Compared, on the record
The Launch Directory as an alternative to Show HN
A Show HN post puts your work in front of some of the sharpest technical readers online. A listing on The Launch Directory is built to last long after the thread scrolls away.
Their facts were last checked on . Every fact about them links to the page it came from.
Side by side
| Topic | Hacker News | The Launch Directory |
|---|---|---|
| How a launch works | Every Show HN appears on the Show HN new page; after a small points threshold it appears on the Show pagesource, checked 2026-10-30 | Weekly editions: each launch is filed in a dated week, stays in the archive, and the week's top three by community votes win Product of the Week |
| Free option | Yes: submit a story whose title begins with "Show HN"source, checked 2026-10-30 | Yes: with our badge on your website and a complete founder profile, the free queue, 1-2 weeks out |
| Paid options | Not published on the pages we read | Paid launch $5, live at once or in the week you pick; the Featured spot $19 |
| Votes and ranking | Community points; asking friends to upvote or comment is not allowedsource, checked 2026-10-30 | One person, one vote; votes are never sold and paid places are labelled |
| Link to your website | Not stated in the rules; when we looked, most Show HN title links carried rel=nofollow (29 of 30 on the Show HN new page)source, checked 2026-10-30 | Followed on a paid launch; not followed on a free listing |
| Who can launch | Something people can run or hold, made by you and that you are around to discuss; not blog posts, sign-up pages, newsletters, lists, landing pages or fundraiserssource, checked 2026-10-30 | Any product, startup or business with its own website |
| Extras | Not published on the pages we read | Launch receipt, free AI answer check, founder profiles and domain records on every listing |
| Domain Rating (Ahrefs) | 91measured 31 Oct 2026 | 71measured 31 Oct 2026 |
Prices change. Where a platform shows an offer price, we quote its list price. If something here is out of date, write to launch@zinndigital.com and we will correct it.
What is Hacker News?
Show HN is the part of Hacker News for things you have made that people can try. You submit a story whose title starts with Show HN and discuss it with readers in the comments.
Who it suits
Developers and makers with something people can run or hold, who want frank feedback from engineers and are ready to answer questions in the thread.
What Hacker News does well
- Candid, technical feedback.
- It is free and immediate.
- A large audience of developers and founders.
Where The Launch Directory is different
Show HN only accepts things people can try: not landing pages, sign-up pages, newsletters or fundraisers. The Launch Directory lists any product or business with a website and gives it a dated page of its own.
A thread is a conversation; a listing is a profile. Here your company, founders, screenshots and links sit on one page that stays in the archive, with a followed link on a paid launch.
The Launch Directory adds what a thread cannot: a launch receipt of what changed after launch, and a free check of what AI assistants say about your category.
What a launch on The Launch Directory includes
Whatever you decide about the platform above, this is what a listing here comes with.
- A paid launch at $5
- It goes live straight away or in the week you choose, with a followed link to your website and every profile section open: the founder story, milestones and demo video.
- A free way in
- With our badge on your website and your founder profile complete, a free listing joins the free queue and goes live in its week, 1-2 weeks out. Its link to you is not followed; screenshots and comparisons are shown all the same.
- A launch receipt for every listing
- Each live listing carries a dated record of what we measured after launch: Domain Rating by Ahrefs then and now, referring domains, AI mentions where we measure them, and the visits we sent you. It is updated daily, and nothing in it is estimated.
- A free AI answer check
- Every listed business can run one free check of what ChatGPT, Claude and Perplexity answer when a buyer asks about its category: whether you are named, where, and which sources they cite.
- Votes that cannot be bought
- One person, one vote. Featured places, sponsors and the Billboard are labelled as paid and never add a vote to anything.
- Our Domain Rating, in public
- Our own Ahrefs Domain Rating is printed on the pricing page, so you can judge the link before you pay for it.
- Pay without signing up first
- Your account is created at checkout. Pay by card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal or crypto; prices are in US dollars, VAT is added only where due, and invoices come from Zinn Digital® Ltd.
- Product of the Week
- The three listings with the most community votes each week win #1, #2 and #3 Product of the Week, with a badge for the listing and a page to share.
- Founders by name
- Every founder gets a profile page linked to their companies, and a paid listing can carry the founder story behind the product.
- Domain records on every listing
- Listings show the company domain's public registration record, and the free domain age checker looks up any domain.
When Hacker News is the better choice
If you have built something technical and want engineers to try it and tell you the truth, post a Show HN. File it here too for the record that stays.
File your launch Read the rate card
Questions readers ask
Are Show HN links followed?
Hacker News does not say. When we looked, most Show HN title links carried rel=nofollow. A paid launch on The Launch Directory carries a followed link to your website.
Do I need a demo people can try to list on The Launch Directory?
No. A listing needs your website, not a demo; Show HN asks for something people can try.
Is posting a Show HN free?
Yes, posting on Hacker News is free. The Launch Directory also has a free listing; a paid launch is $5.