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Instructables VS Hackster

Compare Instructables VS Hackster and see what are their differences

Instructables logo Instructables

DIY How To Make Instructions

Hackster logo Hackster

Hackster is a community dedicated to learning hardware.
  • Instructables Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-09
  • Hackster Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-04

Instructables features and specs

  • Diverse Range of Projects
    Instructables offers a wide variety of projects across multiple categories, including technology, crafts, cooking, and more, catering to diverse interests and skill levels.
  • Community Engagement
    The platform fosters a strong sense of community with user-generated content, allowing individuals to share their projects, comment on others, and collaborate with like-minded hobbyists.
  • Step-by-Step Instructions
    Most projects come with detailed step-by-step guides and pictures, making it easier for users to follow along and successfully complete projects.
  • Educational Resource
    Instructables serves as a valuable educational tool, providing tutorials that can help users learn new skills and gain knowledge in various fields.
  • Free Access
    A significant portion of the content on Instructables is accessible for free, allowing users to explore and create without any financial commitment.

Possible disadvantages of Instructables

  • Quality Variation
    The quality of projects can vary greatly, as the content is user-generated. Some instructions may lack clarity or be incomplete, leading to potential frustration.
  • Ad Distractions
    The free version of the site includes advertisements, which can be distracting and hinder the user experience while browsing or following instructions.
  • Premium Membership
    Access to some of the more advanced features or ad-free browsing requires a premium membership, which can be a downside for users looking for a completely free experience.
  • Overwhelming Choices
    With a vast number of projects available, users might find it overwhelming to locate the most suitable or high-quality instructions for their needs.
  • Inconsistent Updates
    Not all categories or projects are consistently updated, which might lead to outdated information or limited new project inspirations in certain areas.

Hackster features and specs

  • Community Engagement
    Hackster provides a platform for community interaction, facilitating shared learning and collaboration between project creators and users.
  • Diverse Project Range
    The platform hosts a wide variety of projects across different domains, catering to users with varying interests and skill levels.
  • Learning Resources
    Hackster offers numerous tutorials and guides that can help beginners learn new skills and improve their technical knowledge.
  • Access to Open Source Projects
    Users can access and contribute to open-source projects, enhancing collaboration and innovation within the tech community.
  • Networking Opportunities
    The platform allows users to connect with industry professionals and hobbyists, potentially leading to collaboration and career opportunities.

Possible disadvantages of Hackster

  • Quality Variability
    The quality of projects and tutorials can vary widely, with some offerings lacking depth or clear instruction.
  • Overwhelming for Beginners
    The sheer volume of content and advanced projects can be overwhelming for newcomers who may not know where to start.
  • Reliance on User Contributions
    The platform largely relies on user contributions, which might lead to inconsistency and gaps in the topics covered.
  • Limited Vetting Processes
    Projects and tutorials aren't always thoroughly vetted, meaning users may encounter outdated or incorrect information.
  • Commercial Bias
    Some projects and resources may be influenced by commercial sponsorships, which can affect the objectivity of the content.

Instructables videos

Instructables Electronics Class: Project Review

Hackster videos

HACKSTER (LV 100) - EL GRAN IMIGBOSS!! ๐Ÿ˜ - Monster Legends Review

More videos:

  • Review - EL RATON HACKSTER LV 100 - Monster Legends
  • Review - Monster Legends - Hackster Review, Level 1 to 100

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Instructables and Hackster)
Additive Manufacturing
51 51%
49% 49
Digital Fabrication
48 48%
52% 52
Product Lifecycle Management (PLM)
Online Learning
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Instructables might be a bit more popular than Hackster. We know about 37 links to it since March 2021 and only 26 links to Hackster. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Instructables mentions (37)

  • Broken Samsung charger
    Note that I could not find much documentation on references written on these components and that I am pretty new to electronics but it's something I'm interested in and I love to experiment (I have already went through hackster.io and instructables.com tutorials). Source: about 2 years ago
  • A compilation of bragging about how much money Beggy claims she has taken (read: scammed) her followers for. All of these have been posted in the past 3 DAYS. Her smug desperation is positively RANCID. Poor little Audrey-Prop is just dangling there.
    This person would have better luck participating in contests run by Instructables. Write a tutorial, submit it to one of the contests that are run every 6 weeks(themes and subjects vary from cooking, computer themed, design) for a chance to win an Amazon gift card worth $100-500 depending on the contest. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Over 11 hrs since she posted this and not a single ๐Ÿ”ฅ in the comments - I really do love that for her. She's now offering to help you figure out what you are passionate about/want to sell courses on ๐Ÿ™„
    Want to know how to make a tutorial? Go to Instructables. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Help me validate my idea for StrideDoc - an all-in-one solution for creating interactive demos, step-by-step tutorials, and product documentation!
    From your comment, I would say that we will work in a completely different niche than the one instructables.com tried to work. Source: about 2 years ago
  • looking for good free plans to build a shed/barn
    Instructables.com is a good place to start. Source: about 2 years ago
View more

Hackster mentions (26)

  • A powerful AR Cyberdeck that fits into your pocket!
    You'll find on our website a lot of info regarding this laptop + we are working on a Hackster.io page to share our journey through devlogs :). Source: over 1 year ago
  • Broken Samsung charger
    Note that I could not find much documentation on references written on these components and that I am pretty new to electronics but it's something I'm interested in and I love to experiment (I have already went through hackster.io and instructables.com tutorials). Source: about 2 years ago
  • Single NeoPixel Micro Device w/ Rechargeable Battery Possible?
    Something like the Gemma M0 or one of the Feather boards would work pretty well depending on what kind of connectivity you want. They both have JST connectors to connect a rechargable battery and the Gemma already has a single NeoPixel onboard. The Learn section on Adafruit or hackster.io both have excellent guides on running projects with either board. Source: over 2 years ago
  • What to do during down time
    I say this because learning Python and R are cool, but learning them in a traditional academic framework might not be as fulfilling or as productive as looking up some of the wild projects on hackaday.com, hackster.io, and instructables.com. If you start looking at these, they can really broaden your lens of what is possible, while at the same time offering projects that are more fun than rote coding exercises. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Starting my Journey
    The website https://randomnerdtutorials.com has a lot of good stuff to get you going. A lot of the more advanced projects are on https://hackster.io. Source: over 2 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Instructables and Hackster, you can also consider the following products

edX - Best Courses. Top Institutions. Learn anytime, anywhere.

Teach by Mozilla - The Mozilla Learning Network

Treehouse - Treehouse is an award-winning online platform that teaches people how to code.

HackADay - Hackaday.io is a platform for people who like to build things.

Pantheon - The professional website platform for Drupal & WordPress sites.

Youmagine - The best open source print files and designs available for you to build upon or simply download and 3D print!