Requirements
Before you start, make sure your machine is up to the job and you've created the accounts the kit relies on. Only two accounts are required to build and run — the rest you create later, one at a time, when a setup command asks for them. Nothing here costs money to get started except Google Play account.
Already know what you need? Install the tools with Setup macOS, Setup Windows, or Setup Linux, then jump to Creating a New Project.
Hardware
| Requirement | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB |
| Free storage | 20 GB | 40 GB |
| OS | macOS 13+ or Windows 10+ | macOS 13+ or Windows 10+ |
| Android device | Optional (emulator works) | Physical phone with USB debugging |
The kit targets Android 8.0 (API 26) and up, so almost any Android phone from the last several years works as a test device.
Required accounts
GitHub
For: getting the kit. After purchase you're added as a collaborator on your private kit repo — you clone it from GitHub.
- Sign up: github.com/signup
- Cost: Free
An AI agent (strongly recommended)
NowKit is AI-first. Every setup step is a slash command — /kit-start-setup,
/kit-setup-auth, /kit-design-app, … — that an AI coding agent runs for you: it asks plain
questions, edits the right files, wires the keys, and builds the app. That's the whole point of
the kit — you describe what you want, the agent does the Android work. You don't need to know
Kotlin to ship with NowKit.
So while no single agent is strictly required, you'll want one. Pick one, install it, sign
in — all of these run the /kit-* commands:
| Agent | What it is | Cheapest plan | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Claude Code | Anthropic's terminal agent | ~$20/mo (Pro) | Great default. Higher plan (Max) = fewer limits. |
| Cursor | AI-first code editor | ~$20/mo (Pro) | Popular, friendly UI. |
| Google Antigravity | Google's agentic IDE | Free tier | Good free option to start. |
| OpenCode | Open-source terminal agent | Pay-as-you-go | Bring your own model key. |
| Codex | OpenAI's coding agent | ~$20/mo (Plus) | Works with the same commands. |
The /kit-* commands work across all five. Pick one, sign in, open the kit folder in it, and
you're ready.
Cheaper plan? You can still ship. A $20/month plan builds a full app — you'll just hit usage limits sooner and wait between bursts, so it takes longer. Higher plans (e.g. Claude Max) rarely stop you mid-flow, so you build faster. Start with what fits your budget; you can upgrade any time.
No AI agent? You can still build. Everything the commands do is plain, documented Android code — nothing is hidden or locked behind the agent. If you'd rather work by hand, read the Features, Commands, and Components references and wire each piece yourself. The kit is a real, ownable codebase either way; the agent just does the typing.
Optional accounts
Create these only when you turn on the matching feature. Each setup command links you straight to the right signup page and walks you through it.
Supabase
- Unlocks: Auth (email + Google), database, file storage, remote config
- Sign up: supabase.com
- Set up by:
/kit-setup-auth - Cost: Free tier
Firebase
- Unlocks: Auth alternative, Analytics, Crashlytics, remote config, push notifications
- Sign up: console.firebase.google.com
- Set up by:
/kit-setup-auth//kit-setup-analytics - Cost: Free tier (Spark plan)
Google Cloud Console
- Unlocks: Google Sign-In (OAuth clients)
- Sign up: console.cloud.google.com
- Set up by:
/kit-setup-auth - Cost: Free
RevenueCat
- Unlocks: In-app purchases + subscriptions + paywall
- Sign up: app.revenuecat.com
- Set up by:
/kit-setup-paywall - Cost: Free under $2.5k/mo revenue
PostHog
- Unlocks: Product analytics + funnels
- Sign up: posthog.com
- Set up by:
/kit-setup-analytics - Cost: Free tier
Sentry
- Unlocks: Crash + error reporting (alternative or addition to Crashlytics)
- Sign up: sentry.io
- Set up by:
/kit-setup-analytics - Cost: Free tier
OpenRouter
- Unlocks: AI features — one key, 100+ models
- Sign up: openrouter.ai
- Set up by:
/kit-setup-ai - Cost: Pay-per-use (free models available)
Auth is one OR the other. You pick Supabase or Firebase as your backend — you don't need both. Supabase is the default.
To publish on the Play Store
Only needed when you're ready to ship — not for building.
Google Play Developer account
For: publishing your app on the Google Play Store.
- Sign up: play.google.com/console/signup
- Cost: $25 one-time registration fee
- Note: New personal accounts must run a closed test with 12+ testers for 14 days before you can publish to production. Start this early — see the Launch Roadmap.
Tools on your machine
The build needs JDK 17, the Android SDK, and adb; the CLI agents (Claude Code, OpenCode, Codex)
also need Node.js. Don't install these by hand from memory — the per-OS guides do it step by step:
After you've cloned the kit, run /kit-env-check inside it to confirm everything is in
place.
Next: install your tools — Setup macOS · Setup Windows · Setup Linux.