Product Hunt Alternatives: Where Indie Makers Launch
By Sebastian Janas·Updated
The main alternatives to Product Hunt are Hacker News (Show HN) for things people can try, DevHunt for developer tools, Uneed for tech products, BetaList for early-stage startups, and Idea Kiln for products you are still building in public. Most makers get more from two or three well-chosen launches than from one big day.
Why look beyond Product Hunt
Product Hunt ranks each day's launches by community votes, so a launch there is a one-day contest. A product with an existing audience can win that day. A product without one usually can't, however good it is.
That doesn't make Product Hunt a bad choice. It means it works best as one stop among several, and often not the first. The sites below differ in three ways that matter: who is reading, how long your product stays visible, and whether the product has to be finished.
Hacker News (Show HN)
Show HN is for things people can run on their computers or hold in their hands. You post what you built, the title starts with "Show HN", and you stay in the thread to answer questions.
The rules are strict and worth reading before you post. Landing pages, sign-up pages, blog posts and newsletters don't qualify. Readers should be able to try the product without signing up or giving an email. Asking friends to upvote or comment is not allowed.
It suits technical products with something real to try. The audience is demanding and the feedback is blunt, which is useful if you want to know what is wrong.
DevHunt
DevHunt lists new developer tools and lets developers vote on them. Launches are grouped by week, and voting closes at the end of the week, so a tool has several days to collect votes, not one.
Tools that aren't aimed at developers are shown separately and left out of the vote. If you built a library, a CLI, an API or anything else a developer installs, this is a focused audience. If you built a consumer app, it isn't the place.
Uneed
Uneed describes itself as a social launchpad for tech products. Products are ranked by day, week, month and year, and the top three of each day win a badge. Weekly, monthly and yearly winners are featured in its newsletter.
It also sells paid options, so read its pricing page before you pick a launch date.
BetaList
BetaList is a directory of early-stage startups. You submit your site, confirm your email and pick a plan, and nothing is published until you do. Check its submit page for the current plans before you plan around a date.
Idea Kiln
Idea Kiln is this site, so weigh this section accordingly. It differs from the others in one way: you can list a product before it is finished. A listing moves through four stages, Concept, Prototype, MVP and Launch, and you post timeline updates as you build.
Listing is free. Products are ranked by upvotes daily, weekly and monthly, and paid boosts are optional. It suits makers who want feedback and an audience while they build. It is a smaller community than Product Hunt or Hacker News, so expect fewer visitors and more direct comments.
How to choose
Pick by audience and by how finished the product is, not by how big the site is.
- A developer tool that works today: Show HN and DevHunt.
- A finished product for a broad tech audience: Product Hunt and Uneed.
- An early startup that wants first users: BetaList.
- Something you are still building: Idea Kiln, then the others once it is ready.
Launch more than once
Nothing stops you from launching in several places, as long as you follow each site's rules. Space the launches a week or two apart. Each one teaches you something about how you describe the product, and you can fix the page before the next.
Before any of them, check that the basics are in place: a page that says what the product does in one sentence, a way to try it, and a way to reach you.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best alternative to Product Hunt?
It depends on the product. Show HN and DevHunt fit developer tools, Uneed fits finished tech products, BetaList fits early-stage startups, and Idea Kiln fits products that are still being built.
Can I launch on several sites at once?
Yes, if you follow each site's rules. Spacing launches a week or two apart lets you improve your page between them.
Can I launch before my product is finished?
On some sites. Show HN requires something people can try. Idea Kiln accepts products at the Concept and Prototype stages and lets you post updates as you build.
Do I need an audience before I launch?
It helps most on sites that rank by votes within a single day. Sites with weekly voting or with stages give a product without an audience more time to be found.