Appstro
30 places · links swept 2026-10-13

Where to launch

Places to submit a new iOS app, from Apple’s own pitch to directories and communities. Tick them off as you go.

Apple itself

The one nobody uses. Apple takes pitches for editorial featuring directly, and it costs nothing but the time to write it.

Launch platforms

Post on a day, get voted on, maybe get a spike. Terms differ per site and they move — several sell placement, so read what a listing involves before you plan around one.

  • Product HuntLink unconfirmed

    The big one. Daily leaderboard, heavy competition, and an audience that skews to web and AI tools rather than iOS.

    Links to the homepage — its submission page rejects automated link checks, so no deeper URL was verified and none was invented.

    This host answers a script with a bot check or a sign-in wall, so the page behind this link could not be confirmed by our sweep. That means the site is defended, not that it is gone.

  • Hacker News — Show HN

    No submission form: post the link yourself with a “Show HN:” title. Read the guidelines on this page first — they are specific and enforced.

  • BetaListLink unconfirmed

    For products still early — beta, waitlist, pre-launch. A shipped v3 is the wrong fit. Submitting needs an account, so this link lands on its sign-in page.

    This host answers a script with a bot check or a sign-in wall, so the page behind this link could not be confirmed by our sweep. That means the site is defended, not that it is gone.

  • Indie Hackers

    Product listing plus a community that responds better to the story of building the thing than to the launch post.

  • Uneed

    Daily tool launches with a small, engaged audience.

  • Fazier

    Daily product discovery board with a leaderboard and written reviews.

  • TinyLaunchLink unconfirmed

    Product Hunt alternative aimed at small makers. Submitting needs an account, so this link lands on its sign-in page.

    This host answers a script with a bot check or a sign-in wall, so the page behind this link could not be confirmed by our sweep. That means the site is defended, not that it is gone.

  • MicroLaunch

    Launch board with a monthly leaderboard. Its old /submit link now redirects here, and no other submission route answers, so read what a listing involves before planning around it.

  • PeerlistLink unconfirmed

    Professional network for developers with its own launch section — audience is largely other builders.

    Links to the homepage — its submission page rejects automated link checks, so no deeper URL was verified and none was invented.

    This host answers a script with a bot check or a sign-in wall, so the page behind this link could not be confirmed by our sweep. That means the site is defended, not that it is gone.

  • Launching Next

    Long-running startup listing site. Low effort, low ceiling.

  • Startup Stash

    Categorised startup and tool directory. Listing-style rather than launch-day.

Software directories

No launch-day spike, but they rank for “alternative to X” searches, so the listing keeps working long after the launch does.

  • AlternativeToLink unconfirmed

    Ranks for “alternative to <competitor>” searches, which is intent you cannot buy on the App Store. Listing it against the right competitor is most of the work.

    Links to the homepage — its submission page rejects automated link checks, so no deeper URL was verified and none was invented.

    This host answers a script with a bot check or a sign-in wall, so the page behind this link could not be confirmed by our sweep. That means the site is defended, not that it is gone.

  • SaaSHubLink unconfirmed

    Software directory with alternatives pages. Skews to SaaS, takes apps.

    Links to the homepage — its submission page rejects automated link checks, so no deeper URL was verified and none was invented.

    This host answers a script with a bot check or a sign-in wall, so the page behind this link could not be confirmed by our sweep. That means the site is defended, not that it is gone.

  • SlantLink unconfirmed

    Community-ranked “what is the best X” lists. Long-lived search traffic.

    Links to the homepage — its submission page rejects automated link checks, so no deeper URL was verified and none was invented.

    This host answers a script with a bot check or a sign-in wall, so the page behind this link could not be confirmed by our sweep. That means the site is defended, not that it is gone.

Apple press

People, not forms. Most indie pitches get no reply — read what a site actually covers before spending one.

  • 9to5Mac

    Masthead plus a tips address and an anonymous tip form. Broad Apple coverage, high volume of pitches.

  • MacRumors

    Anonymous tip form. Leans hardware and Apple news over third-party apps.

  • MacStories

    Deep, genuinely-used app reviews. No submission form — the editors are listed on this page, and a generic blast is wasted on them.

  • The Sweet Setup

    Best-in-class app picks and workflow writing. Narrow, and cares about craft.

  • Cult of Mac

    Apple news and app coverage. This page lists the staff and their email addresses, including the one they ask for news tips.

  • Daring Fireball

    One person, extremely selective, enormous reach among Apple developers. A long shot that costs one email.

  • iMore

    Consumer-facing iPhone and iPad coverage, including app roundups. Its own contact path now redirects to its publisher rather than the newsroom, and no iMore-specific pitch route could be found.

    Links to the homepage — no submission or contact page of its own could be found.

  • TouchArcade

    iOS games only. If your app is not a game, skip it.

    Links to the homepage — its submission page rejects automated link checks, so no deeper URL was verified and none was invented.

Communities

Self-promotion rules differ per community and change. Read them first: the wrong post gets removed, and sometimes gets you banned.

  • r/iosappsLink unconfirmed

    iOS apps specifically — the closest thing to a native audience for a launch post.

    This host answers a script with a bot check or a sign-in wall, so the page behind this link could not be confirmed by our sweep. That means the site is defended, not that it is gone.

  • r/appsLink unconfirmed

    General app discovery across platforms.

    This host answers a script with a bot check or a sign-in wall, so the page behind this link could not be confirmed by our sweep. That means the site is defended, not that it is gone.

  • r/macappsLink unconfirmed

    Mac software. Relevant if you ship a Mac or Catalyst build.

    This host answers a script with a bot check or a sign-in wall, so the page behind this link could not be confirmed by our sweep. That means the site is defended, not that it is gone.

  • r/SideProjectLink unconfirmed

    Builders showing work. Responds to the making, not the marketing.

    This host answers a script with a bot check or a sign-in wall, so the page behind this link could not be confirmed by our sweep. That means the site is defended, not that it is gone.

  • r/iOSProgrammingLink unconfirmed

    Other iOS developers. Usually confines promotion to a recurring thread — check before posting.

    This host answers a script with a bot check or a sign-in wall, so the page behind this link could not be confirmed by our sweep. That means the site is defended, not that it is gone.

  • r/apphookupLink unconfirmed

    Sales and free promotions. Only worth a post when you are actually discounting.

    This host answers a script with a bot check or a sign-in wall, so the page behind this link could not be confirmed by our sweep. That means the site is defended, not that it is gone.

  • r/appleLink unconfirmed

    Very large, very strict on self-promotion. Read the rules before considering it.

    This host answers a script with a bot check or a sign-in wall, so the page behind this link could not be confirmed by our sweep. That means the site is defended, not that it is gone.

What was checked, and what was not

Every link here was fetched on 2026-10-13. There are deliberately no prices or turnaround times — several of these charge for placement and the amounts change, so check the current terms yourself. Nothing on this page is a claim that submitting works: most press pitches get no reply, and each community has its own promotion rules.

“Fetched” is not one thing. Page loaded when last checked for 16 of them. The other 14 are marked Link unconfirmed: their host answered, but with a bot check or a sign-in wall instead of the page, so our sweep could not confirm what is behind the link. Reddit is the reason that distinction is on screen — it returns HTTP 200 and an identical challenge page for a real subreddit and for one that has never existed, so a status code proves nothing there. A blocked check means a site is defended, not gone, and none of them was dropped for it.

What the last sweep found

The last sweep found nothing dead, but four links had quietly moved: 9to5Mac’s tips page now redirects to an unrelated 2021 article, iMore’s contact page to its publisher, MicroLaunch’s submit page to its premium page, and Apple’s pitch URL to its Getting Featured page. All four still answered 200 at the end of the redirect, which is why a status code alone is not a check.

Why this list exists

Shipping the build is the part that feels like the work, and then nobody knows the app exists. This is the list of places that will hear about it.

Appstro has no relationship with any site listed here and earns nothing from these links. A site being on the list is not a recommendation to pay it. Found one that has moved or died? Tell us and it gets fixed.

Written up on the blog