We measured what product launch websites sent to our own SaaS. We launched saasrocket.space itself on the main platforms in August 2026 and tracked every referral session in Google Analytics from July 30 to September 2. The numbers are below, next to what each platform costs and what kind of link you get.
One product, one month, small numbers. This is a record of our launch, not a forecast for yours. Referral totals retain the original July 30 to September 2 measurement window. Prices and submission conditions below were checked against platform sources on September 22, 2026.
Quick pick
- Product Hunt: a public launch and discussion. Our submission sent 10 referral sessions; that single result cannot predict another launch.
- BetaList: the one paid submission that sent us real traffic. Best for pre-revenue products looking for early adopters.
- Uneed, Fazier, TinyLaunch, MicroLaunch: directory-style launches with different queues, paid options and backlink conditions. Check the plan before submitting.
- Hacker News and Indie Hackers: free community surfaces. Strong when the story fits, silent when it does not.
- saasrocket.space: the shareable artifact. Use it alongside a distribution channel, not instead of one.
The comparison table
Sessions are visits to saasrocket.space referred by each platform, from Google Analytics, July 30 to September 2 2026. "First 7 days" counts from the first day the platform sent a visit.
| Platform | Cost to launch | Wait | Backlink | Sessions, first 7 days | Sessions, total | Peak day |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BetaList | Paid; price shown in submission form; refund if not selected | Depends on plan | Dofollow when featured | 67 | 87 | 33 |
| Fazier | Basic free with a backlink to Fazier | Basic reviewed and listed within 30 days | Terms vary by plan and ranking | 14 | 25 | 4 |
| Uneed | Free queue; $14.99 fast-track; $29.99 skip the line | Free date within 5 months; fast-track about 14 days | Score threshold on free and fast-track; included with skip the line | 7 | 10 | 7 |
| Product Hunt | Free | Pick a date | Product page link | 8 | 10 | 6 |
| TinyLaunch | Standard free; Premium $39 | Standard queue; Premium skips it | Standard top 3 or Premium; dofollow requires badge link | 9 | 10 | 2 |
| MicroLaunch | Pro $49 before any offer | Pro can launch any time; 30-day exposure | Dofollow on Pro | Not launched | Not launched | n/a |
| Hacker News (Show HN) | Free | None | No | Not measured | Not measured | n/a |
| Indie Hackers | Free | None | Community profile | Not measured | Not measured | n/a |
| saasrocket.space | Free during early access | Launch now; video may need processing | Dofollow once your badge is verified | This is the site being measured | n/a | n/a |
Current terms: BetaList support confirms paid submissions and refunds for startups not selected, with prices and review times in the submission form. Uneed pricing lists a free queue, fast-track at $14.99 and skip-the-line at $29.99. MicroLaunch premium lists Launch Pro at $49 before discounts. TinyLaunch pricing lists Standard free and Premium at $39; its home page adds the badge-link condition for dofollow. Fazier submissions explains the free Basic plan and paid options.
What each platform actually did
Our largest referral day
Our listing went live on August 19. The next day BetaList sent 33 sessions, the biggest single-source day of the month, and 67 sessions in the first week. By the end of the measurement window the total was 87 sessions from 81 users, including 65 engaged sessions under our GA4 configuration. Engagement is not a signup or a sale. BetaList was our only paid submission in this comparison; we did not run a test that isolates the effect of paying.
BetaList targets pre-launch or recently launched startups. Its submission criteria require a distinct, informative landing page and a way to sign up or access the product. Make your stage clear; meeting the criteria does not guarantee selection.
Fazier: a steady trickle
Fazier sent 25 sessions across 13 different days and never more than 4 in a day. Nothing dramatic, but it kept sending visitors for two weeks after launch, which the daily-launch sites did not. Listing is free if you place their badge on your site.
Uneed: a one-day bump
Uneed sent 7 sessions on launch day, August 4, and 10 in total. Its current pricing includes a free queue again. A free launch needs a score of 10 to stay published and 20 for a dofollow link. Fast-track requires a score of 10 for dofollow; skip-the-line includes it. Our referral count alone is too small to establish the value of a paid plan.
Product Hunt: 10 sessions in our window
We launched on August 4. Product Hunt sent 6 sessions that day and 10 in total. We were not featured. Those observations do not tell us what another product will receive or what caused our result.
Prepare a clear product page, share the launch with people who may find it useful, and answer questions. Product Hunt explicitly asks makers not to request or incentivize upvotes. Its sharing guidance also rules out coordinated voting pushes.
TinyLaunch: small and free
TinyLaunch sent 9 sessions in the first week and 10 total. Its pricing page lists a free Standard launch with backlink benefits for the top three products, while Premium includes a guaranteed backlink. The home page separately requires an embedded badge with a dofollow link to TinyLaunch for a dofollow link back. Do not assume every free listing earns one.
MicroLaunch, Hacker News, Indie Hackers
We did not launch saasrocket.space on MicroLaunch, so there is no number. It runs monthly rankings instead of a daily sprint, which stretches the exposure window. Hacker News and Indie Hackers are communities rather than directories; we did not post a Show HN because the product story is not technical enough for that audience, and Indie Hackers traffic showed up under direct and social sources rather than as a referrer.
What the numbers add up to
Across all launch platforms combined, referrals came to 142 sessions out of 1,160 total sessions in the period, about 12 percent. The remaining sessions used other acquisition channels; this referral table cannot attribute them to a particular launch activity. For our next launch, we would record signups alongside these referral counts so we can compare the value of the visits.
Which one for a solo founder
- Pre-launch or recently launched: compare BetaList's current submission fee with your budget. It sent the most referrals in our sample, but we cannot promise a return on the fee.
- Trying free options: compare Fazier Basic, TinyLaunch Standard and Uneed's free queue. They have different waiting times and backlink conditions, listed above.
- Product Hunt: prepare the maker comment and leave time to answer questions. Invite people to explore the product; do not organize an upvote campaign.
- Give the announcement something to show: a launch on saasrocket.space is free during early access and gives you a replay and a permanent star on the galaxy map. Video preparation can take time. The listing's dofollow link requires badge verification. See the real product launch video and share kit for an example.
For the announcement copy itself, the website launch announcement templates cover every channel in the table, and the two-week SaaS launch plan schedules the week around it. If BetaList is the platform you are weighing up, the BetaList alternatives page goes deeper on that one.
Frequently asked questions
Is Product Hunt still worth it in 2026?
Our unfeatured launch sent 10 referral sessions during the measured window. Whether that is useful depends on your goal and the time you spend. This single launch gives no reliable forecast for another product. Follow Product Hunt's sharing rules and plan to answer questions.
Which SaaS launch platforms give a dofollow backlink?
The conditions differ. BetaList includes one when featured. Uneed uses plan and score requirements. TinyLaunch has ranking or paid-plan conditions plus a badge-link requirement. Fazier's link benefits vary by plan. MicroLaunch Pro advertises dofollow. On saasrocket.space, the listing link becomes dofollow after badge verification. Check the platform sources under the table before paying for a link benefit.
How much does the paid listing cost?
BetaList's support page confirms that submissions are paid, with the current price shown at the end of its submission form. Startups that are not selected receive a full refund. We could not verify a public checkout price on September 22, so we have removed the old fixed-price estimate.
Do launch platforms bring paying customers?
This table measures referral sessions, not paying customers. saasrocket.space was free during early access, so a lack of attributed purchases is not a meaningful test of whether these platforms can produce sales for a paid product. Track your own signups and paid conversions separately.