Product Hunt vs Microlaunch
Choosing between Product Hunt and Microlaunch? Here's how they compare on price, link policy, review time and launch format, with Hauntboard, our own launch board, as a third option. We run Hauntboard, so every fact about Product Hunt and Microlaunch is sourced from their own pages.
Facts checked 14 Oct 2026 · Product Hunt sources · Microlaunch sources
The Short Answer
Product Hunt is a daily leaderboard decided in a day. Microlaunch ranks launches on a monthly leaderboard (also viewable by week), so a launch isn't settled in one day. Microlaunch has a free queue, but it doesn't publish how long it takes, and a do-follow backlink comes with its paid Launch Pro plan ($39, list $49). Pick Microlaunch for a longer window; pick Product Hunt for the bigger audience.
Side by Side
Product Hunt, Microlaunch and Hauntboard, from each one's own pages.
| Dimension | Product Hunt | Microlaunch | Hauntboard |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free option | Yes: Product Hunt's launch guide says launching is 100% free. It also sells advertising, but doesn't list ad prices there. | Yes: A free queue exists, but Microlaunch doesn't publish how long it takes. | Yes: the next open week, 20 free slots a week, with the Hauntboard badge on your site |
| Pricing | Free to launch. | Free launch; Launch Pro $39 (list $49); Launch Plus $79 (list $99). | 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. |
| Link type | Not dofollow: HackerNoon found the Visit website link marked ugc in September 2026, which isn't dofollow. Product Hunt blocked our own check on 14 Oct 2026. | Dofollow (conditional): Microlaunch lists DR64+ do-follow backlinks as a Launch Pro benefit. It doesn't promise one for free launches. | Dofollow link for every approved launch; a free launch's link is nofollow while the Hauntboard badge isn't on its site |
| Review and timing | No review fee; you schedule the launch yourself. | Not published for free launches; Launch Pro lets you pick your launch date. | Human review: about 72 hours on the free tier, within 24 hours on paid launches |
| Launch format | Daily leaderboard, on Pacific Time. | Monthly leaderboard, also viewable by week. | Weekly board: one week on the board, and the product page stays up afterwards |
| Audience (its own figure) | No figure published on the pages we checked. | 2,350 daily visitors | No site-wide audience figure to quote yet; every launch page shows its own page views and visits, and totals are on the stats page. |
Which One Fits?
Choose Product Hunt if:
- • You want the bigger audience.
- • You can bring supporters on one day.
- • You want to launch free and choose your date.
Choose Microlaunch if:
- • You'd like a month, not a day, to be found.
- • You'll pay $39 for Launch Pro, which lets you pick your launch date and lists DR64+ do-follow backlinks.
- • You want a smaller, calmer board.
Using Both
A Microlaunch month can sit behind a Product Hunt day: launch on Product Hunt for the spike, and keep your Microlaunch listing working through the month. Launch early in the month to get more time on its board.
Where Hauntboard Fits
Hauntboard is a weekly launch board where a person reviews every launch, every approved launch gets a dofollow link, and each launch page shows its own page views and visits in public. It's new, so its audience is still small, and it can sit next to either of these. See how it compares with Product Hunt or Microlaunch.
Common Questions
- How long is Microlaunch's free wait?
- Microlaunch doesn't publish it. A free queue exists, and Launch Pro lets you pick your launch date.
- Does Microlaunch give a free dofollow link?
- It lists DR64+ do-follow backlinks as a Launch Pro benefit and doesn't promise one for free launches.
- How big is Microlaunch?
- Its homepage shows 2,350 daily visitors, by its own count. It's much smaller than Product Hunt.
Ready to launch?
Launch 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.