The Problem (Pain Level: 8/10)
“I joined a new company and it took months to understand the million-line legacy codebase.”
Large codebases are hard to grasp. Documentation is outdated, architecture is complex, and even finding “where this function is called from” takes time.
Target Market - TAM $6.41B → $13.70B (2030)
- Developers working with legacy code
- Developers joining new teams
- Code reviewers and architects
- Open source contributors
Software Development Tools Market is expected to grow from $6.41B (2025) to $13.70B (2030) at CAGR 16.4%.
What is Codebase Analyzer?
A local-first tool that uses LLMs to understand and navigate codebases:
- Codebase Summary: Auto-analyze project structure, core modules, dependencies
- Natural Language Questions: “Where is user authentication handled?”
- Dependency Visualization: Display module relationships as graphs
- Change Impact Analysis: “What will be affected if I modify this file?”
- Local-First: Code never leaves your machine
Competitive Analysis
| Competitor | Pricing | Weakness |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub Copilot | $10-39/mo | Weak at full codebase analysis |
| Cursor | $20/mo | Cloud-dependent |
| Sourcegraph Cody | $19/mo | Complex setup |
| Claude Code | $100+/mo | High cost |
Differentiation Opportunity:
- Local-first (privacy)
- Offline capable
- Visual dependency graphs
- Affordable pricing
MVP Development: 12-20 weeks, Complexity: HIGH
Tech Stack:
- Core: TypeScript/Rust
- AI: Local LLM (Ollama) or API
- Frontend: Electron or VS Code Extension
- Visualization: D3.js, React Flow
- Parsing: Tree-sitter
Core MVP Features:
- Codebase indexing
- Natural language Q&A
- File/function summaries
- VS Code extension
Revenue Model: SUBSCRIPTION - $15-50/mo
Pricing Structure:
- Free: Small projects, basic features
- Pro ($20/mo): Unlimited projects, advanced analysis
- Team ($50/user/mo): Team sharing, admin features
Projected MRR:
- 6 months: $2K-5K
- 12 months: $8K-20K
Risk Analysis
| Type | Level | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Technical | HIGH | LLM quality, large-scale processing |
| Market | MEDIUM | Big competitors exist |
| Execution | HIGH | High development complexity |
Warning: Big players like GitHub Copilot, Cursor, and Claude Code are actively competing in this space. Targeting a niche (local-first, specific language specialization) is advisable.
Who Should Build This
- Those interested in compilers/parsers
- Developers with LLM experience
- Those with VS Code extension development experience
- Anyone who enjoys challenging technical problems
If you’re building this idea or have thoughts to share, drop a comment below!