Where to launch a Mac app
Checked October 30, 2026
For the biggest single day, use Product Hunt or Show HN, both free. For Mac buyers specifically, use Mac directories and r/macapps. For people searching "alternative to" an app, use AlternativeTo. Most makers should do several, because they reach different people. MacPip is one option and it is our own site, so weigh that: it is free, but it is new and has a small audience.
The comparison
Checked on October 30, 2026, mostly on each site's own pages. Prices and rules change often, so confirm them before you pay. Audience numbers are the sites' own claims unless we say otherwise.
| Site | Who it is for | Free option | Paid options | Link and conditions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MacPip (our site) | Mac apps only | Free, pick a date | Separate Sponsored row from $19 a week | Followed link, no badge |
| Product Hunt | All tech products | Free | None needed to launch | A September 2026 test saw a ugc link, which search engines discount |
| Show HN | Things people can try, for a technical audience | Free | None | The value is the discussion. You must have built it |
| Uneed | All tech products | Back of the line, no wait stated | Fast-track $14.99, Skip the line $39.99 | Its pricing page sets upvote scores for free and fast-track links |
| Peerlist Launchpad | Makers with a personal profile | Weekly, window opens Monday. Its pages did not state a fee | Not confirmed | Not checked by us. Individuals only, and top projects get extra promotion |
| MacBase | Mac apps | Free, reviewed within a day | Featured $20 a week, $59 a month, $149 for 3 months | Followed only with its badge, checked weekly |
| NativeShelf | Native Apple-platform apps | Free, in order | Premium €9, Launch Week €49 | Followed link. Free needs its badge, paid does not |
| MacNative | Mac apps, 220 listed | Has a submit link. We did not read its terms | Some rows say Promoted. We did not see prices | Not checked |
| Indie App Catalog | Indie Apple apps, 2,507 listed | Has a submit link, cost not stated | None seen | Not stated |
| MacUpdate | Mac apps, running since 1997, claims over a million users | "Add App" needs a login, cost not seen | Not seen | Not checked |
| Setapp | A curated paid subscription | It usually approaches makers, or you apply | Revenue share, not a fee | Not a directory listing |
| AlternativeTo | People replacing a known app | Free with sign-in | Not checked | Not checked |
| awesome-mac | A GitHub list with 117k stars | Free, by pull request | None | One line in a category, if accepted |
| r/macapps | Mac users on Reddit | Free | None | We could not read Reddit directly. A mirror shows a limit of one app post per 30 days for developers, so read the current rules first |
Which to pick, by goal
This part is our opinion.
- A burst of attention: Product Hunt or Show HN. Do not ask people to upvote. Product Hunt and Hacker News both forbid it.
- People who already want a Mac app: Mac-only directories and r/macapps. Their audiences are smaller and closer to your buyer.
- Search traffic that lasts: AlternativeTo and any page that names the apps you replace.
- A paid subscription audience: Setapp, if they accept you. It can sit alongside a normal listing.
- A link for search engines: read the conditions in the table first. A new site's link, ours included, is worth little until that site has earned links of its own.
A simple launch order
- Get your page, screenshots and a notarized build ready. See how to submit a Mac app.
- List on the free Mac directories a week or two before launch day, so links and pages already exist.
- Pick one big day for Product Hunt, and another for Show HN if you can stay to answer comments.
- Add the app to AlternativeTo and awesome-mac afterwards.
- Write down what each site actually sent you. Your own numbers beat any list, including this one.
About MacPip, plainly
We have 11 apps live, and 0 of them have finished a hand check. Our traffic is public on our numbers page, so you can judge it yourself. Being free costs you little, but do not expect launch day traffic like Product Hunt's. See also MacPip vs Product Hunt and MacPip vs MacBase.