After going through the latest layoff cycles, I know the hardest part of job searching isn’t updating your resume. It’s the psychological weight of tracking dozens of applications, following up at the right times, maintaining momentum when most applications disappear into silence, and doing all of this while every existing tool either costs $15-40/month or sells your data.
So I’m building Rung. Free. No subscription. Your data stays yours. Anyone can use it to track their search effort.
The Problem Space
Existing job tracker tools fall into a few categories, and they all have issues:
Spreadsheets (Google Sheets, Airtable): Flexible but require manual setup. No intelligence. Copying links, updating statuses, and tracking follow-ups all require cognitive overhead when you’re already depleted.
Paid trackers (Huntr, Teal, JobHero): $15-40/month subscription. They work, but charging people who just lost their income feels extractive. The features that matter most (application tracking, notes) can be managed without paying for an app.
ATS-integrated tools: Only work if companies use compatible systems. Most applications still disappear into black holes regardless.
LinkedIn: Wants to be your tracker but primarily serves recruiters and its own engagement metrics, not your job search workflow.
Here is the app, feel free to use it. Continue to read to understand what I am trying to achieve and the technical structure of this application.
What is Rung
Rung is a personal job-seeking tracker. Multi-tenant from day one, built to scale, but focused on individual needs. It is a work-in-progress app. I will be working on this app for the next few days. Feel free to fork it to build your own. But I appreciate you if you will contribute back.
