Product Hunt Alternatives for Side Projects You Built After Work
A side project rarely needs a launch campaign; it needs people who will look at it and say what they think. The best free alternatives to Product Hunt are r/SideProject, Show HN, Launching Next, dev.to for a write-up, Hackaday.io for hardware, SideProjectors if you may sell it later, and our own board. Choose by what you built it for: feedback, a portfolio piece or a possible sale.
What is your side project for?
A founder launches to win customers. A side project builder often wants something quieter: a second pair of eyes, a link for a portfolio, proof they finished a thing, or the option to hand the project to someone else when life gets busy. Those goals point to different places, and none of them needs a launch-day plan.
- You want feedback: pick places where people reply, such as a subreddit or Show HN.
- You want a portfolio link: a stable page on a showcase beats a thread that scrolls away.
- You may stop maintaining it: know where side projects change hands before you need to.
- It is hardware: a general software ranking will not understand it.
Platform facts come from their own pages, read on 13 November 2026, except where noted.
Seven free homes for a side project
01 r/SideProject
A well-known subreddit for sharing projects people are building on the side.
- What we could read
- Nothing; Reddit refused our automated check
- Do first
- Read the subreddit’s rules and the sidebar before posting
Posts that tell a story, such as what you cut to ship in a month, tend to read better in a community than a bare link. Rules on self-promotion differ by subreddit, so confirm before you post.
02 Show HN
Hacker News’s section for things you made that others can run or hold.
- Tone
- Early-stage work is welcome; “doesn’t need to look slick”
- Not welcome
- Landing pages and trivial generated one-offs
The guidelines say the community is comfortable with work at an early stage, which fits a weekend build. They also ask for something deeply personal and interesting to you, which a side project often is.
03 Launching Next
A showcase for new startups and side projects, with a Friday email.
- Category
- The form has a “side project” option
- Cost
- Free to submit; a paid upgrade for faster review
Its tagline names side projects directly, so you are not a stranger in the room. Submission is reviewed each day and you hear by email if it is published.
04 dev.to
A community where developers publish articles and discuss them.
- Format
- Posts, not a launch ranking
For a side project, a post titled with the problem you solved will be found long after a launch thread fades. Include the repository and a screenshot.
05 Hackaday.io
A hardware project community that describes itself as the largest collaborative hardware development community.
- Format
- Project pages with logs, plus contests and courses
- Sign-up
- Offers sign-up with GitHub or X
If your side project has a circuit board, a case or a firmware repository, people here can read a build log and tell you where the design fails. A software-only audience cannot.
06 SideProjectors
A marketplace where, its page says, people sell, buy and show off side projects.
- Uses
- Showcase work, find a co-founder or sell a project
Listing something you would be glad to hand off is a reasonable plan. Do not expect to sell a project with no users or code you cannot explain.
07 Post your build ideas
Our own free board, which we run, with threaded comments and no account.
- Editing
- Fix the draft before you publish; a published launch is final
- Weakness
- A small audience
A single page you can point friends and recruiters to. If you are still choosing what to build, the ideas board holds ideas other people never will.
Which place matches which goal?
| Goal | Best fit | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Feedback this week | r/SideProject, Show HN | Strangers who reply |
| Portfolio link | Launching Next, our board | A page that stays |
| A write-up that keeps being found | dev.to | Articles are searchable |
| Hardware feedback | Hackaday.io | A hardware audience |
| A possible exit | SideProjectors | A marketplace for handoffs |
The side project launch checklist lists what to prepare, and where to launch a side project gives a general order. A share a project page lists more.
Does Product Hunt suit a side project?
It can, because its audience likes new things and side projects are common there. The catch is the daily ranking, which asks for a coordinated start. If your project is a weekend build, the quieter places above give more conversation per hour. Its pages refused our automated check, so we say no more than that. See the full alternatives list.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I share a side project for free?
r/SideProject, Show HN, Launching Next, dev.to, Hackaday.io for hardware and our board. Choose by your goal: feedback, a stable portfolio link or a write-up that search engines can find later.
Is a side project too small for Show HN?
No. Its guidelines say the work needn’t be complicated or look slick, and that early-stage work is fine. They do exclude landing pages and quickly generated one-offs, so link something people can run.
Can I sell a side project I no longer maintain?
SideProjectors says people sell, buy and show off side projects there. Success depends on users, code quality and documentation, so write down how it runs before you list it.
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.