Kineto, a JetBrains spin-out, promises to democratize app development through AI. Our testing reveals a functional but iterative process, while industry voices debate whether true no-code mainstream adoption is feasible.
Kineto emerges from JetBrains’ incubator with a bold proposition: anyone can build a web app by simply describing it. The tool operates entirely within the browser, eliminating downloads and installations. Publishing an app is as straightforward as sharing a link.
To evaluate the promise, our technology editor commissioned three distinct applications:
- A French vocabulary flashcard tool with multi-list management for language practice.
- A typing tutor that scores accuracy and speed using meaningful sentences.
- A website link checker to identify broken URLs.
Each project started with a text description and a color scheme selection. Kineto’s AI produced an initial version rapidly. Yet, as with most software, early attempts required refinement. The typing tutor, for example, failed to detect keystrokes in its first two iterations.
Improvements involve describing shortcomings or desired features, prompting Kineto to generate a new version. This cycle of build-test-refine mirrors conventional development, though it substitutes natural language for code.
Andrew Zakonov, Kineto’s founder, estimates that creating a solid app today takes 1-2 hours and approximately 10 iterations. He anticipates cutting that to 30 minutes “for your kids” once AI technology advances further.
Behind the scenes, a ensemble of specialized AI agents handles tasks like image generation, web research, and automated testing. Kineto continuously benchmarks large language models to allocate each subtask to the most capable model.
Security considerations are explicit: no user-side code execution, and data access limited to deliberate uploads. Apps remain browser-confined and do not appear in native app stores.
The service offers tiered pricing with increased project limits, storage, and AI credits. A target market includes online content creators—YouTubers, for instance—who could develop interactive courses. Zakonov declares: “I believe that interactive apps are the next mainstream medium.”
Not all developers share this optimism. Jules Goldberg, founder of Reviva Softworks and creator of the 15-million-download SnoreLab app, applauds the creative accessibility but predicts AI builders won’t go mainstream. “Humans are a bit lazy. It will always be less effort to download someone else’s work,” he states.
Goldberg challenges the business logic: “When it is so easy to create simple apps, like a habit tracker or a quiz, it devalues them. Why should anyone buy one if you can just make it in a click?” He contends that established apps hold a distribution advantage and that “depth”—forged through experience and research—remains beyond AI’s reach. “Even if it becomes easier to build a superficial app, it’s enormously expensive to get that app in front of people.”
Zakonov counters that Kineto aims to make creation “easy, fun and interactive,” ultimately enabling “pretty much everyone [to] be a creator someday.”
The discord underscores a fundamental shift in software production. For users, AI builders offer customization without technical hurdles. For professional developers, they may automate boilerplate tasks but unlikely replace bespoke engineering soon.
Kineto’s trajectory will depend on reducing iteration counts and expanding the complexity ceiling. If Zakonov’s vision crystallizes, we could witness an explosion of tailored web applications. Goldberg’s skepticism, however, reminds us that market success requires more than a builder—it needs distribution, trust, and sustained utility.
As AI agents mature, the line between amateur tooling and professional software will blur. Whether Kineto leads that charge or remains a niche solution is a story worth following.
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