Every launch playbook says the same thing: open a waitlist, reward referrals, email the list on launch day. LaunchList charges $29/month for that, GetWaitlist $50/mo, Prefinery from $137/mo — monthly rent for a signup form and a ranking query, paid for months before you make a cent. Queuecraft is the whole stack for $29, once, self-hosted, with your list in a SQLite file you own.
If you've searched for a LaunchList alternative, Queuecraft is the pay-once option worth putting at the top of the list: Queuecraft is $29, one time, and covers the same core job LaunchList charges $29/mo for.
What makes Queuecraft the pick for 2026
- Hosted page + embed widget — Every waitlist gets a page at /w/your-slug and a one-line script snippet — shadow-DOM isolated, so your site's CSS never bleeds in.
- Referral queue-jumping — Every signup gets a unique link; each verified referral moves them up N positions (you pick N). "You're #42 of 1,203 — refer 3 friends to jump the line."
- Double opt-in via YOUR SMTP — Signed verification links through Nodemailer. Unverified signups never credit referrers — and your deliverability and sender reputation stay yours.
- Broadcasts — "We're live!" emails to everyone, verified-only, or your top-N superfans, with position and referral-link placeholders.
- Anti-spam that actually ships — 450+ disposable email domains blocked, per-IP rate limits, honeypot field, Gmail dot/+tag dedupe, self-referral prevention, per-IP referral-credit caps.
Queuecraft vs LaunchList, at a glance
| Queuecraft | LaunchList | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $29 once | $29/month, forever ($348/yr) |
| Waitlists | Unlimited | Plan-limited |
| Subscribers | Unlimited — it's your SQLite file | Tiered |
| Referral queue-jumping | Yes | Yes |
| Email verification | Yes, via your SMTP | Yes, via their sender |
| Custom domain | Yes — it's your server | Paid tier |
| Your data | On your disk, CSV anytime | In their cloud |
| Source code | MIT, on GitHub | Closed |
Queuecraft costs exactly one month of LaunchList Pro — and a typical waitlist runs 3–12 months before launch. It pays for itself in month one.
Common questions
Is it really free on GitHub?
Yes — MIT source at github.com/bensblueprints/queuecraft-mvp, always. If you're comfortable with npm i && npm start it's free forever; the $29 buys the 1-click Windows installer for people who'd rather not touch a terminal.
Does the referral mechanic actually work?
"Refer friends to jump the line" is the exact loop behind Robinhood's, Superhuman's and Monzo's million-person waitlists. Queuecraft implements it with computed ranking — position is always calculated from verified referral points, never stored, so it can't drift.
What stops people gaming the queue?
A lot, honestly: only verified (double-opt-in) signups credit referrers, disposable email domains are blocked, Gmail dot/+tag variants dedupe to one entry, self-referrals are detected, and referral credits are capped per IP. Determined fraudsters exist, but the cheap tricks all bounce.
The bottom line
Queuecraft won't out-feature LaunchList on every axis — no subscription tool with a bigger team and a bigger roadmap loses on everything. But for the core job, $29 once against $29/mo forever is a trade most people should at least look at. Queuecraft is part of OneTimeSuite, a catalog of pay-once apps that replace subscription SaaS.
Try Queuecraft — $29, once
Signup page + embed widget where referring friends moves you up the line — on your server.