Frequently asked questions for hackathon participants

Devpost is a platform to find, join, and run hackathons since 2009. It's used by developers, students, and builders worldwide to discover hackathons hosted by companies, universities, and communities.

A hackathon is a time-boxed, focused competition where participants build a project, such as an app, tool, or prototype, and then submit it for judging. Hackathons can run anywhere from a single day to several weeks online.

People join hackathons because they're a fun way to learn, try new tools and technology, meet friends, and challenge themselves to unleash their creativity. Many hackathons also offer prizes, which can be a nice bonus for the winning teams, but most participants come for the experience itself rather than the payout.

Everyone is welcome to join hackathons on Devpost, including students, professionals, and hobbyists of any skill level or background. You don't need to be a developer to participate: designers, entrepreneurs, product managers, and other nontechnical builders join hackathons too, contributing skills like design, pitching, and product strategy to a team. If you're a beginner, take a look at hackathons with a "Beginner-Friendly" tag.

Hackathons are typically open to individuals, teams, and sometimes even organizations. Some hackathons are designed specifically for students, while others are open to all builders regardless of experience.

Yes, joining a hackathon as a participant is free on Devpost.

Yes. You don't need to be a student to organize a hackathon on Devpost. There are a few different formats to consider, depending on what you're looking to run:

• In-person community hackathon: a local, in-person event on our public hackathon platform, open to your local developer community.
• Online public hackathon: a virtual event open to a global developer audience.
• Private hackathon: visible only to your own employees or invited guests rather than the public.

Create a free Devpost account and find a hackathon that matches your interests at devpost.com/hackathons. Creating an account doesn't register you for any specific hackathon, so once you find one you like, go to its page and click "Join Hackathon" to register for that event. If you change your mind, you can unregister anytime before starting a draft submission, using the "Unregister" link in the hackathon's sidebar.

Check out our help articles on joining and submitting to a hackathon on Devpost.

Browse all active and upcoming hackathons at devpost.com/hackathons. Hackathons are offered both virtually and in-person: many are open globally to anyone, anywhere, while others are local events tied to a specific city or region.

Check out hackathons at devpost.com/hackathons and search or filter by the "Machine Learning/AI" interest tag to see what's currently live.

Yes. Go to devpost.com/hackathons and filter by "in-person." You'll get the best results if you're logged in to Devpost and have provided your location, so you can see local hackathons near you.

Yes. There are plenty of virtual and in-person hackathons on Devpost at devpost.com/hackathons that run over just a weekend, and many are beginner-friendly, making it easy to build something in a short window. If you'd rather have more time, many virtual hackathons stay open for 6 to 8 weeks, so you can build at your own pace.

Generally, no. Nearly all hackathons Managed by Devpost already have their judging panels set before the event, since organizers typically recruit judges internally, through their own professional networks, or through existing partnerships. Because of this, Devpost isn't able to connect individuals with judging opportunities for these hackathons.

Some student-run hackathons may open up judging applications on their own, but hackathons managed by Devpost typically do not. If a hackathon asks you to pay a fee to judge, treat that as a red flag, and research any hackathon carefully before agreeing to participate as a judge.

If you're eligible, participating is usually the better path instead: hackathons are a great way to learn new technologies, build your portfolio, and connect with other developers.

Typically, no. Most hackathons on Devpost don't require a team, so you're welcome to join solo.

A hackathon’s rules may occasionally require a specific team size (e.g., 2 to 4 members) or set a maximum team size. Always check the individual hackathon’s rules to confirm.

Once you've registered for a hackathon on Devpost, you can indicate that you're looking for teammates. You can also send other participants a team-up request through the platform. Check out this help article to see how to find teammates on Devpost. There's also a Discord channel to help participants find teammates.

Absolutely! All kinds of skills are useful on a hackathon team, like design, project management, video editing, and more. Joining a hackathon is also a chance to build up your dev skills along the way.

Yes! Here's how to find a team, and how to make the most of it once you're on one.

Finding a team

• Check "looking for teammates" on the hackathon's Participants page, and add a quick intro about yourself and what you're looking for.
• Found someone promising? Send them a Team-up request, it'll email them directly so you can chat.
• Once you're both in, your team leader adds you to the project to make it official. See this help article for the full walkthrough.
• There's also a Discord channel to help participants find teammates.

Making it work

• Mix up your roles (front-end, full-stack, design, product) instead of everyone doing the same thing.
• Share your skills early so work gets split based on strengths.
• Be mindful of different time zones and schedules.
• Give specific, kind feedback, and celebrate the small wins too, not just the final submission. See these teamwork tips for more.

Check out the Devpost Discord. Some channels to check out as you get started are #general-chat and #build-in-public.

A hackathon is your chance to experiment and build something you're genuinely interested in. Many hackathons include creativity as one of their judging criteria, so an original or unexpected take on a problem can help your project stand out. Make sure your project idea meets the hackathon's eligibility requirements and fits within its tracks, since judges typically screen for this before evaluating anything else. If you want guidance or inspiration, post on the hackathon's Discussion board to connect with organizers or other participants. For more on how judges evaluate projects, check out these tips from experienced hackathon judges.

Most hackathons on Devpost don't have specific skill requirements, meaning you can join as a complete beginner or as an experienced dev. If you're looking for something especially welcoming to newcomers, look for hackathons tagged with the Beginner Friendly theme. If you want to see hackathons that align with your skills and interests more broadly, be sure to keep your Devpost profile updated.

Start by checking the hackathon's eligibility requirements, judging criteria, and official rules, since these will shape how to plan your build. Review the hackathon's resources to understand what tools you'll have access to during the event. Plan your project before you build. For extra guidance, check out these tips from hackathon winners on turning your idea into a working project.

Some hackathons also run Builder Sessions, where organizers can connect with participants and share more about what they’re looking for in submissions. You can see upcoming Builder Sessions on our webinars page or check out this playlist to see previous sessions.

Once you submit, your project will be listed in the project gallery and viewable publicly after the hackathon deadline has passed. You maintain IP rights to your project.

Plan your project before you start building, and give yourself a buffer in case things take longer than expected. Don't forget to set aside time to package your project too: writing your project description, filling in submission questions, and filming a demo video if required. These are the judges' first impression of your project, so making them clear and impactful is worth the extra time.

Once you submit your project, it's automatically visible in the hackathon's project gallery after the hackathon’s deadline passes. From here, other Devpost users will be able to leave comments on your project. You can also ask for input from other builders in the Devpost Discord in the #build-in-public channel.

Participating in a hackathon gives you the chance to build your own ideas, get hands-on access to the latest tech and tools from organizers, and connect with a community of like-minded builders. It's also a chance to learn something new and, for many hackathons, compete for prize money. Many participants treat a hackathon less like a competition to win and more like a personal challenge, similar to how people run a marathon without necessarily expecting to get first place.

Sometimes. When you submit a project to a hackathon on Devpost, it's listed publicly in the project gallery, and some builders use that as a portfolio piece when job hunting. We've also interviewed Devpost users who shared how participating in a hackathon helped them land their next job: see Abhishek's story and Brij's story.

Whether a hackathon is worth joining is largely up to you and whether the topic interests you. If you're looking for a signal of legitimacy, look for hackathons with the "Managed by Devpost" tag. This means the Devpost team plays a significant role in running the event, including strategic consultation, hands-on participant support, and operational expertise. See this help article for the full explanation of what the tag means.

If you see a hackathon that only serves as an advertisement, not a related Devpost competition, please send an email to support@devpost.com with the link to the hackathon. We will investigate and take the appropriate action.

If you have a question about a specific hackathon, email support@devpost.com. Try to avoid sending questions right before the submission deadline, since we can't guarantee a response before the deadline.

You have a few other options too:

• Post questions on the hackathon's Discussion board to reach organizers directly.
• Ask in the Devpost Discord, where many participants go for help.
• Check whether your specific hackathon has a dedicated Slack or Discord channel or scheduled office hours—you’ll typically find these details in the hackathon’s Resources tab.