Queuecraft and LaunchList solve the same problem from opposite directions: one is source-available software you can own outright for $29, the other is a subscription at $29/mo run entirely on someone else's servers.
Head to head
| 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 |
What Queuecraft does well
- 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.
What LaunchList still does better
There's a real reason LaunchList costs what it does: a bigger team, broader integrations and dedicated support behind it. If that ecosystem is genuinely what you need, it's worth paying for.
Which one should you pick
If your workflow depends on LaunchList's specific integrations or you'd rather not run anything yourself, stay put — that's a legitimate call. If you're comfortable owning the tool and want to stop paying $29/mo for a job your own hardware can do, Queuecraft pays for itself and then some: 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.
Try Queuecraft — $29, once
Signup page + embed widget where referring friends moves you up the line — on your server.