Mystrika
F5Bot is a free alert service that emails you when your keywords are mentioned on Reddit, Hacker News, or Lobsters. It's a simple, no-limits tool for monitoring brands, projects, or topics of interest.
F5Bot is a lightweight, free keyword monitoring tool that tracks mentions across Reddit, Hacker News, and Lobsters. Launched in 2017, it has delivered over 300,000 alerts daily to thousands of users. The service focuses on simplicity: sign up with an email, enter your keywords, and receive alerts within minutes. There are no usage caps on the free tier, making it one of the most accessible options for real-time social monitoring.
The tool's core strength is its no-frills approach. You don't need to configure complex dashboards or learn a new interface. F5Bot scans posts and comments across all subreddits and the other two platforms, then emails you when a match occurs. For users who need more control, paid plans add advanced filtering, AI-powered semantic alerts, Slack and Discord integration, and API access. The Power plan at $14.17/month (billed annually) unlocks RSS/JSON feeds and scheduled delivery, while the Ultra plan at $58.33/month adds AI alerts and webhooks.
F5Bot is best suited for indie developers, startup founders, and small marketing teams who want to stay on top of brand mentions, competitor chatter, or lead opportunities without paying for a full social listening suite. It excels at catching conversations in tech-oriented communities where early engagement can make a difference. The free tier is generous enough for most casual users, and the paid tiers are reasonably priced for the added functionality.
However, F5Bot is not a comprehensive social media management tool. It lacks analytics dashboards, sentiment analysis, and multi-platform support beyond the three it covers. Users looking for deep data enrichment or CRM integration will need to pair it with other tools. The service also does not offer a mobile app, so all interactions happen via email or webhooks.
For its intended use case -- lightweight, real-time keyword alerts on tech discussion platforms -- F5Bot delivers exceptional value. The free tier alone covers the needs of many users, and the paid upgrades are affordable for teams that need more sophisticated filtering or team collaboration. If you monitor Reddit, Hacker News, or Lobsters regularly, F5Bot is a practical, no-nonsense choice.
Features
- Free email alerts for keywords
- Monitor Reddit, Hacker News, and Lobsters
- Simple keyword list input
- Unlimited use with no limits
- Brand, project, and topic monitoring
- Easy sign-up process
- AI-Powered Semantic Alerts
- Advanced filtering by subreddit, exclude terms, co-occurring keywords
- Slack and Discord integration via webhooks
- RSS, JSON, and API access
- Flexible email delivery (instant, batched, daily digest)
Pricing
Pros
- Completely free with no usage limits
- Simple setup and use
- Real-time email alerts within minutes
- Covers three major tech communities
Cons
- Limited to Reddit, Hacker News, and Lobsters
- No built-in analytics or reporting
- No social media management features
- No data enrichment capabilities
Best For
Indie developers, startups, and SMBs needing simple keyword monitoring