WaitlistsBy Day Zero
Waitlist tools for pre-launch startups, and when to take payments instead
A simple form is enough to collect emails. Referral waitlist tools help a list grow. When you need to know who will pay, add a pre-sale. Here's what each kind of tool does.
In short
- Form builders and landing-page tools are enough for a basic waitlist.
- Referral waitlist tools grow the list by rewarding people who share it.
- Payment and pre-sale tools are the only ones that tell you who will pay.
- Day Zero turns a waitlist into a pre-launch lifetime-deal campaign: all or nothing, charged when the product is usable.
Waitlist tools fall into four groups. Most pre-launch founders use one from the first group to collect emails, then one from the last group when they're ready to ask for money. We run Day Zero, which is in the last group.
| Kind of tool | Examples | What it tells you | Takes payment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Form or landing page | Tally, Typeform, Google Forms, Carrd, Framer | Who's interested | No |
| Referral waitlist | Viral Loops, GetWaitlist, LaunchList, Prefinery | Who's interested and shares | No |
| Newsletter | Kit, Beehiiv, Substack, Mailchimp | Who keeps reading | No |
| Payment link or pre-order | Stripe Payment Links, Gumroad, Lemon Squeezy | Who pays now | Yes, upfront |
| Pre-launch lifetime-deal campaign | Day Zero | Who pays once it's usable | Yes, when access opens |
1. Forms and landing pages
Form builders such as Tally, Typeform or Google Forms, or a signup box on a landing page built with Carrd, Framer or Webflow. Free or cheap, quick to set up, and enough to collect emails. You export the list and email it yourself.
2. Referral waitlists
Tools such as Viral Loops, GetWaitlist, LaunchList or Prefinery give each signup a place in line and move them up when they refer friends. Good for growing a list fast before launch. The list still measures interest, not payment.
3. Newsletters
If your waitlist is really an audience you write to, a newsletter tool such as Kit, Beehiiv, Substack or Mailchimp keeps people interested with updates until launch.
4. Payments and pre-sales
When you want to know who will pay, take money or pledges:
- Payment links and pre-orders: Stripe Payment Links, Gumroad or Lemon Squeezy let you charge now. You hold the money and handle refunds if the product slips.
- Reward crowdfunding: Kickstarter or Indiegogo, built mostly for creative and physical products. See crowdfunding for software.
- Day Zero: a pre-launch lifetime-deal campaign for software. You choose 10 to 100 founding seats at $10–$150, it's open for a week, it's all or nothing, and backers are charged when you open access.
Use Day Zero with the waitlist you already have
You don't have to replace your waitlist tool. Keep collecting emails where you are, then send the list your Day Zero campaign link, or add the Day Zero backer widget to your site with one script tag. Sales from your link or widget have a 0% Day Zero margin. Here's how to turn a waitlist into paying customers.
Questions
What's the best free waitlist tool?
For a basic list, a free form builder or the signup form on your landing page is enough. What matters more is what you do with the list: talk to the people on it, then ask them to back you before launch.
Is Day Zero a waitlist tool?
Not exactly. It's where your waitlist pays you: a pre-launch lifetime-deal campaign your early believers back before launch. Many founders use it alongside a waitlist.