LaunchWakeChannels / Hacker News — Show HN vs Lobste.rs
Head to head
Hacker News — Show HN vs Lobste.rs
Which is the better place to launch your product — and what does it take to post safely in each?
The short answer
Hacker News — Show HN is the safer start (low vs medium ban risk) — a first launch is unlikely to get pulled if you follow the format. Lobste.rs can pay off too, but only when your post fits its rules exactly; read them before you press publish.
The rules, side by side
Hacker News — Show HN
Ban risk
Low
Best time to post
Tue–Thu 8am ET
Audience
~5M developers & founders · very high intent
Show HN is for something you built that people can try. Lead with the problem and the build story, not marketing. No hype adjectives. Reply to every comment. Title format: 'Show HN: <what it is>'.
- Lead with what it is and the problem it solves, in plain language.
- Use the 'Show HN:' title format when it's something people can try.
- Reply to every comment quickly — engagement is the whole game.
Lobste.rs
Ban risk
Medium
Best time to post
Invite only
Audience
invite-only · high-signal technical crowd
Invite-only; tightly moderated. Only deep technical content, tagged correctly. Self-promo must be disclosed and is discouraged unless genuinely notable. No marketing whatsoever.
- Only submit deep technical content, tagged correctly.
- Disclose authorship if you're linking your own work.
- Built for sharing what you made — no promo-specific restrictions beyond the format.
- Actively moderated; off-guideline posts are removed fast.
- Explicit limits on self-promotion and marketing language.
- Invite-only and high-signal — marketing is unwelcome by design.
- Rewards transparency; disclose that it's your project.
Or skip the guesswork entirely.
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