Keyword alerts, Reddit lead tools, or a batch of people?
Use alerts to follow mentions, a Reddit lead tool to work through relevant Reddit conversations, or Akoe to get a small batch of people to ask to try your product. Choose by where your users post and what you want to do next.
By Edward Yen, maker of Akoe · updated . This is our comparison, based on the vendors’ public pages, not a hands-on performance test. Prices below are monthly plans, not annual-billing equivalents.
| Approach | Choose it when… |
|---|---|
| Keyword alerts | You know the names or phrases to follow and want to keep watching new mentions. |
| Reddit lead tools | Your users are on Reddit and you want help finding, prioritizing and replying to conversations there. |
| A bounded batch | You have something ready to try and want a short list of people, each with a post to read and a way to write to them. |
Keyword alerts: keep an ear out
Start here for a brand name, a competitor’s name, or a phrase you already know people use. You still read the matches and decide who, if anyone, to approach.
For example, F5Bot emails keyword matches from Reddit, Hacker News and Lobsters. Its pricing page lists a free tier for personal use only, Silver at $9.99 a month, and Gold at $49.99 a month. Gold includes AI filtering; the first $10 a month of AI token usage is included, with additional usage billed separately. These tools can do more than exact matching, so compare the filtering as well as the price.
Source: F5Bot account tiers · checked .
Reddit lead tools: work through conversations
If your buyers already ask for help on Reddit, a tool centered on those conversations may fit better than a broader alert feed. Look at which communities it covers, what it calls a lead, and how much reply work it helps with.
For example, Subreddit Signals says it scores Reddit conversations by fit and intent, with a Comment Builder and an Engagement Queue. Starter is $29 a month with 15 weekly Lead Tokens; Pro is $59 with 25. Tokens are credits used to unlock and act on leads, not a promise of new customers. Both plans have a 14-day trial requiring a card; cancel before it ends to avoid a charge.
Source: Subreddit Signals pricing and token FAQ · checked .
A bounded batch: decide who to ask next
“Bounded” means a list with a stopping point: about 20 people at a time. Akoe starts from your product’s site and a problem sentence you confirm. It sorts recent posts into levels: asking for a solution, having the problem, working in its space, or simply being the kind of user you want. You choose which levels to include.
Each person comes with the post that placed them and a way to reach them: a reply on an open thread, or their own self-published, verified email. An email is not guaranteed. You write every message yourself; Akoe neither drafts nor sends it. New posts gather into the next batch, and the same person is never delivered twice to the same project.
The public beta searches Show HN and Ask HN posts on Hacker News from the last 14 days. Reddit is currently used only for Edward’s own projects. If you need Reddit coverage today, choose a tool that offers it. If your users do not post in these HN sections, Akoe may find few people or none. A batch is not a promise that anyone will reply or become a user.
Free during the beta. After the beta, the first batch stays free, then $1 for each person you can reach, with no subscription. A mention, a Lead Token and a reachable person are different units; dividing these prices into a cost per customer would be misleading.
See a sample batch with made-up people, or read how Akoe judges a post.
Coming from GummySearch?
GummySearch announced its closure on November 30, 2025 and stopped new signups. Its notice says existing subscribers retain access through their billing period, with lifetime-deal access until November 30, 2026. That is a transition for existing customers, not a plan a new customer can buy.
Source: GummySearch closure notice · checked .
For a replacement, first decide whether you need to explore Reddit conversations or find a few people to approach. Akoe fits the latter only where its current Hacker News coverage fits your audience.
Coming from Trigify?
Trigify’s September 23, 2026 announcement says its team is joining HubSpot and the standalone service is winding down. Standard access ends at 11:59 pm BST on October 22, 2026; contract-specific dates can differ. The notice says accounts will not migrate to HubSpot and asks customers to export information before access ends.
Source: Trigify announcement and transition FAQ · checked .
List the sources and workflows you need to replace before choosing another tool. Akoe is a narrow option for finding first users, so check its coverage above before moving that work here.
Start with the job you have today
For ongoing mentions, try alerts. For a Reddit reply routine, compare Reddit lead tools. For a first round of conversations with people on Hacker News, give Akoe your product’s site and check what it finds.
Vendor facts were re-read at the linked sources on October 4, 2026. Features, prices and access can change; check the source before buying.