Building a bill splitting app - splitBhai (1/n) as a side project

Split Smart, Settle Easy - Simplifying Group Expenses

Picture this: You’re out with your friends for dinner, or maybe you’re planning a weekend trip with your close-knit group. Everyone is having a great time, until it comes to splitting the bill. We’ve all been there—awkward calculations, someone forgetting to pay their share, and the inevitable “I’ll settle it later” promises. But what if splitting bills wasn’t a chore? What if it was fun, efficient, and even a little game-like?

That’s where splitBhaicomes in—a fresh take on managing group expenses that’s smarter, fairer, and way more fun

How did i got this idea to build a bill splitting app ?

Well the answer is the two events that happened which let me think of a solution which could solve these two at a same time ( killing two birds with one stone kind of ..)

The first event was when my friends and I went to Goa for a hackathon. And not just any hackathon—it was my very first one, and what better place than Goa, right? It was a six-day Web3 event (though, to be honest, I’m more of a backend and cloud guy) and it was fun until we got back and saw my friends taking pen and paper to manually calculate all the expenses and i was like WTH ! Guys we have bill spliting apps why don't we use them (they find some apps trashy , not good UI).

That was the first reason , now coming to second reason .. so we are college students and often times we struggle with not having some cash at month end so we ask our friends while going canteens/cafe along with them " hey you pay this time and i will write your assignment or any project submission thing" and i thought hmm kind of barter system( i know not in truest sense but yes) wouldn’t it be cool if there were an app where people could exchange small favors like this? It’s not just about money; it’s about building relationships and creating a sense of community through these little gestures.

and then's when i came up with the idea of making a bill splitting app with group bill sharing feature(so it eliminate manual bill sharing task) and small barter system kind of feature and came up with splitBhai (bro please split the bill and tell me my share of prices)

What Makes splitBhai Different?

There are plenty of apps that split bills. But splitBhai takes things a step further with three game-changing features that set it apart:

1. Debt Settlement with a Barter System

Imagine being able to settle small debts not just with money, but with skills, favours, or shared resources. Did your friend pay for your movie ticket? Instead of transferring a few bucks, maybe you could repay them by picking them up from work or sharing your Netflix account for a month.

This isn't just about keeping track of who owes what—splitBhai enables a barter system, so you can settle debts in ways that fit your life. It’s about fostering stronger connections with your friends while solving the "I forgot to pay" problem in a creative way.

2. Saving Together as a Group

Groups that spend together, save together! With splitBhai, you can create a monthly savings plan with your group. Each person contributes a little bit extra to a collective fund that can later be spent on group activities like weekend getaways, dinner parties, or any other shared experience.

It’s like a mini-crowdfunding feature within the app! Not only does this save you from sudden large expenses, but it also ensures the group always has something fun planned ahead.

3. Gamified Debt Settlement

Paying someone back doesn’t have to feel like a chore. splitBhai brings an element of gamification into settling debts. Earn points for timely payments, or for paying in full without splitting hairs. Maybe you can even challenge your friends to pay their share faster by competing for group rewards. The more involved you are, the better your experience becomes.

It’s More Than Just an App

At its core, splitBhai is about relationships—whether it’s managing your group’s expenses, building trust through bartering, or contributing to group savings. Money is part of the equation, but it’s really about making life easier, fairer, and more fun when you’re navigating the sometimes tricky waters of group dynamics.

And the best part? It’s open-source. and i am excited to invite fellow developers, designers, and creative thinkers to join us in making splitBhai even better.

Want to Join Us on This Journey?

So far, I’ve built a solid authentication and authorization system using JWT, with support for email verification (currently limited to Gmail addresses). Additionally, I’ve integrated Redis for caching results and managing cookie expiration, which ensures better performance and security throughout the app. Also I am using MongoDB as primary Database , AWS for File storage and Deployment , Docker for Containerising the application for smoother deployment . Although Nothing has been done on the Front end part and that is why I am writing this Blog to Invite fellow developer who love building products.

Let’s Build splitBhai Together!

If this idea excites you, and even more so if you’re an Android developer, join the journey! This is just the beginning of splitBhai. With your help, we can turn it into a solid, viable product. Let’s build something amazing together!

Let’s bring a bit of joy back to group expense management—because managing money with friends shouldn’t be stressful, it should be fun. Come join us, and let’s make something amazing together!

Github : https://github.com/abhiraj-ku/splitBhai

Are you ready? Let’s go! 🚀