pricing plans
Simple, transparent pricing for makers
Launch for free through community participation, or upgrade to an instant live listing with a direct, permanent Do-Follow backlink and dedicated newsletter exposure.
Community
For indie makers who want to join the community, interact with fellow builders, and earn their listing.
What’s included:
- Must leave 4 upvotes & 1 comment on other builds in the new tab to go live
- Must embed Showbuild badge on their site to get do-follow link (DR 39)
- Standard listing page with your product description
- Ranked by community upvotes within the 7-day freshness window
- Public builder profile showcasing your projects, stack, and socials
no credit card required
Pro Listing
Skip the queue. Instant live launch, dedicated SEO showcase page, and an immediate permanent do-follow backlink.
Everything in Free, plus:
- Skip the interaction requirement — goes live immediately
- Direct permanent Do-Follow backlink (DR 39) — no badge required on your site
- SEO-optimized dedicated showcase page indexed by Google and AI crawlers
- High-priority inclusion in sitemap and machine-readable llms.txt
one-time payment · instant activation
Showcase Plus
The ultimate launch package with dedicated editorial writing, newsletter feature, and maximum backlink authority.
Everything in Pro, plus:
- Everything in Pro (instant publish + direct Do-Follow backlink DR 39)
- Dedicated product blog post (1,000 words) published on ShowBuild
- Featured in the VMKBuilds newsletter
- Direct permanent Do-Follow backlink (DR 39) — no badge required on your site
- Social media shoutout on X (@vmkbuilds)
one-time payment · full distribution package
feature breakdown
Compare plans side by side
| Feature | Community $0 |
Pro Listing $5 one-time |
Showcase Plus $15 one-time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Live Board Listing | After 4 upvotes & 1 comment | Instant (skip requirement) | Instant (skip requirement) |
| Do-Follow Backlink | Badge required on your site (DR 39) | Direct permanent Do-Follow (DR 39) — no badge required | Direct permanent Do-Follow (DR 39) — no badge required |
| Dedicated Showcase Page | Standard page | SEO-optimized dedicated showcase page | SEO-optimized dedicated showcase page |
| Dedicated 1,000-Word Blog Post | — | — | Included (1,000 words) |
| VMKBuilds Newsletter Feature | — | — | Included in newsletter |
| Search Engine & LLM Indexing | Included | Priority inclusion | Priority inclusion |
| Social Mention on X (@vmkbuilds) | — | — | Included |
| Payment Type | Free | One-time payment | One-time payment |
frequently asked questions
Got questions? We have answers.
How does the Do-Follow backlink work?
Domain Rating (DR) is an industry-standard authority metric developed by Ahrefs measuring the strength of a website's backlink profile on a scale from 0 to 100. A do-follow link from ShowBuild passes authoritative search equity directly to your domain, aiding your organic visibility and search engine rankings.
Do I need to put a badge on my site for Pro or Showcase Plus?
No! Unlike the free Community tier which requires reciprocal badge verification, both Pro Listing ($5) and Showcase Plus ($15) come with a direct, permanent Do-Follow backlink with zero reciprocal badges or links required on your website.
What is the unlock requirement on the Community plan?
To maintain an active, supportive maker ecosystem, free listings are created in a pending state and unlock automatically once you have given 4 upvotes and 1 comment on other published listings from the recent 25 in the “new” tab. Upgrading to Pro or Showcase Plus bypasses this requirement completely.
What is included in the 1,000-word product blog post?
Showcase Plus includes an in-depth 1,000-word product article published in ShowBuild's guides section. It covers your product's problem space, features, use cases, tech stack, and background story, providing strong long-tail SEO visibility and permanent contextual backlinks.
What is the VMKBuilds newsletter?
The VMKBuilds newsletter is sent directly to an engaged audience of founders, software engineers, and early adopters. Showcase Plus listings receive a dedicated spotlight feature with screenshots, value proposition, and a direct link to your product.
Are there any subscriptions or recurring fees?
Never. Both Pro Listing ($5) and Showcase Plus ($15) are strictly one-time payments. Your listing and backlinks remain active permanently.
What is your refund policy?
ShowBuild paid features are one-time purchases delivering instant digital benefits (immediate bypass of the unlock gate, permanent do-follow backlinks, and dedicated SEO showcase pages). Because delivery is immediate, all sales are final. We gladly refund duplicate charges or delivery errors on our side. See our full Refund Policy for complete details.
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