Rank 55 · BLP 59
SideHunt
The weekly hunt for side projects, not company launches.
SideHunt is explicitly for side projects and indie launches. Competitions run Monday 8:00am UTC through the following Monday. Free launches usually need a SideHunt link on your site and default to nofollow (top 3 can upgrade). Nofollow-without-badge is also free. Premium is $19 one-time: guaranteed dofollow, launch blog, and a homepage sidebar spotlight while live.
Free and nofollow slots are typically capped (around 15/week); Premium is unlimited. That cap is the fairness mechanism and the reason you should not plan a SideHunt date at the last minute on Free.
Use it when the story is “I built this on nights and weekends,” not “we just raised.” For a company launch, Aura++ daily or Product Hunt will match the costume better.
Scheduled weekly cycle
Should you launch on SideHunt?
Yes — this is a fairer weekly cycle than Product Hunt if you have no private hunter list.
SideHunt is an actual launch surface: a date, a ranking or homepage slot, and comments. Cost: Free and free-nofollow tiers. $19 Premium one-time; Premium Launcher for bulk.
Do not expect Product Hunt volume. Do expect a lasting page and a room small enough that silence is obvious. Stay in the comments for the whole cycle.
SideHunt is part of the Hunt network — specialized rooms for daily launches (Aura++), weekly niches (IndieHunt, MakerHunt, SideHunt, EarlyHunt), and a lasting catalog (Uno Directory). Match cadence and niche; one daily and one weekly Hunt board in the same month is usually enough.
When: Week 2 as a warm-up, or as the only board if you are skipping Product Hunt. Not the same morning as Show HN.
Launch here if
- True side projects and MVPs
- A calm week-long first launch
- Buying one inexpensive dofollow without a daily board
Skip if
- Funded company launches that will look out of place
- Missing the free-slot cap and expecting a walk-on
- Entering every Hunt weekly the same Monday when SideHunt already matches
This page answers SideHunt 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
Monday 8:00am UTC, seven days on the homepage
One weekly Hunt room is enough. Match the niche (indie SaaS, makers, side projects, AI) instead of stacking every Monday board.
What money buys
Free vs paid
Free
Free, slot-capped
A weekly homepage run. Often nofollow — confirm on the live page.
Premium
~$19
Guaranteed dofollow and a spotlight. One weekly Hunt board is usually enough.
Ship kit
Do this before you press submit on SideHunt.
- 01One-liner that matches the homepage H1
- 02Thumbnail plus a few real screens
- 03First comment written before you go live
- 04A URL strangers can actually try
- 05You present for the whole cycle — silence is obvious on a small 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 SideHunt
How to submit
01
Put the badge on if you want Free
Verification is automatic. No badge, no Free slot.
02
Book a week before the cap fills
Premium skips the cap. Free does not.
03
Tell the side-project story honestly
Scope, stack, what is unfinished. This room punishes deck-speak.
Tips
- Premium’s sidebar is a desktop placement while the week is live — not a forever ad.
- If you already have IndieHunt Premium that week, SideHunt is a second weekly — usually save it for a later cycle.
- Good pairing with MicroLaunch if you want a month of feedback after the hunt week.
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.