Pricing update, : This post describes Telebugs and its original offer in 2025. Earlier purchases keep their original entitlements.
Self-hosted now costs $299 upfront, including a perpetual license and one year of new releases and email support. Coverage then renews at $99/year unless cancelled; downloaded versions keep working after coverage ends. Managed is $99/month with a 14-day trial that requires a card. See current pricing and the Self-hosted license for details.
I didn’t build Telebugs quietly in some secret lab. Oh no, I built it in public, sharing every step with the world. Today, I want to tell you how Telebugs went from launch to hitting #2 Product of the Day on Product Hunt, and what I learned along the way.
What is Telebugs?
Telebugs is a lightweight, self-hosted alternative to Sentry. It’s built for developers who want to catch errors, get notified, and fix bugs faster, without sending data to someone else’s server. You host it yourself, so your error logs stay where they belong: with you.
It’s simple to set up with the Telebugs CLI, and it’s compatible with Sentry SDKs. At launch, you paid once to run it on your own server and customize the source code, with no subscription or event quotas.
Building in public: my journey
From day one, I’ve been building Telebugs out in the open. I’ve shared the development process. Everything from the first spark of an idea to the latest features, with followers. Regular social media updates, chats with developers, and lots of demo videos. This openness has brought me invaluable feedback and helped me build a community around Telebugs. I’m so thankful for early adopters’ support and can’t wait to keep going together.
The road to Product Hunt
Getting ready for Product Hunt was a mix of excitement and mild panic. I spent weeks tweaking the landing page, making sure it explained Telebugs clearly, and pinging friends to give me a heads-up if anything looked off. I knew it could be a big moment, so I wanted to be prepared.
Making sure Telebugs could handle a flood of errors without choking was important. I had to rethink database queries and caching, which meant some late nights. By the end, though, it was running smoother than ever, ready for the spotlight.
From launch to Product Hunt
Hot off the press, I introduced Telebugs, a lightweight, self-hosted alternative to Sentry, to the Product Hunt community. Launch day was a blur. I refreshed the page way too often (don’t judge), and watched as upvotes and comments started trickling in.
Thanks to your votes and enthusiasm, Telebugs soared to #2 Product of the Day! The excitement and support from the community have been beyond motivating. It’s been amazing to see developers everywhere get into self-hosted error tracking.
Telebugs on Product Hunt.
What I learned
The Product Hunt launch wasn’t just a milestone. It was a crash course. Here’s what stuck with me:
- Community matters: Chatting with people early helped me spread the word.
- Be ready to chat: Replying to comments quickly kept the conversation going.
- Test your limits: I made sure Telebugs could handle a spike in traffic, just in case.
These aren’t rocket science, but they made a difference for me. Maybe they’ll help if you’re planning a launch too.
Why self-hosting?
Self-hosting isn’t just a buzzword for me. It’s the heart of Telebugs. Keeping your error data on your own server means better control and security. No third-party middleman, no worries about where your data’s going. Plus, you can tweak it to fit your setup, whether that’s adding custom integrations or changing the look.
The launch offer was a one-time $299 purchase, with no monthly bills tied to event volume. See the pricing update above for today’s offer.
What’s next?
I’m not stopping here. The feedback from Product Hunt has me working on better notifications and tighter integrations with tools you already use. Keep an eye on the changelog for what’s coming up.
Thank you
Reaching #2 was gratifying, but the useful part was the feedback and questions from people who run software themselves. Those conversations made the launch feel real.
The comments are still on the Product Hunt page, and they continue to influence what I build next.