Product Hunt Alternatives for Mobile Apps: Beta Channels, Stores and Shelves
For a mobile app, the launch happens in the stores and their beta channels, not on a ranking site: TestFlight on iOS, a closed test on Google Play, F-Droid for open-source Android apps, and MacBase or Setapp for Mac apps. Add one public page, such as our board, to link to the store listing. Google Play now asks new personal accounts for a 14-day closed test with 12 testers.
Why does a mobile app launch in the store, not on a ranking site?
A web product can be tried by clicking a link. A mobile app has to be installed, and between a curious visitor and a working install sit a store review, a beta channel and, for some accounts, a testing requirement. A launch site can send someone to your listing, but it cannot make the install easier. So your first decision is which channel gets people into the app, and the sites that send them there come second.
The facts below come from Apple’s, Google’s and each directory’s own pages, read on 13 November 2026. Rules and fees change, so confirm them in your developer console.
Which free beta channels put the app in real hands?
01 TestFlight
Apple’s beta testing service, run through App Store Connect.
- Capacity
- Up to 10,000 external testers
- Review
- A beta app description and beta app review information are required to share with external testers; builds are sent for review when added to a group
- Invite by
- Email or a public link
A public link can go in a post or a bio, and its page says you can set criteria such as device type and OS version. Turn the link off when you reach your tester limit, as Apple advises, so people do not hit a dead end.
02 Google Play closed testing
The testing tracks in Play Console, with a requirement for newer personal accounts.
- Requirement
- Personal accounts created after 13 November 2023 must run a closed test with at least 12 testers opted in for 14 days in a row
- Then
- Apply for production access in the console
This changes the plan: you need twelve real people before the public listing. Recruit them from friends, a newsletter or a community, and keep them opted in. Start the clock early, because it cannot be hurried.
Where can the finished app be listed for free?
01 The App Store listing
Apple’s distribution, with an App Review step.
- Reach
- 175 storefronts and 50 languages, per Apple’s page
Your own listing is the best landing page you will get, so write the first two lines and choose the first three screenshots as carefully as a headline. Our App Store launch checklist lists what to prepare.
02 F-Droid
A free and open source Android app repository.
- Requirement
- A public source repository and a FOSS license file
- Route
- A merge request with your metadata, called the best way in
Only for apps whose source is public. It gives an Android audience that prefers open-source software; a closed app cannot use it.
03 MacBase
A directory of Mac apps whose page says you can list your own for free.
- Offers
- Alternatives pages, categories, deals and a submit page
Relevant only for macOS apps. Because it is built around alternatives, name the better-known Mac app you replace.
04 Setapp
A Mac app marketplace whose developer page describes a review, billing and a commission.
- Review
- A 24-hour review is advertised on its developer page
- Cost model
- A commission, per its page; you start by getting in touch
It is a different deal from a free directory: you share revenue and use its distribution. Weigh that against selling direct.
05 Post your build ideas
Our own free board; we run it, and its audience is small.
- Fits
- A public page that links to a store listing or a TestFlight link
It carries no install for you, but gives you a followed link and threaded comments where early users can describe what broke. See the photo and video ideas category for how others pitch app concepts.
In what order should the work go?
- Open the test channel first: TestFlight, or the Google Play closed test with its 12-person floor.
- Spend the test window fixing crashes and rewriting the listing text.
- Submit for store review with screenshots that show the main job.
- On launch day, post the store link on one public page and one community, and answer reviews.
The mobile app launch playbook adds dates, and the Android guidance for newer developer accounts lists where Android makers gather.
Is Product Hunt useful for a mobile app?
It can send people to your store page, and a large audience helps an app that anyone can install on day one. The limit is the install step: visitors cannot try the app on the page. Its site refused our automated check, so we claim only the basics. See the general alternatives list.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get testers for a new Android app?
Google Play asks newer personal accounts to run a closed test with at least 12 testers opted in for 14 days before production access. Recruit them from friends, a newsletter or a community and keep them opted in the whole time.
Can I test an iOS app without the App Store?
Yes, through TestFlight. Apple’s page says you can invite up to 10,000 external testers by email or public link, though a beta app description and review information are required for external testing.
Is MacBase free to list on?
Its own homepage says you can list your own app for free. It covers Mac apps only. Check its submit page for fields and any review step.
Should I wait for the store before posting about my app?
Not necessarily. A TestFlight public link or a Play closed test lets you gather feedback earlier. Hold the broad public launch until the store listing is live and the screenshots show the main job.
Post your build ideas publishes this page and runs a free launch board that competes with some of the sites it names. Facts about other sites came from their own pages on the date shown above; terms, queues and prices change, so confirm on their sites before you decide. About the publisher.