Launch plan · Developer tools
Where to launch a developer tool
Developers judge a tool by trying it. The launch that works is the one with a public repository or live demo, clear docs, and a technical write-up, shared where engineers already talk.
01
Before launch: make it easy to evaluate
A developer should be able to understand and run the tool in minutes.
DEV Community
Write the full tutorial on the platform; link-only posts are not allowed.
Free submission
02
Launch week: technical audiences
Share something people can try right away, then stay for the questions.
Hacker News (Show HN)
Must be something you made and people can try; landing pages and sign-up pages are off topic.
Free submission
DevHunt
Voting needs a GitHub login; a free launch waits about six months, or $49 to pick your week.
Free + paid options, paid from $49 to skip the queue
Lobsters
Invitation only, and self-promotion should stay under a quarter of your activity.
Free submission
03
First month: writing and distribution
Turn the launch into posts and listings that keep being found.
Hashnode
Free blogging, with posts mirrored from GitHub and your own domain supported.
Free + paid options
04
Ongoing: where developers install tools
If the tool lives in an editor, its marketplace is a distribution channel in itself.
VS Code Marketplace
Free to publish; icons cannot be SVG and README images must use HTTPS.
Free submission
JetBrains Marketplace
Free to upload, with your own licence agreement and a 400 MB limit.
Free submission
Before you start
- Link docs, a quick start and the licence from the first screen of the repository.
- Answer technical questions in the thread itself; that is where most evaluation happens.
Fees, queues and rules change. Every channel page shows when it was last checked and links to the site's own pages.
See every channel for developer tools