The point of a Show HN is for the author to get feedback on their project. It is not an opportunity to sell/recommend a competing product/tool. I am starting to see this anti-pattern a lot in Show HNs, please stop!
Is it? I just glanced the guidelines and FAQ (only on my phone) and didn't notice anything specific to this. Genuinely curious if that structure exists.
Also pointing out competitors might be some of the best advice one could give IMO.
I think there are many ways you could point out a competitor. If a competitor did something different that's notable I think it makes sense to share and explain how the OP could learn from that.
Sometimes 1-liners like "Checkout xyz, been around since 2014" seem a little like an ad leaching off of the original Show HN.
I think it depends strongly on the content and the framing of comment.
I agree that Show HN shouldn't be treated as an opportunity to market another product/project as an alternative. At the same time, being pointed to similar projects that interested users are telling you do something well is highly valuable feedback - in this example, it seems that a common theme of recommendations is the presentation of results. That seems like valuable for the creator.
Also pointing out competitors might be some of the best advice one could give IMO.