# Where should you launch a startup?

Source: https://bestlaunchplatforms.com

> Choose launch platforms by stage and buyer. Pre-launch: BetaList. No audience: Uneed, Peerlist, or IndieHunt. Technical product: Show HN and DevHunt. B2B: LinkedIn and G2. Evergreen/AI: AlternativeTo and SaaSHub. Product Hunt last, once the pitch is proven.

A practical decision guide: pick launch platforms by stage, buyer, and goal — not by which logo is most famous.

## Start from constraints, not from logos

The internet is full of “top 25 places to launch” lists that imply you should submit everywhere this week. You should not. Each channel has a different cost in attention. A Show HN thread, a Product Hunt day, and a Reddit post all demand you live in the comments. You cannot do all three well on the same morning.
Pick one primary launch day, one warm-up board, one community, and one evergreen listing. That is a complete plan for most teams of one to five.


## By stage

Match the mechanic to how finished the product is.

- Waitlist only: BetaList. Optionally PeerPush and AlternativeTo so the name starts existing in directories.
- Usable MVP, needs feedback: MicroLaunch, Smol Launch, Peerlist, Indie Hackers.
- Ready for strangers: Uneed or Fazier, then Product Hunt.
- Ready for engineers: DevHunt and Show HN, in that order if you want a rehearsal.
- Ready for buyers: LinkedIn plus a G2 profile, with boards as optional theater.

## By buyer

Audience match beats audience size. Tiny Startups can outperform Product Hunt if you sell to founders. DevHunt can outperform both if you sell to developers. G2 will outperform all of them six months later if you sell to teams.


## A simple rule

If you cannot describe the product in one clause, you are not ready for Product Hunt or Show HN. You are ready for BetaList, a waitlist, and a small board that will tell you which clause is confusing. Use our interactive recommender if you want a shortlist generated from stage, buyer, and goal.


## What not to do the same morning

Comment-heavy rooms do not share you. Product Hunt + Show HN + a Hunt-network weekly + a Reddit thread is four jobs. You will do one poorly.

- One hunter board per calendar day. Prefer one per week if you are solo.
- Directories (AlternativeTo, TAAFT, Crunchbase) belong on a different afternoon from the board.
- Capterra / GetApp / Software Advice are one review family. Aura++ / IndieHunt / MakerHunt / SideHunt / EarlyHunt are related Hunt-network rooms — pick the cadence and niche that fit.
- If the landing page cannot convert a curious click, no platform will save the week.

## FAQ
### Where should I launch my startup first?
If you are pre-launch, BetaList. If you are live and have no audience, Uneed, Peerlist, or IndieHunt. If you are technical, plan a Show HN. Product Hunt should not be the first time the product is public.

### How do I pick between Uneed and Product Hunt?
Do both if you can. Uneed first for a fairer day and a persistent listing. Product Hunt second for reach, press, and the badge.