Product Hunt remains one of the most popular places to launch a startup, but it is not the only option. Many founders look for sites like Product Hunt to diversify their launch strategy, reach different audiences, or avoid the competitive daily leaderboard.
Whether you want instant feedback, permanent backlinks, or a community that focuses on indie makers specifically, there are plenty of platforms that complement or replace a Product Hunt launch. This guide covers the best options available in 2025.
Best sites like Product Hunt in 2025
Each platform below serves a slightly different audience and offers unique benefits. Consider using multiple sites as part of a coordinated launch strategy.
1. RankInPublic
RankInPublic runs weekly startup tournaments where products compete for rankings through community voting. Unlike Product Hunt's single-day focus, your listing stays visible and accumulates votes over time.
- Instant listing with no approval process or queue
- Weekly leaderboards that give ongoing exposure
- Built-in testimonial exchange with other founders
- A/B testing tools to optimize your positioning
- Permanent product profile with backlink
2. Indie Hackers
Indie Hackers is a community-first platform where founders share revenue numbers, build logs, and launch announcements. The audience skews toward bootstrapped SaaS and solo founders who understand the challenges of building in public.
- Highly engaged community of builders
- Product directory with category filtering
- Forum discussions drive qualitative feedback
- Strong SEO and domain authority for backlinks
3. Hacker News (Show HN)
Show HN posts let you share what you have built with the Hacker News community. The audience is technical and opinionated, which means feedback can be brutally honest but valuable for developer tools and B2B products.
- Massive potential reach if your post gains traction
- Technical audience perfect for dev tools
- No approval process - just post and see
- Comments often surface edge cases and bugs
4. BetaList
BetaList curates early-stage startups and shares them with a newsletter audience looking for new products to try. The editorial review process means longer wait times but higher-quality exposure.
- Curated audience of early adopters
- Email newsletter drives consistent traffic
- Trusted backlink from established domain
- Good for pre-launch email collection
5. Uneed
Uneed focuses on design-forward products with daily homepage rotations. The platform emphasizes visual polish and user experience, making it ideal for consumer apps and beautifully designed SaaS tools.
- Daily featured rotations drive traffic
- Design-focused audience appreciates polish
- Category pages provide ongoing discovery
- Paid scheduling available for specific dates
6. TinyLaunch
TinyLaunch combines a product directory with a Slack community and weekly newsletter. The platform is particularly friendly to indie makers and side projects at any stage of development.
- Founder-friendly community
- Slack group for direct feedback
- Weekly digest email
- Editorial review ensures quality
7. Launching Next
Launching Next aggregates startup launches and distributes them through RSS feeds and social channels. The high-volume approach means less curation but broader reach.
- Quick submission process
- Permanent archive listing
- RSS distribution to aggregators
- Good for SEO backlinks
8. Reddit (r/startups, r/SaaS, r/indiehackers)
Reddit communities offer direct access to target audiences, but require genuine engagement rather than pure promotion. Share your launch story with context and be ready to answer questions.
- Massive, engaged communities
- Niche subreddits for specific audiences
- AMA format works well for launches
- Authenticity matters more than polish
9. DEV.to
DEV.to is a developer community where you can share launch stories, technical deep-dives, and building-in-public updates. The platform works best for developer tools and technical products.
- Developer-focused audience
- Article format allows detailed stories
- Strong SEO for technical keywords
- Cross-posting from your blog works well
10. Twitter/X Launch Threads
A well-crafted launch thread on Twitter/X can reach thousands of potential users, especially if you have built an audience or can get retweets from influential accounts in your niche.
- Direct access to your target audience
- Viral potential with good storytelling
- Builds your personal brand
- Combine with other platform launches
| Platform | Free to list | Collect feedback | A/B testing | Leaderboard | Approval |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RankInPublic | Yes | Testimonials + comments | Yes | Yes | No |
| Product Hunt | Yes | Comments only | No | Yes | Self-scheduled launch day |
| Indie Hackers | Yes | Community discussion | No | No | No |
| Hacker News | Yes | Comments | No | Yes (votes) | No |
| BetaList | Hobby/free path | Manual comments | No | No | Yes - manual review |
Feature comparison of popular startup launch platforms
How to choose the right platform
Not every site fits every product. Consider these factors when selecting where to launch:
Audience match: Technical products do well on Hacker News and DEV.to. Design-focused apps thrive on Uneed. Indie projects connect on Indie Hackers.
Timeline: Need instant visibility? RankInPublic, Hacker News, and Reddit have no approval queues. BetaList and Uneed require patience.
Visual Appeal: If your screenshots use Light Mode (used by 80% of startups), focus on Uneed. If Dark Mode, focus on Hacker News/Dev.to.
Feedback type: Want detailed comments? Hacker News and Indie Hackers deliver. Looking for votes and social proof? Product Hunt and RankInPublic track engagement.
SEO value: Prioritize platforms with strong domain authority if backlinks matter to your growth strategy.
Multi-platform launch strategy
The best results come from launching across multiple platforms over one to two weeks. Here is a sample schedule:
- Day 1: Submit to RankInPublic and BetaList (start the queue)
- Day 2: Post on Indie Hackers with your launch story
- Day 3: Share on Twitter/X with a thread
- Day 4: Submit to Uneed and TinyLaunch
- Day 5: Post Show HN if your product is technical
- Week 2: Follow up on comments, share on Reddit, write a DEV.to article
Space out submissions so you can respond to feedback and iterate on your messaging. Each platform teaches you something new about how people perceive your product.
Get started today
Finding sites like Product Hunt is the first step. The next step is actually launching. Pick two or three platforms from this list and submit your product this week.
If you want instant visibility with ongoing tournaments and testimonial collection built in, start with RankInPublic. Your listing goes live immediately, and you can always add other platforms to your launch schedule.
