Best Day to Launch Your Startup in 2026? [Data Study]
We analyzed 489 RankInPublic tournament entries to see which launch day drives the most votes.
Founders ask the same question every launch week: What is the best day to launch a startup?
To answer it, we analyzed tournament performance across hundreds of RankInPublic launches and compared results by day of week.
Quick answer
Based on 489 completed-tournament entries (Aug 2025 to Jan 2026, UTC), Thursday delivered the highest average votes per entry (25.39) and the best median votes (12). Wednesday and Tuesday were the next strongest days. Monday underperformed on votes per entry in this dataset.
If you are still building your launch plan, start with our startup SEO guide and then book your slot at /launch.
How we ran the study
Study parameters
- Sample size: 489 entries
- Date range: 2025-08-10 to 2026-01-11
- Data source: RankInPublic tournament entries
- Inclusion: Completed tournaments only (includes earlier Monday-start tournaments)
- Launch day: Entry
joined_attimestamp, normalized to UTC - Votes per entry: Count of votes received (
tournament_match_votes.voted_for_entry_id)
Note: We used UTC because timestamps are stored with time zone and we need a single standard for comparison. If your audience is concentrated in one region, adjust your timing to your local timezone.
Results by launch day (UTC)
Here is the full performance table from our dataset.
| Day (UTC) | Entries | Total votes | Avg votes | Median votes | P90 votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun | 47 | 436 | 9.28 | 5 | 16.6 |
| Mon | 233 | 435 | 1.87 | 0 | 4 |
| Tue | 44 | 684 | 15.55 | 7.5 | 35.4 |
| Wed | 54 | 842 | 15.59 | 10.5 | 35.2 |
| Thu | 31 | 787 | 25.39 | 12 | 82 |
| Fri | 33 | 592 | 17.94 | 10 | 43 |
| Sat | 47 | 691 | 14.70 | 6 | 45.6 |
Key takeaways
- Best average votes: Thursday (25.39), but the sample is smaller (31 entries).
- Best median votes: Thursday (12).
- Strong mid-week days: Wednesday and Tuesday are close on average and P90 votes.
- Weakest vote day: Monday (median 0, avg 1.87) in this dataset.
When founders actually launch
Most launches in our dataset happened early in the week.
| Day (UTC) | Entries | Share of launches |
|---|---|---|
| Sun | 47 | 9.61% |
| Mon | 233 | 47.65% |
| Tue | 44 | 9.00% |
| Wed | 54 | 11.04% |
| Thu | 31 | 6.34% |
| Fri | 33 | 6.75% |
| Sat | 47 | 9.61% |
That is not random. All scheduled and in-progress tournaments start on Wednesday at 11:59 UTC, but this dataset includes earlier Monday-start tournaments. In our completed-tournament data, 52% started on Monday and 40% started on Wednesday (UTC), with one Saturday and one Sunday start. The 10 most recent completed tournaments (2025-11-12 to 2026-01-14) all started on Wednesday at 11:59 UTC. Also, 53.17% of entries were created before the tournament start time, so many launches happen 1-2 days before the bracket opens.
How this compares to broader engagement data
Our data is specific to RankInPublic tournaments. For broader context, social engagement research often highlights mid-week performance windows:
- Sprout Social (2025): Best days to post are Tuesday through Thursday, with broad engagement windows around 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays.
- Hootsuite (2025): Best overall posting time reported is Wednesday at 8 a.m., with strong morning windows across multiple platforms.
Sources:
- Sprout Social: Best times to post on social media (2025)
- Hootsuite: Best time to post on social media (2025)
Use this only as context. Your audience and channel mix will shift the best day.
What to do with this
If you can choose your launch day:
- Default to Thursday for votes. It leads on average and median votes, but the sample size is smaller.
- Wednesday is the consistent runner-up. It has strong average and P90 votes with a larger sample.
- Be careful with Monday. It has the lowest votes per entry in this dataset.
Timing matters less than execution
Day-of-week helps at the margin, but quality beats timing. Make sure you have:
- a clear value proposition
- a strong hero section with proof
- a launch plan that drives early votes (email, social, communities)
If you want a checklist, start with the startup SEO guide and the SEO testing checklist.
Ready to test your launch day?
Submit your site and see how real users vote in the weekly tournament.
FAQs
What is the single best day to launch?
In our data, Thursday is the strongest day for votes per entry, with Wednesday close behind. Monday underperforms on vote counts.
Does time of day matter too?
Yes, but this study only covers day-of-week. If you want to optimize further, align launch timing with your audience's active hours.
Are these results causal?
No. This is correlation based on RankInPublic tournament outcomes. Use it as directional guidance, not a guarantee.
Ready to launch your startup?
Enter your domain and join the tournament—every week is launch day.