Rank 68 · BLP 55
Lobsters
An invite-only technical link site. Smaller and stricter than HN.
Lobsters is a tagged, invite-only link aggregator for people who like computing. It is smaller than Hacker News and less tolerant of marketing. A well-tagged `show` post can still send exactly the right engineers.
You need an invite. You need something to show. You need to talk like a peer. If that sounds like work, it is — and that is why the room still works.
A room, not a submit form
Should you launch on Lobsters?
Launch here only if you can take the local rules and stay in the thread.
Lobsters rewards presence more than a scheduled card. A cold account will not invent a crowd here. Post only if you already belong, or pick a fairer board first. Audience: Working engineers and researchers.
Do not stack this with another comment-heavy launch on the same morning. Show HN, Reddit, X, and Product Hunt all want the same hours.
When: A different day from Product Hunt. After the one-liner has survived a smaller room.
Launch here if
- Open source, languages, systems, security, unusual demos
- Founders who already read Lobsters
- A second technical room after or instead of a weak Show HN
Skip if
- SaaS with no technical story
- Growth-hacked invite begging
- Consumer lifestyle apps
This page answers Lobsters only. For an ordered stack by stage, buyer, and goal, use the shortlist recommender or the four-week sequence.
Launch window
When to show up
Always on — no hunter clock
List when the facts are true. Do not treat this as launch day. A quiet afternoon is the right time.
What money buys
Free vs paid
Listed cost
Free (invite required to post)
nofollow discussion links; citation value is the thread. Thread URL ranks for the name if it gets discussion.
Ship kit
Do this before you press submit on Lobsters.
- 01Post as a member, not a cold link dump
- 02One comment-heavy room per morning
- 03Stay in the thread until the questions stop
- 04Same one-liner you used on the last board
Stack with
Same launch month, different job — not a second hunter day.
Not the same morning
These rooms all want you in the comments. Pick one.
Ask AI
Opens your assistant with a ready-made prompt about Lobsters
How to submit
01
Earn an invite by being in the community
Do not cold-DM strangers for invites as a launch tactic.
02
Tag honestly and write a dry title
Show HN instincts apply. Hype dies here faster.
Tips
- Different day from Show HN.
- If you cannot get an invite, you are not in this room yet. That is OK.
Questions people ask
Compare with
Sources and limits
Traffic and authority figures are planning ranges from public 2025–2026 reports, not platform-official guarantees. Scores last reviewed September 2026. Rules and prices change — confirm on the vendor site before you pay.