Changelog
What's new on Hackathon Radar
Every notable feature and improvement we've shipped, newest first.
Aug 2026
Find hackathons with real cash prizes
Find hackathons with prizesChasing prize money? There's now a page for hackathons with prizes — every event on it has a recorded prize pool, so you can skip the ones that only hand out swag and go straight to the competitions paying out real cash.
The list is built automatically from prize data and refreshes as new events appear, from student jams to major global hackathons with six-figure pools.
Aug 2026
Filter the whole database for AI-friendly events
Open the databaseThe vibe-code friendly signal is now a filter across the full hackathon database — narrow thousands of events down to just the ones that welcome AI coding tools, and mix it with any of your other filters and saved views.
Every event that qualifies also carries a clear badge, so as you browse or open an event you can see at a glance whether AI-assisted building is welcome.
Aug 2026
Find hackathons where AI tools are welcome
Find vibe-code hackathonsBuilding with Cursor, Claude, v0 or bolt.new? There's now a page for vibe-code friendly hackathons — events that welcome AI coding tools instead of banning them, so you can prompt and ship rather than hand-write everything.
They tend to be solo-friendly and short-format: idea to demo in a weekend. The list is picked automatically from event rules and refreshes as new ones appear.
Aug 2026
Beginner-friendly hackathons, all in one place
Find beginner hackathonsNever been to a hackathon? There's now a dedicated page for events built for first-timers — the ones with mentorship, workshops, and no experience required, gathered from across the world.
It's the least intimidating way to find your first event: everything on the page is picked because it welcomes newcomers. Bookmark it and check back — it refreshes as new beginner-friendly events appear.
Jul 2026
A home for student and university hackathons
Find student hackathonsStill in school or at university? There's now a dedicated page that gathers hackathons open to students in one place — campus competitions, beginner-friendly events, and hackathons that welcome first-timers, all worldwide.
It's the quickest way to find events pitched at your level without wading through everything else. Bookmark it and check back — it refreshes as new student events appear.
Jul 2026
Give your AI assistant hackathon know-how
Browse the skillsThere's now a free, growing library of hackathon skills you can hand to AI assistants like Claude — ready-made expertise for planning an event, running one on the day, judging fairly, or getting the most out of taking part. Each one drops in with a single command, so your assistant instantly knows how to help.
Browse the collection, see exactly what each skill does before you add it, and pick only the ones you need. It's the fastest way to turn a general assistant into one that actually understands hackathons.
Jul 2026
See when hackathons happen in your country
Explore by countryNew country pages show you the rhythm of the year at a glance: which months and weekends light up with hackathons, and which go quiet. Instead of guessing when the next wave is coming, you can plan your year around the busy stretches.
Each page also surfaces the cities where the action concentrates and the platforms events tend to run on, so a quick look tells you where and when to be — whether you're a builder picking your next weekend or an organizer choosing a date that won't clash.
Jul 2026
A guided setup that tunes your radar in seconds
Browse hackathonsNew accounts now start with a short, friendly setup instead of a blank database. Tell us whether you're here to build, to judge, or to sponsor, pick the topics you care about, and choose where and how you want to take part — in person, remote, or both. It only takes a few taps.
Right away you'll see a handful of hackathons picked to match, ready to save to your radar, plus a clear next step tailored to you. Everything you choose can be changed later in settings, and if you'd rather dive straight in, you can skip the whole thing.