Show HN is the better choice when you have built something people can try right now and you want direct feedback from a technical discussion forum, at no cost and with no waiting list. LaunchAF is the better choice when you want a week-long leaderboard, a permanent product profile and a stated dofollow backlink, including for products that Show HN's rules would turn away. The two serve different jobs, and many founders use both.
We run LaunchAF, so weigh our verdict accordingly. Show HN facts come from Hacker News's own Show HN rules and guidelines, read on November 12, 2026, and LaunchAF facts come from its live pricing page and submission flow. We have no verified audience figures for either site, so we do not compare reach.
At a glance
| LaunchAF | Show HN | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Weekly launch board with votes, comments and a lasting product profile | A Hacker News category for projects you made that others can try |
| Cost | Free with badge and review; paid plans from a regular $19 | The rules pages mention no fee |
| Wait | Free: community waiting period, usually 30+ days; paid: instant | Post by submitting a story with a title that begins "Show HN" |
| What it accepts | Products and tools launched by founders | Something people can run or hold; landing pages and sign-up pages are off topic |
| Voting | Community votes and comments on the weekly board | "Don't solicit upvotes, comments, or submissions" |
| Where it appears | Weekly leaderboard, product profile, newsletter on higher plans | Every Show HN appears on the new list; strong ones reach the Show page |
| Link attribute | Dofollow on every plan; free needs a verified badge | Titles on the Show HN new list carried rel="nofollow" when we checked |
| Paid options | Alpha and Beta, one-time | None described |
| Best fit | A lasting profile and backlink | Feedback on a working project |
How do the formats differ?
Show HN is part of Hacker News. The rules say it is for "something you've made that other people can play with," and that the project should be something you worked on personally and are around to discuss. You submit a story whose title begins with "Show HN." Every Show HN appears on the new list, and once it clears a small points threshold the rules say it appears on the Show page. The pages do not give the threshold.
LaunchAF is a launch board. A founder submits through a three-step form: product details, choice of plan, and a step where the founder upvotes three other products (not required when the current leaderboard has fewer than three). The product competes on votes and comments during its week and keeps a public profile afterward. Paid launches rank above free launches, and within each group launches rank by community votes.
The practical difference is who the format is built for. Show HN is built around a working project and a conversation with the people who try it. LaunchAF is built around a launch window and a lasting listing, which also suits products that are mainly a service behind a sign-up.
What does Show HN accept?
The rules draw clear lines. On topic are things people can run on their computers or hold in their hands. Off topic are blog posts, sign-up pages, newsletters, lists and other reading material. The rules say not to post landing pages or fundraisers, not to post quickly generated one-offs, and that if your work is not ready for users to try out you should not post a Show HN. New features and upgrades are generally not substantive enough, though a major overhaul is probably fine.
Sign-up walls are not banned. The rules ask founders to make it easy to try the project, "ideally without barriers such as signups or emails." A SaaS product that requires an account before anyone can see it may therefore fit poorly, while a free demo, a downloadable tool or an open-source repository fits well. Read the rules before you decide.
LaunchAF has no such "try it now" requirement. It lists products, including ones with a landing page and an account flow, and its free route asks for a verified badge and review instead.
How do the backlinks compare?
Hacker News's rules pages do not mention link attributes. We checked the Show HN new list on November 12, 2026 and the story title links carried rel="nofollow" on all 30 entries we saw. That is a sample of one page on one day, so inspect your own post, but do not plan on a followed link from Show HN. The value is the discussion and the readers who click through.
LaunchAF's pricing page lists a dofollow backlink on the free plan, with the badge required, and on both paid plans with no badge. A new free listing can be delisted if the badge later disappears. A backlink is not a ranking guarantee either way, so use our Domain Rating guide to set expectations.
What do the costs look like?
Show HN costs nothing according to the rules pages, which mention no pricing at all, and there is no waiting list: you submit and the post goes live. The cost is effort. You need a working project, a clear title and the time to answer comments, and the guidelines ask you not to use the site primarily for promotion.
LaunchAF's free launch costs $0 but needs a verified badge and a waiting period that the pricing page says is usually 30+ days. Alpha at a regular $19 is live today and includes a dofollow backlink with no badge, a gold premium badge, priority support and 7 days featured. Beta at a regular $39 adds 30 days featured and a curated product review of 1,000+ words, with a full refund if the review is not ready, plus newsletter and Substack features. A sale may lower current prices, so check the pricing page.
Where LaunchAF wins
A lasting profile and a stated link rule
A LaunchAF launch leaves a permanent product page and a dofollow link under stated conditions. A Show HN post is a story on a news site; the discussion can be useful, but it is not a product profile, and its links carried nofollow on the page we checked.
It fits products that Show HN excludes
Show HN's rules turn away landing pages, sign-up pages and waitlists that cannot be tried. A working product requiring an account is not automatically excluded, although the guidelines encourage making it accessible without signup. LaunchAF accepts eligible products with an account flow, subject to its own review rules.
A paid path for timing and visibility
Alpha and Beta publish instantly after checkout and add featured days. Show HN has no paid options and no way to schedule beyond choosing when to post.
Where Show HN wins
It is free and immediate
The rules mention no fee and no queue. A founder with a working project can post today. LaunchAF's free route needs a badge, review and a long waiting period.
Direct feedback from people who try the project
Show HN is explicitly a place to discuss something people can run or hold. If you want blunt technical feedback on a working project, that format is built for it. We have no audience figures for either site, so we do not claim a reach advantage.
Rules that discourage vote farming
The guidelines say "Don't solicit upvotes, comments, or submissions" and "Please don't ask friends to upvote or comment." Founders who want a venue where those norms are stated this strictly may prefer it.
LaunchAF's limits
LaunchAF is newer and smaller than the largest launch communities, and we have no independent traffic comparison with Show HN. Its free route has a long waiting period and needs a badge. Paid launches rank above free ones, and paying buys visibility and speed, not customers. We cannot promise visits, signups or a Domain Rating change from either platform.
Which should you choose?
Choose Show HN if you have a working project people can try, you can be present for the discussion, and you do not mind a nofollow link. Choose LaunchAF if you want a lasting profile, a stated dofollow backlink, or your product does not meet Show HN's "something people can run" bar. If you are still deciding, the launch platform guide and the free launch platform matcher compare more options.
Can you use both?
Yes. They do different jobs and do not conflict. Post your Show HN when the project is ready and you can stay for the comments, and launch on LaunchAF in a different week so you can answer both audiences. Keep your product name, URL and description consistent, and tag your links so you can tell which one sent which visitors. The launch day templates can help, though you should not use them to solicit votes on Hacker News.
Frequently asked questions
Is Show HN free?
Hacker News's Show HN rules and guidelines mention no fee, and there is no paid option described. You submit a story whose title begins with Show HN. LaunchAF's free launch also costs $0 but requires a verified badge and has a community waiting period of usually 30+ days.
Does Show HN give a dofollow backlink?
Hacker News's rules pages do not mention link attributes. On November 12, 2026 the story title links on the Show HN new list carried rel="nofollow" on all 30 entries we checked, so do not plan on a followed link. LaunchAF states a dofollow backlink on every plan, with the free plan requiring a verified badge.
What can I post as a Show HN?
The rules say Show HN is for something you made that people can try, such as things they can run on their computers or hold in their hands. Landing pages, sign-up pages, newsletters, lists and other reading material are off topic, and the project must be non-trivial and something you will discuss. Check the current rules before posting.
Can I ask friends to upvote my Show HN?
No. The Show HN rules say not to ask friends to upvote or comment, and the guidelines say not to solicit upvotes, comments or submissions. Share the project honestly and answer questions instead.
Can I launch on Show HN and LaunchAF?
Yes. They serve different purposes, so you can use both if you follow each one's rules. Launch in different weeks, keep your product details consistent and track referrals separately.
The bottom line
Show HN suits founders with a working project who want feedback from people who try it, at no cost. LaunchAF suits founders who want a launch week, a lasting profile and a stated dofollow link, including for products Show HN would not take. Read both sets of rules, then submit your product when you want the launch week.