LaunchIgniter vs Hauntboard
Looking for a LaunchIgniter alternative, or deciding where to launch? Here is how LaunchIgniter compares with Hauntboard, our own launch board for indie makers and solo founders. We run Hauntboard, so we've kept the facts sourced and said where LaunchIgniter is the better pick.
LaunchIgniter facts checked 20 Oct 2026 · comparison updated 20 Oct 2026. See sources
The Short Answer
LaunchIgniter is, with OpenHunts, the closest match to Hauntboard: weekly launches that start on Monday, manual review, a badge on free launches and a cheap paid launch with a guaranteed date. The differences are in the links and the data. On LaunchIgniter's free plan only the top 3 get a dofollow backlink, while every approved Hauntboard launch gets one. And Hauntboard shows each launch's own page views and visits in public.
Free Hauntboard listings show the Hauntboard badge on your site; while the badge isn't there, the link is nofollow.
Direct Feature Comparison
Pricing, link policy, review times, and the traffic data each platform shows.
| Dimension | Hauntboard | LaunchIgniter |
|---|---|---|
| Traffic Data | Each launch page shows its page views and the visits it sent to your site, in public (once per browser per day, known bots filtered) | No published click data found. |
| Link Type | Dofollow link for every approved launch; a free launch's link is nofollow while the Hauntboard badge isn't on its site | Dofollow (conditional): LaunchIgniter says only the top 3 products of a launch week get a dofollow backlink on the free plan, and that Basic and above get a lifetime dofollow backlink (it calls its own domain DR 75, which we haven't measured). The one listing we checked on 20 Oct 2026 had a plain link, with no nofollow. |
| Launch Format | Weekly board: one week on the board, and the product page stays up afterwards | Weekly launches from 00:00 Monday UTC for 7 days, with a Winner badge for the top 3 by upvotes. |
| Review | Human review: about 72 hours on the free tier, within 24 hours on paid launches | Free launches are reviewed manually before they go live, and no review time is published. The date isn't guaranteed; Basic and above skip the queue. |
| Pricing | Free (next open week, Hauntboard badge required, 20 slots a week) · Launch Now $19 (pick your week, no badge) · Spotlight $49 (pinned top row for the week, 4 a week). One-time payments. | Free launch $0 (reviewed, badge required, date not guaranteed); Basic $12 one-time (guaranteed date, no badge); Pro $15 one-time (adds two more backlinks); Growth $99 one-time (30 days featured and an editorial review). A directory submission service starts at $99. |
1. Traffic Data
Upvotes and comments show interest, but not how many people clicked through to your site. On LaunchIgniter: No published click data found.
On Hauntboard, each launch page shows its page views and the visits it sent to the maker's site, in public. Each browser counts once per launch per day, and known bots are filtered out. Here's exactly how we count a visit.
2. Link Policy
LaunchIgniter: LaunchIgniter says only the top 3 products of a launch week get a dofollow backlink on the free plan, and that Basic and above get a lifetime dofollow backlink (it calls its own domain DR 75, which we haven't measured). The one listing we checked on 20 Oct 2026 had a plain link, with no nofollow.
On Hauntboard, every approved launch, free or paid, gets a dofollow link. Free Hauntboard listings show the Hauntboard badge on your site; while the badge isn't there, the link is nofollow.
3. Which One Fits?
Choose LaunchIgniter if:
- • You want the cheapest paid launch: LaunchIgniter's Basic is $12 one-time, with a guaranteed date and no badge.
- • You want its Pro plan, which adds backlinks from two other directories, or the Growth plan's 30 days on the homepage.
- • You like a Winner badge for the top 3 by upvotes.
Choose Hauntboard if:
- • You want a dofollow link on every approved launch, not only the top three.
- • You want a person to review your launch in about 72 hours on the free tier.
- • You want your launch's own page views and visits shown in public.
4. Using Both
The formats are close enough that the best test is to run both: launch on each in a different week, tag each link, and compare the visits each one sent. That tells you more than any comparison page.
5. Common Questions
- Is LaunchIgniter the same as Hauntboard?
- They're separate sites with a similar format: weekly launches starting on Monday, manual review, and a badge on free launches. Hauntboard gives every approved launch a dofollow link and shows each launch's page views and visits in public.
- Does LaunchIgniter give a dofollow link on the free plan?
- Its pricing page says only the top 3 products of each launch week get one. Basic and above get a lifetime dofollow backlink, by its own account.
- How much does a paid LaunchIgniter launch cost?
- Basic is $12 one-time, Pro is $15 and Growth is $99. Hauntboard's Launch Now is $19 and Spotlight is $49, both paid once.
Ready to unghost your product?
Launch your app on Hauntboard. Free launches get human review in about 72 hours, a dofollow link while the Hauntboard badge is on your site, and public page views and visits.