By Mehdi HassanWhat makes a good developer tool landing page?
A good developer tool landing page shows the product working within the first screen, names the job in plain words, and gives one specific next step with docs beside it. Evil Martians' study of 100 devtool landing pages found that pattern was the norm: a centred hero, a code snippet or product UI, a CTA like "Start building" and docs or GitHub as the secondary action.
The examples below are grouped by product type, because what goes in the hero depends on what you sell. They describe publicly visible patterns at the time of writing; these sites change often, so check the live page before you borrow from it. For the principles behind them, start with our developer tools website design hub.
Product type | What the hero must prove | Typical visual |
|---|---|---|
SDK or framework | It's pleasant to write | Install command plus usage code |
API | It's simple to call | Request and response |
Infrastructure | It fits my workflow | Deploy flow or dashboard |
CLI or desktop tool | It's quick to install and useful | Install one-liner and terminal output |
Which SDK and framework landing pages are worth copying?
The best SDK and framework landing pages show code a developer would actually write, then the result it produces. They sell ergonomics, so the code sample is the hero, and everything else supports it.
Site | What it does well | Pattern to copy |
|---|---|---|
Tailwind CSS | Shows markup and the rendered result together | Demonstrate the workflow, not just the output |
Next.js | Clear job-focused headline, start and learn paths | Two routes: build now or learn first |
Prisma | Schema and type-safe queries side by side | Show the API shape in a few lines |
Clerk | Prebuilt auth components shown as real UI | If you ship UI, render it live |
Expo | One command to create a project | Make the first step copyable |
Astro | Install command and a short framework pitch | Put the starter command near the CTA |
What they share: the first code a visitor sees is short, idiomatic and runnable. Framework sites also tend to show who uses them, because adoption is part of the pitch for something you'll build a product on. If you sell an SDK, make your sample match your quickstart word for word, so the docs feel like the next step rather than a new start.
Which API landing page examples get developers to a first call?
The API landing page examples that get developers to a first call show the request, the response and how to get a key, all within a scroll. They make calling the API look like a five-minute job, because for a good API it is.
Site | What it does well | Pattern to copy |
|---|---|---|
Stripe | Polished product visuals and famously clear docs | Treat docs as part of the brand |
Twilio | Products grouped by channel, each with code | One page per job, each with a sample |
Resend | Minimal hero with a short send-email snippet | Let one snippet carry the page |
Mapbox | Shows maps and visuals the API produces | Show the output when it's visual |
Algolia | Demonstrates the search experience it powers | Let visitors feel the end-user result |
Plaid | Speaks to developers and business buyers | Separate paths for builder and buyer |
The pattern to notice is the request-response pair. Showing what comes back, a JSON body, a sent email, a rendered map, answers the developer's real question: what do I get for this call? Our guide to API company website design goes deeper on optimising for time to first call.
Which infrastructure and platform pages show the workflow best?
The infrastructure and platform pages that work best show the workflow from code to running service: connect a repo, deploy, see it live. Infra buyers want to know how the tool fits the way they already ship, so the hero often shows a terminal, a dashboard or a template gallery.
Site | What it does well | Pattern to copy |
|---|---|---|
Vercel | Templates you can deploy from the site | Shorten the path to a live URL |
Supabase | Clear "start your project" CTA and open-source proof | Pair a direct CTA with community signals |
Railway | Product canvas shown as the hero | Let the interface explain the model |
Fly.io | Distinctive illustration and plain, direct copy | A strong voice can carry an infra brand |
Cloudflare Workers | Short code example of a worker | Show how little code a deploy needs |
Neon | Explains branching for databases visually | Picture the one idea that's new |
Sentry | Real error and trace UI as proof | Show the screen users will live in |
Why templates work so well on infra pages
A template turns "how would this work for me" into a live example in minutes. The visitor picks a framework they know, deploys it and sees a URL, which is the product's promise delivered before any sales conversation.
If you run a platform, a small gallery of starter templates for the frameworks your users already use is often a better hero investment than a new illustration.
Which CLI and desktop tool landing pages are worth studying?
The CLI and desktop tool pages worth studying put the install command or download button in the first screen and show real terminal output. For a command-line tool, the install line is the CTA, and the output is the proof.
Site | What it does well | Pattern to copy |
|---|---|---|
Homebrew | Install one-liner front and centre | The command is the call to action |
Bun | Install command plus benchmark charts | If speed is the pitch, show the comparison |
Deno | Install command and a short runtime pitch | Name the platforms you support |
GitHub CLI | Terminal screenshots of real commands | Show output, not just the command |
Warp | Product UI of the terminal itself | For a desktop app, the UI is the hero |
Oh My Zsh | One-line install and a playful voice | Personality works when install is simple |
What patterns do the best devtools landing pages share?
The best devtools landing pages share five patterns: a real product visual, a specific CTA, docs or GitHub as the second action, verifiable proof, and pricing on a separate, honest page. Visual style varies widely; these patterns don't.
- Real product in the hero. Code, terminal output or genuine UI, never an abstract illustration alone.
- A specific verb on the button. Build, deploy, install, get a key.
- Docs beside the CTA. Many developers read before they sign up.
- Proof they can check. Open repos, a changelog, named users, benchmarks with method.
- Pricing on its own page. With limits and free tier spelled out; see our devtools pricing page guide.
For more patterns across technical products, see our companion roundup of devtools and API landing page examples, and compare with general SaaS landing page examples to see where devtools break the usual rules. If you run an open-source project, open source project websites covers stars, contributors and the commercial tier.
How do you use these examples without copying them?
Use these examples by copying the pattern that matches your product type, then writing your own headline and showing your own product. Developers notice clones, and a page that looks like a well-known devtool but says less will feel derivative.
Start by choosing your table above: SDK, API, infrastructure or CLI. Write the one sentence that names your job, pick the visual that proves it, and set the CTA verb. Then check the docs handoff, because the landing page only earns the click; the developer docs earn the sign-up.
