Launch guide
Where to promote an open source project, and the rules that get maintainers banned
Twenty-two places that send people to an open-source project. On October 7, 2026 we read each one's rules, opened real listings to see what they link to and dropped the places that have gone quiet.
Founder, SaaSCity
Updated
Checked by hand. DR from Ahrefs.
- 22
- places checked on October 7, 2026
- 28 of 30
- newest Show HN posts with a nofollow link that day
- 3 months
- age below which r/selfhosted wants the megathread
- $5
- AlternativeTo priority review, against a queue of thousands
Contents (10)
- At a glance
- Where to promote an open source project on launch day
- Open-source directories and newsletters
- GitHub, registries and contributor lists
- A launch week for an open-source release, day by day
- A README that turns visitors into stars and users
- The self-promotion rules that get maintainers banned
- What these links do for SEO
- Places we checked and left out
- FAQ
The short answer
As of October 2026, start with Show HN, the subreddit that fits (r/selfhosted takes projects under three months old only in its weekly megathread) and Lobsters if you have an invite. Then list the project on AlternativeTo, OpenAlternative and LibHunt, and add it to your niche's awesome list once it is old enough. Most of these links are nofollow or ugc, so plan for visitors and stars rather than SEO.
At a glance
Where to promote an open source project on launch day
One post each, in the week you ship. Each community has a rule that gets the post removed if you skip it. Peerlist Launchpad is one more weekly option for developer projects.
- Launch thread on Hacker News Free Sometimes followed
The best single day for a project people can run. As of October 2026 its rules define Show HN as "something you've made that other people can play with" and add "Don't post quickly-generated one-offs". Our Show HN guide has the link check and the posting rules.
- How to get in
- Title it "Show HN", link the repo, add the backstory as text and answer every question. Start here
- The link
- New posts start nofollow: 28 of the 30 newest had it on October 7, 2026; posts with 12 or more points had a plain link.
- Best for
- Anything people can install today
- Watch out
- Asking for upvotes gets accounts penalized or banned, and the moderators ask for no LLM-written text.
Show HN rules, October 2026. r/selfhosted
DR 95Subreddit for self-hosting Free NofollowWhere people choose what to run on their own server. As of October 2026, projects under three months old go only in the weekly New Project Megathread; older ones can post if the app is "production ready" with docs.
- How to get in
- Comment in the current megathread with its template, or post normally if the project is older. Start here
- The link
- Links carry rel="noopener nofollow ugc".
- Best for
- Self-hostable apps with a Docker image
- Watch out
- Standalone posts about new projects are removed.
The megathread, week of October 1, 2026. - Programming subreddits Free Nofollow
As of October 2026 r/programming bans "I Made This" posts but allows a technical write-up on what made a project hard. r/Python sends showcases to a monthly thread, and r/golang and r/rust can remove posts that look AI-generated.
- How to get in
- Write up one hard problem with the repo linked inside, or use the showcase thread.
- The link
- User links were rel="noopener nofollow ugc" in the subreddits we checked.
- Best for
- Libraries and tools for one language
- Watch out
- r/programming rule 1 bans LLM-written content, translations included.
r/programming rules, October 2026. Lobsters
DR 75Invite-only link aggregator Free, by invitation NofollowA smaller, more technical Hacker News that you join by invitation; its about page says the quickest way is "to talk to someone you recognize from the site". New accounts cannot use the show tag for their first 70 days.
- How to get in
- Get an invite through someone you know or its chat, then post with the show tag. Start here
- The link
- Story links were rel="ugc noreferrer".
- Best for
- Systems, language and tooling projects
- Watch out
- Keep self-promotion under "a quarter of one's stories and comments".
Lobsters invitations, October 2026. r/opensource
DR 95Subreddit about open source Free NofollowA general open-source crowd that takes project posts with the Promotional flair. As of October 2026, linked repos "MUST have a LICENSE file" with an OSI license and AI-generated content is "ban worthy". r/coolgithubprojects is a feed of plain project posts.
- How to get in
- Post with the Promotional flair and stay for the comments; drive-by posts are removed.
- The link
- Feed links were rel="noopener nofollow ugc".
- Best for
- Any project under an OSI license
- Watch out
- Rule 2 cites Reddit's guideline of under 10% self-promotion.
r/opensource rule 2, October 2026. Product Hunt
DR 91Daily launch leaderboard Free NofollowAs of October 2026 launching is free and the URL can be a GitHub repo. Worth a day for an open-source alternative to a paid product; the Open Source tag page leads with its highest-rated products (Figma and Vercel on October 7), and the team curates the homepage. Our Product Hunt review covers launch day.
- How to get in
- Submit from a personal account and schedule up to a month ahead. Start here
- The link
- Visit website is rel="noreferrer noopener ugc".
- Best for
- Open-source alternatives to paid SaaS
- Watch out
- No asking for upvotes, and a relaunch within six months needs approval.
- Developer blogging platforms Free Dofollow
A write-up outlasts launch day. As of October 2026 DEV wants project posts under #showdev, not #opensource, and can ban authors of articles written "with the main purpose of building backlinks". Hashnode posts can live on your own domain.
- How to get in
- Write about the problem it solves, link the repo and tag it #showdev.
- The link
- Body links on the DEV post we checked were followed; Hashnode was not checked.
- Best for
- Libraries and dev tools with a story
- Watch out
- Disclose any AI help; DEV's guidelines require it.
DEV's #opensource tag rules, October 2026. DevHunt
DR 65Weekly launch board for developer tools Free; paid launch $19, boosted $49 Sometimes followedProduct Hunt for developer tools, itself open source. As of October 2026 a launch is free from the queue, and its FAQ prices a chosen week with a dofollow link at $19 and a boosted one at $49, though its About page sells the queue skip at $49. Launches go live on Tuesdays; the Open Source category had five in the 30 days to October 7. Our DevHunt review has the link check.
- How to get in
- Sign in and submit with a logo and screenshots, then wait in the free queue (about 6 months on average, by its About page) or pay for a chosen week. Start here
- The link
- Free: rel="nofollow noopener". Paid: followed.
- Best for
- CLIs, libraries and dev tools
- Watch out
- The free listing link is nofollow.
Where SaaSCity fits
SaaSCity is our own directory and has no open-source category, so an open-source SaaS or developer tool lists under Developer Tools like any other product. Launching the hosted version of an open-source app? Take the free Monday slot in your launch week (15 free slots a week) for a permanent page and a building on the city map. The link turns dofollow once our badge is on your homepage, which suits a project with its own homepage more than a bare repo, or with Quick Pass ($19.99), live within 24 hours of a human review. SaaSCity is DR 66 on Ahrefs; treat it as one more permanent listing.
Open-source directories and newsletters
Permanent listings and editors who read submissions. Submit early; three of these queue for weeks or months.
AlternativeTo
DR 81Crowd-sourced software alternatives Free; $5 priority review Sometimes followedThe site people use to replace a specific app; listings show the license and lists filter to open source. As of October 2026 its FAQ says the normal queue "holds several thousand apps", and a one-time $5 priority review usually takes 1-2 business days. Our AlternativeTo review covers the rules.
- How to get in
- Verify your email, choose Suggest new application and set the license. Start here
- The link
- Nofollow on three new apps, followed on Navidrome, an established one.
- Best for
- Replacements for a named product
- Watch out
- Paying does not buy approval, and descriptions may not contain links.
A new open-source listing, October 2026. OpenAlternative
DR 61Directory of open-source alternatives Free queue; Standard $97, Premium $137, top tier $197 a month Sometimes followedOpen-source alternatives to paid software, with 100,000 monthly visitors by its own count. As of October 2026 it lists full applications only, "not CLIs, scripts, libraries or AI wrappers". The free queue had 11 tools scheduled through October 21; $97 skips it and $137 adds a do-follow link by its own pricing; we saw a followed link on a $197-a-month listing.
- How to get in
- Sign in, submit the repo and site, then pick a package or wait. Start here
- The link
- Free: rel="noopener nofollow". $197-a-month tier: followed.
- Best for
- Self-hostable apps that replace a SaaS
- Watch out
- A minimum star count applies; the public pages do not give the number.
Paid packages, October 2026; the free queue is not shown. - Curated list on GitHub Free Sometimes followed
The reference list of self-hosted software, on GitHub and awesome-selfhosted.net. As of October 2026 a project needs active maintenance, working install docs and a first release "more than 4 months ago"; libraries, SDKs and PaaS do not qualify.
- How to get in
- Add one software/your-project.yml file to awesome-selfhosted-data by pull request. Start here
- The link
- Nofollow in the GitHub README, followed on awesome-selfhosted.net.
- Best for
- Self-hosted apps with a tagged release
- Watch out
- LLM-generated contributions "will result in a ban".
The pull request checklist, October 2026. LibHunt
DR 66Index of open-source projects Free DofollowLibHunt says it monitors "everything that's posted on Reddit, HackerNews & Dev.to" and records open-source repos mentioned there, so a good launch thread puts you on it without a form. By its own count it tracks 559,400 projects.
- How to get in
- Paste the repo URL into Add a project, or let launch threads bring it in. Start here
- The link
- Website and repo links have no rel attribute.
- Best for
- Libraries with an obvious rival
- Watch out
- Rankings follow mentions; a project nobody discusses sits low.
Link check, October 7, 2026. - Self-hosted directory and Friday newsletter Free Dofollow
One form covers both. As of October 2026 the directory turns away "Newly launched projects" and points them to a Project Launch slot in Self-Host Weekly, Ethan Sholly's Friday newsletter. The directory filters by license, stars and open source.
- How to get in
- Open Submit Content and pick the newsletter for a launch or the directory for an established app. Start here
- The link
- Links have no rel; the directory grid is built by JavaScript.
- Best for
- Self-hosted apps, new or established
- Watch out
- The form asks about AI involvement.
One form for both, October 2026. - Weekly devtools newsletter Free Dofollow
A free newsletter reviewing two or three developer tools every Thursday, downsides included, with 30k+ subscribers by its count. As of October 2026 its betas list takes only pre-1.0 or labeled betas, and it says "We do not do sponsored reviews."
- How to get in
- Email [email protected], before 1.0 if you want the betas list. Start here
- The link
- Review pages link the tool with rel="noopener noreferrer".
- Best for
- Developer tools with a working beta
- Watch out
- Its criteria weigh self-service signup and good docs.
Console.dev criteria, October 2026. - Directory of CLI and TUI tools Free (the form asks for no payment) Dofollow
The directory for CLI and TUI tools, the category OpenAlternative turns away, claiming 92K+ monthly visitors. As of October 2026 it prefers cross-platform tools and standalone binaries and requires an image preview "(PNG, GIF or MP4)".
- How to get in
- Fill in Submit a Tool with the repo, a GIF and install steps. Start here
- The link
- A plain followed link, present in the server HTML.
- Best for
- CLIs and TUIs
- Watch out
- No image preview, no listing.
Submission criteria, October 2026. - Directory of self-hosted alternatives Free waitlist; $29 for a 48-hour review Dofollow
505 alternatives listed on October 7, 2026; its guidelines ask for self-hosted, open-source replacements of proprietary software. It is upfront: the free button reads "Submit to waitlist (6+ months)", and $29 buys a review within 48 hours.
- How to get in
- Submit the repo and the product you replace, then choose waitlist or review. Start here
- The link
- The listing we checked had no nofollow on site or repo links.
- Best for
- Self-hosted alternatives to a known product
- Watch out
- We could not tell if the listing we checked was paid.
The two ways in, October 2026. SourceForge
DR 93Project hosting and download mirror Free NofollowSourceForge may already host an unofficial copy of your project; its Navidrome page is "an exact mirror" that "is not affiliated with Navidrome". The GitHub Importer makes an official project and can import every new release. Its business software directory is a separate listing, covered in our review sites guide.
- How to get in
- Open the GitHub Importer, let it read your GitHub account and pick the repo. Start here
- The link
- Homepage button rel="nofollow" on KeePass and the Navidrome mirror.
- Best for
- Desktop apps and downloads
- Watch out
- Not an SEO play: every outside link we saw was nofollow.
An unofficial GitHub mirror, October 2026.
GitHub, registries and contributor lists
Where developers find a project without anyone posting it. Set these up before launch day; for an MCP server, see where to list an MCP server.
- Topics, README and issue labels Free Nofollow
Topics are how people browse GitHub, and as of October 2026 you get 20 per repository: use the language, the category and the product you replace. Its docs say the good first issue label makes issues likelier to be surfaced across GitHub.
- How to get in
- Set topics and website in the About box, a 1280 by 640 social preview in Settings and labels on Issues. Start here
- The link
- The About box website link is rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow".
- Best for
- Every project, before any launch
- Watch out
- README content past 500 KiB is cut off.
- Curated lists on GitHub Free Nofollow
Most languages have one, linked from sindresorhus/awesome. Getting into an awesome list is a pull request against a published bar: as of October 2026 awesome-go wants 5 months of history, a SemVer release, an open-source license and 80% test coverage.
- How to get in
- Read the list's CONTRIBUTING file and add one plain line in the right category.
- The link
- GitHub README links are rel="nofollow".
- Best for
- Libraries that meet the list's bar
- Watch out
- Submit before the age bar and the pull request gets closed.
GitHub Trending
DR 97Trending repositories by day, week and month Free, and you cannot apply No linkNo form, and no published formula. On October 7, 2026 the all-languages daily list ran from 50 to 4,666 stars that day, not in star order, while the Go list included repos with 2, 3 and 5 new stars.
- How to get in
- Put your Show HN, Reddit and Lobsters posts in the same day or two.
- The link
- Links to the repo on GitHub, not your site.
- Best for
- A launch that is already getting stars
- Watch out
- Trending shows the repo, so the README does the converting.
Not in star order, October 7, 2026. - Package registries Free Sometimes followed
Registry search never closes. npm says keywords help "people discover your package"; PyPI uses keywords and classifiers; crates.io allows 5 keywords of up to 20 characters and 5 categories. Fill in homepage and repository URLs too.
- How to get in
- Set keywords and project URLs in your manifest before the launch release.
- The link
- Nofollow on npm and PyPI; crates.io showed a plain link.
- Best for
- Libraries and CLIs
- Watch out
- Keywords only help if they match what people type.
- Lists for first-time contributors Free Dofollow
For contributors more than users. As of October 2026 goodfirstissue.dev wants 3 open beginner issues, 10 contributors, setup docs, a CONTRIBUTING.md and a license; Up For Grabs wants maintainers ready to mentor.
- How to get in
- goodfirstissue.dev: the form in its README. Up For Grabs: a YAML file by pull request. Start here
- The link
- Both link to your GitHub repo without nofollow.
- Best for
- Projects ready to mentor
- Watch out
- Hacktoberfest no longer counts pull requests toward rewards in 2026.
A launch week for an open-source release, day by day
One community a day, and stay in every thread you start.
- Two weeks before Tag a release and add topics. Submit to the slow queues (OpenAlternative, AlternativeTo, OpenSourceAlternative.to) and to Terminal Trove for a CLI.
- Day 1, Tuesday Show HN, written by hand, plus DevHunt if you paid $19 to pick this week; its launches go live on Tuesdays.
- Day 2 Reddit: the r/selfhosted megathread, your language subreddit's showcase thread, then r/opensource.
- Day 3 A #showdev post on DEV about one hard problem. A technical write-up like that is also the only kind of project post r/programming allows.
- Day 4 Email Console.dev and send Self-Host Weekly a Project Launch before its Friday issue.
- Day 5 Fix what the threads found and add their questions to the README.
- Months after LibHunt picks up your mentions. Send awesome list pull requests once you clear their age bars.
A README that turns visitors into stars and users
Every place above sends people to the repository, and each item here clears a gate somewhere.
- A first sentence on what the project does and who it is for.
- A screenshot or GIF near the top; Terminal Trove requires one.
- One-command install, with a Docker image for self-hosted apps; awesome-selfhosted requires working install docs.
- A comparison with the tool people already use, which r/Python showcase posts must include.
- An OSI license file, without which r/opensource removes your post.
- A tagged release; awesome-selfhosted counts its 4 months from the first one.
- A CONTRIBUTING.md and good first issues, both required by goodfirstissue.dev.
The self-promotion rules that get maintainers banned
All of these communities let you post your own project. As of October 2026, the same habits get posts removed and accounts banned.
- Asking for votes: HN will "penalize or ban" for it, and Product Hunt forbids it.
- Booster comments from friends, which HN's moderators say readers treat as spam.
- Posting more than you take part: Lobsters wants self-promotion under a quarter of your activity, and r/opensource points to Reddit's 10% guideline.
- Machine-written text: HN asks for none, r/programming bans it, r/golang and r/rust can remove posts that look AI-generated and awesome-selfhosted bans LLM-made contributions.
- The wrong door: a standalone new-project post on r/selfhosted or a launch tagged #opensource on DEV.
- Posting for backlinks, which DEV can suspend you for.
- A brand as your username; HN asks makers to post as a person.
What these links do for SEO
Less than the visitors do. Reddit, Lobsters and Product Hunt mark your link ugc; SourceForge, npm, PyPI and GitHub READMEs mark it nofollow; Hacker News does on new Show HN posts until they gather points. Google's documentation says such links "will generally not be followed" (our dofollow vs nofollow guide explains the values).
Followed links came from LibHunt, OpenSourceAlternative.to, Terminal Trove, Console.dev, selfh.st, DEV article bodies, awesome-selfhosted.net and paid tiers of OpenAlternative and DevHunt. Treat them as a bonus; the launch threads matter more for the mentions and write-ups they lead to.
Places we checked and left out
- Changelog News: on October 7, 2026 its newest issue was #185, from April 29, 2026.
- Awesome Open Source: no submissions, and its Navidrome page still showed a November 2023 release.
- opensource.builders: requests are GitHub issues, some open since February 2020.
- This Week in Rust: no longer takes pull requests for project updates.
- Hacktoberfest: pull requests no longer count toward its rewards.
FAQ
- Where can I promote my open source project for free?
- As of October 2026: Show HN, Reddit, Lobsters (with an invite), DEV, LibHunt, selfh.st, Terminal Trove, Console.dev, awesome lists and your GitHub repo. OpenAlternative, AlternativeTo, OpenSourceAlternative.to and DevHunt are free with a wait and sell speed: from $97, $5, $29 and $19.
- Can I post my project on r/selfhosted?
- Yes. As of October 2026 a project under three months old, counted from its first public commit or post, goes in the weekly New Project Megathread, any day. Older projects can post on their own if the app is production ready and documented.
- How do I get on GitHub Trending?
- You cannot submit to it, and GitHub does not publish how it ranks. On October 7, 2026 the list was not in star order, and the daily Go list included repos with 2 to 5 new stars. Grouping your launch posts into a day or two is your only lever.
- How do I get my project into an awesome list?
- Read its CONTRIBUTING file, check the bar and open a pull request adding one line. awesome-selfhosted wants a first release over 4 months old; awesome-go wants 5 months of history and a SemVer release. Write it yourself: awesome-selfhosted bans LLM-generated contributions.
- How do I get a Lobsters invite?
- Its about page says to talk to someone you recognize from the site; authors of posted links can ask in its chat. New members cannot use the show tag for 70 days, so join early.
- Is Product Hunt worth it for an open source project?
- For an open-source alternative to a paid product, yes: it is free and the URL can be your repo. For a library or CLI, Hacker News, your language subreddit and DevHunt reach likelier users. The link is ugc.
- Do these places give dofollow backlinks?
- A few, as of October 2026: LibHunt, OpenSourceAlternative.to, Terminal Trove, Console.dev, selfh.st, DEV article bodies and awesome-selfhosted.net, plus paid tiers of OpenAlternative (promised from $137, seen on its $197-a-month tier) and DevHunt ($19 by its FAQ). Reddit, Lobsters, Product Hunt, SourceForge and GitHub READMEs do not.
How we checked
Every fact on this page was read on the site it describes. Last checked on . Prices and rules change, so check the site before you pay.
- Hacker News: Show HN guidelines
- Hacker News: guidelines
- Hacker News: FAQ
- Hacker News: moderator tips for Show HN posts
- Hacker News: Show page (link check)
- r/selfhosted
- r/selfhosted: New Project Megathread, week of 01 Oct 2026
- r/selfhosted: Quarter 2 update, revisiting rules
- r/opensource
- r/programming
- r/Python
- r/golang
Show all 68 sources
- r/rust
- Lobsters: about
- Lobsters: show tag
- Product Hunt: launch guide
- Product Hunt: preparing for launch
- Product Hunt Help: can I relaunch my product?
- Product Hunt Help: how things end up on the homepage
- Product Hunt: Open Source topic
- DEV: #opensource tag
- DEV: #showdev tag
- DEV: guidelines for AI-assisted articles
- Hashnode
- DevHunt: FAQ
- DevHunt: upcoming launches
- DevHunt: Open Source category
- AlternativeTo: FAQ
- AlternativeTo: open-source new app releases
- OpenAlternative: about
- OpenAlternative: advertise
- OpenAlternative: submission packages (example)
- OpenAlternative: Coming Soon
- awesome-selfhosted-data: contributing guide
- awesome-selfhosted-data: pull request template
- awesome-selfhosted.net
- LibHunt: about
- LibHunt: submit a project
- selfh.st: about
- selfh.st: submit content
- Self-Host Weekly, 2 October 2026
- Console.dev: selection criteria
- Console.dev: about
- Terminal Trove: submit a tool
- Terminal Trove: advertise
- OpenSourceAlternative.to: submit
- OpenSourceAlternative.to: latest listings
- SourceForge: GitHub Importer
- SourceForge: Navidrome mirror
- GitHub Docs: classifying your repository with topics
- GitHub Docs: encouraging contributions with labels
- GitHub Docs: social media preview
- GitHub Docs: about READMEs
- GitHub Trending
- awesome-go: contributing guide
- sindresorhus/awesome
- npm Docs: package.json
- Python Packaging User Guide: writing pyproject.toml
- The Cargo Book: the manifest format
- Good First Issue: adding a new project
- Up For Grabs: list a project
- Hacktoberfest 2026
- Changelog News
- Changelog News: feed
- Awesome Open Source: Navidrome page
- opensource.builders: GitHub issues
- This Week in Rust: README
- Google Search Central: qualify your outbound links
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