How to get on DevPost — beyond hackathons
How to get on DevPost without a hackathon: create a standalone project page in 15 minutes and earn a high-authority backlink from a trusted developer platform.
Most founders think of DevPost exclusively in the context of hackathons, and they're not wrong — it's the dominant platform for hosting and running hackathon competitions. But DevPost also functions as a project portfolio platform where developers and technical builders showcase what they've built, regardless of whether it came from a hackathon.
For technical founders, especially those who built early versions of their product in a hackathon context, DevPost has a legitimate role in your launch presence. For non-technical founders building SaaS, the case is narrower but not nonexistent.
Quick answer: You don't need a hackathon to create a DevPost project page — any developer or technical founder can build one at devpost.com in about 15 minutes. The payoff is a backlink from a high-authority developer platform and an indexed page that ranks in Google, though the audience is builders rather than buyers, so conversion to paying customers is low unless your product targets developers.
What is DevPost and who uses it?
DevPost (devpost.com) is primarily a hackathon platform — sponsors run hackathons on it, developers register and submit projects, and prizes are distributed through the platform. Thousands of hackathons have run on DevPost, making it the de facto standard for the format.
The secondary function is a project showcase. Every project submitted to a DevPost hackathon creates a public project page with a description, tech stack, screenshots, demo video, and team credits. These pages are indexed by search engines and remain publicly accessible long after the hackathon ends.
The audience is predominantly developers and technical builders — people who participate in hackathons, look for open source inspiration, evaluate technical projects, and explore what's being built. It's not a buyer audience in the commercial software sense, but it's a relevant audience if you're building developer tools, APIs, technical infrastructure, or products that developers will use.
How do you create a DevPost project page for an existing product?
DevPost allows you to create project pages independent of a hackathon submission. Go to devpost.com, create or log in to your account, and navigate to "New Project." You can build a standalone project page for any product or technical project.
The project page includes: project name, tagline, description, tech stack, screenshots or demo video, URL, team members, and tags. Fill all sections out — DevPost project pages with demo videos rank better in Google than those without, and the visual completeness signals a serious project versus a placeholder.
The description field supports markdown-style formatting. Use it. A structured description with clear sections (what it does, how it was built, what problem it solves) reads significantly better than a wall of text and performs better in search.
Should founders create a DevPost page even without a hackathon connection?
Yes, with caveats. A standalone DevPost project page delivers a legitimate SEO benefit — a backlink from a high-authority developer platform and an indexed page that references your product. The pages rank in Google, particularly for technical or developer-facing product queries.
The caveat: DevPost's audience is builders, not buyers. If your product is targeted at developers or technical users, the discovery potential is genuine — developers browsing DevPost projects are exactly your market. If your product is B2B SaaS for a non-technical buyer, the traffic from DevPost will be minimal and the conversion unlikely.
The strongest use case for DevPost is when your product genuinely started in a hackathon. Many products that have gone on to raise money or build real customer bases started as hackathon projects. Having the documented DevPost history of that origin is both authentic and useful — it tells a story about the founding moment and provides original technical documentation.
What does a DevPost presence deliver for founders?
The concrete deliverables: a backlink (DevPost links to project websites are typically dofollow or have some follow value given the platform's age and authority), an indexed project page, and discovery by technically literate users browsing the platform.
The less obvious benefit: DevPost project pages are often cited in technical blog posts, GitHub READMEs, and developer resources. If your product has an interesting technical implementation, being on DevPost puts you where developers link from.
For products participating in sponsored hackathons, the exposure during the hackathon window can be significant — sponsors promote their hackathons to large developer audiences, and good projects get featured. Winning or placing well in a relevant hackathon is a credibility signal that many founders underutilise in their marketing.
What are the practical limits of DevPost as a launch channel?
DevPost does not drive commercial conversions the way G2, Capterra, or product hunt does. It's a technical showcase, not a buyer marketplace. Use it for what it is: a developer-audience discovery platform and a portfolio reference point.
If your product isn't developer-facing, spend your limited launch energy on higher-intent platforms first. DevPost is a 15-minute setup that adds to your overall citation profile — it's not a channel that warrants sustained attention unless you're actively competing in hackathons.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need to have participated in a hackathon to create a DevPost project page? No. DevPost allows standalone project pages for any technical project. You don't need a hackathon connection to showcase your product there.
Are DevPost links dofollow? DevPost links to project websites have historically had more follow value than typical directory nofollow links, given the platform's age, authority, and developer community trust. Check the current link attributes in your specific listing, as platforms can change link policies.
Is DevPost useful for non-developer products? Marginally. The SEO value is real regardless of your product type, but the traffic and discovery are predominantly from a developer audience. Non-technical SaaS founders should prioritise higher-intent platforms before investing in DevPost.
Can a hackathon submission help validate my product or attract early customers? Yes. Relevant hackathons — particularly those sponsored by your target platform or technology ecosystem — expose your product to a concentrated audience of interested developers. Winning or placing creates credibility content you can use in marketing and fundraising.
Seb Mallory
Founder of LaunchBuff. Writing about product launches, distribution, and what actually works for indie founders getting their first traction.
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