BetaList is a site that features upcoming startups, usually before a full public launch. Founders submit a product, BetaList reviews it, and featured startups can be shown to people who browse the site or get the newsletter. It is a pre-launch audience, not a daily ranked hunt.
How it differs from Product Hunt
| BetaList | Product Hunt | |
|---|---|---|
| Timing | Before you are fully public | The day you want a public launch |
| What people do | Browse upcoming products and request access | Upvote and comment on something they can often open today |
| What you need | A clear description and a way to collect interest | A gallery, a first comment, and a product people can try |
Rules and any paid options that skip a queue change. Read the current form on BetaList before you plan a date around it. Do not copy an old blog's price into your launch plan.
What to prepare
- One sentence a stranger understands. Who it is for, and what it replaces.
- A link that works: a landing page, a waitlist, or the product. A dead URL wastes the review.
- An image that is the product, not a stock laptop.
- The ask. If you need beta users, say what they will do and how long it takes.
BetaList is one channel. Keep a page you own, and list the same product where it will still exist after the feature ends. Where to launch a startup puts BetaList next to the other options, including FoundrList.
What BetaList is for
BetaList, often searched as beta list or betalist, features startups that are not fully public yet. Founders submit a product. The site reviews it. Featured startups can be shown to people browsing upcoming products or reading the newsletter. It is a pre-launch audience. It is not a daily ranked hunt, and it is not a directory that will still be your category page next year.
How a submission differs from Product Hunt and a directory
| BetaList | Product Hunt | A directory such as FoundrList | |
|---|---|---|---|
| When | Before you are fully public | The day you want a public launch | Whenever the product can be described |
| What people do | Browse upcoming products and ask for access | Comment and upvote something they can often open | Find the product later by category or name |
| What you need | A clear sentence and a working waitlist or beta | A gallery, a first comment, and a product people can try | A name, a description, and a URL |
| How long it lasts | A feature, then the archive | A launch day, then a lasting post | A page that stays in the catalogue |
Rules and any paid queue change. Read the live form on BetaList before you put a date in a plan. Do not copy a price from an old blog. The Product Hunt checklist is the public-launch version. Where to launch a startup puts the channels in order so you do not spend every audience on the same morning.
What to prepare before you submit
- One sentence a stranger understands.
- A link that loads: a landing page, a waitlist, or the product.
- An image of the product, not a stock laptop.
- The ask. If you need beta users, say what they will do and how long it takes.
- A page you own, so the feature has somewhere to send people after BetaList moves on.
Questions people ask
Is BetaList free?
Check the live site. Submission terms and any paid queue have changed over the years, so a blog's price will go stale.
When should I submit?
When you can take beta users or waitlist signups, and before you spend your public launch on Product Hunt. Featuring a product you cannot let anyone try is a wasted mention.
Does BetaList give a dofollow link?
Look at a live feature and view the source. Do not trust a comparison table from last year.
Is BetaList the same as a startup directory?
No. BetaList features upcoming products. A directory keeps a catalogue. Many founders use BetaList before launch and a directory so the page still exists afterward.
When should I submit to BetaList?
When you can take beta users or waitlist signups, and before you use Product Hunt for the public day. Featuring a product nobody can try wastes the mention.
Keep reading
- Where to launch a startup
- Product Hunt launch checklist
- Product Hunt alternatives
- Indie Hackers for founders
