You shipped. Nobody is telling you anything. You post a link, get two upvotes and silence, and start wondering if the problem is the app or the place you asked. Usually it is the place. This guide lists the real options, what kind of feedback each one produces, and which one fits where you are right now.
First, decide what you want to learn
"Feedback" covers very different things. Each channel below is good at one of them and weak at the others. Pick your question before you pick a place.
- Does anyone understand what this is? You need strangers to look at your homepage for a minute and say what they think it does.
- Can someone actually use it? You need people to sign up and try the main feature without your help.
- Would anyone want it? You need people who have the problem your app solves. This is the hardest group to reach.
- Is it technically sound? You need other builders who will poke at performance, security or architecture.
Most makers ask all four at once, in a single post, to whoever is around. That is why the answers are vague.
The options
1. People you know
Friends, family, former colleagues. Free and fast. They will reply, which already beats most public channels.
The limit: they like you. They will be kind about the parts that are broken and enthusiastic about an idea they would never pay for. Use them for the "can someone use it" question, and watch them use it rather than asking what they think. Where they hesitate is the feedback. What they say afterwards is mostly politeness.
2. Reddit
Subreddits such as r/SideProject, r/alphaandbetausers and r/roastmystartup exist for this. There are also niche subreddits for almost every audience, which is where your actual target users may be.
The limit: results are unpredictable. A post can get a dozen thoughtful comments or none, depending on timing and the title. Many subreddits restrict self-promotion, so read the rules before posting. Maker subreddits give you reactions from other makers, not from your future customers. We compare that trade-off on our r/SideProject alternative page.
3. Indie Hackers
A community of founders building small, often bootstrapped businesses. Posts that share a specific question or a real number tend to get better replies than a plain link.
The limit: the community is strongest on business questions: pricing, positioning, distribution. Detailed product feedback is less common, because reading a post costs less than signing up and testing an app. More on that on our Indie Hackers alternative page.
4. Hacker News (Show HN)
Show HN is the section of Hacker News for things people can try. The audience is technical and direct.
The limit: it is a single shot. A post that does not catch on drops off the page quickly, and the readers are developers, who may not be your users. Comments can be sharp. If your app is a developer tool, it is one of the best places to ask. If it is a consumer app, the feedback will be about the stack more than the use case.
5. Discord and Slack communities
Many maker, no-code and niche communities have a channel for sharing projects or asking for feedback. The conversation is live, so you can ask follow-up questions.
The limit: feedback channels fill up with links, and members skim. You get more out of these spaces by taking part for a while before you post your own work. They are a relationship, not a submission form.
6. Peer review communities
Some platforms are built around an exchange: you review other makers' products, they review yours. FeedbackFirst is one of them. Other makers use your app and write a structured review. Reviewing earns credits, and you spend credits to list your product. Only the maker who receives a review decides whether it was useful. A review that is not validated earns the reviewer nothing, which keeps people from writing two lines to collect points.
The limit: reviewers are makers, not necessarily your target customer. They are good at the first two questions above (is it clear, can I use it) and weaker on the third (would I pay for it). It also asks something of you: you give reviews to get them. If you have no time to review other products, this model will not suit you.
7. Paid user testing
Services exist where you pay testers to complete tasks on your app while recording their screen and voice. Some let you filter testers by profile.
The limit: cost. For a solo maker before revenue, it adds up quickly. It is the most reliable way to answer "can someone use it", though, because you watch real attempts instead of reading opinions. Compare prices on each provider's site, they change often.
8. Your own users
If you have even a handful of signups, they are the most valuable source on this list. They chose your app, so they have at least some version of the problem.
The limit: you need users first, and most will not reply to a generic "any feedback?" email. A personal email asking one specific question works better, as does a short in-app prompt shown at the moment they finish a task. Our guide on how to get product feedback covers how to ask.
Which one to start with
- You have zero users and no audience: people you know (watch them use it) plus a peer review community. Both work without an existing following.
- You built a developer tool: Show HN and relevant developer subreddits.
- You are not technical and built with no-code or AI tools: no-code Discord communities and peer review. Avoid Show HN, where the feedback will mostly be about how it was built.
- You have a few users: email them first. Every other channel is a substitute for them.
- You are about to launch publicly: get outside eyes on onboarding before launch day, not in the comments during it.
If the real problem is that nobody knows your app exists yet, feedback is only half of it. Our guide on launching a SaaS without an audience covers the other half.
How to ask so people actually answer
Whatever channel you choose, the post matters more than the platform. A few rules that hold everywhere:
- Say who it is for in one sentence. "A budgeting app for freelancers with irregular income" gets better replies than "a finance app".
- Ask one specific question. "Is it clear what happens after you connect your bank?" beats "thoughts?".
- Make it easy to try. No mandatory call, no credit card, a demo account if signup is long.
- Reply to every answer. Thank people, ask a follow-up, and say what you changed. People who see their feedback used give more of it.
- Do not argue. If someone misunderstood the app, the misunderstanding is the feedback.
FAQ
Where can I get feedback on my app for free?
People you know, Reddit, Indie Hackers, Show HN, Discord communities and peer review platforms are all free to use. The cost is your time: writing a good post, answering comments, or reviewing other makers' products in exchange.
Why does nobody reply when I post my app?
Most often the post asks for general "feedback" without a specific question, or the app is hard to try in a minute. Narrow the question, shorten the path to the main feature, and post where the people you want to hear from already spend time.
Is feedback from other makers useful if they are not my target users?
For clarity and usability, yes. Another maker can tell you the homepage is confusing or the signup breaks. For demand and pricing, no. Only people with the problem can tell you if they would pay to solve it.
How many people do I need feedback from?
Fewer than you think for usability problems. When several people in a row get stuck at the same step, you have found something to fix, and more testers will mostly repeat it. Fix it, then ask new people.