The best advertising platforms, according to hackers
7 advertising platforms recommended in Hacker News comments over the past year, ranked by how many separate people recommend each one.
- Most recommendedGoogle Ads25 people recommend it
- Built to lastGoogle AdSenseowners report a median of 20 years
- Least regretInstagram ads12 recommend, 4 criticize
All advertising platforms
- Google AdsRecommended for reaching people who are already searching for what you offer, with several reporting returns on small budgets. Common caveat: bot clicks and wasted spend.25recommend
- Meta AdsAdvertisers report strong sales and beat alternatives for mass-market buyers. Common caveat: buggy ad manager, misleading AI-written copy, and hard-to-appeal account bans.14recommend
- Instagram adsRecommended for well-targeted ads that produced bookings and leads; some advertisers report account blocks and campaigns that did not work.12recommend
- Google AdSensePeople recommend it for steady early income from websites, with many recalling payouts that paid for rent and school. Critics most often cite sudden account bans and falling earnings.11recommend
- Facebook AdsRecommended for reaching large audiences and tracking returns, with several owners reporting profitable ad spend. Common caveat: scam ads and poor support.7recommend
- LinkedIn AdsPeople recommend LinkedIn Ads for narrow B2B targeting that reaches a specific professional audience. The most common caveat is that it is very expensive per click.7recommend
- Reddit AdsSome advertisers get good results on simple campaigns, but many report wasted budget on clicks that never convert, so results depend heavily on audience.5recommend