How bounties work
Bounties are a simple way to pay someone to build the app you want. You post the idea, builders pitch, and Unbuilt holds the money until the work is delivered. Browsing is open to everyone — you only need an account to post or offer.
The five-step flow
Post
Describe the app you want and set the price. A 50% deposit is due up front to list the bounty.
Receive offers
Builders review the bounty and say they can build it. You chat privately with each one to compare approaches.
Accept
Pick the builder you want. The remaining 50% is due when you accept their offer, so the full amount is held in escrow.
Deliver
The builder submits a working link — a repo, demo, or live app — plus notes explaining what was built.
Release
You review the delivery. Once you accept it, we release the payout to the builder. If it doesn't match, you can dispute.
Escrow first
Money moves from the poster to Unbuilt's escrow, not directly to the builder. That means the builder knows the funds are real, and the poster knows delivery comes before payout.
Built-in chat
Every bounty has its own private thread between the poster and each builder. The full conversation stays attached to the bounty if a dispute is ever opened.
Dispute resolution
Either side can open a dispute. That freezes the payout while Unbuilt reviews the brief, the chat, and the delivery. We then release the funds, refund the poster, or split the payment.
Final say on acceptance
The poster decides whether the delivery matches the brief. Acceptance is what triggers payout. The builder is protected by escrow and the dispute process.
Fees and refunds
Platform fee: Unbuilt keeps 15% of the bounty price for matching, escrow, chat, and dispute handling. The remaining 85% is paid to the builder. The fee is deducted from the total before payout — the builder sees the net amount when they accept the offer.
Deposit: A 50% deposit is required to post a bounty. The other half is due when you accept a builder. If the bounty is cancelled before a builder is accepted, the deposit is refunded minus any payment processing costs.
Refunds: Once a builder is accepted and work begins, the full bounty is committed. If a delivery doesn't match the brief, the dispute process decides the outcome. We do not refund completed or accepted deliveries.