Indie Hackers
indiehackers.com
How to submit your startup to Indie Hackers
Founder community with indexable product pages and launch discussions. Here is what a Indie Hackers listing is worth - DR 88, mixed link, free - and exactly how to submit.
- Domain Rating
- 88
- Link type
- Mixed
- Pricing
- Free
- Category
- Community
Is Indie Hackers worth it?
Must submit · 9/10Indie Hackers combines free submission, a followed link, and high authority. Put it near the top of your launch checklist.
What is Indie Hackers?
Indie Hackers (indiehackers.com) is a community: founder community with indexable product pages and launch discussions.
Communities reward participation over promotion. Build a profile, contribute for a while, and share your product where it genuinely answers a question.
How to submit to Indie Hackers
- 1Create a real profile with your name, photo, and what you are building.
- 2Spend a week contributing helpful answers or feedback before posting your own product.
- 3Share your product in the designated show-and-tell or launch area, following the rules.
- 4Write it as a story - what problem, what you learned, what you want feedback on.
- 5Stay in the thread and answer questions; that is where signups come from.
Indie Hackers backlink and SEO value
Elite authority · DR 88
With an Ahrefs Domain Rating around 88, Indie Hackers sits among the most authoritative domains on the web. Even a single profile here is a strong brand and trust signal, and pages on high-DR domains tend to rank for your brand name within weeks.
Indie Hackers uses a mix of followed and nofollow links depending on the page, plan, or where the link sits (profile vs. description). Expect some authority to pass, and inspect your published listing to see which link type you actually got.
Want the live number? Run indiehackers.com through the free Domain Rating checker.
How much does Indie Hackers cost?
Submitting to Indie Hackers is free. There is no reason not to include it in your launch checklist - the only cost is the 10-20 minutes it takes to write a good listing.
Tips for a Indie Hackers listing that converts
- Use the same product name, tagline, and logo you use on Founder.best and other directories - consistency helps search engines connect your listings.
- Write a fresh description for Indie Hackers instead of copy-pasting. Duplicate text across dozens of sites adds little value.
- Point the link at your homepage or a strong landing page, not a signup form, so the authority lands where it helps rankings.
- Record the live listing URL and date in your tracker, then check back in 30 days for indexing and traffic.
Indie Hackers vs Founder.best
| Indie Hackers | Founder.best | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Community | Launch Platform |
| Domain Rating | 88 | 41 |
| Link type | Mixed | Dofollow |
| Pricing | Free | Freemium |
| Founder profile + verified revenue | - | Yes |
They work best together: an active weekly launch on Founder.best brings launch-day attention and a dofollow link, and Indie Hackers adds a long-lived listing afterwards.
Indie Hackers alternatives and similar directories
DEV Community
dev.to
Developer community - publish launch posts and product announcements.
Medium
medium.com
Publish launch stories and build founder brand content with indexable articles.
Hacker News (Show HN)
news.ycombinator.com
Technical community launch channel - high visibility, nofollow links.
GrowthHackers
growthhackers.com
Growth marketing community for launch posts and product threads.
Starter Story
starterstory.com
Founder interviews and startup stories - submit your journey.
Yellow Pages
yellowpages.com
Legacy business directory - local SEO and brand mentions.
FAQ
- Is Indie Hackers free to submit to?
- Submitting to Indie Hackers is free. There is no reason not to include it in your launch checklist - the only cost is the 10-20 minutes it takes to write a good listing.
- Does Indie Hackers give a dofollow backlink?
- Sometimes. Indie Hackers uses a mix of followed and nofollow links depending on the page or plan.
- What is the Domain Rating (DR) of Indie Hackers?
- Indie Hackers (indiehackers.com) has an Ahrefs Domain Rating of roughly 88 (elite authority). DR changes over time - check the live score with the free Domain Rating checker on Founder.best.
- Is Indie Hackers worth it for a new startup?
- Our verdict: Must submit (9/10). Indie Hackers combines free submission, a followed link, and high authority. Put it near the top of your launch checklist.
- What should I submit to before Indie Hackers?
- Start with an active launch on Founder.best for homepage visibility and a dofollow backlink, then work through community options like Indie Hackers. One active launch plus 5-10 quality directories beats mass-submitting to hundreds of low-quality lists.
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DR, link type, and pricing are approximate and change over time - verify on indiehackers.com before relying on them. Founder.best is not affiliated with Indie Hackers.