Is building a waitlist still worth it in 2026?

Let’s investigate together.

In the age of prompt development (pun intended), the idea of setting up a waitlist can feel like an excessive step. The topic even divides the builder communities on X and Reddit.

Building a waitlist isn't a difficult project. It is, in fact, low-hanging fruit that requires minimal effort these days, especially if you have a marketing landing page already live.

With a dedicated waitlist service, it can be set up in a hour or less. I have also written an article about waitlist platforms you can use.

The truth is, there’s no single direct answer. Ultimately, the decision is yours, but approach it analytically.

Medium member? You can read this article on Medium.

Ask yourself these questions

Use these questions to audit your strategy and determine if a waitlist is a strategic asset or just a distraction from your launch.

Are you building only after people sign up?

If you are waiting for validation before writing a single line of code, the waitlist is your best friend. It prevents you from wasting months building something nobody wants. If there is no significant amount of signups, you know it's time to pivot.

Do users actually understand what they are joining?

Quality matters more than quantity, so ensure your messaging is crystal clear. Collecting thousands of emails through false promises leads to high churn; a transparent landing page ensures your list is filled with "true believers."

Crucially, this transparency must include pricing. If you are building a high-ticket B2B tool but your landing page “vibes” like a $10/month B2C app, your waitlist will be inflated with users who will never convert. Disclosing indicative pricing — or at least the price bracket — filters out the noise early.

Do you have an existing traffic to your site?

If your page is already generating traffic through SEO, social media, or other discovery channels, a waitlist serves as a tool to capture that interest. Without a capture mechanism, you are effectively losing high-intent visitors who may not remember to return once your product officially launches.

Are you leveraging a "Build in Public" approach?

When you share your progress, setbacks, and behind-the-scenes logic on social media, people naturally get curious. Having a waitlist link ready gives that "hype" a destination.

Is your development timeline longer than a few weeks?

If your product takes months to build, a waitlist keeps your lead generation active while you're working on the product. This only if you have a discovery channel, like SEO or a social presence.

Do you already have a landing page?

At this stage, adding a waitlist is arguably the lowest-effort, highest-reward move you can make. It literally requires nothing more than dropping in a simple sign-up form or integrating a basic API to start capturing leads instantly.

Are you offering “Founding Member” perks?

A waitlist is far more effective when there is a “Why now?” factor. Offering lifetime discounts, early-access bonuses, or exclusive badges incentivizes people to join now rather than waiting for the official launch.

Are your conversion expectations realistic?

You need to ask what a “win” looks like for your specific project. Are you prepared for the reality that only a small percentage of waitlist signups may actually convert to paying customers once you go live?

Verdict

In short, yes - a waitlist is still worth building, provided you answered "yes" to at least a few of the questions above.

Building a waitlist is not a difficult task, but it requires some analysis. You must weigh the minimal time spent on setup against the potential to capture leads and your ability to convert them into customers.

Ultimately, the choice rests with your specific situation and goal. Build one, but don't over-engineer it. Focus your effort on the product instead.