ListLaunch
27 places to launch your dev tool (that developers actually read)
Where to post, what each place allows, and how to launch without getting your post removed.
8 min readUpdated Oct 24, 2026
Most launches don't fail because the product is bad. They fail because the founder posts once, in the wrong place, in a way that reads like an ad, and then disappears. This list fixes the "where". For each place you'll find who it's for, what the rules allow, the format that works and one practical tip. Pick the 5 to 8 that fit your product. Don't post everywhere on the same day.
Quick start: if you only do 5, do these
Show HN.
The most technical audience you can reach for free. Great if people can try your tool right away.
Product Hunt.
Still the default launch day for software. Plan it, don't wing it.
DevHunt.
Built for developer tools only, so your post isn't buried under unrelated apps.
Dev.to with #showdev.
Write how you built it. Developers read build stories, not announcements.
r/SideProject.
One of the friendliest subreddits for showing what you made.
Launch platforms
| Place | Best for | What's allowed | Format that works | Tip | Effort |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Product Hunt | any software product, B2B SaaS, AI tools, consumer apps | launching is free. You may not ask people directly to upvote; ask them to check it out and comment instead. | clear tagline, short demo video or GIF, a first comment from the maker explaining why you built it | Product Hunt's own guide says 12:01 am Pacific Time is the best time to launch, so the full day counts. Be around to answer comments all day. | high |
| Show HN (Hacker News) | developer tools, open source, anything technical people can try | something you built that people can actually try. Landing pages, sign-up pages, waitlists, blog posts and minor updates don't qualify. Don't ask friends to upvote. | title starts with "Show HN:", followed by what it does in plain words. Post a first comment right away: why you built it, what's technically interesting, honest limitations. | make it easy to try without signing up. HN users will tell you if they hit a signup wall. | medium |
| Peerlist Launchpad | dev tools and products by individual makers | launches come from personal profiles with a real name and photo, not company accounts. Don't ask for upvotes or spam your link; ask for feedback. | complete project page with tagline, cover image and demo link | set up your Peerlist profile a few days before you launch, so it doesn't look like a drive-by account. | medium |
| DevHunt | developer tools only (non-dev tools are listed separately and don't compete in the vote) | weekly launches with public voting | short, technical description of what the tool does and who it's for | launch early in the week so you get the full voting window. | low |
| Uneed | SaaS and tools for makers | free launches join a waiting line; paid options let you skip it. Free launches need enough launch-day upvotes to stay listed with a backlink. | clear one-liner and good screenshots | if you use the free line, put your launch date in your calendar and rally your existing audience that day. | low |
| Fazier | new tech tools and startups | free submission; daily launches with weekly and monthly leaderboards. Paid placements exist. | concise tagline and honest pricing label (free, freemium or paid) | cheap extra exposure on the same week as a bigger launch. | low |
| Microlaunch | indie makers and small, focused products | product launches ranked on weekly and monthly leaderboards; premium options exist | focus on one clear use case | small focused tools do better here than broad platforms. | low |
| BetaList | products that are still in beta or pre-launch | listing of upcoming startups for early adopters; there are different plans | explain what early users get and why they should join now | submit a few weeks before your official launch to collect early users and feedback first. | low |
Developer communities
| Place | Best for | What's allowed | Format that works | Tip | Effort |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dev.to (#showdev) | dev tools, open source, anything with an interesting build story | #showdev is for projects you built. Keep it community-driven, not a sales pitch or corporate announcement. | "How I built X" with real details, code snippets and what went wrong | the article is the launch. Make it useful even for readers who never try your tool. | medium |
| Indie Hackers | bootstrapped SaaS, solo founders, building in public | you can add your product to the products directory after creating an account. Posts that share real lessons and numbers do best. | milestone or lesson posts ("What I learned launching X"), not announcements | post updates over time. This community rewards founders who keep showing up. | medium |
| Lobsters | deeply technical tools, open source, programming topics | invite-only, so you need an invite from an existing member. Accounts that mostly post their own work get flagged. | link to something technical and substantial, use the "show" tag for your own projects | only worth it if you're already part of the community. Don't try to get an invite just to launch. | high |
| Hashnode | developer tools with a technical story to tell | developer blogging platform; you publish on your own blog | technical deep dive on a problem your tool solves | use it as the long-form home for your build story, then share the link elsewhere. | medium |
| daily.dev Squads | dev tools and developer content | Squads are topic groups where developers share knowledge. Read each Squad's rules before posting. | share a useful article about your tool's topic, not just a product link | find a Squad that matches your niche instead of posting in the biggest one. | medium |
Subreddits
| Place | Best for | What's allowed | Format that works | Tip | Effort |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| r/SideProject | any side project or early product | one of the most promotion-friendly subreddits for sharing what you built | what it is, why you built it, one screenshot or GIF, and a specific question for feedback | reply to every comment and give feedback on other people's projects too. | low |
| r/SaaS | B2B SaaS founders | self-promotion is limited to the subreddit's dedicated promotion threads (check the pinned posts) | outside those threads, share lessons and numbers, not your link | a useful lesson post brings more profile clicks than a link post that gets removed. | medium |
| r/webdev | web development tools and projects | project showcases are tied to "Showoff Saturday"; posting your project on other days gets it removed | what you built, the stack, what was hard | put a reminder in your calendar for Saturday. | low |
| r/javascript | JavaScript and TypeScript libraries and tools | project sharing goes into the dedicated showcase thread (check the pinned posts) | short description plus a link to the repo or docs | open source libraries do much better here than paid products. | low |
| r/selfhosted | self-hostable and open source software only | only relevant if people can host your tool themselves | Docker setup, features, and honest comparison to existing tools | a clean docker-compose example in the post is worth more than any marketing. | medium |
| r/alphaandbetausers | early products looking for testers | dedicated to finding beta testers | what you need tested, what testers get, how long it takes | offer something concrete in return, like free access after launch. | low |
| r/IMadeThis | anything you made, from apps to tools | a subreddit for sharing things you made | visual first: screenshot, GIF or short video | small audience, but low pressure. Good place to test your launch wording. | low |
Directories
| Place | Best for | What's allowed | Format that works | Tip | Effort |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AlternativeTo | tools that replace a well-known product | list your software and mark which products it's an alternative to | pick the right "alternative to" entries; that's where the traffic comes from | people browsing here are already looking to switch. Make your difference clear in the first line. | low |
| SaaSHub | SaaS products of any kind | submit and verify your product; SaaSHub also offers a free list of other directories you can submit to | complete profile with current pricing and alternatives | use their directory list as a checklist for your post-launch week. | low |
| OpenAlternative | open source alternatives to commercial software | focused on open source projects | name the commercial tool you replace, link the repo | only relevant if your project is open source. | low |
| Awesome lists on GitHub | developer tools and libraries | each list has its own contribution rules, usually in CONTRIBUTING.md; additions go in via pull request | one-line description in the exact style of the list | pick niche lists where your tool genuinely belongs. Maintainers reject self-promotional entries. | low |
| There's An AI For That | AI tools only | paid submission with manual review (at the time of writing from $49 one-time) | clear description of the single task your AI tool does | only worth it if your product is clearly an AI tool. | low |
Newsletters
| Place | Best for | What's allowed | Format that works | Tip | Effort |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Console.dev | developer tools in beta (pre-1.0 or clearly labeled beta/preview) | they feature 2–3 tools a week; you can suggest yours by email. They don't do sponsored reviews. | a short email: what it does, who it's for, why developers will use it, link to self-service signup and docs | good docs and self-service signup matter for their selection. | low |
| Cooperpress newsletters | developer tools and libraries in their topics (e.g. JavaScript, Node, frontend, databases) | weekly developer newsletters; reach the editorial team at editor@cooperpress.com | one short email with a link and one sentence on why it matters to their readers | a useful release or article gets picked more often than a product announcement. | low |
Launch checklist
- Your product can be tried in under a minute, ideally without signup
- One-line description that says what it does, not what it is ("Get an alert when someone asks for a tool like yours", not "an AI lead platform")
- A short demo GIF or video
- First comment written in advance: why you built it, what's interesting, honest limitations
- Rules of each place read today, not last month
- Time blocked to answer every comment in the first few hours
- A way to capture interested people (signup or waitlist) with tracking per channel
- Your launches spread over 1–2 weeks, not all on one day
After launch day: how to stay visible without spamming
Answer questions, don't post links. The best long-term traffic comes from being the person who gives the most useful answer in threads about your topic.
Mention your tool only when it fits. Answer the question first. Add your tool at the end, with a clear "I built this" so nobody feels tricked.
Post updates, not repeats. A new feature, a lesson learned or a milestone is a reason to post again. The same launch post twice is not.
Show up where competitors annoy people. When someone complains about a tool in your category, a helpful reply is the most natural way to introduce yours.
Track what works. Use a separate link per community so you know where your users actually come from.