OpenHunts vs Hauntboard
Looking for a OpenHunts alternative, or deciding where to launch? Here is how OpenHunts 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 OpenHunts is the better pick.
OpenHunts facts checked 20 Oct 2026 · comparison updated 20 Oct 2026. See sources
The Short Answer
OpenHunts is the closest match to Hauntboard: weekly launches on Mondays, 20 free slots a week, a badge you can add to skip the free queue, and a cheap paid launch where you choose the week. The differences are in how the free tier works and what you can see. On the day we checked, OpenHunts' free queue was about 60 weeks long unless you add its badge; Hauntboard reviews free launches in about 72 hours. 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 | OpenHunts |
|---|---|---|
| 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) | Listings show upvotes and the site publishes site-wide traffic figures; we found no per-listing visit counts. |
| 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): OpenHunts says the free plan gets a dofollow backlink if the launch finishes in the top 3, and Premium and Highlight get a guaranteed dofollow link. On 4 listings we checked on 20 Oct 2026, the Visit website link was plain on 2 and marked nofollow on 2. |
| Launch Format | Weekly board: one week on the board, and the product page stays up afterwards | Weekly launches on Mondays, with 7 days on the homepage. |
| Review | Human review: about 72 hours on the free tier, within 24 hours on paid launches | Not published as a review time. Launches go live on Mondays at 8:00 AM UTC; Premium launches the next Monday. |
| 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 (queue, or add the badge to skip it); Premium launch $9.90 (shown reduced from $19); Highlight $20 a week (shown reduced from $59, demand-based). Sidebar sponsorships are also sold. |
1. Traffic Data
Upvotes and comments show interest, but not how many people clicked through to your site. On OpenHunts: Listings show upvotes and the site publishes site-wide traffic figures; we found no per-listing visit counts.
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
OpenHunts: OpenHunts says the free plan gets a dofollow backlink if the launch finishes in the top 3, and Premium and Highlight get a guaranteed dofollow link. On 4 listings we checked on 20 Oct 2026, the Visit website link was plain on 2 and marked nofollow on 2.
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 OpenHunts if:
- • You want a paid launch for under $10: OpenHunts showed Premium at $9.90, reduced from $19.
- • You want its Highlight option for an instant launch.
- • You're happy to add its badge to skip the free queue.
Choose Hauntboard if:
- • You want a free launch reviewed in days, not a queue of many weeks.
- • You want your launch's own page views and visits shown in public, not only upvotes.
- • You want a dofollow link on every approved launch, not only the top three on the free plan.
4. Using Both
Because the formats are so alike, the most useful thing is to compare them yourself: launch on both in different weeks, tag each link, and see which sent more visits. Note that OpenHunts' free queue may mean a long wait, so use its badge or its paid plan if you want a date.
5. Common Questions
- Is OpenHunts the same as Hauntboard?
- They're similar in format: weekly Monday launches, 20 free slots, a badge to skip the queue and a cheap paid launch. They're separate sites. Hauntboard reviews free launches by hand in about 72 hours, and shows each launch's page views and visits in public.
- How long is OpenHunts' free queue?
- On 20 Oct 2026, its pricing page showed a current queue time of about 60 weeks, and said adding its badge skips the wait. That figure changes, so check the pricing page.
- Does OpenHunts give a dofollow link?
- Its pricing page says the free plan gets a dofollow backlink if the launch finishes in the top 3, and the paid plans get a guaranteed one. On 4 listings we checked, 2 were plain and 2 were nofollow.
- Which has the bigger audience?
- Both are new and small. OpenHunts publishes site-wide figures (111,564 visits over 6 months, by its own PostHog numbers). Hauntboard shows each launch's visits on its page and total visits on its stats page.
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.