app also includes a section called The Barn for storing ideas until they are ready to move onto the daily list. - The Barn walkthrough is available here. - Anderson said the app was built as a personal response to ADHD and to a lifetime of losing lists and ideas. - Anderson said the nightly ritual of choosing three to five priority tasks is the core behavior the app is designed to support. - The app has had more than 50 updates in its first 18 days. - The newest update arrived the day before the release.

Between the lines: - The product is positioned against subscription habit trackers that typically charge $30 to $50 a year. - The design strips away the main growth levers used by consumer apps, including account walls, email capture and persistent ads. - The counter's anonymity is part of the message: the app can measure usage, but not identities. - Anderson framed the project as both a product test and a statement about privacy-first software.

What's next: - Anderson said he would like the app to reach 100,000 people. - He said the growth plan is simple: if the app helps someone, that person should tell one other person. - The app is funded by voluntary patron support, a one-sponsor-per-day line and branded editions for businesses and organizations. - The free version will not show popups, banners or upsells, and it will not show the sponsor line to users who have already started checking boxes. - Anderson is posting updates and notes on the experiment at From the Porch.

The bottom line: - Easy Daily Checklist is trying to prove that a useful app can stay free, private and ad-free without sacrificing sustainability.