Hackathon Platforms Guide
Every hackathon platform — general, Web3 and AI-native — and which to pick for your goal.
Hackathon Platforms Guide
GENERAL HACKATHONS
Devpost — devpost.com
- Best for: Largest global directory. AI, web, mobile, hardware.
- Prize range: $500–$1,000,000+
- Tips: Filter by "Online", sort by prize. Apply to EVERY sponsor prize, not just grand prize.
- AI Hackathons: devpost.com/c/artificial-intelligence
Major League Hacking (MLH) — mlh.io
- Best for: Students and beginners. 200+ events/year.
- 2026 season: July 2025 – June 2026
- Tips: Very welcoming to first-timers. Great networking.
- Calendar: mlh.io/seasons/2026/events
Lablab.ai — lablab.ai
- Best for: Generative AI hackathons (GPT-4, Claude, Gemini, etc.)
- Format: 48–72 hour sprints
- Tips: Strong beginner support. Sponsor APIs provided free.
HackerEarth — hackerearth.com/hackathons
- Best for: AI datathons, corporate-sponsored
- Tips: Good for job hunting — companies actively watch rankings
Unstop — unstop.com
- Best for: International virtual hackathons (2,540+ hackathons in India 2026)
- Tips: Many academic/student challenges with resume boost
Devfolio — devfolio.co
- Best for: India + global, Web3, fintech, AI. Strong ETHIndia/ETHDenver presence.
- Tips: One profile applies to multiple hackathons. Fast search interface. Good for ETH-ecosystem events.
- Browse: devfolio.co/hackathons
Hack2Skill — hack2skill.com
- Best for: India + global AI/ML focus
- Tips: Strong AI theme presence, good prize pools
TAIKAI — taikai.network
- Best for: European hackathons, blockchain voting, on-chain NFT proof of participation
- Notable 2026: EUDIS Defence Hackathon, ICP AI Agents Hackathon ($3K–$5K prizes), CASSINI Space for Healthcare
- Unique feature: Blockchain-auditable judging + NFT portfolio credentials
WEB3 / AI-NATIVE PLATFORMS
DoraHacks — dorahacks.io ★ MAJOR — DON'T MISS
- Best for: Web3, AI, Quantum, Space-Tech. The #1 platform for crypto ecosystem hackathons.
- Scale: 30,000+ teams funded, $92M+ in funding distributed
- Prize range: $15,000–$1,000,000+ (e.g. Hedera Africa Hackathon: $1M)
- Active 2026 hackathons:
- Vertex Swarm Challenge — $27K (AI Agents, Drones, Robots)
- HashKey Chain Horizon — $40K (AI + DeFi, deadline Apr 15 2026)
- Cronos x402 Paytech — $42K (AI payments + on-chain)
- Casper Hackathon 2026 — $40K
- StableHacks — $202K total value (Solana)
- BUIDL AI: AI-powered submission reviewer + auto judging
- How to win: Real use case + strong demo video + proper README + engage with sponsor Discord
- Newsletter: Subscribe at dev.to/dorahacks for monthly hackathon picks
ETHGlobal — ethglobal.com
- Best for: Ethereum ecosystem. World-class Web3 hackathons.
- Format: Online + in-person events worldwide
- Tips: Multiple sponsor prizes per event. Build something using sponsor protocols = multiple prize shots.
ETHDenver — ethdenver.com
- Best for: Largest blockchain BUIDLathon. 25,000+ people, 125+ countries.
- 2026 dates: Feb 17–21, Denver CO
- AI track: "Futurllama" — AI + DePIN + Ethereum intersections
Gitcoin — gitcoin.co/hackathons
- Best for: Open source Web3, grants-focused
- How it works: Browse Prize Explorer → "Start work" on challenge → submit
- Tips: Engage sponsor Discord early. Grant funding available beyond prizes.
How to Find the Best Hackathons Weekly
- devpost.com/hackathons — filter: Online, sort by prize amount
- dorahacks.io/hackathon — filter by AI or Web3 category
- mlh.io/seasons/2026/events — next student-friendly weekend event
- lablab.ai — next AI sprint
- ethglobal.com — next ETH ecosystem event
- dev.to/dorahacks — monthly newsletter with curated picks
- Twitter/X search: "hackathon 2026 $10000 AI"
What to Prepare Before Any Hackathon
- GitHub account + SSH key set up
- React or Streamlit frontend boilerplate ready
- FastAPI or Flask backend boilerplate ready
- OpenAI / Anthropic / Google API keys ready
- MetaMask wallet + testnet ETH (for Web3 hackathons)
- Team agreed on: idea generation process, tech stack, roles