Skip to content

Peerlist Launchpad alternatives for iOS apps

Where to launch an iOS app when you'd rather not chase Monday votes.

On this page
  1. What is Peerlist Launchpad?
  2. Why look for a Peerlist Launchpad alternative for an iOS app?
  3. At a glance
  4. Which other launches take an iOS app
  5. Which places skip the votes
  6. Where do iOS developers look at new apps
  7. When to stay with Peerlist Launchpad
  8. Common questions
  9. Sources

What is Peerlist Launchpad?

The weekly launch board on Peerlist. In its own words, it's for getting early users and feedback from fellow developers and designers. Launches open every Monday (UTC) and stay up for the week. The top 3 get a badge and a place in the newsletter, and the top 5 a backlink.

This page is about Launchpad. If you came for alternatives to Peerlist profiles or its job listings, it won't help: it's about launching an app.

Why look for a Peerlist Launchpad alternative for an iOS app?

Launchpad is built for builders showing builders, and an iOS app has a few extra hurdles there:

  • You need a verified personal profile. Company profiles can't launch. Checking your workplace is free, and an ID check costs a small one-time fee.
  • It has to be finished. A project that isn't 100% complete fails its launch.
  • Only the top 5 get a backlink, and you compete with every kind of project for votes, with votes from verified profiles counting for more.
  • Apps are an afterthought. Its help pages mention mobile apps only as design work, and say nothing about App Store links.

None of that makes Launchpad bad. If your audience is developers and designers, a Monday there is a good way to hear what they think. If you want iOS users, or a launch that doesn't hang on one week of votes, the places below fit better.

At a glance

PlaceFree way inWhat an iOS app needs
Product HuntYesAn App Store link and a personal account a week old
UneedIn a queueA live page Uneed can read
Tiny StartupsIn a queueA URL for your app, a logo and a short description
MicrolaunchNoAn X or Google account to sign in
Launch Indie Apps (ours)NoAn App Store link
Discover Indie AppsNoAn App Store link
Indie AppsYesAn App Store link
Indie App CatalogNot shownA US App Store link
r/iOSProgrammingYesYour tech stack, one problem you solved and an AI disclosure
Hacking with Swift forums: App AnnouncementsYesAn App Store link
r/iosappsYes10 karma there and an App Store link

Every place below is on our Launch Map, checked on its own site on the date shown. Nobody paid to be here.

Which other launches take an iOS app?

Launch days and campaigns, each with a different wait, price and audience.

  • Free, on a day you schedule up to 30 days ahead, with a far bigger audience.

    Cost:
    Free
    What you need:
    A personal account at least a week old, a square thumbnail (240×240), at least two gallery images (1270×760), a tagline, and a description of up to 260 characters.
    Rules that trip people up
    • Post from a personal account. Company accounts can’t post products.
    • A new account waits one week before it can post, unless it subscribes to the newsletter.
    • Launch days start at 12:01 AM Pacific, and you can schedule a launch up to 30 days ahead.

    Checked October 19, 2026 on its own site.

  • A daily launch board that lists mobile apps as accepted, free if you can wait.

    Cost:
    Free waiting line, launching 30 days to 5 months out. Fast-track $14.99 for a date about two weeks out, or $29.99 to pick your date.
    What you need:
    Your product’s name and a live page Uneed can read. It asks you to sign up after reading it.
    Rules that trip people up
    • Launches go live at 12:00 AM Pacific.
    • A free launch needs a score of 10 on launch day to stay published, and 20 to keep a do-follow link.
    • Products behind a waitlist or invite code are refused, and reviewers need a way to actually try the app.

    Checked October 19, 2026 on its own site.

  • Hand-picked, lists apps as well as web tools, with a newsletter behind it.

    Cost:
    Free to submit, in a queue, with a link that isn’t do-follow. A £69 instant listing skips the queue and makes the link do-follow; the sponsor board is pay-what-you-want from £69.
    What you need:
    A URL for your app (a website, or your App Store page), a logo and a short description.
    Rules that trip people up
    • Submit your URL; the listing is read off it and you correct what comes back wrong.
    • Every listing is hand-approved, and popular ones reach the homepage and the newsletter.
    • Sponsors pay what they want on the sponsor board to rank higher; the free spot is a plain listing.

    Checked October 16, 2026 on its own site. Not confirmed: the submit page doesn’t say whether an App Store link alone is accepted, or how long approval takes.

  • Paid 30-day campaigns that take App Store links, on a date you pick.

    Cost:
    Paid launches: Pro $49, Plus $99 or Ultimate $249, often shown with discounts ($39, $79 and $179 in October 2026). The public pages don’t describe a free option.
    What you need:
    An X or Google account to sign in, and your app’s details.
    Rules that trip people up
    • Launches run as 30-day campaigns.
    • Pro lets you pick your date and includes a do-follow link.
    • You can relaunch, but only for major feature releases.

    Checked October 19, 2026 on its own site. Not confirmed: whether a free launch still exists, and the required fields, aren’t shown without signing in.

Which places skip the votes?

Directories built for iOS apps, where a listing stays up and nobody ranks it. The first one is ours, and it's labelled.

  • A listing for iOS apps that a person reviews and that stays up, with no votes to chase.

    Cost:
    Paid, one-time: Listed $9 for a permanent listing, or $5 for the first 15 apps at the launch price.
    What you need:
    Your App Store link. Facts about price, accounts and offline use can be added while it’s in review.
    Rules that trip people up
    • Only apps already live on the App Store.
    • A person reviews every submission, and an app that isn’t approved is refunded in full.
    • Listings show the maker’s answers about price, free tier, accounts and offline use.

    Checked October 19, 2026 on its own site.

  • A paid, hand-reviewed directory for indie iOS apps only.

    Cost:
    Paid, one-time: Listed $9 for a permanent listing, or Spotlight $99 for 7 days at the top of the homepage. Featured apps are picked by the editors. No free way to submit.
    What you need:
    An app that is live on the App Store.
    Rules that trip people up
    • Only apps already available on the App Store; the form needs your App Store link.
    • Reviewed by hand after payment, usually within 24 hours. A submission that isn’t approved is refunded in full.
    • Only one Spotlight app at a time. If it’s taken, you’re booked into the next free slot.

    Checked October 16, 2026 on its own site.

  • Free and live straight away, for apps made by one developer.

    Cost:
    Free listing. Paid placements by the week at launch prices, which it says will rise: Featured $4.99, Spotlight $9.99, or a side rail for $24.99 a month.
    What you need:
    Your App Store link. Metadata is read from the App Store and refreshed weekly.
    Rules that trip people up
    • Independent Apple apps only, made by one developer. Anything else is removed, with the reason sent back.
    • There's no review before publication: listings go live at once and are checked afterwards.
    • Links from listings and developer pages are nofollow. The website link becomes followed if you show their badge or pay for Featured.

    Checked October 16, 2026 on its own site.

  • Reviewed before it appears, and the form asks only for your App Store link.

    Cost:
    No price or payment step shown on the submit pages.
    What you need:
    Your US App Store link. For a news post, a 16:9 header image at least 1600px wide and under 2MB.
    Rules that trip people up
    • Indie apps only: made by people you can talk to, not big companies.
    • The app must be available on the US App Store.
    • Submissions are reviewed before they appear, and the form asks only for your App Store link.

    Checked October 16, 2026 on its own site. Not confirmed: the pages don’t say how long review takes.

Where do iOS developers look at new apps?

If Launchpad's developer audience is what you wanted, these are the iOS ones, free and on their own rules.

  • iOS developers, one Saturday a year: a launch post about what you learned building it.

    Cost:
    Free
    What you need:
    Your tech stack, a specific technical or design problem you solved, and an honest AI disclosure.
    Rules that trip people up
    • Post your app only on a Saturday, and only one app a year.
    • Don’t post just before the day changes, or without previous activity in the subreddit.
    • App Saturday posts have three sections: your tech stack, one development challenge and how you solved it, and an AI disclosure (self-built, AI-assisted, or mostly AI-generated).

    Checked October 16, 2026 on its own site.

  • A Swift developer forum with a board just for announcing apps.

    Cost:
    Free
    What you need:
    Your App Store link, and promo codes if you have some.
    Rules that trip people up
    • Include a link to the App Store.
    • Promo codes are welcome.
    • If you want feedback on your app, ask for it.

    Checked October 16, 2026 on its own site. Not confirmed: the pages don’t say whether posting needs an account.

  • iPhone and iPad users looking for apps, on the subreddit's terms.

    Cost:
    Free
    What you need:
    Karma from commenting in the subreddit, your price and flair, and your App Store link.
    Rules that trip people up
    • Everyone needs 10 karma earned in r/iosapps before posting.
    • Self-promotion at most once per developer every 30 days, counted from your last app post, even a removed one. Posts in the monthly thread count too.
    • The main feed also needs a trust signal (such as 20+ App Store ratings) or full transparency (your real name, contact details, and a website with a privacy policy and terms). Everyone else posts in the monthly App Shelf thread.

    Checked October 16, 2026 on its own site.

When should you stay with Peerlist Launchpad?

Stay with Peerlist Launchpad if:

  • your profile is already verified and people in tech follow you there
  • you want feedback from developers and designers more than downloads
  • your app has a demo link people can open on a Monday

Common questions

Is Peerlist Launchpad free?

No launch price is shown. You need a verified personal profile: checking your workplace is free, and an ID check costs a small one-time fee.

When do Peerlist launches go live?

Every Monday, from 12:00 AM to 11:59 PM UTC, and a launch stays up for the week. You can schedule a later Monday.

Does a Peerlist launch give you a backlink?

Only the week's top 5 projects get one. Asking people to upvote counts as spam.

What's a free alternative for launching an iOS app to developers?

r/iOSProgramming on a Saturday, with your tech stack and one problem you solved, or the App Announcements board on the Hacking with Swift forums. Both are free.

Sources

Peerlist Launchpad didn’t review this page. Launch Indie Apps is ours, and it’s labelled wherever it appears.

For iOS app makers

Launch your app here

  • Reviewed by a person
  • Launch posts written for you
  • App Store clicks counted for 30 days
Launch your app

Not approved? Refunded.