Short answer: for free keyword alerts from Reddit and Hacker News, use F5Bot. To add Bluesky and many more communities with filters you write, use Syften, from $29.95 a month. If you want each conversation rated and a reply drafted, Launchpat reads Reddit and Bluesky, and Hacker News on paid plans. You can also search all three by hand for free. Whichever you pick, track the problem you solve, not only your product name.
The tools side by side
| Tool | Hacker News | Bluesky | What you get | Price a month | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F5Bot | Yes | Yes | Not listed | Keyword alerts by email; Lobsters too | Free; paid from $12.99 |
| Syften | Yes | Yes | Yes | Matches for filters you write; AI filtering from Standard | From $29.95; free for 14 days |
| Launchpat | Yes | Paid plans | Yes | Each conversation rated, with a reply drafted for you to approve | Free scan; $19 (Monitor) |
| By hand | Yes | Yes | Yes | Searches you run yourself | Free |
F5Bot and Syften facts checked on their own sites on 28 Oct 2026. Launchpat is our product.
How to choose
- You know the exact words people use: F5Bot. Alerts arrive fast and the basic plan is free.
- You need many communities and want to write your own filters: Syften. It covers Reddit, Hacker News, Bluesky, X, Mastodon, GitHub, YouTube and more; X and YouTube are paid add-ons.
- You get too many matches to read: Launchpat. It rates each conversation on audience, intent, brand risk and freshness, and drafts the reply.
- You are checking whether anyone asks at all: search by hand for a week before you pay for anything.
Side-by-side pages: Launchpat vs F5Bot, Launchpat vs Syften and Launchpat vs Brand24.
What to track
Alerts on your product name only find people who already know you. Add the problem in your buyer's words, "alternative to" plus the tool people already use, and "is there a tool that" plus the job you do. How to find Reddit threads asking for your product covers the phrasings.