Soft launch vs hard launch: what is better for startups?

What is a soft launch?

So, what even is a soft launch? Think of it this way: imagine you want to go for a swim on the beach. Do you test the temperature before taking the plunge or dive into water headfirst? If you prefer the first approach, then you’ll find the soft launch strategy more appealing.

Soft launch strategy

Soft launch is favored by newly established startups with a tight budget. This method involves releasing a product that is limited in scope. It’s almost like a test run meant to convince your audience that your idea is worth their attention. Because of that, these initial product versions often include only the most essential features. Such apps are frequently released for a limited audience — for example, only in one country.

This method allows startups to avoid risks when it comes to app development. By taking it slow, they can afford to study their niche and get user feedback before launching a complete product.

Besides, not everyone has a budget that is large enough to hard-launch their app. So for most startups, a soft launch makes more sense — it’s cheaper and less risky.

Pros of the soft launch

Now, let’s look at the advantages of the soft launch method for startups:

✅ Reduced risk. Most startups can’t afford a failed global release. The soft launch method allows them to significantly reduce risks and test their concept in real market conditions.

✅ Cost-efficient. Soft launching is all about gradual improvement. Developing every feature simultaneously can cost you a lot of resources. The soft launch strategy lets startups focus on what’s important and save money in the process.

✅ Increased flexibility. Startups get valuable feedback through soft launching, allowing them to change and improve product features on the fly. They can easily adapt to the needs of their users and shift their business strategies accordingly.

✅ Lets you test ideas. Geographically limited app rollouts let startups test their concepts with a small audience before going global. Sometimes, product ideas only work on paper. Soft launching makes it possible for startups to make mistakes without going broke.

Instagram is a great example of a soft launch. The platform started as Burbn — a social network based on location and photo sharing. It quickly became clear that users liked posting photos much more than checking in at places. This is why Burbn became Instagram, shifting the focus to photos.

Cons of the soft launch

The soft launch approach does have its drawbacks:

❌ Less revenue at release. Less risk often equals less reward, and this applies to soft launches. They do let you increase your revenue gradually as the product gets better. But the initial profits won’t be as large compared to a successful hard launch.

❌ Reduced audience reach. Soft launches allow startups to save money on marketing and prioritize a limited user base instead of targeting a global audience. Because of this, the initial reach of soft-launched products is often worse compared to hard-launched ones.

❌ Competitive pressure. Today’s market favors those who make their moves first. Soft launching is all about the long game: testing the waters and making careful decisions. Waiting too long to launch can result in your product being overshadowed by competitors.

❌ Limited feature scope. Soft-launched products usually have fewer features at release compared to hard-launched ones. Limited functionality may discourage more tech-savvy people from using such apps.

Soft launch: success stories

Facebook

One of the most well-known soft product launches. Facebook was initially released to a small audience consisting of Harvard students. From there, the platform gradually expanded to other universities until it was finally made available to everyone. The soft launch method allowed the company to polish its product before going ahead with a full-scale release.

Airbnb

Another example of a successful soft launch is Airbnb, which was released to a limited audience and gradually expanded to the global market. This controlled roll-out allowed the platform to build a strong community, which ultimately is why the service became successful.

WhatsApp

This messaging platform is so popular now that it’s easy to forget it was iOS-only at first. Launching on just one platform allowed WhatsApp to gauge the demand for their product and make improvements. Thanks to that, their expansion into the global market became a lot smoother. In 2014, Facebook noticed the platform’s success and purchased it for $19 billion.

What is a hard launch?

Let’s go back to our swimming metaphor. Let’s say you’re a professional deep-sea diver who’s always prepared for cold temperatures. With plenty of experience and professional diving gear at your disposal, you’ll be able to jump into the ocean in a flash and never lose your cool.

That’s the idea behind the hard launch strategy. It favors those who come prepared: if you’ve already refined your product idea and have investors, then you can gain a lot from hard launching.

Hard launch strategy

A hard launch is similar to an opening in chess. The first couple of moves can give you a competitive advantage — especially if you’re launching a product in an untapped niche. When done right, hard launching allows you to make a strong market impact and attract a significant audience at release.

But it also comes with a lot of risks. After all, who knows if your investment will even pay off in the end? To make a hard launch successful — include project discovery. For literal to no money, this step allows you to analyze the real demand for your product and find out exactly what your users need and use now. This can greatly improve the odds of your app’s success, and it’s unlikely that a small startup can survive without it.

Pros of the hard launch

Here are the key benefits of a hard launch:

✅ Increased profits. Big corporations like Apple love hard launches — they’re expensive but effective. This method lets them maximize their revenue and make a big market impact.

✅ Wide audience reach. Hard launches are usually accompanied by a big marketing push to attract the largest audience possible. These campaigns aren’t cost-efficient, but they allow companies to reach several potential users before launch.

✅ Improved brand awareness. Huge billboards and colorful banners ensure that everyone knows about your brand. Some companies even go viral through hard product launches, earning a cult following.

✅ Can give you a competitive advantage. Hard launching allows companies to outpace their competitors by making the first move in a promising niche. Even if the market is oversaturated, a hard launch makes it possible to break through and get noticed.

Cons of the hard launch

Hard launching products isn’t always ideal. Here’s why:

❌ Increased risk. Hard launches often go wrong — even when it comes to popular brands. If you’re a startup, putting all your resources on the line for a hard launch might not be the best move. Instead, take your time to research the market and improve your product.

❌ Expensive. Large corporations can afford hard launches, but most startups can’t. They are notoriously expensive and often require forming multiple teams to develop and market the product.

❌ No room for experimentation. Hard launching doesn’t give you much freedom when it comes to iterative development. All of the features are set in stone, which doesn’t leave any room to experiment. There’s no time for gathering feedback and correcting mistakes.

❌ Tight development schedule. Hard launches are synonymous with tight deadlines. To meet them, your team may have to work at a breakneck pace or risk an unsuccessful release.

Hard launch: success stories

Here are the best examples of successful hard launches:

YouTube

A true market leader in the video content space, YouTube took a risk and launched the platform globally without any controlled roll-outs. Their bet paid off, and YouTube is expected to surpass 1 billion global users by 2026.

Apple Music

As Apple was preparing to release its own music streaming service, the company spared no expense. After all, it needed to compete with Spotify, the undisputed leader in the audio streaming niche. Apple ran a large-scale marketing campaign to attract a large audience to its new music service. The hard launch strategy proved to be successful as Apple Music has become the best alternative to Spotify.

TikTok

After merging with an app called Musical.ly, TikTok used the hard launch method for rapid global expansion. As a result, the platform ran a huge marketing campaign across multiple channels and achieved rapid growth. As of today, the TikTok app has been downloaded over 4 billion times.

Soft launch vs hard launch: how are they different?

To choose the right launch strategy for a startup, we need to find out what sets them apart first. Let’s see how a soft launch and a hard launch differ when it comes to releasing a new product:

	Soft launch	Hard launch
✅ Overall goal	Test the product, gather user feedback, and gradually enter the market	Make a large market impact, overwhelm the competition, and profit right from the release
⌛ Development time	Can be shorter thanks to the limited number of features to develop	Can be longer due to the full-scale nature of the hard launch method
💸 Development cost	Allows you to save on development costs due to the manageable app scope	Requires a large budget that varies depending on the app’s complexity
👥 Audience reach	Usually more limited; some products are only launched in certain regions	Broad reach; the hard launch method involves extensive marketing campaigns
🔧 App support	Support is smoother thanks to a smaller number of features. The app grows at a controlled pace	Support can be complicated. The more features your product has, the harder it will be to support

Soft launch vs hard launch: how to choose the right strategy?

Deciding on the right launch strategy is essential for the success of your startup. We’ve prepared a handy cheat sheet to help you choose the most beneficial approach for your project:

	Soft launch	Hard launch
🚧 Product state	Useful if you’re unsure how successful your product will be at launch. This approach lets you test the waters before putting all your resources on the line. A soft launch can give your product room for future growth.	Helpful if you have a solid product concept with all the features planned out. You should only use this approach if you have all the details covered. These include everything from the habits of your target audience to potential risks.
🎉 Market impact	If you want to gauge the demand for your product, consider a soft launch. It will allow you to test the hypothesis and gather early feedback from your target audience.	Lets you make an immediate market impact — if you’ve got the budget for it. A hard launch can allow you to quickly penetrate the market and gain a competitive advantage early on.
⚡ Risk management	Soft product launches help startups with risk reduction. Many companies have found success through this method — by treading cautiously instead of going all-in.	The hard launch method can be risky, especially if a product isn’t fully ready at release. All app features, including the secondary ones, must be finished by the launch date.
💰 Budget size	Lets you evaluate the success rate of your product idea without breaking the bank. Because of that, the soft launch method is particularly beneficial for up-and-coming startups.	A hard launch requires a large up-front investment but lets you release a complete, feature-rich product. If the app is successful, you can recoup the development costs and make a big profit.
👩🏽‍💼 Competition	A soft launch can be useful in new and untapped markets where there’s little pressure from competitors. This gives startups the freedom to experiment and collect valuable user feedback.	Hard product launches are preferred by companies in highly competitive niches. Full-scale product releases allow them to gain a strong market presence and outshine their competitors.

When to choose a hybrid approach?

Let’s say you’ve been working on an ambitious app concept. You want it to include lots of features: from detailed user profiles to live-streaming and AI chatbots. But you’re not sure if the app will succeed or if your users will like it. In that case, you may benefit from a hybrid approach, combining the soft and hard launch strategies.

You can start by making an MVP — a Minimum Viable Product. It involves developing only the core features of the app, without which it simply wouldn’t work. MVP is highly effective when combined with soft launching, it allows you to minimize risks and build a solid foundation for your startup’s success.

Once you’ve built an MVP, you can begin the soft launch of your product.

1. Release the first version of your app to a limited audience.
2. Then, focus on collecting user feedback, which will help you improve the product.
3. Refine your app’s functionality and don’t be afraid to experiment — you never know how the users will react to a new feature. By the end of this process, you’ll know what needs to be changed or added.

After you’ve settled on the ideal cocktail of features for your app, it’s time to prepare for the hard launch.

1. Perform technical tests to see if your product can withstand high amounts of user traffic. Fix as many bugs as you can.
2. Plan out a full-scale marketing campaign to attract the widest possible audience at release.
3. Make a schedule for app updates, they should be regular if you want to hold the users’ attention.

When your app is released, you need to be ready to quickly roll out updates with bug fixes and various quality-of-life tweaks. Thanks to your marketing efforts, your product will be at the center of attention, but this also means that people will inevitably find more bugs. By fixing them as quickly as possible, you’ll build trust with your audience, encouraging them to keep using your app.

All in all, a hybrid launch strategy should cover all your needs, especially if you want to create an ambitious product. It can be costly, though, so consider doing a soft launch first.

Final thoughts

Choosing a launch strategy is crucial for any new product. Whether it’s a soft or hard launch, both strategies have their uses. When deciding between them, look at your product as objectively as possible. Evaluate every feature, assess potential risks, and collect user feedback. When that’s done, you’ll be able to make an informed decision between the two methods and even combine them if needed.

At Purrweb, we can create an MVP for your startup in just 4 months — even with a limited budget. By the end of development, you’ll have a fully functioning product ready to capture the market. If you want to discuss your project with us, fill out the form below, and we’ll get back to you with an offer.

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