HackerNews
Overview
DR updated Sep 8, 2026HackerNews is a community channel — participate authentically and add value before mentioning your product. (nofollow listing, free to submit, DR 89 authority)
HackerNews is free to list on, gives a nofollow link, and is best used for community & founder reach — with a very high domain rating of 91.
- best for
- Community & founder reach
- strengths
- Niche community reachFeedback loopsTargeted audience traffic
- audience
- Topic-specific community members
- fit
- HackerNews is a good fit for SaaS products, indie projects. Audience: Topic-specific community members.
- expect
- TrafficSEO
How to submit
- 01Open the site
news.ycombinator.com in a new tab.
- 02Find the submit flow
Look for “Submit”, “Add product” or “List your startup” in the nav or footer.
- 03Fill in your listing
Name, tagline, description, URL, logo, screenshots. The Chrome extension fills these in one click.
- 04Pick the right category
Choose Community or the closest fit so you reach the right audience.
- 05Submit and wait
Free listings are usually reviewed by hand — expect days to a few weeks.
SEO notes
Topical relevance matters: Community directories help most when your product fits that category. Nofollow links still drive referral traffic and brand visibility.
Similar directories
| # | directory | DR | link | price | verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | Peerlist best for community & founder reach · peerlist.io | 77 | Dofollow | Free | RECOMMENDED |
| 113 | Fark best for community & founder reach · fark.com | 73 | Dofollow | Free | RECOMMENDED |
| 207 | The Hive Index best for community & founder reach · thehiveindex.com | 51 | Dofollow | Free | WORTH IT |
| 213 | Unita best for community & founder reach · unita.co | 47 | Dofollow | Free | WORTH IT |
| 413 | Pinkary best for community & founder reach · pinkary.com | 60 | Dofollow | Free | OPTIONAL |
| 01 | Reddit best for community & founder reach · reddit.com | 95 | Nofollow | Free | TOP PICK |
FAQ
Is HackerNews worth submitting to?
HackerNews is a community channel — participate authentically and add value before mentioning your product. (nofollow listing, free to submit, DR 89 authority)
Does HackerNews give a dofollow or nofollow link?
HackerNews provides a nofollow link. It won't pass direct link equity, but it still drives referral traffic and helps brand discovery.
Is HackerNews free?
Yes — HackerNews offers a free way to get listed. Free listings are often reviewed manually, so approval can take from a few days to a few weeks.
What is HackerNews's domain rating (DR)?
HackerNews (news.ycombinator.com) currently has a domain rating of 91 on Ahrefs' 0–100 scale — a very high score. Higher DR generally means a stronger backlink profile, which is one signal of how much weight a link from the site may carry.