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A budgeting app with no audience needs to be findable where people already compare money tools. These are real places where personal finance users and early adopters browse, with what each one allows. List in a few per week, not all on one day, so you can answer every comment.

All guidesFor founders of a budgeting app

1. Product Hunt

Create a maker profile now and comment on other launches for a week or two before you post, since accounts with no history get little attention. Launch on a weekday, shortly after the daily midnight Pacific reset, with a tagline that says who it is for, like "Zero-based budgeting for freelancers with uneven income." Stay in the comments all day and answer every question yourself.

2. AlternativeTo

List your app as an alternative to YNAB, Mint, Monarch Money and Copilot, because people search there right after a tool shuts down or raises its price. Fill in platforms, pricing and license accurately, since users flag wrong info. Add 3 to 5 honest tags like "envelope budgeting" or "privacy-focused" that match what you actually built.

3. r/personalfinance and r/ynab

Neither allows self-promotion posts, so do not post a link. Search for threads like "YNAB alternative" or "app for irregular income" and answer the actual question first. Only mention your app when it truly fits, and say plainly that you built it: "I'm the founder, so I'm biased, but it handles this by..."

4. r/budget, r/povertyfinance and r/Frugal

Read each sidebar before posting, because the rules differ and r/povertyfinance is strict about anything that looks like selling. Answer posts from people who say spreadsheets keep failing them, and share the method that helped before you name a tool. If your app is free or has a free tier, say so up front, since paid apps get pushback in these communities.

5. r/SideProject and r/alphaandbetausers

These subreddits exist for builders sharing their work, so a direct post is fine here. Write it as a request for feedback: "Built a budgeting app for couples who split some expenses but not all. Looking for 10 people to try it and tell me what's confusing." Reply to everyone and actually change things based on what they say.

6. Indie Hackers

Add your product to the products directory and post a short build update in the community. Share a specific lesson, like why users dropped off at bank linking, and you will get better feedback than a launch announcement would. Other founders there often budget for variable income themselves and will try the app.

7. BetaList and SaaSHub

BetaList features pre-launch and early products. The free queue is long, so submit early and keep your landing page live while you wait. SaaSHub works like AlternativeTo: list against the big budgeting apps and fill out the comparison fields completely.

8. Hacker News Show HN

Post as "Show HN: [App], a budgeting app that [one clear difference]" only when people can try it without a long signup. Readers care about privacy and data handling, so explain how you store bank data before someone asks. Hulby, an AI cofounder, can track threads like these daily and draft replies for you to review.

People asking this right now

Real, public posts from the last few weeks. Each one is somebody you could help today.

Mistakes to skip

  • Posting the same launch text in every subreddit on the same day, which reads as spam and can get you banned.
  • Hiding that you are the founder when recommending your own app.
  • Listing on 20 directories at once and never replying to comments or reviews.
  • Being vague about bank data security when you ask people to trust you with their money.

Want this done for your budgeting app, every day?

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Questions

Which directory should I start with?

AlternativeTo. It is free, quick to set up, and catches people actively looking to switch from YNAB or Mint.

Should I pay for featured listings?

No. With no budget, get free listings and community replies working first, then judge whether paid placement would help.

Can I post my app directly in r/personalfinance?

No. Self-promotion is not allowed there. Help people in threads and mention your app only when it truly answers the question, saying you built it.

How do I know which listing works?

Use a separate UTM link or signup code for each directory and check which ones bring users who connect an account, not just visits.