LaunchRepoShort answer
- BetaList is for the pre-launch and just-launched stage: a private beta or waitlist with a real landing page. Every submission is paid, with a full refund if you are not selected.
- Product Hunt is for launch day: a product people can use now. It is free, and waitlisted products are not featured unless people get immediate access.
- They work best in sequence. BetaList while you build the early audience, Product Hunt when the product is live, and BetaList allows a second feature at launch.
- Once your product has been live for a while, Product Hunt is the one that fits.
Stage by stage
Where each platform fits on the way from private beta to an established product.
Private beta or waitlist
- BetaList
- The right moment: unreleased products are welcome, with a landing page where visitors can sign up.
- Product Hunt
- Too early: waitlisted products are not featured unless people get immediate access.
Public launch
- BetaList
- Your second chance: a startup featured before launch can be featured again at launch, a few weeks later at least.
- Product Hunt
- The right moment: launch the live product at the start of a Product Hunt day.
Live for months
- BetaList
- Less suited: the platform looks for recently launched or unreleased products.
- Product Hunt
- Relaunch after at least six months with a significant update.
Which fits now? Three questions
Answer three questions. The result follows the official rules quoted below and runs only in your browser.
Build a pre-launch waitlist that turns into first users →
BetaList alternatives: 10 free places to show your beta →
BetaList and Product Hunt side by side
What each platform says about itself, row by row. Sources are linked at the end of the page.
| Topic | BetaList | Product Hunt |
|---|---|---|
| Stage | Unreleased or recently launched startups. | Products available now; waitlists only with immediate access. |
| Cost to submit | Paid only; plans and prices appear at the end of the signed-in submission form. | Free. |
| If not selected | Full automatic refund. No refund once featured. | Not being featured costs nothing; the team says it does not reflect on your product. |
| What qualifies | Technology startups, software or hardware. Not for blogs, courses, newsletters, shops or agencies. | Digital products. Not featured: courses, books, services, stores, lists, templates and more. |
| Landing page | Own domain and a distinct design; no templates, free hosting subdomains or app store links only. Visitors must be able to sign up or get access. | No design rules; what counts is that people can use the product now. |
| Review | An editorial team reviews each submission and emails the decision; no individual feedback. | The team reviews every submission and decides what is featured on the homepage. |
| How often | Two chances: once pre-launch, once at launch, a few weeks apart at least. | At least six months between posts for the same product, with a significant update. |
| Speed and newsletter | Plans differ by how fast you are featured and whether newsletter inclusion is guaranteed. | You pick your launch day; Product Hunt recommends starting at 12:01 am Pacific Time. |
| Link | The “Visit Site” button is a do-follow link through a redirect with UTM tags. | Your launch page links to your product. |
| Paid extras | Boost for featured startups and a monthly sponsorship. | Launching is 100% free. |
Cost and reach
Product Hunt is free to launch.
BetaList charges for every submission. The price is shown only at the end of the submission form after you sign in; we did not create an account, so we do not quote it. If your startup is not selected, the payment is refunded in full.
After you are featured, BetaList offers a Boost for homepage and newsletter placement at $99 per week or $199 per month, and a sponsorship at $4,999 per month.
Reach BetaList publishes
- Newsletter subscribers
- 70,000+
- Pageviews per month
- 500,000+
- Startups featured
- 24,000+
As published by BetaList on its advertising page, not measured by us. The boost page names both 60,000+ and 70,000+ newsletter subscribers. Product Hunt publishes no comparable figures on the pages we read.
The rules in their own words
The middle column quotes each platform word for word; the right column says what it means for your choice.
| Rule | Official wording | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| BetaList: stage | Your product should be recently launched or still be unreleased. | Submit before launch or shortly after, not months later. |
| BetaList: two features | Each startup gets two opportunities to be featured. Once pre-launch, and once during launch. | Pre-launch and launch can both be featured. |
| BetaList: spacing | There should be at least a few weeks between those posts. | Leave a few weeks between the two features. |
| BetaList: cost | All submissions are paid. There is no free submission option. | Plan a budget for the submission. |
| BetaList: prices | Current plans and prices are shown at the end of the submission form | You see the price only inside the submission form. |
| BetaList: refund | If your startup isn't selected, you get a full refund automatically. | If you are not selected, you pay nothing. |
| BetaList: after featuring | Once your startup has been featured, refunds are not available. | Once you are featured, the payment is final. |
| BetaList: domain | Your startup must have its own domain | Use your own domain, not a free hosting subdomain. |
| BetaList: landing page | we do not allow templates or pages with little product information. | Show the real product on a page of your own design. |
| BetaList: sign-up | Visitors should be able to sign up or get access | Visitors need a way to join, download or log in. |
| BetaList: plans | Plans differ mainly by how quickly your startup is featured and whether newsletter inclusion is guaranteed. | Paying more buys speed and newsletter certainty. |
| BetaList: link | The "Visit Site" button on your featured listing is a do-follow link | A featured listing links to your site without nofollow. |
| Product Hunt: live products | We only feature products that are currently available. | Launch when people can use the product. |
| Product Hunt: not featured | Waitlisted products (unless immediate access is provided) | A waitlist alone is too early for Product Hunt. |
| Product Hunt: cost | It's 100% free to use. | Launching costs nothing. |
| Product Hunt: relaunch | we ask Makers to wait at least six months between posts for the same product or from the same company. | A second launch needs time and a real update. |
Before you submit
What each platform checks first, taken from its official rules.
For BetaList
- Your product is unreleased or launched only recently.
- It runs on its own domain, not a free hosting subdomain.
- The landing page has its own design and shows the product.
- Visitors can sign up, download or log in.
- It is a technology startup, not a blog, course, shop or agency.
For Product Hunt
- People can use the product today, or get access right away.
- It is a digital product, not a course, book, service or list.
- You post from a personal account; company accounts are prohibited.
- Your last Product Hunt launch for this product was at least six months ago.
- Gallery, tagline and first comment are ready for the day.
Where LaunchRepo fits
LaunchRepo gives your coding agent tested playbooks for Product Hunt and the directories that fit your product, in your own Chrome, and you decide whether it sends final submissions on its own or asks you first.
Its agent rules forbid spending money: a route that only works paid, such as BetaList’s submission, is recorded for you to decide, and nothing is bought.
Sources
Every rule and number on this page comes from the platforms’ own public pages, read on October 1, 2026 without signing in.
| Source | Page updated | Checked |
|---|---|---|
| BetaList: Submission Guidelines | no date shown | |
| BetaList: Support (FAQ) | no date shown | |
| BetaList: Boost your startup | no date shown | |
| BetaList: Advertise on BetaList | no date shown | |
| Product Hunt Featuring Guidelines | ||
| Product Hunt Launch Guide: common questions | no date shown | |
| Product Hunt: Can I relaunch my product? |
FAQ
- Is BetaList free?
- No. BetaList’s support page says all submissions are paid and there is no free option. The price appears at the end of the submission form; if your startup is not selected, the payment is refunded automatically.
- Can I launch a waitlist on Product Hunt?
- Product Hunt does not feature waitlisted products unless people get immediate access. A private beta fits BetaList better; launch on Product Hunt when the product is live.
- Should I use BetaList before Product Hunt?
- If you have a private beta with a real landing page and a budget for the submission, yes: BetaList builds your early audience, and Product Hunt follows at launch. BetaList also allows a second feature once you launch.
- Can a product be on both?
- Yes. BetaList features each startup up to twice, before and at launch, and Product Hunt is the launch day for the live product. Their rules do not exclude each other.
- Does a BetaList listing give a backlink?
- BetaList says the “Visit Site” button on a featured listing is a do-follow link. It runs through a redirect that adds tracking, so some SEO tools show the BetaList address instead of yours.
- Which is better for a product that has been live for a year?
- Product Hunt. BetaList looks for unreleased or recently launched startups. On Product Hunt, a product can launch again after at least six months with a significant update.
One launch day is a start. LaunchRepo covers the rest.
LaunchRepo gives your coding agent a repository to prepare and submit your product to the directories and launch platforms that fit it, from your own browser and accounts, with a tracker for every listing. One payment, no subscription.
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