Last week, I launched my open source project, Wunjo Community Edition CE, on DevHunt.

I’m reflecting on the results of this week’s DevHunt in this post, as it’s a platform where open-source projects and tools for developers are launched and compete. Since Dev.to is a place where people often share about development, useful resources, and tools for IT professionals, I believe many of you might consider launching your projects on DevHunt. I want to share my disappointing experience so you can be aware of potential pitfalls.

I already wrote thoughts about it, the positive and negative sides that I felt as a user, you can read them on dev.to.

The voting lasted all week, and I kept a close eye on the rankings. With just 12 hours to go (Voting ends on Monday), I received an email stating that my project was in second place, while another project, WebDraw on DevHunt, was down at 10th place. The position of the project in the letter indicates its place in the current voting by upvote.

Two hours before the voting ended, I checked again—Wunjo was on second rank, and WebDraw wasn’t even in the top five. However, when the results were announced, I was shocked to find that WebDraw had surged into third place, while Wunjo was bumped to fourth.

Here’s where things don’t add up

Votes and Impressions Tell a Different Story

Both Wunjo and WebDraw have the same number of upvotes, but the impressions for Wunjo were 2896, compared to WebDraw's 1362. Impressions, as I understand them, are based on project views and retention in the top list, meaning they reflect actual engagement. This discrepancy raises serious questions about the legitimacy of WebDraw’s sudden surge.

Timing of the Shift

The bulk of WebDraw’s movement happened in the last two hours of the voting period. For a project that had little activity throughout the week to suddenly leapfrog multiple projects at the finish line—it just doesn’t feel organic.

The Notification That Confused Me Further

After the results were announced, I received an email with the subject "Celebrating Your Remarkable Third Place Win on DevHunt!" (screenshot attached). But when I checked the platform, there was no badge, no acknowledgment of third place—just disappointment.

I even reached out to DevHunt founder John Rush on X (formerly Twitter) but haven’t received a response yet.

Disclaimer: This post is not a call to avoid launching your projects on DevHunt—I’m simply reflecting on my experience and sharing what happened during my recent launch. I hope this sparks a discussion and maybe even some much-needed change.

Why This Matters

This experience left me disheartened, not just because Wunjo didn’t receive the recognition it deserved, but because this undermines the transparency and trust that platforms like DevHunt rely on. Even if the situation gets corrected, the moment for social sharing, celebrating, and engaging with the community has already passed. Those who followed the voting will only remember the unfair results.

It’s not about winning—it’s about fairness.

My Questions to the Community

• Have you ever experienced something similar? How did it make you feel?
• What do you think about platforms like DevHunt? Should they improve transparency in their voting processes?

Let’s discuss! I’m curious to hear your thoughts and ideas.

For me, this has been a lesson in resilience. Despite the disappointment, I still believe in Wunjo and its potential. I hope this post helps bring awareness to the importance of fair competition, especially in spaces meant to uplift and celebrate creators.

Looking forward to your thoughts and stories!

Update: Justice Restored!

I’m happy to share that fairness has prevailed—Wunjo is now officially among the top three projects on DevHunt! 🏆🎉

Thank you to the Dev.to and DevHunt communities, as well as John Rush, for addressing this issue. Your support means a lot, and it gives me hope that transparency and fairness are valued on platforms like this.

Let’s continue building a positive and supportive environment for creators!