A template is the first thing a visitor sees, before your headline even registers. It sets an expectation about what kind of thing they're about to read about, so the right choice depends less on personal taste and more on what you're actually launching.
Classic
A clean, centered layout: headline, subheadline, form, nothing competing for attention. Classic is the right default when you want the product itself to be the story, not the page around it. It works for almost anything, which makes it the safe choice when you're not sure yet, or when your audience is more practical than visual (developer tools, B2B software, anything sold on function over feeling).
Beacon
A single bold color behind a geometric pattern. Beacon has more presence than Classic without going as far as a full mood-driven design, it's confident rather than quiet. This is a good fit when your brand already has a strong color identity you want the waitlist to carry, or when you're launching something that wants to feel energetic rather than minimal: a consumer app, a community, anything that benefits from feeling alive before it even exists.
Aurora
A moody dark backdrop with a soft, shifting gradient and grain. Aurora reads as premium and a little mysterious, which suits launches that are leaning into exclusivity or craft: a design tool, a creative product, anything where "early access" is part of the appeal rather than just a mechanic. It's the template most likely to make someone stop scrolling, but that same intensity can work against you if your product is genuinely utilitarian, a dark, atmospheric page promising a spreadsheet tool sends a mixed signal.
If you're still unsure
Think about the one word you'd want a visitor to associate with your launch before they've read a line of copy: trustworthy, energetic, or exclusive. That word points at Classic, Beacon, or Aurora respectively, more reliably than staring at the three side by side ever will.
See them on your own copy
Templates are swappable any time, even after you've published, so there's no wrong first choice, just pick one and see your actual headline in it.
The template is doing more work than it gets credit for. It's the tone of voice for a page that hasn't said anything yet, so it's worth choosing on purpose rather than defaulting to whichever one loads first.
