RankBurns is a paid leaderboard where websites bid for a ranking spot. Rank is based on remaining "fuel," which runs down over time — so the top spot can change hands, and getting to #1 can cost as little as a dollar. Revenue, clicks, and remaining budget are shown for every listing in real time.
Fuel decides who holds #1
RankBurns is a pay-to-rank leaderboard. Listings are ordered by the amount of "fuel" behind them, and that fuel burns down over time — at a stated rate of 8% a day. The core mechanics:
- $1 to list — getting a name and link onto the board has a low floor.
- Outbid pricing — if a URL is already listed, a new claimant only pays the gap needed to move ahead, not the full amount again.
- Continuous decay — every position loses value on an hourly basis, visible in real time as a countdown on remaining balance.
- Revenue-ranked ordering — listings can also be sorted by revenue generated, fuel remaining, today's activity, or clicks, not just raw spend.
- Public stats and a Winners page — spend, clicks, and outcomes are tracked and visible, rather than hidden behind a dashboard.
Coasting is not an option here
A conventional "pay for placement" listing rewards whoever pays first and then coasts. RankBurns removes the coasting. Because rank burns down continuously, the top position reflects recent, ongoing commitment rather than a one-time payment made weeks ago. That changes the incentive from "buy the spot" to "defend the spot" — which is a meaningfully different game, and one that keeps the leaderboard live instead of static. It also produces a side effect that's arguably more interesting than the ranking itself: a visible, real-money record of what people are actually willing to keep paying for, updated by the hour.
Built for builders willing to defend a spot
This fits businesses and builders who want direct, low-friction visibility for a small spend and are comfortable with pricing that moves — not a fixed monthly ad buy, but a live auction they can enter for as little as a dollar. It also fits a different kind of audience: people who find a real-time, real-money leaderboard interesting to simply watch, independent of whether they ever list on it themselves.