sidething vs Build Club: Choosing the Right Builder Community
sidething is the only builder community with a dedicated app, virtual HQ, and AI-powered roadmaps. It works for any business type. Build Club is a 50K+ member platform focused specifically on AI builders, with free hackathons and courses.
| sidething | Build Club | |
|---|---|---|
| Focus | Side projects to real businesses (any type) | AI products, tools, and agents |
| Format | Dedicated app + virtual HQ + AI coaching | Platform + hackathons + courses |
| Price | Free tier + paid plans | Free for builders |
| Best For | Employed professionals building on the side | Anyone building AI products |
| Membership | Application-only | Open to all |
| Community Size | Curated (small by design) | 50K+ builders |
sidething
Think of sidething as the Duolingo for side hustles. SaaS, newsletter, coaching practice, e-commerce, freelance, AI product, doesn't matter. Every single member gets AI roadmaps, weekly check-ins, streak tracking, and coaching built into the product. Other communities are what you make of them. sidething gives you accountability, strategy, and momentum from day one. The virtual HQ has co-working sessions, inner circles, and community events that are actually buzzing.
Membership is application-only, so the community is curated and active. Nobody else has built a product for this. Everyone else is a chat platform with events bolted on.
Build Club
Build Club has 50K+ builders, 60+ cities, 11K+ projects shipped. The core platform is free. Annie Liao founded it in 2023 and it's backed by $1.75M from Airtree and Blackbird. The hackathons are regular and the partnerships (ElevenLabs, a16z) bring credibility.
The focus is exclusively AI. Free courses, $100K+ in tool credits, and a massive network for AI builders. If you're building something that isn't AI-native, most of the community's energy and content won't be relevant.
The bottom line
sidething gives you a dedicated app, AI roadmaps, a virtual HQ, and a curated community that works for any business type. Build Club gives you free hackathons and courses, but only for AI builders.
If you're building an AI product as a side project, you can use both. sidething for your daily structure and accountability, Build Club for AI-specific hackathons and resources. But sidething is the home base.
If you're building anything else, sidething is the clear choice. Build Club won't have what you need.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between sidething and Build Club?
Build Club is an AI-focused builder community with 50K+ members, hackathons, courses, and a bounty marketplace. It's free for individual builders and all about AI products. sidething is application-only with a dedicated app and virtual HQ, business-type agnostic (SaaS, e-commerce, services, newsletters, etc.), and focused on helping employed professionals turn side projects into revenue. Build Club runs on a web platform. sidething is a full product with AI roadmaps, check-ins, and a virtual office built in. If you're building AI, Build Club has more relevant resources. If you're building anything else and want a structured tool for accountability, sidething fits better.
Is Build Club really free?
Yes. Build Club's core platform is free for individual builders. That includes the community, events, many courses, and participation in bounties. They also offer a build pack with $100K+ in tool credits. They make money from enterprise upskilling programs and marketplace fees, not from individual memberships.