What is IdeaCheck used for?

IdeaCheck evaluates a startup idea against past Hacker News discussions and returns a blunt verdict with market, technical, distribution and timing scores. It is a good fit for sanity-checking a SaaS idea before building and sizing a market with free calculators.

Yes. IdeaCheck has a free plan. 3 free evaluations per week after signing in; paid plans are not described.

Is IdeaCheck open source?

No. IdeaCheck is proprietary (closed-source) software and can't be self-hosted. In the AI Tools category, open-source options include OpenClaw, Open WebUI and ComfyUI.

What are some alternatives to IdeaCheck?

Other SaaS products in the AI Tools category include CoFoundr AI, MVPScope and 628 VC.

IdeaCheck: features, pricing and alternatives

About IdeaCheck

IdeaCheck asks whether Hacker News would fund an idea or roast it. You describe a startup idea by typing or speaking, and it returns a verdict of PASS, PROMISING or PASS ON together with scores from 1 to 10 for market, technical difficulty, distribution and timing, with citations to the Hacker News posts behind each claim.

The site draws on tens of thousands of past Hacker News discussions and adds a knowledge base of founder questions, free startup calculators for market size, runway, CAC versus LTV, ROI, break-even and startup costs, and written breakdowns of Y Combinator requests for startups. Signing in gives 3 free evaluations per week.

It is aimed at founders who want a quick, direct reaction before building. The site includes a blog, FAQ and sharing option, and paid plans beyond the free weekly evaluations are not described in the homepage text.

Key features

Verdict of PASS, PROMISING or PASS ON
Scores for market, technical, distribution and timing
Citations to Hacker News posts
Voice or text idea input
Free startup calculators
Breakdowns of Y Combinator startup requests

Good fit for

Sanity-checking a SaaS idea before building
Sizing a market with free calculators

Tags: startup-validation; hacker-news; idea-validation; ai; founders; calculators

IdeaCheck: questions and answers

What is IdeaCheck used for?: IdeaCheck evaluates a startup idea against past Hacker News discussions and returns a blunt verdict with market, technical, distribution and timing scores. It is a good fit for sanity-checking a SaaS idea before building and sizing a market with free calculators.
Is IdeaCheck free?: Yes. IdeaCheck has a free plan. 3 free evaluations per week after signing in; paid plans are not described.
Is IdeaCheck open source?: No. IdeaCheck is proprietary (closed-source) software and can't be self-hosted. In the AI Tools category, open-source options include OpenClaw, Open WebUI and ComfyUI.
What are some alternatives to IdeaCheck?: Other SaaS products in the AI Tools category include CoFoundr AI, MVPScope and 628 VC.