We wanted to know whether choosing when to post on Hacker News was worth the effort. To find out, we analyzed 216,816 submissions and 2,212,737 replies.
The best hour to post was 15:00–16:00 UTC, and Sunday had the highest average replies of any weekday. Posts in that hour averaged 11.79 replies, compared with 6.88 during the weakest hour—about 72% more.
The best hour to post on Hacker News: 15:00–16:00 UTC
15:00–16:00 UTC had the highest average replies per submission. At the other end, posts submitted at 07:00–08:00 UTC received the fewest. The chart shows how every hour compares, including posts that received no replies:
Posts in the best hour averaged 11.79 replies, compared with 6.88 in the weakest hour. That is about 72% more, or roughly five additional replies per post.
During US daylight saving time, 15:00–16:00 UTC is 11am–noon Eastern and 8am–9am Pacific. During US standard time, it is 10am–11am Eastern and 7am–8am Pacific.
Sunday is the best day to post on Hacker News
Sunday posts averaged 12.01 replies, compared with 9.67 on Tuesday, the weakest day. For Show HN launches, Thursday and Sunday were almost tied:
| Day, UTC | All submissions | Average replies, all | Average replies, Show HN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | 31,861 | 10.80 | 3.26 |
| Tuesday | 36,631 | 9.67 | 2.66 |
| Wednesday | 36,632 | 9.87 | 2.69 |
| Thursday | 36,309 | 9.76 | 3.41 |
| Friday | 31,206 | 10.10 | 2.84 |
| Saturday | 22,294 | 9.86 | 2.86 |
| Sunday | 21,883 | 12.01 | 3.40 |
If your schedule is flexible, Sunday is worth considering. For a launch, choose a day when you can be present for the discussion. A Sunday when you are away from your desk is less useful than a weekday when you can answer questions.
The best time to post a Show HN launch
Show HN launches posted between 00:00 and 01:00 UTC had the highest average replies. The afternoon also had several strong hours:
Posts just after midnight averaged 4.27 replies per launch, compared with 3.82 at 16:00–17:00 UTC, the strongest afternoon hour. That gap is less than half a reply per post.
For a founder, that leaves plenty of room to choose around availability. Both hours attracted discussion, and most Show HNs still received no replies. Being ready to answer a question or fix a problem is a practical reason to choose one over the other.
Most Hacker News submissions receive no replies
Before choosing an hour, it helps to know what usually happens to a submission. 61.4% of the posts we studied received no replies at all. Choosing a posting time is useful, but your topic and how you present it still deserve most of your attention.
Ask HN questions were much more likely to receive a response than regular submissions or Show HN launches. If you are launching a product, the Show HN figures give you a more relevant comparison:
| Type | Submissions | Average replies | No replies |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular submissions | 186,180 | 11.16 | 62.2% |
| Show HN | 26,422 | 3.00 | 62.3% |
| Ask HN | 4,214 | 13.04 | 22.2% |
Across all submissions, the average was about ten replies, yet the top 1% of posts accounted for 44.8% of all replies. A handful of enormous discussions pull that average up. Getting ten replies is a stronger result than the average alone might suggest.
Plan for the conversation after you post
For a regular submission, we would start with 15:00–16:00 UTC. Sunday had the strongest weekday average. For Show HN, choose between the midnight and afternoon options around when you can support the launch. Leave room in your schedule to explain a design decision, fix a broken signup, or help someone try the product.
Before posting, make sure the title is clear and the linked page is ready for visitors. Our Hacker News posting guide covers titles, Show HN eligibility, first comments, and the rules against asking for votes or comments.
Being available also means noticing when someone comes back with a follow-up question. Syften’s Hacker News alerts can help you notice relevant discussions, and site:ycombinator.com replyto:yourusername can alert you to replies to your account.
If you also share your work on Reddit, see our guide to the best time to post on Reddit for hourly reply averages across 12 communities and a live activity lookup for your subreddit.
About the data
We analyzed 216,816 Hacker News submissions posted between March 4 and October 8, 2026, and their 2,212,737 replies. Reply totals were collected on October 23, giving every post at least two weeks to receive responses. All times are UTC.
The averages include posts with no replies and exclude posts whose reply totals were unavailable. Replies include nested comments and the submitter’s own responses.
